The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 26, 1896, Page 18

18 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JULY 26, 1896. The Art Renaissance at Monterey Picture - Makers Are Going Back to Their First Liove For artists with the brush and palette the old town of Monterey and its environ- ments have long possessed a fascination. Men and women who have won distinc- tion in theart centers of Europe turn a longing gaze to the bay of Monterey. Memory holds images of land and sea and sky of surpassing beauty. The seasons of California have been divided by the poet | into *“halt a year of clouds and flowers, half a year of dust and sky,” but the di- vision cannot be applied to Monterey in the sense that is applicable to the foothill regions. All theyear round Monterey i!i a delightful place. The flowers bloom al- | ways. | At one time the artist colony at Monterey represented many of the best- known painters of Ualifornia. They lead a life free from care and convention- ality, finding the conditions of tranquillity | and repose which frequently produce the greatest pictures. That Monterey is to have a renaissance— a new birth in artistic recognition— | is highly probable. Charles Rolio Peters. | who returned from Europe several months | ago and es:ablished a studio at Monterey, | speaks of the many artists abroad who are | talking of coming back to America for a season of work, recreation and reflection at the old capital of California. Harrison, who has gained fame and suc- cess as an artist, recalls with delight his outings in California nearly twenty years ago, when Jules Tavernier, Denny, Ham- ilton, Paul Franzeny, Lizzie Btrong, Virgil Wilhams, Julian Rix, J. D. Strong, Yel- | land, Holdridge and Nellie Hopps were | representatives of the art colony at Monte- | Tey. He told Peters that he would never be entirely happy again until he was set- tled in a studio on the shores of the bay ! journed sine die Saturday afternoon, Oc- tober 13, 1849. It is obvious from reading J. Ross Browne's reports of the debates that all of Duke Gwin’s tact was catled into play to avert a duel between Henry A. Tefft of San Luis Obispo and J. M. Jones of 8an Joaquin. Tefft, in referring to Jones, suggested the guotation from Junius: “There are men who never aspire to hatred—who never rise above contempt.” Jones demanded that the language be taken down, saying: “fam better acquainted with the duties of a gen- tleman than with the language of Junius.” Mr. Gwin as a peacemaker achieved quite a triumph. The scene occurred early in the convention and the settlement by apologies in open session doubtless pre- vented many personal collisions. He maintained with stubborn persistency that there should be no after settlement out of doors—no bloodshed resulting from what had transpired. In the Capitol building at Sacramento there are no single portraits or groups of the men who made the first constitution of California. There should be in the old families of this commonwealth many let- ters which would throw light on the social side of life in Monterey at this particular time. Old and half-forgotten paintings might be brought out to illustrate many of the scenes, the gayeties and character- istic features of life in the old Capitel, when the founders of the commonwealth | were discussing whether the eastern boun- | dary- line of the State should be the Rocky | Mountains or the Sierra Nevaaa. Perhaps some artist has painted the picture of the delegates, after the adjourn- | ment sine die, going to the house of Gene« ral Riley, U. 8. A, Governor of California, THE MOST UNGANNY SPOT ON EARTH Weird Sights and Sounds of the Superstition Mountains in The most uncanny spot on the face of the earth is, very likely, within the bound- aneés of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. The name was given this range of volcanic rock by the Indians, and never was name more appropriate. Of course, the educated man 6f to-day knows that all of the strange und weird phenomena to be seen there are the result of natural causes and can be easily explained, but the poor Indian who knows not these thingscan hardly be blamed for having a wholesome fear of any part of the range. Thisrange of mountains islocated almost in the geographical center of Arizona. It is between the Salt and the Gila rivers, and one of the spurs is within thirty miles of the city of Florence. The mountains are really a part of the Pima and Maricona Indian reservations, but even at this late day it is impossible to get one of exther tribe to remain in the vicinity over night, and only offers of big money can induce them to go within the *‘cursed” precincts during the daytime. ’ And even after, they have agreed to go they cannot be depended upon to stay, be- cause they are likely to take to their heels at the sight of something they don’t un- derstand or when some mysterious sound breaks the mountain silence. the Heart of Arizona. men of a lake of fire that boils and bubbles and gives forth the sound of sweet music? All ®ho hear it are charmed and rush gladly into the flames to be consumed. The stories the Indians tell of the Superstition Mountains would take months to repeat, but the idea of all of them sesems to be to impress the fact that the Arch Fiend who presides over the do- main has a hatred of the redman, and is constantly laying