The San Francisco call., 1904-06-05


fornia. Even its owner has q
~ touch OF QUaintness, and no
wonder for il is he who thought
out and planned the unheard OF sur
prises and bizarre effects which greet
the visitor on every side so long as he
remains on the premises. Who ever
heard OF even an enchanted castle with
a bouquet 10 perform the office of
gate opener?
Watch what happens when to enter
the grounds OF the oldest house in
California you pull cord just above
the gateway. You have tried the gate
in every other way and the only thing
10 DO is 10 pull that cord. Swish!
From out Of nowhere, apparently, IKE
Cinderella's coach in the trsnsforma-
tiOn scene, a huge bouquet OF scarlet
geranlums and vari-colored foliage
dips down on a level with the visitors
nose. Loi the gateway 70 the en-
chanted castle is open and the flowers
remain invitingly suspended in mid
air. This is the beginning Of the leger-
demain practiced on the guheless
stranger by the owner OF the place,
Colonel J. r. Dye.
he came TO San Diego aine years ago
from Nebraska. sick nigh unto death.
He was popularity expected 10 ole
without further orders, but concluded
70 live and put his ideas into Dye Villa,
which has evOluted year by year, as
A. were, into its present superlative
oddity. "AI the work Of my own
hands" proudly says the quaint man
nered owner, and I have never had
10 take back a single thing l started.
Always stuck 10 my original idea
And one can quite believe this before
returning from tour Of the place.
The oldest house seems 10 have
everything that the fairy books Of
ones childhood called for. In lieu Of
the Flying Carpet Of the Arabian
Nights, one may take a trip out
through space in the Swinging Tree.
The Enchanted Mirror. the Magic
Walk, a Fairy Fish Pond with Innings
Of pearl, they are all there. Moreover,
one has only TO wish for IL and a trip
may be made over the whole place and
everything be seen, inside and out Of
the house, without once touching foot
70 the ground.
This trip is started on from the heart
Of the Wonder Tree, which must be
thirty feet or so above the ground, and
IS reached by a flight OF steps. At a
casual glance one would call the tree
weeping willow, but the fact that ii is
not is one OF the queer things about il
that gives it the odd name the Wonder
Tree. The tree in reality. is a eucalyp-
tus twelve years old. Six years ago
the master of the oldest house began
the course Of training on this tree which
resulted ia making il truly the Wonder
Tree. he sawed the tree off squarely
across its trunk. many feet above the
ground. BY and by the green sprouts
began TO come, shooting straight UP
toward the sky. after the manner Of
all eucalyptus kind. AS fast as they
came they were each one tied by a cord
down below and trained to grow over
in graceful spray, like the weeping
willow.
Right in the heart OF this sheaf of
green streamers was built three years
later a platform. with rustic seats suf-
hcient TO accommodate eight people,
and wired in and out to keep the tree
branches IL place as supports for the
aerial bower. Now il is as though
the seats were set in a foundation of
living green and from below the re-
treat is completely hidden. Strange
~ enough, two Of the green whip
like branches that were trained to
grow downward have refused to wear
any foliage, but run III and out among
the green Of the Wonder Tree, in
length perhaps twenty feet or more,
and resembling dull. grayish thongs,
terminating in a few green leaves.
These two oddities have been wonder
ed at by hOrucuIturists and scientists
alike.
From the heart Of the Wonder Tree
q narrow bridge in midair stretches
for fifty feet and connects with the
third story Of the oldest house. This
bridge is continued twice around the
house in the form of balcony. That
completes eighty feet more OF the
journey that the visitor is making in
midair. Finally the balcony makes a
sharp little twist and runs steeply up
10 the cupOla crowning the third story,
seventy-five feet above the ground.
From the little glass inclosed sky
parlor with its cushioned seats the
eye takes in a view that is matchless
IN loveliness. Beyond the city lie
stretched the turquoise blue waters of
the bay. Beyond them rises the
great caravansary at Coronado, and
out into the clear waters creeps tenn
ple-crowned Point Iona. mysterious
and silent The eye fingers on Silver
Strand and Ocean Islands, then ranges
on toward a broader panorama, TAX
ing in National City, Chula Vista, the
hazy mountains and distant Mexico.
Silence is the tribute most often paid
10 this picture seen from the oldest
house in California.
The oddities are in evidence in he
sky parlor as well as everywhere
else. Between the windows and above
them is little wall balcony, from
which points the index finger of a
smiling girl doll dressed in pink Be
low her runs the legend, PLEASE reg
lister here" and on the table is the
guest register of the oldest house
It's pages are covered with the sigma
lures Of people from all over the wide
earth. Famous autographs are among
them, and sometimes they are writ
ten in the sky parlor at the rate OF
more than thirty q day.
On the wall is the sign that brings
forth one OF the oldest things in the
house. II reads. please do not spit
on the floor without permission. Spit
tOon under the sofa" II the owner
Of the house is with the visitor who
reads the sign. he Will smile. for he
alone knows what will happen.
The visitor who reaches for the Gus
pidOr under the sofa gets a surprise.
lie gets tha cusDidOr out just beyond
the edge OF the sofa, but just let him
relax his hold on the thing bit and II
flies under the sofa in the twinkling
Of an eye. II the visitor cares 70 get
down on his hands and knees he may
see q queer looking spiral spring at