USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 13
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
attendance is from forty to fifty persons.
Monterey and Pacific Grove are connected by a street railroad, which gives the public good service, and which is really a great public convenience; for the passenger traffic between the two towns, or between the Hotel del Monte and the Grove, is quite extensive.
The track of the Southern Pacific railroad extends to and beyond the Pacific Grove, or to lake Majella in the pine forest beyond Point Pinos lighthouse. Both roads pass the Junípero cross and monument, New Monterey, and the Chinese town, and close along the shore of beantiful Monterey bay.
A large portion of the 7,000-acre tract, adjoining Pacific Grove, is kept by the Pa- cific Improvement Company as a park. The " seventeen mile drive" winding around this park is one of the finest of its kind in the United States. It is graded, piked and grav- eled, and passes through a most picturesque region. A ride over it is something to be remembered for a lifetime.
MONTEREY CYPRESS.
On the Pacific Grove tract, at Point Cy- press, near Carmel bay, is to be found in its native habitat, the beautiful, ornamental tree, the Monterey cypress. Prof. Sargent, of the United States Botanical Department, at Washington, asserts that this tree is indige- nons to no other part of the world. But great numbers have been propagated, and introduced all over the State and to many parts of the East. It is a beautiful ever- green, susceptible of being trained into many unique forms; it grows rapidly, is thick,
hardy and graceful, attaining a height of thirty to sixty feet. The largest trunk in the grove at Point Cypress three feet above the ground measured over nineteen feet in cir- cumference, or above six feet and a quarter in diameter. Its timber is very durable. The cones or globules are produced annually, and are about the size of a large filbert. The seed, in shape and size, is like onion seed, and may be sown in the same way and in the same sort of soil. The cones do not fall from the trees, and the seed is retained in them. It is said also, that a species of pine grows at Point Cypress that is found no- where else in the world.
CHAPTER XXIII.
OTHER TOWNS-CASTROVILLE.
ASTROVILLE is a thriving railroad town, situated in the midst of a rich farming country, and near to tide-water at Moss landing. Its population, according to the Federal census of 1890, was about 640 souls, and probably it is something more than that number at the present time. The school census of 1892 would indicate that its population must be over 1,000. The town was founded by Juan B. Castro, in 1864. It has a Protestant and a Roman Catholic Church; also lodges of Odd Fellows, Masons, Good Templars, etc. The Enterprise is the name of its bright, saucy, independent local paper, published by Miss Louise E. Francis, editor and proprietor. The Enterprise maintains a regular W. P. A. column, (Women's Press Association), and a W. C.T. U. column. The
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editor evidently believes that women, by com- bining and working for their own elevation and independence, can improve their con- dition, as men, in modern times, have vastly bettered theirs, by similar methods. The Enterprise favors strongly one cause which would greatly benefit not alone Castroville and the Salinas valley but the entire State, namely, the subdivision of the big ranches.
The following school statistics for 1892, are drawn from the latest annual report of County Superintendent Wood :
Castroville has two schoolhouses and four teachers. Pupils between five and seventeen: boys 112, girls, 119, total, 231; children un- der five 88; under seventeen, 319; enrolled, boys 108, girls 106, total, 214; pupils, gram- mar grade, 49; primary, 165.
Current expenses: teachers, $2,800; rents, etc., $522.61; total, $3,322.61. Receipts: State, $1,750; county, $1,450; balance 1891, $287.23; total, $3,487.23. Balance June 30, 1892, $164.62.
Value of lots, buildings and furniture, $4,000; library and apparatus, $600; total, $4,600.
GONZALES
is a thriving town on the railroad, about seventeen miles southerly, and up the valley from the county seat. The town has several churches; and its schools are excellent, being taught by three teachers, in two school- houses. Number of children - boys, 75; girls, 77; total, 152. Enrolled in grammar grade, 33; primary, 74; total, 107. Children
under 5, 96; between 5 and 17, 152; total under 17, 248.
Receipts of moneys from all sources $2,537,27 Expenditures, - 2,269,11
Balance June 30, 1892, 268,16
The census of 1890 gave Gonzales a pop- nlation of only 359. The school census would certainly indicate a much larger popu- lation, at least twice that number in 1892.
