The Buckhorn School. Click to enlarge.

Two miles west of Piru City is Buckhorn Station. There is no store nor postoffice at this point. There is a public school. Piru City is the nearest postoffice and trading point.

B.F. Warring was a great hunter many years ago. When he first settled in the county, game was very abundant. Deer were very plentiful, and Mr. Warring brought in many bucks' horns. His boys nailed them up, 5 or 6 pairs, at his gate, on the county road, on a 2- by 10-inch plank. In those days, from Ventura to Los Angeles, places to eat were very scarce. Mr. Warring accommodated everybody that came, fed their horses and furnished lodgings and meals. In this way the ranch became widely known. One traveller, meeting another, would inquire where accommodations for the night could be obtained, or horses could be fed and watered. In every instance the answer would be, at the ranch where the deers' horns were nailed at the gate. Soon everybody began to talk of the Buckhorn ranch. The ranch is still known as the Buckhorn ranch, and the station of the S.P.R.R. on the ranch is given the same name, and likewise the school house near by. In former years many a weary traveler's heart was filled with joy at sight of the buckhorns.

Mr. Warring was born in 1827 in New York State, and brought up on a farm. At the age of 24 he started for California. After reaching San Francisco he went to San Jose and engaged in the lumber business. He afterwards bought 160 acres of land near that town. He was a member of the San Jose Cavalry. In September, 1869, he went to what is now Ventura county, and secured 160 acres of land, now known as the Buckhorn ranch. From the oil wells he gets lights and fuel for his house. Mr. Warring is a well-known representative citizen.

The trustees of the Buckhorn school are Hugh Warring, J.H. Alcock and J.T. Tucker.

H. Warring has lived 15 years in this part of the county. He is a native of California, having been born in San Jose. He is a prominent citizen and highly respected in the community. Mr. Warring formerly kept an apiary. Hugh Warring and his father had 1500 stands of bees, and in 1884 raised 116 tons of honey. He owns 30 acres. Twenty acres are set to oranges, lemons, olives and a family orchard. He is also in the oil business, being secretary of the Fortuna Oil Co. The wells are located in Hopper Canyon, about two miles from Buckhorn. Mr. Warring has had a large and varied experience. Formerly he raised wheat, barley and hay, and ran harvesting machinery, headed and threshed for others. He was also a stock raiser.

Hon. Thomas O. Toland left for Sacramento last week to meet with the other members of the State Board of Equalization, and on Monday that body began its "Statutory Session." "During the month of July we are to assess railroad property," remarked Mr. Toland to a FREE PRESS representative, "that is roads which are operated in more than one county. Our board has jurisdiction to assess railways, roadbeds, rails, rolling stock and franchises, of roads which are operated in more counties than one. Therefore the fences, right-of-way, depot buildings and all other property, except as I have stated, must be assessed by the County Assessor, which, presumably, has already been done. The board, has appointed a day for the consideration of the property of each railroad company, the smaller lines to be taken up during the earlier part of our session, while the four large ones, viz: Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, Valley Road and Central Pacific, are appointed for the last days of the session. The Valley road, although in process of being transferred to the Santa Fe system, was, we understand, still held by the original Company on the first Monday in last March, and will this year be separately assessed. The board so far has not taken any action on the assessment question, except to view the various roads and otherwise acquire all the information we could obtain for the purpose of enabling ourselves to act intelligently in making the assessment of these properties. I have also, during the past month, in company sometimes with one member and sometimes another visited forty-six out of the fifty-seven counties of the State, and have during my visits taken quite voluminous data from the records of these different counties, obtaining information as to values in the county; interviewed assessors, looked over principal bodies of farming lands in each county; gathered data as to what they produce and as to other things that affect questions of value, for the purpose of enabling us to understand valuations in each county and to thus make a fair assessment."

Mr. Toland said he was now off for a long stay, expecting that his duties would keep him away from Ventura until along in September. However, he hopes to drop in and spend a day or two at a time with Venturians. He reiterated the statement that of all the counties he had visited, Ventura was undoubtedly one of the most prosperous.

Tuesday evening's train was boarded by Geo. A. Smith at Montalvo, who makes the trip across the continent to be with his wife at Mercer, Maine, whom he has not seen for over fifty years and whom he long since mourned as dead.

It is a long and sad story. How the husband took shipping at Bath, Maine in '49 to sail for California to make a fortune in gold. How, after coming 'round Cape Horn, and arriving at San Francisco he failed to hear from his wife and two children, although he had faithfully written them, sending letters from Bath, Me., Rio de Janeiro, but no word came. He wrote often, but the only letters he received were from another "Geo. Smith." Finally he went to the Yuba mines and was successful. He wrote his wife, and strange to say she received all his letters while none of hers reached him.

One day at San Francisco he met a man who hailed from a neighboring town in Maine, and who told Smith all about the death of his wife and children. Then it was that Smith ceased writing, having lost all interest in his native state. He then began a checkered career. In time he served his country in the war of '61 and returned afterwards to the mines and to dissipation. He had been in Ventura many years, when he had occasion to be at Newhall where he met a former resident of Mercer, Me., who told him that his wife was still living in the little cottage, where he had left her, that she had always remained true to him, and was making her own living by working in a factory.

Mr. Smith came back to Ventura and his old comrade Judge Frank Hobart wrote for him to the wife away down East. In time letters came and soon plans were made for a reunion of the old couple, for Mr. Smith is now 82 years old. Judge Hobart helped his unfortunate comrade in a great many ways, but says he feels amply repaid for all that he did. Finally, after a year's saving of funds, enough money was had to buy clothing and a ticket to the home of the aged wife in Maine and Tuesday Mr. Smith started on the long trip, expecting to reach his journey's end next Tuesday if the heat of the East does not prostrate him.

Yesterday Judge Hobart received a very touching letter from the devoted wife and we quote a part of it. She says: "I received your letter last night. There was not much sleep for me that night. It was good news for me that George was coming so soon. Now, I shall worry until he is here, I wish you or someone was coming with him. I am so afraid that he will not come right after he gets to Boston. I wish there was someone to come with him. You thought that I was a person to be loved and encouraged. That is so, and I like to love someone and I hope I shall soon have someone to love again. I used to love George so much. He was so good to me and to everyone else. I never heard him speak a hard word of anyone. George nor I will ever forget you while we live, and it will be my daily payer that you may prosper and have all the happiness that this world affords. I hope we shall meet in the world to come and know each other there."

Judge Hobart can hardly wait till next Tuesday to hear whether or not his comrade reached his home in safety.

For sale, fine quarter section land, about 100 acres arable, balance mountain land; county road; splendid for vines and trees; sheltered from frost; unimproved sown to wheat; abundant water under ground; can be irrigated by pumping; climate delightful. Quick relief and cure for asthma. In a picturesque valley, half hour's drive from Hemet, Riverside Co. A growing town on railroad, lighted by electricity, with magnificent hotel, brick blocks, five warehouses, flouring mill, etc. For sale at a bargain. $1,000 down, balance at a low rate of interest. Will trade for property near coast. Address "M.," care FREE PRESS, Ventura.

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