538 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



t Jdue 22, 18»8, 



THE COUNTRY CLUB'S BULL'S HEAD 

 BREAKFAST. 



San Francisco, May 6.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 This is the age of clubs, and when talking of them Cali- 

 fornia comes to the front for its number and variety, 

 social, sporting, athletic and yachting. 



Among the leading social clubs the Pacific-Union prob- 

 ably stands at the head; it is an amalgamation of the 

 Union and Pacific, comprising the wealthiest and most 

 aristocratic of our Four Hundred. Next on the Ust comes 

 the German and Bohemian, the latter with a membership 

 of 600. It was originally what might be called of a Uterary 

 character, comprised of newspaper men and writers for 

 the press, and in keeping with its character was appropri- 

 ately called the Bohemian. It numbered among its mem- 

 bers" tlie brightest and most intellectual men on the Coast, 

 most of whom have "gone over the divide" and "joined 

 the great maJority,"'giving way to a succeeding genera- 

 tion of younger men with little ambition to keep up the 

 intellectual character of the old time club; although it 

 still numbers some clever literary men, the majority care 

 more for the luxurioiis dolce far niente comforts that its 

 present sumptuousness afl:ords. 



The Pacific-Union is composed mostly of rich young 

 men, a large proportion of whom run rather to the popu- 

 lar sports of the day, more especially shooting, and to af- 

 ford scope for this pastime the Country Club was organ- 

 ized, to which only membei-s of the Pacific-Union are 

 eUgible. This club holds the lease of a tract of 74,000 

 acres of preserves a couple of hom-s' ride from the city, a 

 noble domain composed of forest and field, having a coast 

 range bordering on the Pacific Ocean of forty miles. It 

 may be called the most grand in the way of scenery and 

 adaptation for the purpose, of any tract of land in Califor- 

 nia, and that is saying a good deal for a country abound- 

 ing in the richest soil, noblest forests and most beauti- 

 ful scenery of any State in the Union. 



The tract of land under lease to the Country Club was 

 originally one of the old Spanish grants with which the 

 Grovernment of Mexico so Uberally rewarded the services 

 of its many generals and men of rank, who, tempted by 

 the facihties afforded for cattle raising, migrated from the 

 cities of old Mexico, and struck out to its then almost un- 

 known northern possessions. These Spanish grants cov- 

 ered a great i)ortion of the best lands of California for 

 grazing, and here the old aristocrats came and began 

 their cattle raising, and truly might it be said that they 

 covered a thousaud hills. He was a poor man indeed who 

 did not own a herd of a hundred thousand head of cattle, 

 and from 1,000 to 3,000 horses roaming over a hundred 

 thousand acres of rich pasture land. Here the old Dons 

 lived, with their "peons," and vaqueros, independent, 

 and as free as air, for although nominally acknowledging 

 allegiance to Mexico, they were too far away from the 

 seat of government to come within the jurisdiction of tax 

 gatherers. Occasionally, when in want of cavalry horses, 

 the Grovernment would make a requisition on the hidalgos 

 for a supply, which, with the characteristic generosity of 

 the Spanish race, was freely contributed. One old gran- 

 dee on one occasion presented the Government with a 

 band of 3,000 from his stock, and still had left a thousand 

 or two for his own use. 



Those were the days when the traveler was ever wel- 

 come to the hospitahty of the owner of the acres, the 

 cattle and the horses. When he rode up to the door of 

 the habitation he was received with open arms, and what- 

 ever the house contained was his by courtesy. In the 

 morning, in place of his weary steed, he found a fresh 

 one, the best in the band, saddled and bridled for his use. 