The Gonzales Tribune is edited and pub- lished by Thos. Renison, who has also ably represented the people of his county in the Legislature (in 1889).
The Baptist Church of Gonzales was or- ganized May 31, 1883. The first pastor was S. C. Keech; the other officers were Geo. J. Boekenoogen and Thos. F. Faw, deacons; D. K. Edwards, clerk; Thos. F. Faw, treasurer. A Sunday-school was organized in 1874, by D. K. Edwards, which has been kept up ever since. Mr. Edwards and Mr. Faw have been its superintendents. November, 1883, a church edifice was commenced, and com- pleted in the following spring, at a cost of abont $3,100. It was dedicated, free from debt, July 13, 1884, by Rev. Dr. W. H. Pendleton, of San Francisco, but now of Los Angeles. Two lots, fifty by one hundred and forty feet, were donated by the Gonzales brothers. The church supports a permanent pastor, and owns a parsonage and grounds,
Moss landing is the principal shipping point of the Salinas valley, being located at the mouth of Salinas river. Captain C. H. Moss, from whom the landing takes its llame, commenced shipping grain from that
7
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point in 1866. It has large warehouses. The landing is accessible at nearly all seasons of the year.
KINGS CITY,
although only six years old, is a thriving town on the railroad, some forty-five miles sontherly from Salinas city, with a population in 1890 of upward of 250. The newly organized Sperry Flour Company has a mill at Kings City, with a capacity of 250 barrels of flour per day. The town has a fine schoolhouse and its school facilities are excellent.
Kings City is worthily and zealously rep- resented in the journalistic line by the Settler, under the direction of Mr. W. A. Beebe. The location of the town is such that it is bound to prosper. Los Burros mines and Jolon connect with the railroad at Kings City. There is a fine bridge across the Salinas river, built by the county, at this place. Kings City has excellent public schools.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church at Kings City was built in the year 1890, the first services having been held here in June 1888. The church was dedicated by Rev. N. F. Nichols, D. D., April 2, 1891. The cost of the church building was $1,050.
Rev. J. S. McGowan was active in build- ing this church, as well as St. Paul's at Sali- nas; St. Luke's Church at Jolon and St. John's at San Miguel; all these churches were consecrated free of all debts.
The other towns along the railroad are Chualar and Soledad, near the old mission of the same name, San Lucas, San Ardo and Brad-
ley, the most southerly town in the county. San Lucas has a newspaper, the Herald, pub- ished by Eugene Rogers; and Bradley has the Mercury, published by J. Maloney.
St. Luke's Episcopal church at Jolon was built in 1884, the first services having been held, on the first Sunday after Easter, in 1883 The church was consecrated by Bishop Kip, D. D, L L. D., October 11, 1885. The cost of the building was $1,250. This was the first Protestant church in the community and is yet the only one.
Natividad is one of the oldest towns in the county, and in the ante-railroad times, it was a station on the coast line of stages. It is six miles northeast of the county seat, and at the foot of the Gabilan range of mount- ains.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE PACIFIC IMPROVEMENT COMPANY.
historical and statistical account of the town of Monterey and its surround- ings, would be incomplete, and hardly fair, which neglected to recognize the achieve- ments of the Pacific Improvement Company in the modern development of that locality so rich in historic associations as well as in natural attractions.
It is currently reported, and the truth of that report is altogether probable, that the company has expended in the vicinity of $2,500,000 in Monterey county. By request, the company furnishes the following data concerning the famous Hotel del Monte, the
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town of Pacific Grove, the Carmel Water- works, etc.
THE HOTEL DEL MONTE.
The controlling idea in the conception of the Hotel del Monte was the need of a large, handsome and perfectly equipped resort to render available the extraordinary natural charms which the peculiar climate of the coast afforded. Up to this time there was not, outside the cities, an adequate establish- ment in this part of the State, so that those Eastern and other non-resident persons who wished to take advantage of the fine winter climate of California, had to suffer the dis- comforts inseparable from a commercial hotel in a crowded and noisy city. It was left for the Pacific Improvement Company to supply the one . great lack under which California suffered, and to take the first and most im- portant step in the direction of bringing the charms of the State to the attention of intel- ligent health and pleasure-seekers in all parts of the world.
