Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01
Sunny Slope.
Estate of l.. ]. Rose.

Angeles, and may be taken as a re-
preventative description of the many
places in the noted San Gabriel fruit
belt:
Los ANGELES, Dec. lst, 1915.
High mountains in the background,
clouds enveloping the summit, the ra-
vines partly in the shadow, partly in
the sunlight. the lower portion in the
bright beams, the upper in the UNI
brae of the dense vapOr;,, i'll the fore
ground rows of orange trees, sparkling
brooks, tinkling liquid music as they
ripple over the tiny sand banks; de-
tween these, trees which are laden
with the full-sized fruit, as yet only
shade lighter than the enameled foli-
age. Green grows the alfilerio in
the pasture fields, where colts are
gamboling in the radiance of No
vember day. Balmy air, bringing
the perfume of flowers, and echolng
with the song of birds. Looking down
the vista, between the trees which
form the avenue is the old Mission
Church, and the bells are pealing from
the lower valley. Great is California;
Still greater the climate which makes
this month of November the counter
part of June. Grand are the noun
tains, rich the plains. The mountain
peaks above the cloud bank, the plains
dotted with villas, with cottages, vine
yards and orchards.
From the city of the angels to the
Mission of San Gabriel the railway
runs through valley, every inch OF
which is of rich soil, and the late rains
have clothed the whole country with
verdure as thick as the blue grass sod
of Central Kentucky. Around the Mis-
sion are the old adobe buildings which
sheltered the Inhabitants a hundred
years ago, and the gardens OF the pa
dres are still blooming fresh and fair.
The old vineyards have been rooted
out and the hedge of cacti which pro-
tected the vines is broken in many
places. Ten, perhaps twelve, feet IN
height are these plants, the bottom
changed into woody fibre, the top
bearing the fruit. Pomegranate bush
es mark where the olden time streets
were, and the roads over which the
team is rapidly trotting were graced
by the cavalcade of gay senors and
sefioritas, mounted on gallant steeds,
gorgeous in the panoply of equestrian
adornment. Grand old times never to
be rehearsed. The great romance OF
California is ended, and wondious as
may pe the future, the glamourie OF
the past overshadows the present.
Still it is bright, q joyous hereafter.
Looking at these orange groves, at the
mountains, the plains, and consider
ing the elements which make life
pleasant, we are glad that thousands
enioy it in place of few. But the
| few were the most happy, or rather
the many can never have the oppor-
tunity of the select. People are toe
numerous. Society with its artificial
restraints places drag upon Tree
life.
Fences mark the bounds where you
must stop the gallop. Square leagues
have dwindled into acres, scores o.
miles into the boundaries which mark
the fields. Were all the changes as
happily conceived and as thoroughly
carried out as the provements al
Sunny Slope, with all our predilec'
tiens for natural beauty, we would be
more than satisfied. The difficulty
will be TO describe it so that the per
picture will be more than an outline
sketch. From the depot, near the ole
Mission of San Gabriel, the road is lit
tie more than path through unen
closed pastures.
Perhaps mile from there is train
ing track, where the colts are edu
Gated, and q very good half-mile course
it is. But inasmuch as we have de
scribed it in the account OF the horse
department of the estate, a further al
lusion is unnecessary.
Beyond the training grounds tn
road is fenced in on both sides, ant
Young orange trees are on the righ
and left. We have been ascending
the ''slope' all the way from the de
pot, but with such an easy graduation
that our team never ceases to trof
when we arrive ut the summit OF
plateau. Turning through gate a
the right, we drive through orang
and lemon trees, then through div
and walnut; for distance Of perhap
three-uuarters of mile, when tn
house is reached. A handsome will
with wide verandas and projectin;
caves, it is just the thing for the cen
ter piece of the picture. Beautiful
without being ostentatious, the archi
lecture is so well adopted to the SUI
roundings, so thoroughly in keepin
that it does not attract, at first sight
theattention which is afterwards Civ
en-.
On the North is large Eucalyptu
tree, fully seven feet in circumference
and which was ninety feet high, unit
portion of the top was cut OIL so tina
itmight harmonic with a weepin
willow few yards away. This wi
low and two pepper trees are on tn
Western side of the house, and are tn
,, finest specimens of these We ever saw
the dropping twigs and hanging fol
. age come within u few feet of q blu
grass plat; green as "emerald sea,
and clear sparkling brook is lawn
} the roots which form a network I
, shiny yellow threads on the bottom.
Late in the season as it was whe
0 we last saw 1.-THE first of Decembt
bees were humming among th
branches, extracting honey from I'll
0 flowers which bloomed from the SAN
q branch which held the ripened fruit.
Looking to the Westward there is a
n | ,I; hr hnnoa ff