traps to destroy him. All who enter the realmsof horror do so at the risk of never coming back, and all who do come back have some new tale to add to the already long list. The most terrible things told of are the swinging | stones that turn out from the wallsof a canyon and crush the passer-by. Then there are places where the ghosts dance; trees that reach out their branches and en- tangle all who come near them. There are caverns filled with witches and devils and awful birds that make the strangest sounds. Wild animals by the thousands come right out of the solid rocks. Fishes with legs come from the lakes and drown all within their reach. ¥ire and smoke and horrible groans and howls fill the air on all sides. While many of ihe stories are purely the work of the frightened story-teller, of Monterey. | Lizzie Strong, whose talent has been | recognized In London and Paris, and | whose pictures are admitted to the salon, | never ceased to dream of the halcyon days at Monterey, during her long sojourn abroad. Her dearly cherished desire to return and renew acquaintance with the | scenes so vividly impressed in her mind | has been gratified. | To her studio in the old town she will bring her pictures. It is her purpose to | make another step and exhibit her entire | collection of paintings in the town. Word | comes that other artists will follow the ex- | ample of Mr. Peters and Miss Strong, and | settle down for a season of work and solace in the old, familiar place. It would not be strange if Thomas Hill, | the most sucessful of old California paint- ers, should not leave his summer abiding- place at Wawona to loiter in the winteron | the beach at Monterey. Fred M. Yates, now one of the celebrated portrait painters of England, will be in California in a few | days. He is sure to bring news of other | artists coming home to the scene of their | early struggles and first triumphs. Bhould | it strike their fancy to hold a reunion at Monterey, the convention of artists would i present some striking figures. Jules Tavernier, Virgil Williams, Denny, Julian Rix, josepb Strong and others, | constituting what may be classed as the | early group of artists, painted old mis- | sions, the colonies of fishermen, whales | and whalers, with an occasional study of a senorita or a tempest-bruised cypress standing on the outpost of the forestas a sentinel to challenge the sea. It is pos- sible and much to be desired that the | puinters of the renaissance should study the historical phases of Monterey, and, taking sueggestions from the Historical Bociety, tell us something on canvas of the men who framed the constitution at Colton Hall in 1849, how they passed their time when the convention was not in ses- sion, and of the senoritas to whom they paid their compliments. With whom did these charter-framers mingle? Where did they loiter in their hours of leisure ? The historical societies of New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia have preserved in literature and paintings the striking personalities and scenes in the founding of their re- spective commonwealths, but the failure of California in this respect is lamentable, ‘We know that the delegates assembled Baturday, September 1, 1849, and ad- ~tn pay their respects to MONTEREY’S PICTURESQUE FISHING VILLAGE, Painted by Every Artist Who Goes There and Immortalized on Canvas Many Times time of the month when the moon is full. The most interesting portion 15in a éanyon that opens on the north side of the range, and 1f an explorer will manage to get about ten miles into this during the day- time and, after selecting a quiet spot, wait for the moon to rise, he can have an ex- perience he will never forget. But don’t g0 unless your nerves are strong. The beauties of the sunset are enough to pay for the visit. Asthe orb of day de- clines the dome of burning copper that has hung over the land all day gradually gives place to opalescent shades of emex- ald and amethyst. In the west the moun- tain peaks will appear purple against a sky of liguia fire, and to the eastward will be illuminated with the afterglow of pink and crimson. Twilight is shor¢ in the Superstition Mountains, and befora one realizes it night has come—but not dark- ness, for the full mocn sheds enough light to read a newspaper by. siderable noise is made they will not notice it. Many old bunters say that it is possibie for a man to walk right across the line and the panthers will not attack him. During the day it seemed as if the mountains were devoid of animal tife, but now the air is filled with birds and all sorts of creatures run here and there, seemingly not the least disturbed by the presence of a man. Every few minutes that awful ecreech rends the air. Further up the canyon are numerous gulches, into which the moonlight falls. Oue of them has a sort of overhanging ledge and beneath it appears a crowd of men. Surely they are talking. For their arms appear to move, their heads turn from side to side. Some have on white clothes and others appear to be of aiffer- ent colors. A peculiar sound like the murmur of voices fills the air, By climbing a small canyon to the left the most startling sight in the mountain can be seen. BSurely it is not of this worla. The canyon suddenly terminates in a gulich that crosses it from side to side, At first sight it isonly an abyssof inky black- ness. Listen! A peculiar rumbling sound can be heard, and from the profound depth a white-robed figure will appear. Then another and another, until there isa whole procession of ghosts passing over the brink. Many of them will wave their arms CYPRESS POINT, MONTEREY COAST, a Favorite Sketching Ground that -officer. | Everybody must have been happy that | day, for indeed the veteran General Riley | said, “‘Gentlemen, this is a prouder day | to me than that on which mny soldiers | cheered me on the field of Contreras.” General Riley, according to the official | records written down by J. Ross Browne, | was interrupted by tiree cheers from the | members as Governor of California and three more “as a gallant soldier and worthy of his country’s glory.” 