The effect that the establishment of the hotel has had upon California has been very marked. By the providing of elegant ac- commodations at a reasonable cost, and by taking intelligent advantage of the beauties of nature which were found at hand, the delightful features of California have been strongly impressed upon all who have visited the hotel; and the presence of such a hotel, and the fame which it has acquired through - ont Christendom, have induced a large special travel, which otherwise might never
have come. Hence, incidentally, a greatly increased number of persons, numbering many thousands annually, have been brought in contact with the attractions and resources of the State; have expended their money freely with all classes of citizens; have been instrumental in increasing the population of the State, and have spread the fame of the country to all parts of the world.
An interesting and nncommon feature of the hotel is that it always has a large busi- ness; there is no time of the year when the house has to be closed; the trained employes are not sent adrift at the end of the " season," to be replaced with green and untried hands at the reopening. This is so uncommon a circumstance, and has so important a bear- ing on the management of the place and the maintenance of its standard, that is worthy of particular attention. In the Southern States there are numerous fine winter resorts, but they do little or no business in the sum- mer. In the Northern States are countless summer resorts, which have to close their doors long before the snow begins to fly. The Hotel del Monte is entirely unique in being both a winter and summer resort of the highest order; and while it is true that its clientele changes with the seasons, the house is always comfortably filled and that, too, with the best class of people. The cli- mate explains this anomaly. In winter the freezing and rheumatic residents of the colder States find comfort at the Del Monte, and in summer it is a pleasure resort proper, but with a large sprinkling of permanent
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guests who find both health and uninter- rupted comfort here.
The natural beauties of the place are in- comparable; nowhere else on the continent, if at all in the world, is there so generous a collection of those natural charms which bring the highest pleasure. The hotel is situated in a splendid grove of giant pines and oaks, and these mammoth trees, together the with safe distance which the hotel was placed from the bay shore, afford a protection against the winds from the ocean. The Pacific Improvement Company owns the greater part of the peninsula separating the bays of Monterey and Carmel, having here a splendidly wooded park of 7,000 acres de- voted to the pleasure of the guests of the hotel. Along this peninsula are numerous bold headlands, at whose rocky feet the waves break with a continnal roar, and now and then beautiful sand beaches, some famous for their mosses and others for the pebbles. The great forest of pines which cover the peninsula gives way, at the southeast corner, to the most singular forest imaginable; the far-famed cypress grove, the singularly con- torted and gnarled members of which sug- gest the famed cedars of Lebanon.
The Carmel river, flowing through the property, is one of the most charming streams in the State, and is kept especially stocked with trout for the guests, they alone being permitted to fish in the waters. There are several mountain ranges immediately at hand, including the Santa Lucia and Gabilan ranges, and they abound in deer and other game,
The bay of Monterey itself is a beautiful sheet of water, being the most graceful in its out- lines of all the ocean inlets. For many miles a perfect sand beach stretches in front of the hotel, and upon it the white surf breaks con- tinually. The temperature of the water, though low at all times of the year, varies very little between winter and summer, and affords the finest bathing for guests every month in the year. Fishing and boating and sailing are favorite pastimes on the placid waters of the bay, and a diversion somne- times occurs in the form of a school of whales. Seal Rock, just outside the bay and close to the peninsula, is covered with thousands of sea-lions, which are protected by stringent laws.
Taking all these natural beauties (and sev- eral others that could be mentioned) into ac- count, it is extremely fortunate that they ex- isted in the immediate vicinity of the quaint old Spanish town of Monterey, the most charm- ing of all the older towns in the State, and richer than any other in legend, romance and dramatic history. It was here that Junípero Serra, the pioneer Franciscan friar, planted the cross; it was here that the flag was raised, and here that the first State government was or- ganized. The charm of the place is inde- scribable, and it grows and strengthens with time. Seemingly at no other place are the winds so welcome, the sunshine so genial and the flowers so bright. Only a mile away the towers and minarets of the stately Hotel del Monte are seen emerging from the dark green foliage of the trees.
