Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-17

ing in Southern California. He married
a sister of Governor Pho Pico.
He had three sons, two of whom, Don
Juan and Don Marco, died very recent
ly. Two at least of his sons became
the two most distinctive cavaliers of
California, Don Chico and Don Marco.
Chico was one of the best known young
gallants in California and was as pop
| ular in San Francisco as in Los An
geles or San Diego. For his own sake
he was far too popular. He ran the
pace. poor fellow He was shot through
the brain in front of the White House
| by one of the beautiful Abarta girls
who alleged that he had seduced her
under promise of marriage. The trial
was a highly sensational one and the
girl was acquitted. The case, by the
way, was reported for The Herald by
the late Col. George Butler Griffin and
makes most interesting reading.
Don Chico was one of the splendid
band of young native Californians who
organized themselves into an escort
to accompany William II. Seward on
his celebrated trip into Mexico, after
he had ceased to be secretary of state.
Going and coming, Seward passed
through Los Angeles on that trip.
Chico's brother, Don Marco, had little
in common with Chico, but his gener-
osity and popularity. He was much
of what in the middle west is called
"home body" that is to say. he
made Las Flores the center of his in
terests and with the exception of an
invariable attendance at a rodeo within
a hundred miles, an occasional visit to
Los Angeles and attendance upon
Republican state convention as
delegate U had the pleasure of
meeting him for the last time at Sacra-
mento last year while he was in at
Az..
His love of home, however, did not pre-
vent him from being recognized as the
fastest runner and finest horseman in
the lower end of the state.
The Don Juans
Don Juan, the third of old Don
Juan's sons, was one of the most mod
est AMI unobtrusive of men, and very
seldom came into the limelight. OF the
fortunes of these pre- eminently favored
sons of Southern California, Chico was
killed in the heyday of his youth,
bankrupt IN fortune though with hosts
of friends and a rich father, Don Juan
died ricn and respected and Don Marco
died about year ago, with the stand
ing of one of the first men of the state,
En- passant, his ranch of Las Flores,
was sold the other day to Los An
geles syndicate for 100000, which,
presume, represents but a portion of
his possessions.
1t was when these Forster boys were
in the height of their youth and pros
perity that bull head breakfast, a
rodeo or a baille represented something
on the mind of the participant not light
ly to be forgotten, especially, as which
was generally the case, Judge Dick
Egan was major domo. There was an
ample supply of wine in the cellars of
the old San Juan CapiStrano mission,
which could always be relied upon to
garnish these feasts, and TO doubt was
sail ran high. Before Dick became a
railway magnate--the alter ego of the
Santa Fe, In the old, old days--he used
to, be the telegraph operator at San
Juan Capistrano and the running mate
Of Marco Forster. What they could not
do to make rodeo or bull head break
fast and the accompanying baille
(dance) brilliant 1t was useless for any
cavaliers from Point Conception to the
Mexican line to try to do. The judge
when a boy of 16 had fought in the
Confederate army, and what he did net
know about handling man and beast
In the line of handling festive events
was not worth knowing.
Bull Head Breakfasts
There have been of late years some
very notable bull head breakfasts and
barbecues. Perhaps the most notable
ever pulled off In Southern California
was that which came off at San Pedro
on the occasion Of the passage of the
harbor bill by congress. This grand
function had for it's major domo John
II. Gaffey and was a blazing success.
The Chevalier Gaffey is a supreme ar
tist when II comes to colossal celebra-
tions. The whole countryside was in
terested in the event and they turned
out en- masse.