USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 10
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In The Monterey New Era of July 28, 1892, Dr. Ord furnishes the following cor- rection of history:
FORT HALLECK.
We were favored with a very pleasant call yesterday from Dr. James L. Ord, the only
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
surviving officer of the company of Third Ar- tillery (of which he was surgeon) that came in '47 with the expedition of American occu- pation. From his interesting reminiscences of early days in Monterey, we learn that the old fort on the Government reservation is mis- named in the Southern Pacific maps, being designated Fort Frémont. It is really Fort Halleck, so named in honor of Lieutenant (afterward Major-General) H. W. Halleck, of the corps of engineers, by whom it was laid out. The fort was built by Lieutenant E. O. C. Ord and Lieutenant W. T. Sherman, in 1847, and the earthworks were thrown up by Colonel J. D. Stevenson's command, the New York Volunteers and the regulars then sta- tioned on the hill. How the error of attrib- uting the erection of the fort to Frémont came to be made it is hard to determine.
Dr. Ord has retired from active service and is taking life easy now. He spent the winter in Santa Barbara, and is now staying for a time at the El Carmelo Hotel, Pacific Grove, revisiting, with much pleasure, the scenes of former days in old Monterey.
REMINISCENCES OF MRS. LITTLE.
Mrs. Milton Little, still living in 1892, in the enjoyment of excellent health and with a perfect memory, gives this very rational and without doubt perfectly true acconnt, based on her personal knowledge, of the establish- ment of the first public library in Califor- nia, at Monterey. She says a joint-stock company, with forty shares, was formed, for the purpose of founding a public library, and
her husband took two shares; and each share was assessed $40 (Mr. Little paid $80, his assessment on the two shares); and $1,500 was thus raised, and sent to Rev. Walter Colton, in Philadelphia, or New York, who selected the books and sent them round the Horn. When the books arrived, another assessment of $8 a share was made to pay the freight and expenses; and she remem- bers that Mr. L. had to pay this assessment on his two shares, of $16. The stockholders were the prominent citizens of Monterey. Mrs. Little thinks that probably not more than one-half the original number of books are now in the collection, as many of the stockholders, after a while, did not return them often when they drew them out; and thus in the course of years many of the books have disappeared.
This valuable and unique library, or what remains of it, is now in the possession of the Monterey City School District. It is kept in the upper story of the new public-school building. It still includes full sets of very valuable and very rare works, as for example, the proceedings of Congress from the founda- tion of the Government in 1789, and many other very scarce volumes. It ought to be kept in a fire-proof building, as its loss would be irreparable.
In a catalogne issued by the directors, dated Monterey, June 1, 1853, those officials say, among other things: "The Monterey Library Association was organized at Mon- terey in the year 1849, and, it is believed, is
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
the first established public library in Cali- fornia."
" The greater part of the library was pur- chased in New York," "and contains about 1,000 volumes of well-selected American, English and Spanish books, treating upon the various subjects of human knowledge," etc.
" The officers of the association are: MILTON LITTLE, President.
J. B. KNAPP, Vice-President. WM. S. JOHNSON, Treasurer.
D. R. ASHLEY, Secretary and Librarian."
Mrs. Little, whose reminiscences of early times and persons in California are invalu- able, furnishes the following bit of history concerning a file of The Californian, the first newspaper published in California, by Colton & Semple, in 1846. Mr. Little, as a regular subscriber of the paper, saved a com- plete file of the same during the whole time it was published in Monterey. This file he preserved with great care, as he naturally prized it very highly. But some time in the '50s, Editor McElroy was publishing a paper in Monterey, and he borrowed this file of Mr. Little to copy items from, and he never returned it. Afterward, when asked for it by Mr. Little in San Francisco, he said he had donated it to the "Society of California Pioneers." When asked in whose name he had done this, he replied, in his own! Mr. Little was exceedingly angry, although if he had been accorded the credit of the gift, as was his just due, he doubtless would have been entirely satisfied to have had it gone into the keeping of the historical association,
in whose possession it is now supposed to be. But it is due to Mr. Little that these facts should be known, even after the lapse of forty years, than that they should not be known at all, by the pioneers and by the world.
REMINISCENCES OF MRS. ÁBREGO.
One of the most interesting personages now (1892) living in Monterey, is Doña Josefa Estrada de Ábrego, widow of Don José Ábrego. Although Mrs. Ábrego was born in 1814, in Monterey, and has borne eighteen children; and although her eye- sight fails her, so that she is only able to re- cognize her acquaintances by the sound of their voices, she is still as fair and youthful in her appearance as though she were only fifty-eight or less, instead of seventy-eight; and she moves about the various rooms of her spacious home in which she has lived ever since her marriage, fifty-six years ago, with the ease and precision of a maiden of twenty.
