USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 118
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Mr Bassi then homesteaded eighty acres on San Bernardo creek and ran a small dairy, increasing his acreage by renting land, and adding to his herd until he had a dairy of fifty-eight cows. Hle then sold out, and in 1908 leased his present place of seven hundred seventy acres in the Harmony district, bought stock and implements, and now milks about one hundred cows, separating the cream with a power separator. Ile owns a ranch of eighty- seven acres in Laguna valley, two and one-half miles from San Luis Obispo ; and this he leases out.
Alessio Bassi was married in San Luis Obispo to Miss Ermina Georgia, also a native of Ticino, by whom he has six children: Ida, Mrs. Guerra of San Luis Obispo; Lillie, Mrs. Filipponi of Los Osos valley ; Dora, Mrs. Madonna of Villa Creek ; and Louis, Alessio, and Virginia, who five at home.
Mr. Bassi is a stockholder in the Harmony Creamery Association. In politics, he is a Republican.
JOHN SCARONI .- Born in Gordola, canton Ticino, Switzerland, m April, 1851, the son of Antone and Elizabetha (Cordiga) Scaroni, farmer inks in the Alps region, John Scaroni was the third of the four children that Frew up in his parents' family. He was brought up in Switzerland, where he ap- tended the public schools.
In 1873, when twenty-two years of age, Mr. Seurom decided to try his fortune in the New World, and started for Califorma in January do that vear- A brother, Pio Scaroni, had come to Santa Cruz eighteen months before; so he joined his brother there, arriving in February, 1873, vol only be dollars left in his pocket. He got a job with a dairy, and worked there for bie viars Then, in partnership with another man, he rented the same | Dire shil rer t three years.
In January, 1882, Mr. Scaroni came to avues, Salt Ii ( Catifs Here he worked out for three years, and then rented a daffy the good food miles from Cayucos. After operating this dairy for five votre weile en he bought the place, which contained three Lundfol dy in Des pre amil ran a dairy of fifty cow's. In these days he pfel the Holy mil simet. by hand, and had a boiler for sending the pays horse power, and the butter was hipped was He commmal bor Similar. fifteen years, and then leased the ple gat lery thing nih. In 1902 he bought his present place of two lundicil kerer caynos are where he carries on a dairving business, nordisdire achart il hent thirty thirty-five cows. He uses an automatic separate and chips
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markets He raises grain and hay for his stock, and also has a small piece of alfalfa. He has improved the place with suitable farm buildings, to which water is piped from a spring half a mile away.
On March 2, 1894, John Scaroni was married in San Luis Obispo to Miss Natalina De Giorgi, who was born in canton Ticino, and who came to Cali- fornia. November 26, 1893. She is the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Cortazzi) De Giorgi. The father is dead ; the mother is living at seventy-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Scaroni have three children, Mamie, Richard, and Laura, who are all at home assisting their parents.
Mr. Scaroni was made a citizen soon after coming to San Luis Obispo County. Politically, he is a Republican; fraternally, he is a member of Cayucos Lodge, I. O. O. F.
FRANK M. FRATIS .- A successful bean grower who leases and cul- tivates, in a first-class manner, one hundred five acres of the Pizzoni ranch on the Oso Flaco, in San Luis Obispo County, Frank M. Fratis was born on Flores Island, in the Azores group, on January 8, 1862. He is a son of Martinez and Annie Fratis, lifelong farmers on Flores Island, both now deceased. As a boy he was reared on a farm, and when nearly twenty, m 1881, left the home of his parents, bound for the United States, and came direct to California, where so many of his countrymen had settled before him.
He worked for wages in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties until he had accumulated some money, and in April, 1904, returned to his native land, where he remained almost eighteen months. While there, in 1906, he was married to Maria Dureys, a native of that island. They came to America ; and, once more in California, he has been farming successfully on his present place, where, in 1916, he raised 1,403 sacks of beans. Mr. Fratis does nearly all his own work. He has a good bank account; and he and his wife are frugal in their tastes and co-operate with each other in the care of the ranch. They have three children, Mary, Annie and Angeline.
The parents of Mr. Fratis had fourteen children; but only seven reached maturity. Manuel died in San Luis Obispo County ; Mary became the wife of Manuel Olivera and died in Santa Maria, leaving four children ; Filomina died in Portugal ; Mrs. Hannah Brass lives in Oakland ; Mrs. Mariana Olivera has two daughters employed by the telephone company in Santa Maria, where she resides ; and there are two sons, Joe, of Santa Cruz, and Frank, of this review.