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
All these charms and advantages having been taken into consideration, the hotel was built, and on June 6, 1880, was opened. The business from that time forward in- creased with unfailing steadiness, eventually requiring greatly enlarged accommodations. The general ground plan of the house is a long building, from either end of which, connected by circular arcades, extend an- nexes, while between them, running out from the center of the main building, are the din- ing room and kitchen. It will be seen from this that every room is necessarily well lighted, and from every possible view the guest finds acres of beautiful flowers before him. The main building is 340 feet long and 110 feet wide. In the center is a large office, or lobby, a favorite resort in the even- ings. There are also several parlors, includ- ing the grand parlor where the sacred con- certs are given on Sundays, and ladies' bill- iard rooms, reading rooms, a handsome ball- room, etc. The dining room, like all the pub- lic rooms of the house, is finished in pure white, dark colors and other dirt-concealing devices being nowhere employed. The din- ing room is of noble proportions, with hand- somne plate mirrors set between the windows on either side of the room. The establish- ment contains nearly 500 bed-rooms and can accomodate 750 persons comfortably.
The manager is George Schonewald, the chief clerk is J. A. Clough, and the chef is J. A. Harder; 218 persons are employed. In 1891 the number of registered guests was 12,644. This does not include the great
number of excursion parties, which are not registered. These are estimated at 5,000. The aim is to have the management as nearly perfect as possible, not the least item concern- ing the comfort and pleasure of the guest ever being overlooked. No dust or dirt is seen, nor a scratch on the furniture, nor does car- pet or linen show the least wear. While the guests sleep, an army of silent servants swarm through the corridors and public rooms, overhauling and polishing every- thing in the most thorough manner.
The architecture of the hotel is a pleasing and airy Gothic, with horizontal lines broken constantly, and numberless cosy nooks intro- duced. Towers and observatories, from which grand views of the bay and mountains are to be had, crown the structure, and the soft gray color of the pile harmonizes with the graceful surroundings.
As has been said, the hotel is situated in the heart of the noblest forest of pines and live-oaks to be found in California, and on one side of this is the bay, and on the other the mountains. But the owners were not satisfied with the lavish provision that Nature had made. Inclosing a section of the forest 126 acres in extent, they have beautified it in a manner and to an extent unequaled no- where else in America, and approached in beauty and variety only by a few of the more famous flower-gardens of Europe. It would be impossible to find anywhere else a climate that would permit of the success in floricul- ture, which the efforts at the Del Monte have secured. It is not only a garden for sum-
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mer, but at all times of the year it is ablaze with gorgeous color. No frosts or snow are present to prohibit the uninterrupted frolic of the flowers, and many rare plants from the antipodes, where the seasons of bloom are re . versed from those obtaining here, find a con- genial home and add to the beauties of the midwinter season. A lover of the art may here find the most attractive, instructive and varied range of blooming plants to be seen in the world, and many weeks would be re- quired to explore all the marvels of this won- derful collection.
Another accessory to the hotel is Laguna del Rey, a charming lake 200 yards from the hotel. It covers about fifteen acres, and is surrounded with a fine boulevard and an end- less succession of ornamental trees and plants and shady nooks with seats. In the center of the lake is a fountain, which throws a graceful stream high in the air, and numer- ous boats are provided for the free use of the gnests.
Several tine tennis courts and croqnet grounds are provided. These are disposed under the shade of the great oaks, all are paved with asphaltum and kept in the best order, and are provided with seats for specta- tors. The maze is one of the best and most elaborate in the country, covering several acres and requiring over a half mile of walk- ing to find the center, and as much more to emerge as lovers can spare from their meals. Numerous swings and other pleasure-making devices exist throughout the grounds, besides
miles of shady and romantic walks through the lawns, flower-beds and trees.
The club-house is removed more than a hundred yards from the hotel. It is a grace- ful and comfortable building, and is provided with ten-pin alleys, billiard rooms and the like. Three hundred yards beyond it, and concealed from the hotel by the trees, are the extensive stables, surpassing in extent any other public or private stables in the West. One reason for this is the great number of beautiful drives to be found in the neighbor- hood. Every possible kind of turnout-drags, four-in-hands, carts, buggies, carriages, sur- reys, tallyhoes, saddle-horses and everything else in the line, can be had on a moment's notice, and at prices at which none could complain. Not far from the stables are the nurseries of the hotel garden, with acres of young plants under glass, and seed-beds show- ing the future queens of the garden in their infancy.