 This he exchanged again at the next ranch in hke man- 

 ner, with no thought of money in the "swap," as it would 

 have been equivalent to an insult to offer to pay for a 

 hoi-se. Money there was none. Cattle hides and horses 

 constituted tiie currency, except once a year when the 

 ship of the Boston agency for purchasing hides arrived, 

 aad then the year's collection was sold and the pay re- 

 ceived, some in barter and some in money. Then fol- 

 lowed fandangos and grand Spanish f robes, when whole 

 families mounted horses and set out to visit the settle- 

 ment of San Francisco or Monterey, a day's journey dis- 

 tant. There, with the recklessness of Spanish character, 

 they bought trinkets and gay cloths, and the year's sup- 

 ply of tobacco for cigarettes, returnixig home loaded down 

 with knick-knacks, but without a cent in their pockets. 

 Those were the happy days of unknown California, when 

 the grizzly roamed the forest, deer and elk by the thous- 

 and mingled with the cattle, and when it was not neces- 

 sary to go a quarter of a mile to bag a backload of ducks 

 and geese. Even when later San Francisco numbered 20- 

 000 inhabitants canvasback ducks could be shot by the 

 hundreds on the spot where the Government proposes to 

 build the new post-ofiice and have paid $700,000 or $800,- 

 000 for what was then a boghole of a lake or swamp — and 

 by the same token there will be a happy time finding bot- 

 tom for the foundation. 



Things were in this primitive and happy . condition 

 when gold was discovered and the rush of people began. 

 The old hidalgos looked on with astonishment to see the 

 enterprising squatter taking possession of his laud, kill- 

 ing his cattle and encroaching to his very doorstep. He 

 saw that unless he sold soon he would have nothing left, 

 and tempted by the sight of bright dollars and wiih no 

 knowledge of business he sold acre after acre, or in most 

 cases his entire ranch at a dollar an acre, and felt happy 

 to obtain such a price. In this way these valuable gTants 

 were picked up by shrewd, far-seeing Americans, and 

 especiaUy by our wide-awake Irish immigrants. 



Among the most desirable of these Spanish grants was 

 the one now occupied under lease by the Country Club, 

 purchased in early days by Judge Shafter and one or two 

 other partners. It has continued concentrated in the 

 ownership of the Shafter family and then- descendants. 

 Mr. Charles Webb Howard and Mi-. John K. Orx, who 

 married into the family, own the controUing interest. 

 Lying us the land does— along the coast, the grass is kept 

 fresh and green the year around by the sea fogs, and 

 hence is ia great demand for dairy farms; and 40,000 cows 

 are feediug on the luxuriant grass of its valleys and 

 canons, furnishing milk and butter to San Francisco. 



But to go back to the club, from which subject I "have 

 wandered. This association — composed of lOO members 

 embracing the swell voungmen of San Francisco, the 



richest, the best shots, the best fishermen, aU first-class 

 gentlemen, the crime de la creme of the city— have the 

 sole right to fish and shoot over this princely domam. 

 The tei-ritory abounds in nmning trout streams, lakes, 

 open glades, deep canons so dense in foliage that the sun 

 never reaches the ground; uplands of forests of gigantic 

 oaks and pines, mountains, dells and every varietj^ of 

 vegetation, splendid cover for quail, marshes for smpe, 

 deer at every turn of the roads winding through deep 

 glens, and an occasional bear. In former times it was the 

 terrible grizzly, now the brown (cinnamon) and the black. 

 In fact the country is simply the sportsman's paradise, 

 and it is no wonder that there is a large list of names 

 awaituig membership, which it will require years to reach, 

 as few die and none resign. The tenacity to Me of its 

 members is most astonishing. It is too good a thing to 

 leave, and as for resigniug, such a thing has never been 

 heard of. 



The land composing the preserve, as I have mentioned, 

 Ues along the ocean coast, for forty miles, affordmg splen- 

 did salt-water fishing, with occasional inlets where sal- 

 mon run up in the season. 



