Show JUSTICE FIELDS GREAT OAK said bald to be the largest in cauro california rala and to cover several acres long before california became a part pait of Ame american americal territory there existed in the vicinity of monterey Moo terey and there still stands there after a half century of occupation cu a wonderful r pellinen of 0 the live oak indigenous to this state it was a marvel to the mexicans of those days and was pointed out as one of the curiosities of the land to the few visitors to the coast among those to whom the natural wonder had bad been shown in the days ol of mexican lex icari domination was a young passed midshipman of the united states navy whose edip had anchored in monterey bay his name naine was timothy beals field and he be i is s now long since since dead the midshipman belonged to a family whose members have beien been distinguished in science and business bus inesz in in the pulpit and in literature at a t the bar and on the bench of the supreme court he was so amazed by the sight of the marvelous tree that he sketched it and wrote an account of it to his father a clergy clergyman nian residing among th abe e berkshire hills kofalas of massachusetts zachus etts this incident was long forgotten it was war only last year on the occasion of his bis visit to california that the recollection came to the mind of justice stephen J field A party was made up the tree was found it proved to be even more extraordinary tra ordinary than as described by th the young midshipman to his father after exploring its labyrinths the party returned to san francisco soon after justice field went east on his official duties and while there mrs field wrote an account of their visit to the tree which reads rounding bounding the lagoon we saw ahead of us a large sandhill with a crown of 9 green and d as we pass passed sed the hamlet of seaside we learned that we were approaching pro aching our mecca A climb in the sand and up a few rickety steps brought us under the sheltering branches of the largest tree so far known mown to californians nian not in height though its height is great but in its capacity to shelter I 1 remarked that I 1 thought persons could stand comfortably beside me but a learned man in our party said rather since the midshipman wrote of it the tree ramt most have expanded vastly lor it now covers more acres than one its trunk is not to be seen the fine light sand has drifted in to the depth of 30 or 40 feet and covered and protected this relic its branches remind one of the it seemed almost as it if they not only could shelter but would embrace e us too each branch is is the size of an ordinary tree and there are numbers of them spreading out sly ly with other branches on these shooting mg upward to the sun the foliage being all on top and very dense the rhe tree is of the hie variety known as the california live oak quercus viren its leaves leates are small email fresh and crisp and of a vitality unimpaired by years and they do not fall with the seasons it is said that no one has ever pet seen a leaf of the live oak unfold or fall the outside form of the tree is beautiful being entirely circular and as you sit under its shelter and admire you cannot but speculate as to its age its gnarled and crooked branches proclaim great anti antiquity ui t y its I 1 t lovely green perpetual 9 you it may be added that ever since the rediscovery of the tree it is popularly known as justice fields oak san S francisco chronicle |