A leading attraction is the great bathing pavilion, situated a quarter of a mile from the house, down on the beach. It is a large glass-covered structure, containing all kinds of hot and cold baths, principal of which are the four large swimming pools, heated to different temperatures to suit all tastes. The water is salt, being pumped from the bay, and is kept constantly changing. It is a great fashion to take a plunge into the surf as a finish to the luxurious swim within doors.
Possibly the most picturesque of the side attractions is the famous seventeen-mile drive, running from the hotel through Mon-
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terey, then across the neck of the peninsula to Carmel bay, and then all around the peninsula, passing through the grotesque Cypress Grove, past the Seal Rock and Moss Beach, through Pacific Grove and so back to the hotel. Throughout its whole extent the drive is macadamized or graveled and kept in perfect order, so that at no time is there either mud or dust. The remarkable variety of scenery, which it brings in review, cannot be surpassed, and to describe it in detail would require much more space than is avail- able here.
No traveler of taste and education thinks of visiting California without seeing the Hotel del Monte. Its nearness to San Fran- cisco, which is the converging point of all western travel, makes it easily accessible, and the country traversed by the railroad between San Francisco and Monterey is the most attractive and highly developed in California. The road takes one through the beautiful suburban towns containing the summer resi- dences of many San Franciscans,-past the Le- land Stanford, Jr., University, with its quaint Moorishi architecture and its unparalleled en- dowment of more than $20,000,000; through San José, the "garden city " of california; within sight of Mount Hamilton, crowned with the glittering dome of Lick Observatory; through the famous vineyards of the Santa Clara valley, and on through a series of charm- ing valleys in the highest cultivation, and showing prosperous California in its pleasant- est aspects. It would be almost impossible to enumerate the famous men and women
who have enjoyed the comforts of the Del Monte, but among them may be mentioned President Harrison, ex-President Hayes, the late General W. T. Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. Henry M. Stanley, John W. Mackay, Joseph Pulitzer, Edwin Booth, the Marquis of Lorne and the Princess Louise, the Marquis of Queensberry, Don Cameron, Mrs. James Brown Potter, and many others.
THE TOWN OF PACIFIC GROVE.
The town of Pacific Grove is a unique institution, being the place of summer assem- bly for the more cultured and intellectual societies of the State. It was bought by the Pacific Improvement Company in 1880 to supply the need of the Methodist General Conference for an attractive spot for its sum- mer gatherings. Hence the original inten- tion was that it should be a camp-ground only; and in order to secure an orderly management of the camp, the conduct of the place was invested in a board of trustees, and camping lots were leased or sold and numerous permanent tents erected. During the twelve years which have elapsed the place has undergone a remarkable change illustrating human inability to foresee the future. Instead of being a Methodist camp- ing ground, it is now the headquarters of the numerous societies on the coast, religious and intellectual, still including the Methodists, but many in addition. Among the societies which held meetings there last season were the following: Pacific Grove Retreat Associa- tion, Young Men's Christian Association,
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MONTEREY COUNTY.
District Conference and Summer Encamp- ment of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Chautauqua Assembly, the W. C. T. U. School of Methods, the Midsummer Reunion for Political, Civil and Social Reforms, and others, including the California State Teachers' Association.
The size and character of the place have expanded with the extension of its original purpose. There were many natural reasons for this. The grove is only three miles from Monterey and fonr miles from the Hotel del Monte, and is situated in a sheltered cove on the south arm of the bay of Monterey. The soil is a rich, sandy loam, producing flowers equaled only by those at the Hotel del Monte. The old lighthouse on Point Pinos is near by, as also is the pretty lake Majella, while bathing, boating and fishing constitute the chief charms which the bay affords. The great forest of pines, which cover the penin- sula here, reaches down to the water's edge, making the site remarkably attractive and picturesque.
An idea of the growth of the place may be inferred from the assertion that the summer population of the Grove is now 6,000, with a permanent population of about one-fourth that number. So great has been the growth that the Pacific Improvement Company has had to make several additions to the origina site. From 100 acres the place has grown to 470 acres, divided into 3,380 lots, and an- other addition of 800 lots is about to be made. The original tents have given way to long streets of artistic summer cottages, in
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