UGO BASSI .- The genial and obliging proprietor of the Santa Mar- garita Vegetable Gardens, located one mile north of the town, Ugo Bassi is a native of Switzerland, where he was born on November 25, 1869, in Valentino, in the canton of Ticino. Ilis father was a graduate of the uni- versity. and an educator of more than ordinary prominence. He died in 1895, it about the age of fifty-eight.
Ugo Bassi was the second oldest in a family of twelve children. He War- educated in the public schools until he was fourteen, and then was 81 to learn the trade of a bricklayer, which he later followed in Switzer- 1.11 .und in Ilolland. As the fame of California had traveled to that far 0fifi, its advantages had been carefully considered by Mr. Bassi; and home on energetic and ambitious young man, he concluded that he would he Toriumnes in the Golden State, and accordingly sailed for America. He enkort od at Havre on November 16, 1888, on the steamer "Grand Brittan." hand of New York. From New York he crossed the continent by rail to
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San Francisco; and from there came first to Santa Barbara, where he worked for two months. He then went to Port Harford ; but finding nothing to do at his trade, he went to work chopping wood at Edna, on a contract to furnish wood to the Pacific Coast Railway Company. He entered into part nership with his brother, Angiolino Bassi, and they were engaged thus for about six years The brothers moved to Paso Robles and began clearing land (with a view to setting it out later to fruit) and cutting wood, which was shipped to fill their contracts. They have the distinction of sending out the first car load from Paso Robles. In the summer season they engaged in baling hay. For about fifteen years they continued business in this way. when they moved to Santa Margarita.
After a few more years in the wood business, Mr. Bassi began raising vegetables. For this purpose he leased the old China Gardens from the Santa Margarita ranch. Ile has about fifty acres of gardens, where he raises vegetables of all kinds in their season. There is no sort of vegetable used here that he does not raise. He puts up dill pickles, chow-chow, and ketchup, and cans fruits and vegetables, all of which find a ready sale. Ile runs vegetable wagons in Santa Margarita, Creston and Atascadero, and plans to put on a motor truck in the spring of 1917. To irrigate his gardens, Mr. Bassi constructed a dam on the creek, dug ditches for irrigation, and further improved the methods of gardening.
Mr. Bassi's mother makes her home with him most of the time. Ile is an enterprising, progressive man, always ready to help any project that has for its aim the upbuilding of the community. He is kind-hearted and hos- pitable, and seems always ready to help those who have been less fortunate.
MANUEL F. MADRUGA .- Among the men who, by close application and honest and straightforward business methods, have risen to a high standing in the community, and are stanch supporters of everything for the good of the home and the school, is Manuel 1. Madruga, owner of one hun- dred acres near Guadalupe. Ile came from his home in the Island of Pico, where he was born on March 21, 1872, a poor boy and unable to sp in English. His father, Philip Jose Madruga, is still living in his native island, at the ripe age of seventy-six years, and takes an active Interest in affairs where his little farm is located. His wife, who was im mardenhoed Vara Cardoza, died on the farm in 1886. Their six children are Fhulija, who lives in the island of Flores; Jose, who lived in Coliforma for i timer and then went back to Pico island in 1911, married, and till live: there Mari. who resides with her father ; Manuel 1. and Maria, tours, The Litter Ivin in the Azores ; and Philipi Jose, a Roman Colhthe priesten Ilores
At the age of seventeen, in 1889, Manuel I. Madrugacame to Lahlerin to join his brother Jose at Guadalupe, and for some years Worked on fareu- ranches in this section of the county. In 189 he was unii nitrate with Miss Balvina Gularte, whowas born in San Itis Obras . daughter of Joseph S. and Laura Rosa (Veren) Gillarte, will de person county, but now living near Santa Maria early as 1872, locating near San Luis Obi, white lies 4 0in5 1 10 and hotel man. The mother care to kas Jons dorf 1200, and we among the first settlers of Os. Form, At. Madrid 60 rel Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and attendof the gallie sefue of the Santa Maria valley 54
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After his marriage, Mr. Madruga decided to make a start for himself. He leased land and farmed with success, saving his money, and then pur- chased his present ranch. Later he erected on the property his handsome and modern residence, the finest on the Oso Flaco. Mr. Madruga spends his time and energies in farming, making a specialty of beans, sugar beets, onions and potatoes. He keeps six work horses busy all the time, and has harvested some exceedingly large crops, which have netted him hand- some returns.