The club house is an unpretentious affair of one story, 

 in fact a bungalow standing on elevated ground, with a 

 sloping lawn in front, the porch covered with climbing 

 flowers and rose bushes, shading the long piazza, opening 

 from which are the rooms for forty-five members. There 

 are horses in the stable, dogs in the kennel and guns in 

 the gun house, in front of which are the ti-aps for artificial 

 target shooting. Sloping down for 1,000yds. the ground 

 is open, then contracts into a shady dell, through which 

 the road winds and is lost in the forest, until it comes out 

 on the ocean bluffs. The club has paid no attention to 

 show, but has gone in most sensibly for comfort, and 

 happy is the member who is free to spend days in the 

 dreamy enjoyment of a grandfather chair on the porch, 

 inhaUng the dehcious pure atmosphere. It is simply bliss. 



And now I am coming to the gist of the whole busi- 

 ness, and that is, to tell you of the grand feast, or barbe- 

 cue, given by the club the other day to members and 

 guests, to the number of nearly a himdred and fifty, who 

 will long have the blessed memory of one of the most 

 enjoyable occasions of an ordinary Ufetime. I call it a 

 barbecue, but that is only the Americanized definition of 

 what is known here as a "bull's head breakfast," a 

 Spanish dish called in that language a fiesta cabeza del toro. 

 It sounds better in the Spanish, but tastes just as well 

 in plain American, although we are indebted to the 

 native Spanish for its introduction to American epicures. 



You people East, who think you are sitting on the steps 

 of epicurean paradise when you eat terrapin at $3 per 

 plate, should come to California and be introduced to a 

 bull's head breakfast, cooked by a Spanish artist. It 

 would be a revelation to you, and I should feel sorry for 

 your friends who would have to listen ever after to your 

 extolling description of the dish. Let me describe it. A 

 hole is dug in the earth and the bottom usually lined 

 with stones, then a hot fire heats them; and when the 

 fire burns down the live coals are removed and damp 

 sacks laid over, on which the head of the animal is laid, 

 then covered with other damp sacks, then earth and 

 straw — buried, in fact — and the heads allowed to bake 

 and steam until thoroughly cooked — say eighteen hours. 

 Then the pit is opened and the heads conveyed, smoking 

 hot, to a side table, where the skillful carver first removes 

 the skia and proceeds to carve. First the head is opened, 

 and the tongue and the morsel at the roots constitute the 

 tidbit. The cheeks are then carved, and so on imtil all is 

 gone. Then another head; and so on, for it rimneth not 

 in the memory of man that one head was ever known to 

 be sufficient to satisfy the sublime appetite that follows 

 the firet taste of this epicurean dish. As a necessary and 

 important adjunct to the dish is the great Spanish 

 national dish of frijoles (beans), cooked as only the 

 Spanish can cook them, in comparison with which 

 a Bostonian would turn green with envy. Then 

 follows the crowmng glory, called huevas con chilo color- 

 ado, which reduced to plain American means hard boiled 

 eggs floating in a red hot sauce, of which the Mexican 

 little red peppers are the enlivening element. This is 

 a dressing for the gods as well as for the bull's head. 



Another favorite Spanish dish is tomales. It consists 

 of commeal, oHves cut up, red peppers chopped fine and 

 minced chicken, all inclosed in cornhusk tied up seciu'ely 

 and roasted or boiled, I am not sure which, but I think 

 boiled. 



On the occasion in question, in which the subscriber by 

 virtue of the courtesy of the club participated, a large 

 ch-cus tent was pitched on the lawn, in which the tables 

 were set for 150 guests and membere. At a given signal 

 the cooks, dressed in true Spanish costume of maroon- 

 colored velvet trousei-s, slashed at the seam and buttoned 

 with silver-bell buttons, embroidered jackets d la matador 

 and wide-brimmed sombreros, began to uncover the pit 

 from whence the first installment of heads was borne to 

 the big tent, and the work of carving began. It was 

 hoped that good digestion waited on the appetites thereat, 

 for never in the course of a long and varied life have I 

 seen such bestowal of meat and drink. 



