Arden, 1897.Arden, 1897.
Arden, 1897.
Los Angeles, October 14, 1897.Well, beginning on the left is the little house Mr. B and Madame went to stay, but when she was getting better last time, they said it was dryer than her own room—next that is an enclosed yard with a store room at the back and over it a room where her theatricaldresses are kept, the little house right off that is the house girls' rooms, in front of the last is a bed of carnations and where the two girls are is the open air dining room, next that is the indoor dining room, kitchen behind, then Nashtia's room with a rustic well in front, part of dining room behind and part of kitchen and big pantry behind that—then an entrance and little hall behind which is my room as they call it and bathroom beyond—then Mr. Bozentas' study, hall behind and then the room with the church windows (the odd window is a seat of Madames) this a very large room and goes the whole depth of the house and up to the rafters with a big granite fireplace and no end of pretty things in it. I suppose you would call it a drawing room—then there is a spare bedroom, hall and another bedroom at the back, then an entrance with a bathroom beyond the hall—then Mr. B's room with Madame's at the back and these open onto a wide deep porch with Japanese screens and trellis and creepers which is the end—the kitchen garden is beyond the shrubbery to the left and that lawn runs to the right ever such a way to the farmyard entrance—at the back is a deep hill 50 yards high or more covered with live oak, geraniums, wild grasses and so on—on top there is an orange and olive orchard—in front excepting drives it is all garden and shrubbery to a creek with a swing gate, I dare say there are 8 or 10 acres, all this and a small valley are shut in by high mountains and you exist in a sort of green sea. That is Madame by her porch, the girls on the right were Misses Langenberger, Yorke and Easton. I am doing roses on the well, Annie and Maggie are in the open dining room, Nashtia is by the little house, Mr. B is talking to Johnny, left front, Sam is watering with his small and faithful Bobilo dog near him, the other dog is a big hound named Rock. If you keep this till you get the sketch perhaps you can make it out.
Los Angeles, October 14, 1897.
Well, beginning on the left is the little house Mr. B and Madame went to stay, but when she was getting better last time, they said it was dryer than her own room—next that is an enclosed yard with a store room at the back and over it a room where her theatricaldresses are kept, the little house right off that is the house girls' rooms, in front of the last is a bed of carnations and where the two girls are is the open air dining room, next that is the indoor dining room, kitchen behind, then Nashtia's room with a rustic well in front, part of dining room behind and part of kitchen and big pantry behind that—then an entrance and little hall behind which is my room as they call it and bathroom beyond—then Mr. Bozentas' study, hall behind and then the room with the church windows (the odd window is a seat of Madames) this a very large room and goes the whole depth of the house and up to the rafters with a big granite fireplace and no end of pretty things in it. I suppose you would call it a drawing room—then there is a spare bedroom, hall and another bedroom at the back, then an entrance with a bathroom beyond the hall—then Mr. B's room with Madame's at the back and these open onto a wide deep porch with Japanese screens and trellis and creepers which is the end—the kitchen garden is beyond the shrubbery to the left and that lawn runs to the right ever such a way to the farmyard entrance—at the back is a deep hill 50 yards high or more covered with live oak, geraniums, wild grasses and so on—on top there is an orange and olive orchard—in front excepting drives it is all garden and shrubbery to a creek with a swing gate, I dare say there are 8 or 10 acres, all this and a small valley are shut in by high mountains and you exist in a sort of green sea. That is Madame by her porch, the girls on the right were Misses Langenberger, Yorke and Easton. I am doing roses on the well, Annie and Maggie are in the open dining room, Nashtia is by the little house, Mr. B is talking to Johnny, left front, Sam is watering with his small and faithful Bobilo dog near him, the other dog is a big hound named Rock. If you keep this till you get the sketch perhaps you can make it out.
Weeding.Weeding.
Weeding.
1900—Beginning of the D——.1900—Beginning of the D——.
1900—Beginning of the D——.
Let Go!Let Go!
Let Go!
They're Off!They're Off!
They're Off!
"A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."
