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y friend General Banning enjoyed a life full of riches, adventures and accomplishments. For that, I admire him, but I do not envy him, for he lacked sufficient leisure to spend as much time as I and his other drivers did in the homey comfort of the residence's fine barns. Today, the horses and mules are all gone. The stables, the smithy, and the residence's consummate collection of coaches-one of the finest in southern California-occupy a single barn where, in the General's day, they had filled three.
Thoroughbrace Surreydrawn by two horses, featuring a "fringe on top" to ward off flies, and mounted on leather straps to soften the ride, the surrey was built to carry a family and its gear into town and was the "mini van" of its day.
Autotop Phaetonwas the classic big-wheeled "buggy." A maneuverable and informal runabout, this coach featured a foldable top, and was just the thing to take on an outing or church on a sunny Sunday morning.
Thoroughbrace Express Wagonhad a relatively soft ride because it featured a leather "thoroughbrace" suspension, and was designed to carry cargo.
Peters Broughamwas a formal coach designed to be pulled by two to four horses. It featured a completely enclosed, very luxurious passengers' compartment, and cost more than twice as much as a Model T Ford would cost when it was introduced.
