Year: 1873

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A gentleman at Los Angeles described
TO a correspondent the life on one of the
great estates in that country, "befOre the
Americans came.n They milked cows
and made cheese; they dressed and
tanned sheep and calf skins for clothing;
they wOve blankets; they made wine;
they raised grain enough for their bread
and the Indian women ground this on
stones; they preserved the hides of the
cattle for the Boston ships; and at the
San Fernando Mission / saw the huge
stove and cement tanks in which they
melted down and kept the tallOw, which
also was sold to the Boston men. In
those days, said my friend, when l went
out to see Don -, he received me at
the door; he showed me my room, and,
in 81 few minutes, bearing i'm his own
hands basin Of water for my use. But
behind him came q half n dozen SER
wants, to show me that what he did he
did out OF respect and welcome to me,
and that servants were at hand to do it
if he did not choose. This old man bad
sons and daughters, grown and mar
ried, living in his house. He always
breakfasted alone, unless he invited his
elder son to eat with him. He arose
somewhat later than the family, who
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mean-fOr the women and children ate
apart, and had a very merry time over
their meals. When he had breakfasted,
he went out into his corridor or piazza.
There stood his sons and his major
dOmo and his yacquerOS, hat in hand.
Then the horses, which had been sad
died since daylight, were brought. The
eldest son held his fathers stirrup while
he mounted; and when he was seated in
the saddle, the rest followed. Then he
gave to each his orders for the day-to
Martin the tannery, to Antonio the hOr-
ses, to Thomas the cheese, or the calves;
and when at last all this was received,
always in silence, he gave the word, and
out into the plain they rode as though
shot from bolt. The old man rode at
the head; and as he gallOped he called,
IN low, soft voice which they almost
all have, "Pedr0," and Pedro drew up
alongside; 81 do not want that manada
of horse on the hill yondern "Si,
Senor," says Pedro, and gallOps off.


Antonio, these calves should not be
here, they must be nearer the river;n and
so on, always in n gallOp, seeing every
thing with his practical eye, and issuing
his commands as he rode.


About four he returned to his dinner,
which his sons ate with him. After
dinner he sat in his corridor, made and
smoked paper cigars, and contemplated
I himself.


On Sundays and fast days, said my
I friend, the family rode to church, all on
horseback graceful cavalcade for the
women rode finely, and the horses are
yet the best saddle horses in the world.


Then came the gold discovery, and the
Americans, and the sudden and great


wealth which spoiled all the simple life.
Then they became too proud and too
careless to milk, and so now you find no


milk on the ranches. They could buy
clothing and all kinds of supplies, and
so their useful and ingenious industries
perished. They came to the towns,
dressed in absurd gold and silver lace,
and with gold stirTups and gOld-mOunted
saddles and gambling houses; and so
their business was neglected. Finally
they thought it genteel to ride in car
riages, and so they gave up the most
graceful and healthful exercise which
man or woman can have. l still re-
member old Don ThOmas-standing
here, looking with silent disgust at his
family climbing into 4 cumbrous coach,
and then turning to me with the words,
''They are young and may risk it, but
for my part / am determined never to
hazard my life in one of those things,
while have strength to sit on a horses
back" | do not doubt that it was a
happy life they led-these old Califor-
mans. But it did not belong to the
nineteenth century, and the railroad
will, in year or two, leave no vestige
of it this side of the Mexican bordeE
But one thing l have learned this win
ter among the old Californiaus which it
Is pity we, their SUCCESSORS, have not
copied from them, and that is the mod
Grafton of their lives. Their admirable
and kindly temper, their abstemiOus-
ness and temperance in eating and
drinking, the readiness with which
they submit to mere physical incon-
venience, their kindness to dependents
and servants, and the skill with which
they know how to manage these, and the
politeness and ceremony which they
know how to carry into all parts of their
lives, seemed to me very admirable in
deed.