Her husband, Don José Ábrego, was born in the city of Mexico, in 1813, and came to Monterey in 1835, with the colony, on the Natalia, a portion of the timbers of which historic vessel he had built into his house. Mrs. Ábrego's father, Raimundo, and a brother, Mariano Estrada, were brought from Mexico when mere boys, by Governor Luis Arrillaga, who reared and educated them. Mr. and Mrs. Abrego were married in 1836, and moved at once into a part of the house (which he had built, and to which additions were afterward made), in which she lias ever since lived, and in which all her children were
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MONTEREY COUNTY
born. Don José died some fifteen years ago. Of their children, only four sons and one daughter are still living. One daughter, the beautiful and accomplished Mrs. Bolado, died within the present year, 1892.
Mrs. Ábrego has in her home one of the first pianofortes ever brought to California. A paper on the inside of it, written by Mr. Ábrego, says:
" In 1841, Captain Stephen Smith arrived with his vessel in Monterey, and I engaged him to bring me a piano on his next trip to this country.
" In March, 1843, he returned to this city in a brigantine; he had three pianos on board. I bought this one of him for $600. He then sailed to San Francisco, where General Vallejo purchased another of the pianos. The third one was afterward sold by Captain Smith to E. de Celis at Los Angeles."
The Ábrego piano is a six-octave, made by " Beitkopt & Harrtel," " Leipzig;" " im- ported by Brauns & Focke, Baltimore."
CHAPTER XVI.
CHURCHES, SOCIETIES, ETC.
HERE are three churches in the city of Monterey, namely: the Roman Catho- lic, whose venerable place of worship was erected nearly a century ago; and the Presbyterian and Episcopalian, with their modern church edifices.
Episcopal service was held at Monterey, in the old Washington Hotel Hall, March 14, 1875. The Episcopal Church at Monterey and Pacific Grove at the present time is
represented by three chapels, named and located as follows: St. James, at Monterey; St. Mary's-by-the-Sea, at Pacific Grove; and St. John's, near the Hotel del Monte. The St. James Chapel, Monterey, was erected about the year 1877 or 1878, under the rectorship of the Rev. James S. McGowan. It was consecrated by Bishop Kip, July 14, 1878. It cost about $1,500. St. Mary's-by- the-Sea was organized in 1887, and the erec- tion of the church edifice was commenced the 27th of August, 1890. The spacious rectory, located near the church, was built during the summer of 1891. St. John's Chapel, near Hotel del Monte, was erected under the supervision of the Rev. Dr. E. B. Spalding, rector of St. John's Church, San Francisco, from funds contributed by guests of the hotel; and the land upon which the church is located, containing about one acre, was a gift of the late Charles Crocker. The church edifice is a unique structure, of the old Nor- man style of architecture, built of a combina- tion of stone and shingles. It was formally opened for divine service, June 14, 1891, by the Right Rev. W. F. Nichols, D. D., assist- ant bishop of California.
The three chapels, comprising one parish, are under the rectorship of the Rev. C. S. Fackenthall, under whose able ministration they are enjoying a period of spiritual and material growth. The valuation of the prop- erty of the parish is about $32,000. There are two ladies' guilds, one each at Monterey and Pacific Grove; and at the former place an organization auxiliary to the ladies'
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
guilds, viz., St. Agnes' Guild, composed of the younger ladies of the church. These guilds have been the most active and efficient workers of these church societies, and in fact the foundation of their growth and pros- perity. The new and elegant rectory at Pa- cific Grove is the result of the combined labors of the two guilds.
The benevolent societies of Monterey are represented by the Masons, Odd Fellows, Chosen Friends, Sons of the Golden West, Young Men's Institute, United Workmen, etc. Their stated meetings, etc., are as fol- lows:
Monterey Lodge, No. 182, I. O. O. F., meets every Thursday evening, at 7:30 o'clock. E. B. Rich, N. G .; A. L. Luce, secretary.
Monterey Parlor, N. S. G. W., No. 75, meets on second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Alex. Underwood, president; Abe Gunzendorfer, secretary.
Monterey Lodge, No. 217, F. & A. M., meets Saturday evening, on or before the full moon. T. G. Lambert, master; W. Craw- ford, secretary.
Seaside Rebekah Degree Lodge, No. 109, I. O. O. F., meets second and fourth Tues- days of each month. Mrs. J. D. Rich, N. G .; Miss Clara Arendt, secretary.
