Los Angeles herald., 1905-06-11


trano Wednesday naturally carries one
back to the old times hereabouts-to
the days of Mexican chivalry, when the
native Californlans held sway, and
there was JOY In all the broad lands
which have now passed into the hands
Of the acquisitlve gringo.
Fifty or sixty years ago San Juan
Capistrano was far more important
place than It is now. Very nearly a
hundred years ago 1t was the scene Of
the only important earthquake which
ever took place in California, some
forty years before the Mexican war
which gave the Golden state to the
United States.
At that time the mission was in all
its glory and was thirty years old. 1t
was a building of considerable archi-
tectural pretensions. One Sunday
strange it is that in Spanish speaking
countries these events always take
place on a Sunday and when the peo-
pie are gathered at rnass-the temblor
came and shook down the ceiling of
tude, killing a hundred or so without
more ado. This was the only serious
seismic disturbance that ever caused
loss of life of any amount in this state,
much hullabaloo as was made about
earthquakes in California until that
at Charleston, S. c. few decades ago,
showed the Atlantic coast and the An
titles to be the centers of seismis dis
turbance.
Notwithstanding the demolition of
the mission, San Juan still continued
to be a place of considerable impor-
tance, as would be naturally any place
which was the headquarters of two
such men as Dick Egan and the late
Don Marco Forster. 1t is on the line
of what was then Los Angeles (now
Across the line in the latter county
was Las Flores and a little farther
south was the magnificent Santa Mar
garita ranch of John Forster, contain
ing 125,00O acres of choice Southern
California lands. Still farther south
was Guajome, the princely home of
Col Cave ]. Couts; and again, Penas.
quitas, the poetical residence of Capt
George ]. Johnson.
Old San Juan
At San Juan was the telegram and
stage station, midway between Los
Angeles and San Diego. There were
wont to be held many of the rodeos,
barbecues, bullhead breakfasts and
days from Camulos on the north to
the Mexican line, the bellies and gal
lants of those days thinking nothing
OF distance.
The knights of Columbus were treat
ed to a barbecue, but it is a pity that
an old fashioned rodeo could not have
been improvised for their entertain
ment. These were gala events in
deed! When the Forster and neigh
boring ranches were ready for their
yearly roundups the display of horse
and agility with the RATA
were superb.
1t is doubtful If the world has ever
afforded more spirited or graceful cab
alleros than the native Californians of
the days when Fremont and Sloat
planted the stars and stripes on sea
and land in the Golden state. There
are still about Los Angeles and
through Southern California a few of
these men who made Southern Cali
fornia horsemanship famous, and who
would think nothing of swooping from
their saddles at full gallop and pick
ing up a coin from the roadway. John
Garlic, ex-mayor of Santa Monica,
was one of these, though age and
avoirdupois might perhaps somewhat
disable him now. It was one of the
great sights Of Los Angeles twenty
years and more ago, when Garlic was
chief of police, to see him careering