One man who was nervous wanted to drive forty miles across camp to Rosario, Santa Fé, and one of us who was not nervous said he would drive the pair of greys; one had been in harness twice and the other not at all; but the trap and harness were strong. So when the driver went to start and found them loading chains and ironware in case there was a runaway, he had it out again; there are no fences or ditches and all there was to do if they did runaway was to head for Rosario, they did, after trying if they could fly, horses buck here more than they kick, and when they wanted to stop the driver prevailed on them with a whip to keep on till one tried to fall down and nearly pulled him over the dashboard, but they got to town. Talking of bucking; we have some prize-takers. We all tried one and no one could stay on. Sometimes a piece of wood is used which you tie in front and push your knees under, or a blanket rolled up helps. Another, a beautiful labuno, was brought for me one day, the Señora who knew the horse, asked if I was a domador which I am not at all, she said "better not get on" and next day I knew she was right. Our best rider was going to try but the horse went around in circles at the end of a lasso, bucking like an airy fiend, everything flying till he broke away and no one got near him for hours, then he was captured with bolas, all this is different from hunting or riding races, the horse seems to express his opinions more freely and forcibly here, and onewants a special education. In Australia I know there is plenty of bucking, but I never was there, we had some horses from there in China, one of them (F—s) bucked his saddle over his head and never broke the girths. I did not see this but it is true. Another fell in a race and would not get up although fire-crackers were let off among his legs; then they tied a chain to him and dragged him away. Don't know if he ever got up. One Tartar pony I knew ran away with a Consul and up forty steps into the grand stand, another in a race jumped on top on one of these wide mud walls, and as he had his fore legs one side and hind legs the other he had to be taken off. I was riding in these races and we had no end of fun; last a week, but two men were nearly killed and one horse quite.
Russian Consul Going for the Grand Stand—Shanghai.Russian Consul Going for the Grand Stand—Shanghai.
Russian Consul Going for the Grand Stand—Shanghai.
Get on Ferguson."Get on Ferguson."
"Get on Ferguson."
One on the Wall.One on the Wall.
One on the Wall.
A Bad 'un to Mount.A Bad 'un to Mount.
A Bad 'un to Mount.
Lloyd's Crumpler on Miss Louise. Steeple. Flat.Lloyd's "Crumpler" on Miss Louise. Steeple. Flat.
Lloyd's "Crumpler" on Miss Louise. Steeple. Flat.
In Los Angeles on Main street a hack drove along and one man directed another's attention to two girls in it. They were very pretty but like many others, had their faces covered with white powder, these were Mexicans. They drove across to Rose and Ferguson's stable (Rose shot himself later) and then down Commercial street and Los Angeles street to a hotel with a man (I— F) they picked up at the stables. One of the first two men was passing as the hack stopped and made a grab for the girl, who got out first, because as the man put his foot on the hack step to get out, sheshot him in the eye and he fell forward onto the sidewalk dead. She only said: "He'll never fool another girl" and was going to shoot again but changed her mind and walked off with her sister to the police station to give herself up. She was tried; she was impudent and said she would shoot anyone that said anything about her. Some fellows took her bouquets; she got no punishment, of course, and the day she was free went to get the revolver which she had borrowed she said. B's daughter shot at a man on Spring street near First three times front of where the P. O. used to be, but only shot a bit off the top of his head. He ought to have been killed; his folks had money though and he was let off. I was summoned as a witness in this. The father knew me but I knew nothing of the affair. I got mad in court as usual and Mr. S. W. let me go. There used to be a good deal of shooting in Los Angeles but it is all changed now. At the same corner of Commercial Street a man sat at an upstairs window and waited till the man he wanted went along the other side; then he shot him with a shot gun.
The End of Don J— F. Front of White House, Commercial St., Los Angeles.The End of Don J— F. Front of White House, Commercial St., Los Angeles.
The End of Don J— F. Front of White House, Commercial St., Los Angeles.
shooting poolMan coming in suddenly—"Now I've got you."Man, looking up—"Oh let up, don't interrupt this game."First man, paralyzed, walks out again without shooting.The Good Old Days.
Man coming in suddenly—"Now I've got you."Man, looking up—"Oh let up, don't interrupt this game."First man, paralyzed, walks out again without shooting.The Good Old Days.
M and I used to go down Sonora town to Spanish fandangos and things where there was often trouble. Once they were shooting in the night around the adobes and a policeman fell down and was carried home but when they searched they found the ball in his clothes and he was not hurt a bit.
I was shot in the Pico house and S— drove me to his funeral, next week I was at S's funeral; he was shot in his room.
One Adobe—Los Angeles.One Adobe—Los Angeles.
One Adobe—Los Angeles.
Empty is the Cradle, Baby's Gone—San Rafael Ranch."Empty is the Cradle, Baby's Gone"—San Rafael Ranch.
"Empty is the Cradle, Baby's Gone"—San Rafael Ranch.
Staying in a house full of things for friends who were away once there was a burglary. I never knew till a day or two after. Well, the things were mostly recovered; it was an old servant and his partner who did it. When we looked around there was an outside adobe store room that would not open and a locksmith said that the door was not locked. After some gymnastics we found through an extremely dusty window that there was something against the door. The crafty George had jammed a crowbar into the floor and leaned it against the door so that when shut the other end of the bar dropped under a crosspiece and held the door like a rock. Wonder where he learned that.
California—Voices of the Night.California—Voices of the Night.
California—Voices of the Night.
Pincher—All That Could be Seen, or Heard.Pincher—All That Could be Seen, or Heard.