1 An artist was asked the other day toex- | plain the charm which Monterey possessed for members of his craft. He replied that the natural scenery which the artists most desire was available. There was the sea for the marine painter, the woods and the mountains gladdened the landscape artist, and above all there was the color of the past—not the dim old past of bygone centuries, but the past of the closing ninteenth century. He and Tavernier, Strong and Stanton painted panels for the Bohemian saloon in the old town of Monterey, The keeper of the place, no doubt, paid for these treas- ures in refreshments served across the counter. The investment must have been a good one, for many a tourist rested on the jaunt from Del Monte 10 Pacific Grove to see the pictures and listen to the story of how the artists made life joyous at the res- taurant which the old Frenchman kept in the abandoned guardhouse or jail. Doubt- less Tavernier often paia for a week's board by a cleverly executed sketch on the wall of the restaurant. Huer M. BurkE. MIDNIGHT COUNC | enter the * IL OF THE GIANTS Not only are the Pimas and Maricopas afraid of these mountains, but even the fierce Apache shuns them. The legends of the mauny tribes all refer to dire disaster that has come upon men who have dared bode of the devil.” It is true that even within the last few years many Indians have gone intothe Superstition Mountains and never returned, and old men say that no Indian everreturned who stayed in the mountains over night. All | of which is easlly possible, because the poor superstitions wretches could havé been frightened to death, or perbaps in their wild efforts to escape some mysteri- ous danger plunged down a precipice to destruction. It is useless to attempt to explain to the Indians that all the strange things are harmless. They have been told other- wise. Even the fact that white men go into the depths of the range and return safely after many days and nights makes no difference. They don’t reaily believe the men have been there. How can a white man go where an Indian cannot? And have they not been told by their wise others have considerable foundation. Any white man who will visit the mountains in the daytinie will dée many Strange rock formations, unexplainable springs that throw off hot water, gas and oil. There are fertile valleys surrounded by walls of mountains through which streams of cold water flow. Flowers and grass grow here in profusion, and rabbits and other small game exist by the thousands. In the glare of the bright sunlight a!l of these interesting things can be viewed un- concernedly, but under the pale, cold rays of the moon it is another matter. At sucha time a person has to call upall his strength of nerve and only by the greatest effort is it possible to make one’s self believe that the many things seen are only senseless stone and harmless vapor. Infact there is less real danger in the Superstition Mountains than in any other range-in Arizona. To be sure, one runsa risk in going into them, but to do the | same thing anywhere else would mean certain death. To really see the weird aspect of this uncanny region it is best to select that In most parts of the world silence comes with the night. Just the reverse seems to be the case in the Superstitidn Mountains. Or is this imagination? But suddenly the air is rent with the most Gnearthly shrieks that ever fell on mortal ears. Again and again it comes, and rolls and echoes through the canyons, gétting weirder and weirder with each reverberation. The ory is taken up on all sides until the moun- tains seem like pandemonium. Buat nerve yoursell and pass on. Keen to the bottom of the canyon and you will be in no danger of afall. Silence will come again, and if you keep on you will soon see & cone-shaped mountain rising before you. Approach closer and a cas- tle as perfect as any on the banks of the Rhine will appear perched on its summit. ‘When near enough a soft, muffled sound of footsteps wiil be heard. What is it? By looking careiully a procession of panthers can be seen walking around the cone- shaped mouatain as if gnarding the castle on its summit. Round and round they go, looking neither to right nor left, and though con- A MOONLIGHT VIEW OF THE CAVERN OF GHOSTS ‘ i .’ilm ) i \] ] Ny : A 7/ as if beckoning the observer. While this 1s going on, clouds will appear to floatin irom the sides, and perhaps thunder will be heard In the distance. But the proces- sion moves on and passes up & canyon, and finally disappears over a cliff. Silence will follow, and the act will be repeated. This canyon cannot be