Mr. and Mrs. Madruga have had seven children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are Manuel P., May E., Laura P., Frances A. and Philip Jose. Mr. Madruga has found time to take an interest in the affairs of his community. He is a believer in the maintaining of good schools, and in everything else that helps the whole community to better its condition. He has served as clerk of the board of Oso Flaco district the past six years. He is a member of the U. P. E. C., I. D. E. S., and A. O. U. D. lodges in Guadalupe; is a Republican in politics; and, with his family, attends the Catholic Church.
STEPHEN V. CAMPODONICO .- A son of the pioneer merchant in Guadalupe, S. V. Campodonico is making good, and is recognized as a con- servative, as well as a thorough man of business. He has been engaged as a clerk in his father's store since he was a lad of thirteen, and for several years past has been the buyer, as well as the main working spirit of the establishment. He stands for progress, and is one of the owners of the New Commercial Hotel and manager of the Crescent Theater.
A native of the state, he was born in San Francisco, March 20, 1882, and was brought by his parents to Guadalupe when a child. He attended the pub- lic school until 1895, when, after reaching the eighth grade, he was taken out of school and set to work in the store to learn the practical part of merchandis- ing. Beginning at the very bottom, he worked his way through the various departments, learning every detail in each, until he became competent to take charge of the entire concern and thus relieve his father of the burden. The store carries a stock of about $35,000 valuation, consisting of a general stock of all kinds of merchandise; and the business is carried on with good results.
In San Luis Obispo, S. V. Campodonico was united in marriage with Miss Flora D. Baumgartner, a native of Kansas, but residing in Nipomo at the time of her marriage. Two children have blessed this union, Florence Thelma and Stephen William. Mr. Campodonico and family occupied a fine home in Guadalupe until it was destroyed by fire, on November 5, 1916, probably to cover a robbery.
Mr. Campodonico is a member of the firm of Campodonico Bros., who erected the new Commercial Hotel building, seventy-five by one hundred feet, completed at a cost of $12,500, which includes the Crescent Theater, of which our subject is the manager. For twelve years he has been a notary public, is the resident agent for the California Fire Insurance Co., and is keenly alive to all the possibilities in this part of the county. He is popular with all classes, decidedly progressive, and a "booster" for both town and county. Mr. Campodonico is Past Grand of Laguna Lodge No. 224, I. O. O. F. Ile is a member of the board of trustees of Guadalupe school district, serving his second term.
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ALFRED ISADORE SIGNORELLI .- A successful rancher in the Oso Flaco, and one who, hand over hand and entirely through his own nin- tiring industry, has climbed each rough-hewn round of the ladder of priva- tion and toil, Alfred Isadore Signorelli was born in Someo, canton Ticino, Switzerland, August 4, 1888, the son of Bortel and Esther Signorelli, Italians who had migrated to the little republic. The sixth in a family of seven chi !- dren, and the youngest of five brothers, Alfred Signorelli, on coming here, worked out for a year on various farms; and then, although only fifteen years old, in order to provide a home for his mother, younger sister and him- self, he pluckily rented the Morganti ranch. This ranch he still manages, now leasing it from the Union Sugar Co. In the home he thus established. his mother, always the object of particular affection and interest, continued to live until her death, in 1915, at the age of sixty-two years. The father had died years before at the age of sixty-three.
On August 1, 1914, Alfred Isadore Signorelli was married to Miss Mary Belloni, who was born near Guadalupe, the popular young daughter of John and Mary Belloni, well-known residents of Guadalupe, now retired. By her he has had one promising child, Irma Gladys.
Equipped with a full complement of work horses and machinery, includ- ing a 1916 model Holt caterpillar for plowing (of thirteen horse-power for the draw-bar and thirty horse-power in the belt), Mr. Signorelli operates to good advantage some two hundred fifty acres, giving a hundred acres to beets, and one hundred fifty to beans, grain and hay. His conservatism is shown by the fact that he still rents the ranch he began with ; but his con- servatism is of the progressive type. Mr. Signorelli is a model farmer, whose methods are being imitated by his well-wishing competitors.