Pincher—All That Could be Seen, or Heard.
One night, being away from a ranch some one went into my bedroom and took the cash box (only $225 and $50 was mine and $15 A. C. J's). There were two men playing chess in the next room who never went to see what was going on though all the dogs were wild the men say, and the men's quarters are some distance away. We found the broken box on the tennis court, house table, all the money, but $19 church money in an envelope, gone of course. Never knew who did it. Another time, at a little ranch I had five miles from town, I used to walk out sometimes at night. Some one broke in one night as I found thedoor open but nothing gone. So next Sunday I left everything just the same and came out after dark but earlier and lay down with my gun just opposite the door, at twelve whoever it was came (there was no house near) and I lay trying to hear what they said but could not. They came to the door and then that little fiend Pincher (my fox terrier) turned up from some where and "raised Cain"; they left and I followed a little way; it was a black night; struck one that searching for gentlemen one had not been introduced to, able to see nothing ahead and with the light from the open door in one's rear, was not correct; so I went to bed. Next morning found where they had tied their horses in the willows down by the creek. Mexicans from the mountains probably. Have not had many robbery games. Father went down once long ago with a sawed off shotgun and I went to open the door. I asked him after "what he thought about?" and he said that he thought he should spoil a new carpet.
Another time still further back, when so small that I was sleeping in his room, I woke him to see the shadow of a ladder on the blind in London. There were burglars, but in the next house. He caught one and let him go and the grateful ruffian sent him a paper of written rules as to how to make his house safe.
Marshals Them the Way That They Should Go?Marshals Them the Way That They Should Go?"
Marshals Them the Way That They Should Go?"
Oh Lie Down P.—— It's All Right."Oh Lie Down P.—— It's All Right."
"Oh Lie Down P.—— It's All Right."
Once upon a time a man, call him P.o1, was Marshal at a big picnic and cavorted around in a gorgeous scarf, riding an ancient but fiery untamed Mexican bronco, blanco I mean, which had lots of action, particularly forward. This man had been yarning with another, call him P.o2, who had also been in the golden South Americas and who, being in that frivolous state of mind, often found in travelers, insisted on climbing up behind P.o1 whenever he got a chance, and inciting the blanco till the action became worse than ever, and the three nearly got seasick. They did not though, but feasted sumptiously on part of a whole bullock barbecued, which was so good that they wished they had known him when alive; might have been better men. Picnic was a success but P.o2 was not satisfied with one day, and carried on till a couple of weeks later P.o1 got a message to come to the St. C. hotel. P.o2 had got D.T.'s and was amusing himself trying to get out of a three-story window. The St. C. people sent for P.o1 who took the maniac away and kept him in his bedroom for four abandoned nights. P.o2 was big and wiry and strong withal, and in the lengua del pais it was "no circus". P.o2 got better and two years after P.o1 had a telegram from him saying their ship went down in the Atlantic and took his twenty thousand draft with her, and he was busted. Now he is in England with a title and estate and P.o1 has neither, and this is the reward of virtue—but P.o1 was a Marshal once—and
"The world goes up, and the world goes down,And the sunshine follows the rain;And yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frownnever come over again."
"The world goes up, and the world goes down,And the sunshine follows the rain;And yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frownnever come over again."
"The world goes up, and the world goes down,And the sunshine follows the rain;And yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frownnever come over again."
"La vie est vaine:Un peu d'amour,Un peu de haine ...Et puis—bon-jour!La vie est brève:Un peu d'espoir,Un peu de rève ...Et puis—bonsoir." ...
"La vie est vaine:Un peu d'amour,Un peu de haine ...Et puis—bon-jour!La vie est brève:Un peu d'espoir,Un peu de rève ...Et puis—bonsoir." ...
"La vie est vaine:Un peu d'amour,Un peu de haine ...Et puis—bon-jour!
La vie est brève:Un peu d'espoir,Un peu de rève ...Et puis—bonsoir." ...
Transcriber's NotesRepositioned illustrations and silently corrected minor punctuation errors. Retained original spelling except for the following changes:Page21: Tencriffe may be a typo for Teneriffe (now Tenerife).(Orig: Eleven days in the Bay of Biscay off Tencriffe.)Page27: Changed "quanaco" to "guanaco."(Orig: everything is mixed up with the quanaco in the dark)Page61: Changed "villians" to "villains."(Orig: They were very free and easy villians)Page90: Changed "prettyly" to "prettily."(Orig: very prettyly built to harmonize with the scenery.)Page93: Changed "shruberry" to "shrubbery."(Orig: all garden and shruberry to a creek)Page105: Changed "mim" to "him."(Orig: yarning with another, call mim P.o2,)Page106: English Translation:"Life is in vain:A little love,A little bit of hatred ...And then—good-day!Life is short:A little hope,A little dream ...And then goodnight." ...