The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-12-31

q h.,s. Nor s:'; s,,s, isl.
I am IS miles from home Comp
tom AMI ~ miles northeast Of L"s
Angeles, just at tho foot OF the fret
range If mountains. Tho nearest
ueighbor is nile and a hsn away.
About II miles away is a settlement
called the Orange Grove Associs-
ton. They own a part Of the val
lev bet ween the foot hills aud the
mountains. They are making a
speculation out Of their property.
They have obtained q seven.,nch
pipe Of water from the mountains,
ut cost Of "a, 900. The land cost
them about Sc per acre; now they
are selling a share OF 10 acres (l00,h
pa,D for $1,000. person could
wait for oranges to grow 10 or 20
years) no Doubt he would do well.
Grapes w"nld pay well md SOON,
bnt the common grassh"pper, such
rs you havo in Mich gan, will ear
them every year. Blu. they don't
tell that, by a good deal. They tell
nothing bnt the best side, aud they
ell all If that, hut MT one word OF
the disadvantages; and that IL the
with all If California,
But | did not start ont to tell you
about that swindle, alone. To. day
is my Adj rthday, and being
alone, and not having much t" read
| have ample time to think; first {"
my own family, rs miles away.
can zee where they are; can sec The
school house and Methodist chnrcl:
clo.e by where they are; and thel
l have been thinking Of you ant
the rest in far.away Mic! .igan, ant
of the time, 43 years ago to day
4 when, MS my father afterwards tol'
4 me, the ground was covered will
h ice: and have compared those place
d Will, my present surroundings.
4 Perhaps | had better tell yoI
why | am here. I am on a "be
i ranch," as it is called, belonging I
q three brothers named Orr-lrish
4 men. They had 40 or 80 stands q
e bees, AMI u claim on this canyo
# two years ago, and rented it to
d man named Hagadon. Now, al
though they have lost sever;
swarms, they have over 200. LA!
c. adon is a drinking fellow, alth"na
d. u good business man. and has mad
T. but little Gr himself, or the Or
Of besides tho increase Of the Lees, III
e getting them in good working I'll
l. der. Ills time was out on The ! 81
y of this month, when, after tr, ing
y settle, tie Orr's attached his cha
of bers and put Elun in charg
Canuic and | we're husking Car
's' The work was very hard for III
or reaching above my heal after Il
y" ears all the time, aud so l cl.ang,
with Elon, aud sent him Home.
n. is rather lonely here in the III
III house, about 12xl4 feet, and I
is chance of having to fight q griz7
in away from the bees for they 8
In fond of honey. They ate the pr
az ar ducts ofsevcnl cen swarns last yc
led though it was in llugad"n's absen
49,, TLcy don't like to come arou
pom where there il a mar; aud the ba
cen ing Of a log vii keep them av'
can For arms, ! have a Winchester
~. pcatny rifle that will shoot Is lin
rom when once loaded; a sirglc barre
ard ~,
/, be rifle. AMI Smith IL Wcsson
' ,,s. v"lver Il sl,o"icI). The repeat
is the min stay, and is n teri
ner' gun 10 .b"M. My work is t. 81
up nrouud the bees, do my cook
aud fixing u. things, ready Tor :
f'l', years work. We may rent
bees for next year.
'nd. Til. view here il beautiful.
ri ter sun down I sat in the d
\ D" which fronts southwest, until y
'use S.u,h.southwcs, IS miles away
l"" Wilmington and the ocean.
i'''s could rec Ito hay AT Whining
me- plainly, the ocean stretching a
'rAR far to the right and left. II
'nc'' miles farther out in the OccS'
the the Santa Catalina Island, viii
ople could see plainly. II is rocky
AIKEN mountainous. This side of y
eeks mingion l could see Com
been Twelve miles nenrer / could
ever Los Angeles, nestled jast be-
the lost hills. nearly southwest
peak here; anil in the valley, this 81
20" the E"t hills, within a space o
ware 5 miles, 10 the Orange Grove
h"n- Element, where, Vos year ago,
~ % wac l,ut four ar five ln'nscs Mt
;kei,i and now there are over 200.