Monterey Lodge, No. 98, A. O. U. W., meets every Tuesday evening, at Masonic Hall. Ernest Michaelis, M. W .; W. J. Towle, secretary.
Monterey Chapter, No. 68, O. E. S., meets
on first and third Wednesdays of each month. William Sutton, secretary.
Monterey Council, No. 126, Order of Chosen Friends, meets first and third Friday evenings of every month, at 8 o'clock. Joseph Schulte, Jr., C. C .; A. L. Luce, secretary.
Del Monte Lodge, No. 357, I. O. G. T., meets every Monday evening at 8 o'clock, in Progress Hall, Pacific Grove. R. G. Mitchell, L. D.
Court Del Monte, No. 7759, A. O. F. of A., meets first and third Wednesdays, in Odd Fellows' Hall, Monterey. James P. Dwyer, chief ranger; F. M. Boughton, financial secretary.
THE JUNÍPERO SERRA MONUMENT.
In 1891, Mrs. Stanford, wife of Senator Stanford, caused a granite monument to be erected on an eminence fronting the bay of Monterey, and close by that spot where Friar Junípero Serra first landed and said inass, June 3, 1770. The monument consists of a single massive block of gray granite, repre- senting a life-size statue of Padre Junípero, in the act of landing, with one foot standing in the small boat, and the other stepping on the shelving rocky shore. A large cross, ready to be erected as soon as the landing is made, lies in the boat, and lengthwise with same, on which is inscribed: "June 3, 1770." The statue represents Father Junípero in full canonicals, with right hand held up in moni- tory gesture, and left hand clasping Bible to left breast, the book marked "Scripta " and "Serra" in small letters with cross on book;
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
at left side, a rosary and cross with crucified Christ.
The monument, in plain, durable granite, is in excellent taste throughout. The simple, but exceedingly appropriate design; the seri- ous, noble features; the shaven crown; the erect form and earnest mein,-all impress the beholder profoundly. Those who have read the story of the great pioneer missionary's life and labors on this coast, will concede that he has been worthily and appropriately repre- sented in this granite block. Back of the monument and on a higher hill, are the old earthworks and the ruins of the fort, used by the United States troops in 1846-and per- haps by the Californians before that time, as the hill commands the bay perfectly. The north (polished) face of the monument bears the following inscription, cut in capital let- ters, into the granite:
" Here June 3, 1770, landed Very Rev. Father Junípero Serra, O. S. F., and founded the following missions: San Diego, July 16, 1769; San Carlos Monterey, June 3, 1770; San Antonio de Padua, July 14, 1771; San Gabriel, September 8, 1771 ; San Luis Obispo, September 1, 1772; San Francisco de los Dolores, October 9, 1776; S. Juan Capi- strano, November 1, 1776; Santa Clara, Janu- ary 18, 1777; S. Buenaventura, March 21, 1782; and died August 28, 1784, in S. Car- los Mission, Carmelo valley.
As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith will I speak .- II. Chron. 18th chap., 13th verse.
" This monument erectedby Jane L. Stan- ford, in the year 1891, in memory of Father Junípero Serra. A philanthropist seeking
the welfare of the humblest. A hero daring and ready to sacrifice himself for the good of his fellow-beings. A faithful servant of his Master."
CHAPTER XVII.
MUNICIPAL.
HE following is a list of the municipal officers of Monterey for 1892:
Board of Trustees:
D. Rodrick, Chairman. M. T. Little, H. Prinz, T. J. Field.
Clerk and Assessor. S. J. Duckworth
Treasurer. J. M. Laporte
Recorder A. Westfall
Marshal
. A. Pinto
Engineer
W. C. Little
The Monterey Electric Light and Develop- inent Company was incorporated March 10, 1891, with the following directors: B. V. Sargent, S. H. Smith, Frank R. Day, E. M. Carver, J. W. Bagley, A. A. Manuel, Chas. R. Few. Officers: President, B. V. Sargent; secretary, Charles R. Few; treasurer, E. M. Carver; attorney, R. H. Willey; manager, Frank R. Day. Capital stock, $25,000; paid up, $5,500.
The plant is first class; the company has just bought ground and erected a new build- ing in the central part of town, and put in boiler and equipment for furnishing its own steam power. The lights are Edison's in- candescent. It runs about 250 at an average of $1.25 per light per month.
There are two newspapers published in the city of Monterey: The New Era, now in its second volume, published by William Kay; and the Monterey Cypress, in its fourth volume, published by H. L. Bradford.
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
MONTEREY CITY SCHOOLS.
