Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-07-03

BeleS luTOuSu tnc hfioyO oecO, pdsC
Sycamore Grove and Live Oak Park,
brings US to the Indiana Colony. This
colony has been In existence such a
short time (only about fifteen months)
and the work of the settlers has been
so quietly accomplished that but few
outside of Los Angeles have any
knowledge of it at all. The situation
of the colony is one of great beauty.
1t is on a table land that stretches
about five miles from the base of the
Sierra Madre Mountains, westerly to
the Arroyo Seco and southerly to the
San Gabriel and the Monte country.
The elevation is about eight hundred
feet above Los Angeles, and the loca-
tion is such that from every point the
views are charming. On the North
and East lies the grand Sierra Madre,
stretching upward over three thousand
feet above the plateau. Huge enough
and grim enough 1t is TO satisfy all
our search for greatness in nature. If
it were in Switzerland or Italy, its
grandeur would have been told again
and again. With US it Is but one
among the many great and we scarce
ly know of its presence. Beyond the
Sierra Madre are seen the three lOftier
peaks of the Cncamongo Mountain;
and hundred miles away and further
South, stand the snow-crowned senti-
nels of the great interior country, Mts.
San Bernardino and San Gorgonio.
On the Southeast and South we have
all the delightful view of the San Cab
riel valley, with modest mountain
ridge for background. On the West
is the
ARROYO sECo
And the Verdugo ridge. Those who
have followed the Arroyo only to the
picnic grounds can have no idea of
what they miss by not searching out
it's real beauties. The arroyo is seco
below the colony only. For four or
five miles from the mountain it con-
tains stream of the purest and sweet
est mountain water. Along this stream
are beautiful groves of sycamores and
willows, balm of gileOds and wild
vines, not dry and dusty, but
moist and cool and beautiful. Num-
bers of glens, caves, grottoes, cosy
little hooks of all kinds, invite to
pleasant repose and meditation. The
little folks of the colony have in one
spot cleared out all the underhrusn
and prepared a place for their plays.
They have nicely lettered an inscrip-
ton on large paper card, "Welcome
to the Palace Royal" and right royal
it is. Surely, no king could wish for
drapery finer than the ferns and vines,
for fountain brighter than the sweet
stream, nor music sweeter than it's
murmur. If any citizen of Los Ange-
les, tortured with the heat and dust,
wishes TO regale himself with these
beauties, he can do so very easily, as
it will only take about three or four
hours to make the trip.
THE COLONY
Was started and has been maintained
as a fruit growers ranch" There
are about thirty settlers, each occupy
ing from fifteen to one hundred and
eighty acres of land. The divided
lands of the company embrace only
lwo-fifths of the original tract. The
"undivided lands" are controlled by q
Board Of Directors, who are elected by
the members of the colony. The cul-
tivated land is a sandy loan, mixed
with decomposed granite. 1t is very
rich aud easily worked. Not parti-
Gle of alkali has yet been found on the
ht,f Ia
last Winter, and then only when the
very heaviest frosts were felt in the
valleys. No finer orchard and vine
yard land is to be found anywhere.
The land is rolling and many of the
vineyards are planted OH the hill
slopes. One large one is planted on a
slope that cannot be more than twen-
ty-five degrees from the perpendicular.
PURE WATER.
The tract is abundantly supplied
with pure water of the Arroyo. The
water is conducted by pipes from the
foot of the mountains to large reser-
voirs in the colony. From these large
mains branch off and carry to every
part of the settlement. For family
use the water is supplied by hydrants.
The pressure is considerable, and with
a little care all can have fine fountains.
The convenient and abundant supply
of this delicious mountain water is
certainly one of the most desirable
features Of a residence in the colony.
Some idea of the work accomplished
here may be gained from the number
of
TREES AND VINES
already set out. There are about six
thousand orange trees, one thousand
lemons, and two hundred thousand
vines. The grapes are nearly all of the
raisin varieties, though the number
given above includes an abundant
supply of many choice varieties for
family use. There Is no disposition to
raise grapes for wine making purposes,
as nearly all of the colonists are of the
belief that swine is mOcker."
Among other fruits of which attention
is given, are figs, apples, pears, appri-
cots, prunes and peaches; of which
enough are grown for home consump-
ton, and some for market when they
come into profit. There are also be-
tween four and five thousand chestnut
and walnut trees, that are growing
we'll.
FIELD CROPS.
The ordinary crops are not neglect
ed. Corn, melons, potatoes, beans,
etc., being raised in abundance. 1t is
safe to say that no part of Los Angeles
county is receiving more careful cul-
ture than the lands of the Indiana Col
ony. The work being done Is for the
future, and it is being done by men
who know what they are about. The