The man next me sent his plate three times for cabeza 

 del toro (buU's head) and three big plates of frijoles did he 

 empty, three tomales, and "washed all down" with one 

 entire bottle of claret. I feared I should have a case of 

 "bust" on my hands, and said to him — he was a stranger: 

 "My friend, you seem to have a healthy appetite and to 

 enjoy the viands." He rephed, "Well, I ivas rather hun- 

 gry earher; but I took a snack up at the club house which 

 took off the edge, and I am sorry, too, for this is bully." 

 I looked to see if the pun was meant or an accident, but 

 he was apparently perfectly innocent of any intent; and 

 s» I refrained from laughiug, for it is as much as one's 

 Cbnscience permits him to do to laugh when called upon, 

 and it is only a waste of the risibles to notice an accidental 

 pun. An hour later I saw my friend stretched out on the 

 grass, dozing, with his hand clasped caressingly over his 

 stomach as if to preserve its contents intact as long as pos- 

 sible. 



Twelve bifll's heads had disappeared under the waist- 

 bands of the company. When I say "buUs" I do not 

 mean "steers," which are reckoned not as good. 



A chap commenting on the skill of the cooking and 

 bountifulness of the supply, said: "On the last occasion 

 of this kind, the manager undertook to dispense with a 

 Spanish cook; and a nice mess he made of it. The heads 

 were served up half -cooked, and all I got was three teeth 

 and an ear, while my neighbor got a tuft of hair and one 

 eye." 



After the feast the shooters a,djourned to the shooth: 

 ground, and for the next three hours matches were tl 

 order of the day, the band meantime discoursing mue. 

 on the lawn. The gorged and non-shooting membe 

 gathered on the piazza and dozed and smoked, and b< 

 on the matches; and some went to visit the dogs, son 

 talked horses and fishing. Then the four-in-hand tean 

 drove up to the door; and the rather difficult problem ( 

 getting 150 people stowed away, with satchels, was iv 

 mirably accomplished, and the long procession of teau 

 strung out on the road to the station where a special trai 

 awaited us. Thence we sped to Saucelito, and by speci; 

 boat were landed in town, still full of bull's head, frijole 

 tomales and gratitude to the members of the Coimti 

 Club for one of the most enjoyable days of our long 11 

 spent lives. Three cheers were proposed, but we were a 

 too full for utterance, and they died away in a gent 

 murmur. It was a case of the boys and the frogs; lots {{ 

 fun for us guests, but a labor of love for the executiil 

 members of the club; for if any one thinks it is childj 

 play to plan and execute such a junket, let him try 3i 

 Your correspondent has had experience, and knows hoi 

 it is himself; but in this instance no effort was apparen 

 it all went off charmingly, and was a grand success wit)] 

 out a hitch. 



Your correspondent as a guest is indebted for a mo) 

 enjoyable day, reviving as it did, the good old days wha 

 a good outing was of frequent occurrence, and we 

 our minds to it. To Mr. John K. Orr, that crack 

 sportsman and genial gentleman, I tender "much tha 

 for his kind attentions and invitation to his shooting b(i 

 on the club reserve, which, as one of the owners of tl 

 noble domain, he maintains, and the day will everremat 

 as one of the green spots in memory, and as after thei 

 intervening twenty-four hours good digestion has som 

 what restored nature to its normal and vocal conditioj 

 I am now able to give the three cheers for the Count i 

 Club that were due at an earlier stage. 



It is unnecessary to state that such a feast has a ten 

 ency to induce one's renewing his acquaintance with b 

 forefathers and foremothers. In my own case the gran 

 mothers did not occupy as much of my dreams as did tl 

 Spanish race. Suggestive of the dishes, a procession i 

 hidalgos in doublets and broad sombreros pranced past i 

 their lively mustangs with bull's heads instead of the 

 own proper noddles. Beautiful senoritas in short dresar 

 embroidered stockings, yellow high-heel shoes, hij; 

 counters, and lace mantillas, kneeled before me wil 

 platters loaded with tomales and ' 'Jmevas con chili coh 

 rados" beseeching me to partake. Through the whc i 

 night I protested. Bull's heads pranced up and dow 

 before me. Tomales danced fandangos on my chest unt 

 broad daylight, when on awaking I was glad to find tb< 

 it was all a dream and that in my much filled up coi 

 dition I had not to eat all those bull's heads, all thoc 

 tomales and huevas over again, not even to oblige a be\ ;, 

 of kneeling senoritas. And so ends my tale of a buU 

 head breakfast d la Espanole. It is a bully scheme and 

 feed epicures would wail for if they ever tried the dis) 

 Come to the land where every manner of good tlunj. 

 abounds, not the least of which is a bull's head breakfai 

 d la Country Club. Podgees. 



