Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01
Towns and Settlements.
SAN GABRIEL FRUIT BELT.

Along the base of the San Gabriel
mountain some ten miles distant from
Los Angeles, lies the far-famed San
Gabriel Fruit Belt, q stretch of country
unsurpassed in the United States for
the beauty of its location and its wealth
of fruit. There are vineyards of enor-
nous proportions oronge groves rival
ing the tropical gardens in their
wealth and extent; there the lemon,
the pomegranate, and the English
walnut grow in profuson; there the
olive tree yields its rich fruit, the palm
tree lifts its head and the fig hangs
from many a bough. There are four
princely estates adorned and beauti-
fled until they are lit dwelling places
for q prince, and among these lie many
comfortable and beautiful houses o
but less pretensions. The belt is some
four miles long and embraces abOlt
$4,000 orange and lemon trees and half
Il million vines of all ages. Thees-
tates of Messrs. Kewen, Stonepan,
Wilson, Shorb, and Rose, have
been visited by thousands. ana are
classed among the principal objects of
interest to the visitor to our section.
These estates are being constantly en-
| larged and beautified. Mr.. E. J. Bald
win has recently purchased the Santa
Anita Ranch, the Easternm0st estate
of the belt, and with his usual energy
10, ifx,in m h. II
Several thousand tropical fruit trees
have been put out, the vineyard enlarg-
ed, a splendid wine cellar erected, and
other Improvements inaugurafed
which will soon put the Santa Adita
upon par with any estate in Cali
f0rnla. At the Western end q the
belt Lake Vineyard, embracing a
large body of as fine fruit lands as
could be desired has been Supplied
with water by a concrete ditch three
miles in length, and is nov on the
market at reasonable prices The con-
struction of this ditch mSrks q new
era in irrigation. Fromfthe arroyo
where the water is taken to the point
to be supplied there wiz be no waste
of water beyond that from solar evap-
oration. Mr.. j. DeBarh Shorb, who
managed the work throughout, has
shown our people hoWmillions of gal
Ions of water can be saved, and he
who adds one drop'to the supply of
water in Los Angeles is doing last
ing service to his fellow men. Some
of these fine estats show what energy
and perseverance can accomplish in
California. Thdr owners started life
comparatively jpenniless, and fought
their way to tYe front by dint of labor
and patience Their rewards have
been commensurate with their exer-
tions, and i their wealth does not
countin themillions, they have homes
that oughtto satisfy the most fastidi-
GUS, and poperty yielding an income
that surpfsses anything in the history
of fruit glowing in this country.
cUCAMoNGo.
Some 45 miles from the city of Los
Angeles lies circular valley about Is
miles in length and 10 to IL in width.
Onthe left of this runs the San Ga
bpel range Of mountains, one of the
blghest peaks of which is Mount Gu
tamongo, rising $500 feet above the
7 sea. At the base of this mountain is
located the far-famed Cucamongo
Ranch. Nearly every wine drinker in
America has heard of the Cucamongo
Wine, for counterfeiters have been
busy and large per centage of the
bottled California wines pass under
rat name. Lying OH the Southern
Jase of the mountain on u gently slo-
ping plateau, and removed from the
sea coast some 30miles, the fogs never
affect the vines, and frost isunknown.
A year or so ago the ranch was pur-
chased by Messrs. Downey, Hellman
and Dreyfus, and they have with their
usual energy set to work to improve
and utilize the plantation. A fine wine
cellar, as large perhaps as any in the