The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-05
WAS STEYENSON'S FRIEND.
WHEN THE AETHOR FIRST
 LIVED IN CALIFORNIA.

l Where He Had Gone Early in His
 Career Poor in Purse and Broken in i Health.
 i Monterey is one of the sights of California, and Jules Simoneau is one of the sights of Monterey. Who is Jules Simoneau? Montereyans point to him with pride as the lifelong friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, writes J. | 4. Kieferie in the Los Angeles Times. 1 While the author was stil unknown and struggling hard to get his name before | the public this kindhearted little Frenchman extended to him the hos pitality of his home.
 1 In 1879 Stevenson arrived at Mon terey with broken health and an empty purse. In those days it was small 1 Mexican town, altered but slightly by the extraordinarily cosmopolitan character of the few strangers who visited it. In his own words, it was "a place of two or three streets, ecOno- mically paved with sea sand, and two or three lanes, which were water courses in the rainy season, and at all times were rent by Assures four or 1 five feet deep. There were no street l lights. The houses were for the most part built of unbaked adobe brick, many of them old for SO new country, some of very elegant proportions, with low, spacious, shapely rooms and walls so thick that the heat of summer never dried them to the heart"
 The only foreigner in the community, outside of Chinaman and Portu- guese, was Jules Simoneau. No won der Stevenson sought his acquaint- ance, especially at a time when, be- cause of i'll health, he needed human sympathy and care. Jules Simo- Simoneau was the man for the place. No one ever left his door hungry. Taking a particular fancy to the young author, he offered him the hospitality of his home without money and without price"
 Stevenson himself writes: "Of all my private collections of remembered inns and restaurants-andI believe it, other things being equal, to be unri- valed-one particular house of enter tainment stands forth alone. I am grateful indeed, to many a swinging signboard, to many rusty wine bush, but not with the same kind of grati- tude. Some were beautifully situated, some had an admirable table, some were the gathering places of excellent companions, but take them all in all not one can be compared with Simon- aus at Monterey. To the front it was part barber shop, part bar: to the back there was a kitchen and salle a man. ger The intending diner found him self in a little chill, bare adobe room, furnished with chairs and tables and adorned with some oil sketches roughly brushed upon the wall in the manner of Barbizon and Cernay. If you stayed there to mediate before a meal you would hear Simoneau all about the kithchen and rustling among the dish es."
 After his departure from Monterey Stevenson went to France, while Simo- neau travelled through old Mexico. For three years they lost track of each other, and were indeed glad to resume valued correspondence.
 Jules Simoneau's home is situated on the hillside affording an excellent view of the bay and the surrounding country It is only a one story building, with low, antiquated rooms, but the old Frenchman is contented with his many books. with the remembrance of a dearly beloved friend and with the affections of a noble Spanish woman. He has very few visitors, and prefers to be alone, so that he may mediate undisturbed upon the great principles of life's philosophy. And a philosopher he truly is. Stevenson fully recognized this, and more than once wrote to him for an expression of opinion upon cer- tain ethical questions.
 As you enter the house you find an excellent picture of the author in front of the door, with the inscription: ITO my friend Jules Simoneau," and signed by Fannie Stevenson.
 How much Stevenson esteemed Jules Simoneau is expressed in the inscrip- tion on the fly leaf of 'The Strange Case of pr. Jekyll and MT. Hyde": But the case of Robert Louis Steven son and Jules Simoneau-if one forgot the other-would be stranger still" Such tribute is not allotted every one, but think what great source of satis- faction and delight it would be if this loved master of words had written the same of us! From a literary stand point there was nothing to attract Stevenson to this quaint little French man, whose life occupation has been to manufacture and sell to males. But his kindheartedness appealed to the mind of the great author, and led to the closest friendship between them. And even in his dying moments, Stew enson whispered: "Jules-Simoneau- est-man-T-ever--met
 Everything that his friend ever wrote is carefully hoarded away by Simon eau in a small bamboo bookcase. On her recent visit to Monterey Mrs. Stew enson said: Jules, you have a better collection of Roberts works than have" The entire collection was pre- sented to him by the author. He con- siders this collection, in addition to the many personal letters, worth more to him than any amount of gold.
 Would you let me take the letters to my room, MT. Simoneau?" I asked.
 Not on your life," was the reply. Do you know that people try all the time to buy these books from me? I l.. H. T