Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-11-06
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
[ EDITORIAL Correspondence Santa Barbara
Press. t Ilf.

A
October 18th, 1874.
After making arrangements, TO try
to get the attention of this busy, bust
ling, noisy city, and turn the thoughts
Of some for u moment towards South
ern California, land almost as little
known here to the most Intelligent
men in general as. mid-Africa, I took
the North; New Jersey ears, which run
up the west side of the Hudson, six
teen miles north othe country retreat
of Charles Nordhofl. On the cars, /
was Fortunate enough to meet Mr..
Miles, n near iieighbot of the Noral
hoffs, who was out i'm Southern Cali
forna a year since and whose brother
resided some three years at Anaheim
before his death. This deceased
brother will be remembered by all
well-infermed peoplein Los Angeles
county as u. warm and appreciatiye
friend OF lolss FeNew ItaIy,n and prob
ably did as mucho in three years to
describe and lnaKei known the real
character of the country as any dozen
other men in five years inthat county,
Meeting Mr.. Miles, the neighbor Of
the Nordhotfs and the brother of the
late Anaheim Miles, as the first man
for days who seemed to know there
was such aiplace as Southern Califor-
mia, and finding him q hearty and in
telligent friend of the country, need
not say that / gladly accepted a seat
in his carriage from the railway sta
tion to his residence and that Of Mr.
Nor1hOlf, on tho! palisades of the
Hudson river, some two and half
miles up hill-from the depot The
sun was just setting, and the blendmg
of the wonderfully yariegated hues of
the autumn leaves of the fine forest
which covers these hills with the rays
of the setting sun, made II picture to
be cherished for Il lifetime. One who
has everv-visited this locality and
knows the beauty of the scenery will
accuse me of writing tamely of
scene which only an artist can delin-
cate. FT Il lNEE Il FT1E Il .TtTF
1t was dark when we arrived at Mr..
Norhoff's gateway. The road winds
around toward the brow of the great
hill which slopes quite precipitatelyt
the river, and as we turned to the left,
approaching the house, we enjoyed Il
glimpse through the trees of the thou
sand lights of the Yonlkers across the
Hudson river. When the carriage
halted ut the door of the quiet, hand
some stone cottage where Mr. NOrdhOtf
and his delightful family reside, the
cheerful lights within were streaming
through the uncurtained windows, re-
Vealing the glow and warmth indoors,
contrasting finely with the chilly air
without. The welcome extended to
their California; visitor was quite4in
keeping with the cheerful warmth of
their home. Southern California
could not have more ardent and dis
eliminating admirers than are Mr..
Nordhoff and his observing and accom-
plished wife. 1t was Il continual sur
prise to note the questions they asked
and the knowledge they disclosed OF
individuals, localities, and produce
tions, and [ soon became impressed
with the fact that few if any of the
best informed residents of our part of
the,State are half as familiar with the
character of the country or as wise in
discerning its future developments.
AT about o'clock the next morning
/ had view from the East windows
of the parlor, which, included the
Hudson River, Yonkers, Long Island
Sound and the land beyond, with New
York in the distance at the right; l
shall not attempt to describe it. Moth
ing that had ever seen before com
bined as many elements of beauty as
this scene which the inmates of this
favored home enjoy every day from
these windows. While so near the
city, only half an hour distant and
always accessible, yet the silence and
seclusion of the place is absolute.
While trying to express this feeling to
Mrs. Nordhoff, she said that the situ-
uation was well expressed one day
by Henry Ward Beecher, after he
had been lying on the grass awhile
under the trees and gazing on the
panorama before him. "How far did
you say this place was from the city?'
he finally asked. "About sixteen
miles," she answered. Lookingaway
to the city again, he said: "No, it is
at least thousand miles!
1t is this training, u daily lesson
like this on the beauty OF nature
which qualified the Nordhoils so fully
to discover and enjoy the beauties or
Southern California, and it VIII graf
ify many warm friend OF theirs
away offithere to learn. that they are
still thinking that some day our beau
tiful, sunny New Italy will have to
provide them Il place for new home.
OF other things | must tell you IN my
next letter. a's4, 1.. j.
The Identical is making stir in the
cigar trade of Los Angeles. Read
their advertisement to-day, ana put
that in your pipe and smoke IL.
i