traversed further, but by turning back and entering a small valley on the other side three giants can be seen in conference. They are sitting close to atree, and their attitudes show them to be interested in what one of them is saying. Possibly at about this time you may be surrounded by thousands of rabbits and walking right toward you there may ap- pear a gigantic bird. Further up the canyon thereisa large cliff, and behind it at intervals can be seen flashes of light. Thunder follows and the earth beneatn your feet will shake. Pos- sibly one of the flashes may throw you to the ground, and you ean hear the hissing of serpents near by. If you happen to be in the right place you can hear a grinding sound and a rock on top a cliff will swing outward. But it won’t fall, as the next shake will swing it back. Dozens of experiences like those just re- lated are likely to befall the night explorer in the Superstition Mountains, so that when daylight comes he will feel as if he bas been to the infernal regions or with Alice in Wonderland. More than $15,000 has already been con- tributed for the Heimholtz monument, which is to be erected in front of the University of Berlin. Everybody Is Going to the Yosemite Most of Them Jravel on Foot or With Pack Mules or Horses Tourists who have just returned from the Yosemite Valley report that there are more visitors to the great natural wonder this year than have ever been known befare. And they are going in a!l sorts of ways, but the greater number are “tran_ap- ing,” and they are the ones who are having thebest time. Just how many tramping parties have left San Francisco this season is a matter past finding out. But they have been on the roads coanstantly for the last two months and there is no sign of a decrease at present, aithough 1t 1s said the valley does not look its best on account of the scarcity of snow last winter. The plan of these people who want to have a good time on a moderate sum of money is to form a congenial party of from five to ten persons. But they must be all good campers. The amount of money to be spent for the tripis then “‘pooled,”” each putting in the same amount, and the un- derstanding being that they will stay out as iong as it lasts, The next thing to do is to geta horse and wagon aud the necessary outfit. The wagon is to carry the camp outfit and the members of the party walk. So that all may have a fair show turns are taken in driving. Many parties from this City travel all the way on foot, going from here south to Niles and then up the canyon to Stockton. But this is not general, as the road is un- interesting except while traveling through the canyon. The trip to Niles is hot and austy and when the eastern end of the canyon is reached there is a long road to Stockton, where the trip really begins. The best and most popular way to go is to take the steamer at the foot of Clay street and go to Stockton. By this method the expense of the trip 1s increased very slightly, which, however, is more than compensated for by the additional time thus gained to be spent in the valley or some other interesting place. Horses and wagon, a8 well as all camp outtit, can be put on the boat without disturbing the ar- rangement of them, so that when Stock- ton is reached it is only necessary to drive off the boat and -proceed on the journey. Providing the party has plenty of time the trip can be made an ideal one. There is no need to follow any particular road. If desired the different mining towns in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties can be visited without going very far from the direcy road. The general direction of the road from Stockton tc the Yosemite is south along tne western slope of the Sierra Nevadas, and every foot of it will be found interesting, no matter whether the party travels.close to the foothilis or down the center of the San Joaquin Valley. The latter route will show the great industries of California and the formér some of the best that the State can boast of in grand scenery. . The parties at present traveling down the valley are very much alike. As to sex they are about evenly divided, and a more care-free people it would be hard to find.” Business has been left behind them, and the young people are making the best of the long holiday before returning to desks, store or school. Usually there are two tents, but in some cases there are three. Almost as soon as day breaks everybody is awake, and, long before people in San Francisca think of getting up, bave had their breakfasts and pro- ceeded on their way. Travel is always slow, and if there is anything to be seen they have only to stop and see it and pro- ceed when they are ready. Many of the parties of walkers to Yo- semite have covered twenty miles a day, and most of thé ladies have surprised theniselves at the amount of ground they got over when they aidn’t even try. Most of the parties, however, take ten days for the trip from Stockton. The stay in the Valley, Big Trees and at ‘Wawona and other points of interest can be regulated to suit the party. The homeward journey is frequently made thesame as the outward journey. But the most common way is to drive to Merced and finish by rail. People who have made this trip are delighted with it, particylarly as it is fashionable this year to walk fo the Yosemite Valley. THE CASTLE GUARDED BY PANTHERS