02589cam a22003373u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000490011324500570016226400510021930000470027033600260031733700260034333800360036950000310040550503480043650800440078452011980082853400450202665300330207165300480210465300390215285600430219199900170223412697UtSlPG20260610133312.0mcr n260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aAtherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn,d1857-194814aThe Splendid Idle Forties: Stories of Old California 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2004  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2004-06-010 aThe pearls of Loreto -- The ears of twenty Americans -- The wash-tub mail -- The conquest of Doña Jacoba -- A ramble with Eulogia -- The isle of skulls -- The head of a priest -- La Pérdida -- Lukari's story -- Natalie Ivanhoff: a memory of Fort Ross -- The vengeance of Padre Arroyo -- The bells of San Gabriel -- When the devil was well.  aProduced by PG Distributed Proofreaders  a"The Splendid Idle Forties: Stories of Old California" by Gertrude Atherton is a collection of historical narratives set in the vibrant and tumultuous period of mid-19th century California. Through its tales, the work captures the lives of characters navigating the complexities of societal change, cultural clash, and personal ambition in a land on the brink of transformation due to American interests.  The opening of the book introduces an electrifying horse race day in Monterey, depicting a colorful scene filled with excitement and rivalry between Northern Californians and their Southern counterparts. Key figures include Pio Pico, the Governor of the Californias, and Don Vicente de la Vega, a striking guest from Los Angeles whose exotic horses challenge the local favorites. As the narrative unfolds, it hints at the cultural tensions brewing beneath the surface, notably the rising influence of American settlers and the complex social dynamics they disrupt. The beginning sets a compelling stage filled with romance, rivalry, and dreams, foreshadowing the personal and societal conflicts that will resonate throughout this collection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aHistorical fiction, American  aCalifornia -- History -- To 1846 -- Fiction  aSpaniards -- California -- Fiction40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12697  c54114d54114