Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-03-08
IUlIIIIS HOUSE
IN CALIFORNIA : | A
QUAINT BUILDING II ! l|:i
Many Famous Personages
1--we Shown Appreciation
Of Lumnis' Work
Structure Is Mecca for
Tourists Through Southern
California !!

California
Special to The Tribune. r ~ + I"
- J. W. Foley. /, ~ El.:.,
=. LOS ANGELES Cal, March g..
Down on the bank OF the Arroyo Seco
which means dry rum as YOU mi may
:. or may not know, and as ] did moi
know until I was told ,so-Charles +,
!: Lummis has built an old time Calitor'
mia house with his own hands. With
the aid Of a few Mexicans he went
into the bed Of the arroyo and brought
up the boulders, which range in size
from six inches IN diameter TO two
and three feet, and which are round
and white with the alkaline depoAt
Of the waters that casionally make
tho Try creek q torrent n rainy sea;-
u soma. These stones be laid with NOR.
into the walls Of bio house. = story
Md hak in height, built IN . quad
ranGle With 4 round tower at one cor.
ner. That tower II pierced with
q narrow. opening for . vindow, and
above this window 10 4 niche In which
hangs mission bell that Ii . couple
Of hundred years old Or nearly 20. II
hangs in the wall BY tho same rAwhide
thong that held in 1t tho mission bel.
fry. and the metal Of the bell = en-
crusted with green from age and the
elements. -
The walls of the house run on three
sides Of Ell Acalde Mayer, which as
I told you the other day ID m immense
sycamore tree that bursts from tho
ground in halt dozen trunks, each
= couple OF feet In diameter. THIS
sycamore II q venerable Giant and its
gnaff8d 1tmDS u4vg an fmmenIo spread
above and over the root Of the house.
Eventually it is Lummis' idea to have
the sycamore completely enclosed
within the walls and to have q giant
tree growing In his court, surrounded
by these solid stone walls. The age
Of this tree is easily more than loo
years, and thro,l.s.h!: ,l..!: lLummis' interpo-
sition it will be saved to the present
and the future for as long as it shall
live. On the side Of the house waere
the sycamore is there is piazza built
after the old California style running
about three sides of q quadrangle.
And when you step into the house
you are in the atmosphere OF quar-
ter or half a century ago In this south
western country. The floors are of
solid cement, tinted = brick color. The
"beams above your head are hand hewn
out Of immense timbers. The doors,
sills, window frames and other wood
work are hand hewn ahd fashioned,
and there is not anywhere the EVIL
dence OF the modern planning mill the
lathe, the modern stone mason or the
up.todate decorator. It all reflects
Lummis' ingenuity and originality,
and preserves the atmosphere OF the
California frontier.
. About the walls there are innumer-
able relics Of the old time. There is
tho finest collection Of Indian arrow
heads I ever saw-set up in frames
and including every size and style
ever used by these southwestern In.
dams. It Is q collection that would
make Curator Fish or Dr.. Libby tArill
with emotion. There is such an ar
ray of Indian pottery as l never saw.
Beautiful patterns, pots and utensils
of all sizes and shapes, reflecting the
remarkable artistery of these original
owners Of the southwest. There are
MEXICAN paintings, rare old books,
and q hundred and one ornaments
that have been gathered by Lummis
in his remarkable career in the south.
west and in his explorations and re.
searches among the Indians. There
ID, coming down to modern times, q
portrait OF Gen. Porfirio Diaz, former
president and dictator Of Mexico, au-
tographed and presented to Lummis
by the general himself. There is an
autographed portrait of Roosevelt,
also personally presented. Andrew
Lang the eminent English critic and
writer, sends his portrait with an au-
tographed letter Of appreciation OF
Lummis' work. Indeed, there is gal.
lery of eminence from all parts of the
world, indicating the high degree of
appreciation they have for Lummis
and his work. Madame Modjeska, the
eminent Polish tragedienne, left Lum-
mis- her first English prompt hook
and the book in which she herself
copied off her lines In her first Eng
lish production. It. is written in the
finest and most beautiful script. and |
was the way in which Nine. Nodes
Ia schooled herself in English. And |
when you look at 1t, its precision, its |
its wonderful chirography, |
you appreciate what splendid genius |
WAS hers, that lei. nothing stand In the.
way Of it, fulfillment. -
And upstairs In Lummis' den. there
lContinued on paee s.