Monterey city maintains excellent public schools. For a considerable number of years prior to 1892, the classes of the cen- tral school were taught in the historic build- ing, " Colton Hall." But when more room was needed, the proposal to build on a part of the lot, which would have involved a demo- lition of that venerable pile, there was a general protest by the citizens, to their credit be it said, against the destruction of all or of any portion of a building around which so many interesting historical associations cen- ter; and a fund of $1,800, to which one citizen contributed $500, and several $200, and $100 each, was raised, and an eligible lot in another locality was purchased, on which a fine two-story, nine-class building has been erected, at a cost of $17,000. The new schoolhouse was commenced in Decem- ber, 1891, and finished in July, 1892. Prof. James T. Stockdale has been for a number of years the efficient principal of the Mon- terey city schools. He has, since commence- ment of the present school year, eight assistant teachers. A small high-school class has been started. A ten months' school is maintained. The current income of the dis- trict is about $7,000 annually. The trustees contemplate erecting two other schoolhouses,. one at Oak Grove and the other at New Monterey, to accommodate the children of those respective localities.
The first public library ever established in California is now in possession of the
Monterey school district; this valuable col- lection is kept in the new school building, where it may be freely consulted by the student of history.
By the school census report there were, in the district, at the close of the school year, June 30, 1892, three schoolhouses, eight classes (three grammar and five primary) and eight teachers (one male and seven females) and 569 census children, between five and seventeen, as follows: White, boys, 272; girls, 287-559; Mongol, boys, 5; girls, 5- 10; total 569; number of children under five, 156; total under seventeen, all native born, 725; number of pupils enrolled in each grade, high, 4; grammar, 118; primary, 280; total 402.
Total receipts from State, county and city, $26,973.17; total expenditures, salaries, sites, buildings and furnishings, $23,757.84; bal- ance June 30, 1892, $3,215.33.
Total value of school property, $27,500; bonded debt, $20,000; number of volumes, including first public library in California, 2,000.
The California State Savings Bank, of Monterey, was organized March 17, 1890, with capital subscribed, $500,000; paid in, $25,000. J. B. S. Maltby, president; H. Prinz, vice-president; E. M. Carver, cashier; W. W. James, assistant cashier. Directors: J. B. S. Maltby, E. M. Carver, Felipe Gomez, H. Prinz, M. Malarin.
The Bank of Monterey: Capital stock, $100,000. Directors: Jesse D. Carr, presi_
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
dent, T. J. Field, vice-president, B. V. Sar- gent, F. Doud, Sr., M. Malarin.
There are two State banks at Pacific Grove.
CHAPTER XVIII.
WHALING AT MONTEREY.
HALING was first commenced as a regular industry in Monterey bay in the year 1854, by two joint stock companies of about twenty-one men each, mostly Portuguese; the captain of one com- pany was a Portugnese, and of the other was J. P. Davenport, from Cape Cod, Massachu- setts. These companies were successful, and kept up the business till 1865, when the two consolidated into one company, and Captain T. G. Lambert, from Martha's Vineyard, took charge of the consolidated business. Within the first four months the company landed $31,000 worth of oil and bone on the beach at Monterey.
The season for catching the California gray whales usually began about December 1 and ended April 1; that is, during a portion of that period, to-wit, from the 1st of December to the 1st of February, these whales were passing south to their breeding grounds, in the warm, protected bays in the Gulf of Cali- fornia, and off the coast of Mexico; and from about February 1 till April 1 they were passing north to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic ocean; that is, they were hunted from the bay of Monterey, both whilst passing south and on their return north again.
It is asserted by old whalers, who claim to know, that the California gray whales take no food whatever, from the time they lcave the Arctic ocean till they return thither; during which time, their blubber, or the oil from their blubber, is exhausted to the full amount of fifty per cent. This statement ap- plies only to the California gray. The hump- back whale partakes of food at all seasons; and if he cannot find it on the California coast, he goes to the Alaskan coast, or to wherever food can be found.
The California grays, whilst on their way soutli ( ¿. e., from December 1 to February 1), will average about fifty barrels of oil each; whilst on their northern passage they will average only about twenty-five barrels. From the fact that they were persistently hunted for many years at their breeding grounds, this species has become nearly extinct.
During the time the females are nursing their young in Southern waters, they will de- fend them with all the ferocity of wild beasts.
An old whaling captain once had four boats smashed in Magdalena bay, Lower Califor- nia, by a female whale, which was defending her young; and each time he and his men had to swim to other boats; but with the fifth boat he finally got her.