Strong of body and active of intellect, large-hearted and making and keeping many friends, Alfred Signorelli, together with his excellent wife, is prominent in social affairs, and particularly so in the circles of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows at Guadalupe.
FRANK EGEDIO RIGHETTI .- A prosperous rancher and one of the trustees of the Oso Flaco school district, who is highly respected for his manly qualities, Frank E. Righetti was born May 15, 1880, in Someo, canton Ticino, Switzerland. His father, Joseph Righetti, was a farmer and owned a little place in Someo, where he married Dolorata Tomasini. They had six children: Victor, who lived in Oso Flaco about twenty years, though not continuously, and is now married and resides in Someo; Leno, who lives in Montesano, Wash .; Robert, who died in San Luis Obispo, leaving a widow and two children; Frank Egedio, the subject of this review ; and Assunta and Lisa, who reside in San Luis Obispo.
Frank Egedio Righetti grew up in Someo, and attended school until he was fourteen, being educated in the Italian language. He then con- tinued assisting his father until he was seventeen years of age lavm! three brothers in California, he decided to join them, for their letters were filled with glowing accounts of this country. In 1897, therefore, he sailed from Havre on the "La Touraine," and arrived in New York carly in De- cember ; but he did not tarry long in the East, for his finances would not permit of unnecessary expenses. He arrived in Cayuces a few days beivr- Christmas, and secured a job at once as a milker for John Scaron 11 attended school for a few months at Willow Creek in order to kent t
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read and speak English. For three years he was employed by Peter Righetti at Morro, and then came to Guadalupe and worked for Peter Tognazzini four years on the Oso Floco. He liked California from the start, and saved his money ; and with a partner, A. Bondietti, he took a four-year lease on some land on the Oso Flaco, engaging in dairying. After this, he began farming for himself.
In the meantime, in September, 1907. Mr. Righetti was united in mar- riage with Miss Elvezia Bondietti, a native of San Luis Obispo County and a daughter of A. Bondietti, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Righetti have four children: Rena, William, Dora and Hazel.
In 1909, they moved to the place where they now live, which Mr. Bon- dietti owns, consisting of eighty acres. Besides this, Mr. Righetti rents one hundred fifty acres from the sugar company. He uses a Holt tractor of 13-30 horse power, and other modern machinery and implements. He was naturalized on October 3, 1910. In politics he is a Republican. He is sery- ing on the school board of Oso Flaco district. Fraternally he is prominent. being a member of the Masons, Guadalupe Lodge, No. 337, F. & A. M .: a Past Grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and a member of the San Luis Obispo Lodge, No. 322, B. P. O. Elks.
FRANK SIGNORELLI .- An example. well worthy of study by the American youth, because of the living demonstration of what a poor lad mav do by devotion to parents and to some definite ideals, is Frank Signorelli, the farmer and stockman on the state highway, half-way between Orcutt and Los Alamos. Frank Signorelli was the first of his family to come to America. His father, Bortel Signorelli, an Italian, was a poor man, but a very honest charcoal-burner and day-laborer, who, warmly devoted to his wife and chil- dren. left them in Switzerland, whither he had migrated, in order to earn. as he supposed, a better living in a coal mine in Africa ; but prostrated there by a fever, he suffered and died. With grim determination. the equally devoted mother kept her children together until, one by one. they were all able to remove to California, where they have certainly become a credit to the com- munities in which they reside : and in the soil of the Golden State, her own sacred ashes now rest. Among her children. besides the subject of this sketch, are Louis, the Oso Flaco rancher, and Celestino, the dairyman of the same place, an account of whose interesting lives is set forth in this work. Another is Amelio, a laborer, unmarried, at Guadalupe. Rosa. the widow of E. Morganti, who resides at San Luis Obispo, and Irma, the wife of A. Tomasini, the Los Alamos dairyman, are the two daughters in the family.
Born in Italy, on November 8, 1871, Frank Signorelli attended school there, and when twelve years of age removed with his parents. brothers and sisters to Switzerland, where he grew up at Locarno, in canton Ticino. From the time he entered the free republic. however, only the hardest kind of hard work was his lot. He ent timber and chopped wood for a living in the rocky forests. and later went to Algiers, Africa, where he toiled as water-bov, carrying pails of water to workmen who were engaged in building the railroad.