A NIGHT ADVENTURE ON THE LEVEi 



The "Laconia Circle" levee is, as yet, of insufficient sl/i 

 While theu- neighbors beyond the broad river work the \ 

 crops and recline in their hammocks with asense of securir 

 against inundation, the Circle folks have vigilantly i 

 watch their little levee night and day, in order to dete< 

 in its bu-th any sign of weakness, that such may 1 

 remedied ere it is too late. 



One week since the water stood, in places, against tL 

 very top of the levee. The nights were dark and rainy- 

 the levee (dividing broad fields on one side from a deri; 

 forest rising out of a sea of water on the other) was 

 scene of loneliness, save when a riding guard passt 

 quietly by or a pair of walking guards trudged on wil 

 sentry-like tread, holding a whispered conversatiu: 

 'Squire Blackbm-n, a knight of valor in high-water timt 

 as in times of peace, was on duty as a volunteer ridin 

 guard. An experience which he relates is too good i 

 keep. Says the 'Squire: "As I passed a very large snai 

 ping turtle, I was seized with a desire to capture him, bi 

 resisted the temptation when I remembered that a sh' 

 fired at such a time and place might cause much alari 

 But this temptation grew too great when, an hour or ; 

 later, I passed the same turtle on the same spot. I plact 

 the muzzle of my .23 Winchester almost against his hea 

 and pulled. He showed, by one or two imusual mov 

 ments, signs of slight discomfort, then became calm on< 

 more. I fired again. A few more sluggish movemem 

 and a start toward the water. A third bullet was starti 

 in through the back of his skull. He hesitated, as if i 

 say, 'I'm getting tired of this f ooUshness. ' 



"The night grew darker, but I could still see him ou 

 lined on the ground near the levee slope. I hated to gi^ 

 up my prize, yet did not want to reinforce his ment; 

 weight with any more bullets, so bethought me of anoth-i 

 plan. Leaning over toward him, I was on the point c 

 giving the old fellow a gentle tap on the head with tl: 

 muzzle of my gun, when — Clap!!— and he had it fast b( 

 tween his ponderous jaws. 



"At this moment my mule gave a snort and looked ot i 

 into the bushes across the levee, bringing her earti] 

 around until they were nearly in contact. 



" 'Someone is trying to slip in to cut the levee!' thougl , 

 I. With this I quickly endeavored to withdraw my gu 

 from the turtle's custody, but found this more of a ta' 

 than I had anticipated. To be candid, it began to dav 

 upon me (and so did the cold shivers) that my gun w; 

 fast confined between the vise-like jaws of a reptile, ari 

 I a levee guard on duty! To cap the climax of my di 

 comfort, a miscreant was approaching on levee cuttin , 

 bent. My feelings at this moment cannot be fully di 

 scribed. Supf)ose the levee should be cut! I had n 

 means of preventing it. Suppose again, that I shoui 

 say, 'Yes, I saw them when they cut it, but a big turtj 

 had my gun.' What a fool they'd set me down fo. 

 These are some of the harassing thoughts that chased ear 

 other through my mind, as I tugged at the gun. But 

 tugged in vain. When gun moved, turtle moved — aDi 

 turtle tenaciously held on. ' 



"Seeing that it was no use, I clambered to the top f 

 the levee, tramped back and forth, coughed, made myse 

 conspicuous generally, and shortly remarked to the mul 

 weU above a whisper, 'You old crazy fool, I don't believ 