The hump-back whales are to be found in all the waters of the Pacific coast, from Cape Horn to Behring straits, and their numbers are apparently inexhaustible. The yield of oil of these whales varies greatly, or from, say, five to one hundred and forty barrels each. This fact, and the fact that they range
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
over wide fields, or wherever they can find food, render the business of hunting them uncertain.
The right whale, which produces the bone of commerce, is found on the coast of Cali- fornia, and some of this species have been captured on the coast, which produced 150 barrels of oil, and 1,500 pounds of bone each.
Whales caught within twenty-five miles of Monterey were usually towed to that port, where they were tried out on shore.
Whaling as a regular business at Monterey which from many causes gradually became unprofitable, was finally abandoned abont the year 1888. Much of the foregoing informa- tion is derived from the veteran Captain T. G. Lambert, who has given over the fascinat- ing pursuit of hunting the great monsters of the deep, and become a permanent and pros- perous resident of Monterey.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE CLIMATE OF MONTEREY-THE DRY,
COOL AIR.
OLD, with moisture, leads to pulmo- nary diseases; heat, with moisture, leads to malarial fevers; and pulmonary and malarial affections are two of the main classes of mortal diseases. From both of these, Monterey is comparatively free. The deaths for each one thousand inhabitants in several cities of the United States are as follows:
COMPARATIVE DEATH RATES.
New Orleans
37
New York 29
Baltimore
27
Philadelphia 25
Chicago 24
San Francisco. 21
St. Louis. 21
Los Angeles 13
San Diego 13
Monterey 10
The healthfulness of Monterey is simply unquestionable, and is second to no place in the world.
MEAN SUMMER AND WINTER TEMPERATURES.
Observations kept by priests and army officers for more than a century have shown that in some years the mean of summer and winter temperatures have ranged from 6° to 13° apart, and many years only 9° and 10°. The following carefully prepared table pre- sents the mean temperature of Monterey com- pared with that of several other healthi resorts throughout the world.
PLACE.
JAN. degs.
degs.
degs. degs. min.
Monterey, California,
52
58
6
36
33
San Francisco, "
49
57
8
37 48
Los Angeles,
55
67
12
34 04
Santa Barbara
=
56
66
10
34 24
San Diego
57
65
8
32
41
Santa Monica
=
45
65
7
34
00
Sacramento
45
73
28
38
34
Stockton
=
49
72
23
37
56
Vallejo
48
67
19
38
05
Cincinnati
30
74
44
39
06
New York
31
77
46
40
37
New Orleans
55
82
27
29
57
Naples
46
76
30
40
52
Honolulu
71
77
6
21
16
Funchal
60
70
10
32
38
Mentone
40
73
33
43
71
Genoa
46
77
31
44
24
City of Mexico
52
63
11
19
26
Fort Yuma
56
92
36
32
43
JULY DIFF. LATITUDE
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
PLACE
JAN.
JULY DIFF. LATITUDE
degs
degs.
degs. de6s. min.
Jacksonville, Florida
58
80
22
30
50
St. Augustine
59
77
18
30
05
It will be seen by this table that the bay of Monterey has but one rival (Honolulu), in equability of temperature. It must be understood, however, that there is a great deal of hot, disagreeable weather on the Sand- wich Islands, and a multiplicity of draw- backs which Monterey does not possess. There are seldom any high, cold winds at and around Monterey, and never any hot ones. There is more or less foggy weather in the spring months, as there is all along the coast, and occasionally foggy mornings in the sum- mer. The latter, however, are really agree- able, as they infuse new life and freshness into tree, and shrub, and flower, and are not detrimental in their influences upon human beings at that season of the year. The fol- lowing table shows the winter temperature for 1884 '-85 '-86:
December, 1884 52°01
January, 1884 .49°51
February, 1884. 50°60
December, 1885 54°29
Jannary, 1885 49°90
February, 1885 52°46
December, 1886 51°70
January, 1886 52°10
February, 1886 54°70
During the warm season or summer months, from May to October, the mercury seldom rises to 65°, as the lieat from the valleys and mountain sides is tempered by cooling winds from the ocean between meridian and sunset, and by breezes from the mountain gaps during the night. During what may be termed the
winter months 50° will mark, on an average, the inean temperature, and water is seldom congealed.
What is generally known as the rainy season commences in November, and lasts three or four months. Many people who have never visited California erroneously imagine that during the " wet season " rain never ceases to descend. This popular error is corrected by glancing at weather tables, which show that during the wet season in California there is not only less rain, but more fair and beautiful days than in that por- tion of the United States between the Missis- sippi river and the Atlantic ocean during the same time. The following table represents the average annual rainfall in inches in Menton e St. Paul, St. Augustine (Florida), and also in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Monterey ;
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