In 1891, when but twenty years of age, he sailed for California, and for a vear chopped wood at Santa Rosa, Sonoma county. The next twelve months were spent at milking cows on a ranch not far from the same place. The third year, he rented a small tract of eighty-two acres, where he raised
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grapes, prunes and hay ; and from that time he farmed independentlycomo, about five years later, he came down to Oso Flaco and began to work for lu- brother-in-law, E. Morganti, who then ran a big farm and dairy and devoted three hundred acres to farming, while reserving eight hundred acres for pas- ture ; and with him he continued for five years. He learned all about milking and the care of cows, and became an expert butter and cheese maker.
Nine years ago he entered into a partnership with Milo D. Tognazzini. of San Luis Obispo, with whom he operates the Cap Harris ranch of four hundred acres. A hundred fifty acres are planted to beans; and the rest of the land is devoted to hay and live stock. He also looks after one hundred seventy-three head of Tognazzini's Holstein heifers and steers, from two to three years old. He employs three men and six or seven times as many work horses. The conditions of the bargain are interesting: Mr. Tognazzini pays the rent and furnishes the seed, and gets one half of the profits ; while Mr. Signorelli does all the work, and takes the other half of the profits.
Mr. Signorelli also undertakes some work for the county government. repairing the Casmalia grade to Lompoc, and keeping the highway in excel- lent condition. To this he devotes from three to four days a week, and employs from two to six horses, performing his labor under the experienced direction of E. Righetti, the district road master.
A romantic result of Frank Signorelli's association with Santa Rosy was his marriage there to Miss Lena Capitani, a native of Locarno, Switzerland. and the daughter of Frank and Eugenia (Pa allia Capitani, who brought their family to Sonoma county. Mrs. Signorelli was educated in the public schools of Santa Rosa. Their life together has been unusually happy : an 1 their home is made bright by three children : Irene, Esther, and Fllis.
From boyhood used to the hardest kind of manual labor, and inclined. therefore, to laugh at fatigue, Frank Signorelli still swings his axe with vifor. or does whatever is necessary in the way of work, at the same time that he wisely cares for what he has already acquired. He is rapidly making money, as is attested by the fact that he owns two lots on the water front in San Francisco, where they are steadily increasing in vale A Republican in politics, he takes a keen interest in public affairs, and delights to do his full duty as a citizen.
PIETRO SCOLARI. \ fine representative of that class off inde mitable Swiss- Americans who are making a real success in California is P Solari. the farmer and dairyman living six mile west of Les Vamos, who came here practically without means, and vet, through indu try and frucality and upright dealing, has prospered until, Today. he could probably bis mut several times over, many who one were mere well to do that he Er November, 1859, in the canton of Ficing. Switzerlandjust int frun It.c. he was the son of P. Scolari, nes derelsol, and of Wary Steder still living there, who was born in 1839.
At about twenty years old Pietro S Urt que te Vieneconi resten the Golden Gate on the 12th of February 187 Querrim, iSo Fritos he found that he had only five dollars font Sunt be borrowed another file dollars from a friend, and came on to Guadalupe There li weht từ MY - immediately for J. Tognazzini at twenty dollars a month For s nem years he continued to labor for wages and then, in 188 1. wef | | and for a while rented land there before crnible to his fredit que
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Since 1891 he has been a tenant farmer, tilling a part of the Careaga ranch, west of Los Alamos. There he now farms and operates nine hundred eighty-five acres, which he devotes to beans and hay, and to a dairy, for which he has a full complement of live stock, with from fifty to sixty milch- cows. Before this he leased about three thousand acres and had a dairy of about one hundred fifty cows and about two hundred head of other stock. In 1916, he bought fifty-five acres of excellent valley land adjoining the ranch land that he rents. He has thirty horses, and a complete outfit of agricul- tural machinery.
Attracted to his old home by a sweetheart, Mr. Scolari, in 1893, went back to Switzerland, and there married Assunta Cascioni, a native of his birthplace. By her he had six children, one of whom, Mary, Mrs. Rossini, died at the age of twenty-two. The five living children, who are as hard workers as Mr. and Mrs. Scolari themselves, and who contribute much to the successful management of the Scolari ranch, are Peter, Louis, Assunta, Josie, and Alfonso.
Mr. Scolari has been a friend of education and was the originator of the movement whereby a new schoolhouse is to be erected in his district.
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