BOOKS FOR ALL. Barb Warren

in her new home base as she settled into an environment that proved quite challenging for her as the new county librarian. She was determined to introduce culture to the residents and to stimulate an interest in learning. She spent the first few years setting up branches in nearby towns, after connecting with locals who were interested in becoming custodians of a local branch.

       ANNE HADDEN in her own words:

      MONTEREY COUNTY – DESCRIPTION

       Monterey County has an area of 3,600 square miles and had a population at the last census of 24,146. Rugged and in places inaccessible mountains lie to the West, bordering the ocean, holding narrow fertile valleys and containing pockets of settlements. Mountains to the East also contained scattered settlements.

       Between these mountain ranges lies the fertile Salinas Valley running from north to south the length of the County and extending into San Luis Obispo. The eccentric Salinas River flows through this valley, most of the year a shallow stream on the surface, but underneath, they say, one of the largest underground water courses in the country.

       In winter, this river, fed from a large mountain area, breaks loose and storming through the land like a great dragon, carves out new courses, washing away hundreds of acres of fertile land, and carrying bridges and everything it meets away to the ocean.

      In a year of heavy rains such as the present one has been [1913-1914], Monterey is a county of isolated settlements. Salinas itself was an island for several days. Monterey and Pacific Grove were isolated for a much longer time—Salinas being their nearest railroad station.

       Other places are only now, after nearly four weeks regaining their touch with the outside world. Nearly all the bridges on all the water courses in Monterey County were carried away by the big storm in January, and it was a regret, owing to delays and difficulties at the outset, that only one of these cut-off communities had its County Library branch to fall back on during its period of isolation. That community was most appreciative.

       We have five branches to go out into these districts as soon as the roads and river will permit. Some places in the mountains can still be reached only by horseback. Over the river baskets and pulleys are in some places being used for transportation of passengers and goods while the bridges are being repaired and rebuilt. Down at Soledad a big negro was the first to try this means of transportation, his weight was too much for the cable and he was precipitated into the flood. In other places a ferry is being used or a foot bridge spans the gap of broken bridge.

       Many old Spanish grants are still intact in Monterey County and some of them are held by large corporations. This means that great tracts of land are sparsely settled. So much for geographical conditions.

       Monterey is a County full of fascinating historical interest. There are three old missions within its limits and two others just over the boundary. Monterey was the center of the Spanish and Mexican life of the early days. Descendants of the old families are numerous and still hold in memory at least the old traditions.