Sorting Apples in See Canyon 1906

 Sorting Apples In See Canyon (photo courtesy of Janell Picard)

The Irish Hills have had a long history of apple cultivation. My grandfather William Callaway was one the first to plant and maintain an apple orchard on his farm. By the late 1890's See Canyon was also growing the delectable fruit. The frosty Winter temperatures and the rich bottom soil, thick with oak leaf mulch near the moist creek bed made for ideal growing conditions. The above photo from 1906 shows John Slankard (pictured left) and friends sorting through a heap of freshly picked apples. What a bounty!

More on the history of See Canyon Apples can be read at:

http://www.seecanyonwedding.com/sample-page/

And here are some of the current Apple varieties being grown at Gopher Glen Orchards:

http://www.gopherglen.com/assets/applevarieties.pdf

Best,

Carl

The Pecho School and the May Pole Dance

Here are a few photos of the Pecho School circa 1915-1920. This one room school house was one of two that served the children living in the Irish Hills, CA. These little buildings taught a whole generation reading, history, writing and arithmetic in the great experiment called Public Education.

The Pecho Schoolhouse with Georgia Ruda
(photo courtesy of Diana Domenghini)

All of my Aunties attended the school in their early years. Here is a photo of Marge and  Georgia  Callaway along with other students performing the May Day,  May Pole Ribbon Dance:

The May Pole Ribbon Dance
(photo courtesy of William and Barbara Todd)

The following is a basic description of the Ribbon Dance:

Dancers gather in a circle, each holding a colored ribbon attached to a much smaller pole. As the dance commences the ribbons are intertwined and plaited either on to the pole itself or into a web around the pole. The dancers may then retrace their steps exactly in order to unravel the ribbons. This style of maypole dancing originates in the 18th century, and is derived from traditional and 'art' dance forms popular in Italy and France. These were exported to the London stage and reached a large audience, becoming part of the popular performance repertoire. Adopted at a large teacher training institution, the ribbon maypole dance then spread across much of England, and is now regarded as the most 'traditional' of May Day's traditional characteristics (Wikipedia 2013).

The May Pole dance is still performed today all over the world. Here is a 2012 performance from Merry Old England:

I think San Luis Obispo schools should resurrect the tradition. What do you think?

Best,

Carl

An Interesting Chapter In Jake See's Eventful Career

From the San Luis Telegram Tribune January 26, 1896 through February 1, 1896 (compiled by Wilmar Tognazzini)

Jake See

Interesting Chapter In His Eventful Career

Charged with Cutting Timber on Government Lands in the Madera

Jake See Photo Courtesy of James D. Mahar

There will be sorrow for many a long day in See Canyon. The usual quiet of that sequestered little nook, where romance is a theme, and the mellow notes of the feathered tribe, ever anon from the leafy branches; all has been broken into, and in a way which may or may not have been most undesired.

When the sun rose yesterday there was a joy in every home in the Canyon; when dropped behind the hills in sank to rest in the old Pacific, there was a wide change. Surprises are nothing in See Canyon and are as frequent as aspirants for office on the eve of the city election, but when Deputy United States Marshal, B.T. Alford, came down the fold early yesterday morning and placed Jake See under arrest, consternation reigned.

"Jake" has had an eventful career, but he has settled down to pass the rest of his days in peace, and reinstate himself in the good graces of the constables and officers of the law. Deputy United States Marshal B. T. Alford of Fresno, arrived on the evening train Tuesday. He was armed with a warrant for the arrest of See on a charge of cutting and selling timber on government land in Madera County, near the Fresno line. The complaint charges that the timber was cut on Section 10, Township 9, and is sworn to before Commissioner Prince of Fresno. Early yesterday morning, before the break of dawn, Marshall Alford hied himself away to See Canyon to find his man. Jake was at home and made no objection to accompany the officer to this city, where he was locked up in the County Jail until the departure of the 10 o’clock train to Port Harford to meet the steamer. The prisoner will be given a hearing before Commissioner Day of Santa Barbara, and if held on the charge will be taken to Los Angeles for trial.

A Tribune representative secured an interview with Jake at the Pacific Coast Railroad Depot, while he was awaiting the departure of the train. In answer to numerous questions he replied as follows:

"The complaint charges that I cut timber from the government claim in Madera County during the years of 1894 and 1895. I will state that I am innocent of the charges. I have a claim in Madera County and two mining claims, but I neither cut nor sold timber from government land in that county or any county in the state. I think I know why this originated. The man that swore to the complaint, William O'Neil is a personal enemy of mine, and the arrest is due to spite work on his part. While I was living in Madera County, O’Neil stole a set of harnesses from me. I met him one time on the County road with my harness on his horse’s back. At the point of a pistol I persuaded him to return the harness then and there. That is the cause of my arrest," remarked Jake, as he stepped on the train.

John Steinbeck's Advice to a Young Writer

Book Cover Courtesy of Wikipedia

As an aspiring writer, if you had the chance to sit down with John Steinbeck what would you ask him? A cousin of mine had just such a chance in the early 1960's. Out of a the blue, my cousin T--y got a call from his former English professor who then resided under the pines at Cambria, CA. "T--y get your butt up here," the professor said. "There is someone I want you to meet!" T--y debated if he should make the hour drive up the coast. It was a long way just to say hello to stranger and an even longer trip back with the coastal fog creeping in. He and the professor were old acquaintances from college when T--y was a rising star in his English literature class.

Arriving at the pines by the sea, T--y noticed a green GMC truck with white camper parked in the driveway. A black, French poodle lay on the ground tied to a leash to the back bumper. On the side of the camper someone had painted in cursive script the word "Rocinante," the name of Don Quixote's horse. Puzzled by the whole scene, T--y knocked on the door of the house. Hearing voices, he let himself in and found his teacher and a man rollicking at the kitchen table with large bottle of whiskey between them, half-drained. "Hello professor, I knocked and let myself in. .  .  ." It was then T--y noticed who the stranger was--John Steinbeck! How Mr. Steinbeck knew the professor or the reason for the visit, T--y knew not why, but he quickly pulled up a chair and entered into the verbal fray. In the course of the conversation, the young T--y gushed praise on the novelist, noting he had read all his books. By now, the bottle was nearly drained and T--y mustered up the courage to ask, "Mr. Steinbeck what advice  would you give a young writer like myself, one who is just starting out?" John reached over the table grabbed T--y by the collar and pulled their faces close. "WRIIIIIIIITE!!" he roared.

And that is what it comes down to-- words on the page. Writers write. So get up in the morning, put pen to pad or fingers to keyboard and write, damn it. It is what we are here to do.

Thanks for the advice John.

Photo of John Steinbeck Courtesy of Wikipedia