The Irish standard., 1907-03-30

ana through them She MADE the &C.
quaintance of these Indian leaders and
secured their confidence. They urged
her to visit heir homes and see for
herself the conditions which she know
only by hearsay. She gladly agreed,
and few days later she and her new
friends were on their journey over the
San Jacinto Mountains to the Indian
villages. On their way they stopped at
Camulos, the home of Senor Ysabel
del Vale, and the scene of most of
the incidents in the story Of "Ramo-
ma
Camulos is still the home of the Del
Wales, but to the American tourist it
is the home of Ramona, and there are
few visitors to Southern California
who do not include this now famous
ranch in their itinerary. 1t is about
forty seven miles north of Los An
geles, on the road to Santa Barbara,
and is one Of the best examples ex-
tant of the old Spanish hacienda, un-
changed by the encroachments of
American enterprise. 1t stands today
practically as it stood at the time of
Mrs. Jackson's visit, and one familiar
with the story can sit within its court
and people it with the creations of the
authors imagination set in physical
surroundings of actual reality. For
Helen Hunt Jackson did not invent
the setting of her romance. The Ca
mulos in fact is the Camulos of "Ra-
mona." There is the little chapel, with
its patched altar cloth; there is the
veranda whereon Ramona swung in
the hammock; down yonder is the
stream where Alessandro first saw his
love; here is the fountain; over there
are the hills; yonder is the arbcr--
everything exactly as pictured in the
story.
One may ask: Are then. the charac-
ters imaginary Is the story itself i'm
aginary? In a. general way an affirm
ative answer may be given to both
questions, but with some reservations.
The story is entirely fictitious. but a
few of the incidents are based upon
actual events, notably that Of the jew
els. These Jewels really exist and the"
are now in the possession of a. resi-
dent Of Los Angeles, Mrs. James Ma
guire. Mrs. Mcguire herself, or, rather
her history, for Helen Hunt jackson
never saw her, doubtless suggested
some of the character IF Ramona, and
to a certain extent she nav be consid-
cred the original of Ramona. The
Sonora Moreno of the story is sup
posed to have been suggested by the
personality of Sonora del Vallc, the
mistress Of Camulos, and that of Fe-
lipe by that Of her son, former State
Senator Reginald del valle The
present Mrs. Mcguire was ward of
Sonora Del Vale. Her name was
Blanca Yndart, and she is OF pure
Spanish blood, unlike Ramona. Her
mother, dying when she was five
years old, her father, a resident Of
Santa Barbara, placed her iii the
charge of Sonora del valle She lived
at Camulos until she was fourteen,
when her father, marrying again, took
her back to his home. Her grdndfath-
er was sailor and has accumulated
a fine collection Of Jewels, which des-
cended to his grandchild and were
held in trust by the Sonora del Valle
until Blanca's marriage to Mcguire,
when they were turned over to the
bride, in accordance with the terms
of Captain Yndart's will. Mrs. Mcguire
did not know Of the existence of this
treasure until the day Of her marriage.
This also was in accordance with the
will. Beyond these facts these is no
resemblance between the character
and story of Ramona and the ctarac-
ter and history Of Mrs. Mcguire. The
Indian side of Ramona" may have
been suggested by another ward of
Sonora del Valle, mission Indian
girl named Guadalupe.
Mrs. Jackson began to write the
story in Los Angeles, but temporarily
abandoned it to go to Washington to
lay the facts as to the mission In
dians before Congress and ask for
some measures for immediate relief.
She succeeded in securing the ap-
pointment of commission to inves-
tigate the subject and then went to
New York, where the novel was fin
ished. This was her last as we'll as her
greatest literary work, her death
following very son after its compile
tion. 1t has been said that the pur-
pose Of Ramona" failed of immediate
accomplishment. This is true as to the
restoration Of the Indians to their