The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-03-18
A Interesting Book about California.


Prodnctiveness. and Scenery; its magnincen'
stretches Of Vineyards, and Groves OF SEMI
tropical Fruits. &c &c. BY Maj Ben. O. IIn,
man. volume, Svo. cloth. gilt II %. san
Francisco: A. L. Bancroft Co.
A number of our friends have recently
inquired Of US as to what was the best BOOK
published on California; that is, one which
would give the most information IN
regard to the climate, the productions q
the soil, the cost of the land, the pest
place to go to, the most valuable crops TO
raise, and in fact, one that would an
swer all the questions which would nat
urally suggest themselves to person who
was thinking of taking the advice OF the
great philosopher to $50 West" There
have been many books written on this
subject, some devoted exclusively to
California, and some giving general
description of the Great West Prominent
among taesc we might mention Nordhoff S
two works, California" and Northern
California; w. T. Rae's Westward BY
Rail- Grace Greenwood's New Life in
New Lands" Samuel Bowles' .'0ur Great
West" and "Thc Pacific Railroad-open,
and various other works which we have
not the space to enumerate. These books
are al interesting, but they have the dis
advantage Of being written by persons
who merely passed over and through the
country, while tic book under cousidera-
ton ''Semi- Tropical California" is written
by an old resident of the State. His des-
criptions are interesting and fascinating in
the extreme, and were it not that his
assertions are borne out and corroborated
by others who have been there we would
think he had allowed his enthusiasm to
ret the better Of him. He speaks as fol-
lows of Los Angeles i'll winter:
What is winter, indeed, in almost every
portion Of the temperate zone north, else
where is here the perfection of all that is
agreeable and health inspiring. The Win
ter solstica partakes Of that charming in
terude of weather between the eastern
autumn and winter, called Indian sum
mer The same balnly zcphyrs breathe Z
delicious atmosphere from October TO
March. While all is rude, and cold, and
leatless, and fowcrless, and changcablc
in all Of the States east of the Sierras, in
Los Angeles wind and weather are almost
perfection; and heaven and cath seem
ingly conspire, in sunshine and blue sky,
in leaf and blossom, and golden fruit, to
make this period the very crown OF the
year. From the plaza, down the long
hazy sweep OF the main thoroughtare oil
the city, all is wrapped in verdure and
bloom. The bright pepper, ana acacia,
and eucalyptus trees stand full against the
darkness Of the orange and the lemon, the
latter shedding lustre rather than shadow,
however, from all sides Of their graceful
! lv pencilcd towers of everlasting LEAKAGE.
| The grass in the gardens, on each hand,
is like the freshly-broken emefalds' that
Dante saw; hyacntlls and tube roses are
springing up, and every slope is inhabited
I By modest members of the tloWery king
dom, while the ivy and honey suckcs, that
| climb over the porchcs Of domestic affairs,
glitter with fresh tips of constant growth;
and everywhere there are roses-such
roses as rival those of Postum, or of the
Bosphorus-whte, cream, blood-red and
plush-freighting the very atmosphere
with their incompatible odors and arom-
atio sweets.
4 The drives which abound are pleasant,
4 historical, and exhilarating. You may
4 drive out to the delightful orange groves
/ of the Stonemans, the Wilson's, and the
| Roses, and feast your eyes upon NINA
| ture Paradise, and cluster OF gardens
4 only approached, POLITICALLY, by what
1 Aladdin's might have been; or you may
4 visit the old church of San Gabriel, where
! the splash Of fountains mingled its me-
lody with the chants of ncophytes long
before the close of the hostilitles whish
4 secured US national fame and freedom; cl
you NAV dash down to Il beach where the
i foaming pillows Of the Pacific roll distant
! ly away to a tropical southern sea; and
i when You return by the soft starlight OF
heavens impcrishahle garniture, you may
sit in the coolness Of the evening, away
into the twilight shadows, till there comes
4 stealing upon nocturnal zephyrs the
raviShing sweetness of myrlads Of flowers,
which lose their fragrance lifting THEN
i cups to catch the dew which falls from
i heaven; and you may listen TO the un
/ Gagged mocking-bird IN every grove, and
i in almost every garden, as it makes night
musical with the mimic notes OF the whole
tribe Of feathercd songsters at rest, 3
warblng that only ceases upon the piping
i of the linnet, which thrills the city with
! its morning songs.
After reading the above it makes ont
wish they could go there and stay during
the winter months. 1t is not at all surpris-
ing chat people who once get there always
want to remain
4 This book Is devoted more exclusively
/ to the Southern portions of California,
! and those Of our readers wishing anything
i on tilis subject cannot do better than in
! close the price II a letter to the pub
/ fishers, and receive a copy Of the book
postpaid By return mail.
! II can also be had Of Jansen, McClurg
/ & Co., Chicago III.