Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-08-29
VENTURA COUNTY.
Letter FrOna Mrs. Perry-The Grad
grind FamiIy-Springs-P

Letter FrOm Mrs. Perry-The Grad
grind FamiIy-Springs-Pa
| Correspondence of the Santa Barbara Press
The Grangrind Family is by no
means extince upon our planet, as
yet; nor can it demand for solid, sta
tistical writing be safely ignored by
any scribbler, In this letter, there
fore propose giving the plain unvar-
nished
"FACTSn
concerning my present abode; and
this statement is particularly address
ed to such membecs of the afore-
mentioned Family as may chance to
be included among the readers of your
valuable paper. Sentimentalists, and
visionary persons of every kind, are
at perfect liberty to skin this column
if they choose. 1t is not designed for
any such frivalous fraternity. Matt
liha Canon, then, which / have found
so pleasant an idling-place, lies about
eighteen miles from San Buenaventu-
ra, in northerly direction. The road
| leading to it is every way an excel
lent one, as roads go in this region,
and passes through an unusually in
viting section of country. The bed Of
| this canon is some two thousand feet,
or more, above the level of the sea;
but the rise is so easy and gradual as
to be almost unnoticed by the travel
er, and is not in the least fatiguing.
Having entered this little gorge, one
is hemmed in by a lofty mountain
rampant, in many places reaching an
altitude of fifteen hundred feet, ald
forming superb geological study.
Such huge masses of conglOmerate,
strata so bent, torn and riven, have
rarely, if ever, seen before. Could
each of these
Familiar with forgotten years."
but find a tongue, what tales we should
hear of terrible convulsion, chaotic
upheaval, and wild cOmmotion in this
nook to-day which is so calm and
peaceful! 1t is not surprising that a
spot which has evidently been the
scene of such violent volcanic action
should be prolific in hot and cold.
MEDICAL SPRINGS.
They well forth, here in great num-
bers, sometimes from the hillsides,
sometimes from under the rocks
which border the winking creek,
sometimes from the very sands of the
valley. Thirty or more have alread
been discovered. All these are strong
ly- impregnated with sulphur iron
soda and magnesia, and range in tenn
perature, from 600 to 1889. With
view to utilizing these healing springs,
the present.
HOT SPRING HOUSE,
And bath rooms were erected about
year ago by gentleman of Ventura.
They stand five miles from the mouth
of the caf1on, upon fine tract of land
one hundred and sixty acres in ex-
tent, which is susceptible of the high
est cultivation and adornment. Moth
ing but time and little intelligent
labor are required to render these
prsmises both beautiful and self-sup-
porting in respect of vegetable pro-
ductions. This air is peculiarly favor
able to growth; frost is unknown even
in the coolest season, and the creek
is always at hand for irrigating pur-
poses.
Experiments made on an adjoining
estate prove that all ordinary flowers,
shrubs and vegetables thrive admira-
bly, in this curious ravine; grapes,
peaches, cherries, walnuts, almonds,
oranges, lemons, guavas and bananas,
which have been planted and cared
for on the aforementioned neighbOr-
ing farm, bid fair to become a COM
plete success.
AS for the "House" itself, L am
bound to say that it does not, as yet,
bear the faintest resemblance to the
Fifth Avenue Hotel; but the entire
property has recently changed hands,
and its new owners have commenced
series of improvements and altera-
tions which will ultimately make the
place all that could be desired as
sanitarium and pleasure resort. Pretty
cottages are springing up, so soon,
about the main building; bathing fa-
cilities are being increased; fresh fur
niture and other cOnveniences are be-
ing constantly added; portion of the
grounds are already under culture as
Kitchen garden, ana everything is
progressing fairly in the right direc-
ton. Thus far, sulphur water alone
has been employed in the baths; but
the iron and other springs only await
scientific analysis, when they, also,
will be applied to the correction of the
"thousand natural ills that flesh is
heir to-"
In talking of prospective baths,
however, | must not forget to mention
one already existing, which is as de-
lightful and luxurious as heart could
wish. A little distance from the
spring-house-perhaps quarter of a
mile-up the canon, two streams of
sulphur water-one moderately warm,
the other cold-gush freely forth be-
meath thicket of thrifty willows.
Here, two stationary tubs have
been sunk into the ground, through
which these streams are allowed to
| flow in never eeasing currents. Rude