Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-03-30
THE EXCURSION TO SEVEN PALMS.
a Gay Company and n Pleasant Trip.

sion train for the desert left the Com
mereial street depot of the Southern
Pacific Railroad yesterday morning at
s o'clock sharp with gay and happy
company of about $50 people, includ-
ing many of our best known citizens,
male and female. Supt Hewitt, with
his accustomed foresight, had per-
fected every necessary arrangement
for tbe comfort and convenience OF tne
excursionists. A special car 1or the
accommodation of lunch baskets had
heen fitted up with rows of shelves on
hoth sides. and the free use mace OF
tbnm demonstrated the wisdom o1 the
provision. e..ad M, i,
BowerV style, with two rows vi ee"'o
on either side for the use vi socn do
preferred to ride in the open ar.
baggage and smoking car Iolioweu
them, and then came hVe Oh Tue ere
CANT tirst-class passenger caie oi
which the southern Pacific Is famous.
All were scrupulously clean ana heat'
and supplied with large coolers OF Ice
water. With every detail of arrange
ment perfect, with the train III charge
of so courteous a chaperone as con-
ductor Sippy, and attended by civil
employees,
NOTHING WAS WANTING
70 make the excursion to Seven
Palms really enjoyable one.
Among those who "wanted to see
the desert, you Know" we noticed the
following, and although we do not
name quarter of those who went,
we give enough to show the character
of the company Governor and
Mrs Downey, Mr. and Mrs y
H Bliss, Mr. and Mrs | w Lord, Mr.
and Mrs Emil Harris, Mr. and Mrs
Sidney Lacey, DR. and Mrs McDougall,
Judge and Mrs OMelveny, Mr. and
Mrs Gerkins, Mr. and Mrs Shoemaker,
MIR and Mrs j G Littlefield, Jesse Var
nell, Judge Thompson, Major Furrey,
| w Hellman. NJ Keller, J l. Will
liams, Mendel Meyer, DR. Griffin, DR.
Orme, + p Bacon, j ID Shorb, . L ST.
monds, J l. McA lister, Herman Nor
ris, 5 w Craigue, w f Mcdonald, Col
J j Warner, w H Workman, W W
Robinson, Jack Kuhrts, A w Potts, Z
Jacoby, Don Pedro Carrillo, Geo ii
Pike, Don + Sabichi, Mr. A L Chap
man Mr. Coffin, from New York.
At the Mission San Gabriel we were
iolned by Col. and Mrs. Kewen, Mr..
and Mrs. +. Z. Bacon and J. de Barth
Shorb, and at Spadra by Don Chiho
Philips. Other accessions to our num-
bers were made at succeeding stations,
and altogether the party numbered
about 150persons.
A more favorable season OF the year
could scarcely have been chosen for
trip across the fertile plains and mesas
which succeed each other between
this city and the summit of San Cor
gouio Pass, while a sight of the de-
sert at this time is sufficiently terrible
to satisfy the ambition of any ad-
mirer of natures waste. This is
THE HOLIDAY SEASON
OF the native flora of California, ana
the whole surface of the earth bet ween
Los Angeles river and San Gorgonio
summit is one vast garden of
limitless extent and Incompatible
beauty and magniticence.
Near the village of Pomona the no.
raj display reaches the maximum or
gorgeousness, and the tourist is struck
with wonder and delight at the array.
Tufts of Clintonia and Orchis, spikes
of Lupin and clusters of Nemophilla
tempt the eye on every hand, while
buttercups and native violets and pam
sizes, literally cover the earth with a
gayer carpet than ever adorned the
parlors of King or Prince. AS we near
the summit the character OF the fiora
changes to cactus blossoms principal
Iy, and soon after passing it we leave
ali TONERS, as well as hope, behind.
We pass many fields of waving
grain and orchards fragrant with gay
bloom, each in turn gladdening the
senses and giving promise OF oouh-
tiful harvest. Many evidences of pros
perity among the farmers may be wit
messed on every hand. Through the
San Jose valley new homes, outbulld-
ings and fences are found, and espe-
cially at Pomona, "loveliest village OF
the pain,n beautiful as
A DREAM OF ARCADIA,
With its carpet of green, and sca'let,
and gold, does the mania for new
building and tree planting seem to
have beset the people in earnest. At
Cotton, which we reached at 1850 A.
NJ, several of our "goodlie companie"
left us for San BernardinO, to rejoin
us on our return from the front. Here
we left some surplus cars, and after
waiting nearly half an h0ur-for some
unaccountable reason-we at last cOm-
menced the steady ascent through the
Pass, leaving behind us as we sped
along many cozy little houses and
some well titled farms. The peach
appears to be the favorite fruit in the
mountain region, and Just now the
trees are in full bloom. The San Ma
teo caiion, through which we pass to
San Gorgonio, presents for the most
part a cheerless and uninviting as
pect, but when the actual summit is
reached broad and beautiful plain
spread out before US, watered by per-
petuaI mountain streams, and with a
friable soil, which gives proof Of
abundant richness and fertility. Here,
near the station which bears his name,
is the mountain home of our esteemed
fellow citizen, Dr. w. f. Edgar. /
have heard that he proposes laying off
"a town at the station and putting the
lots and contiguous farming aud fruit
lands into market. Such project
cannot but prove an attractive and
successful one, for a more healthy To-
/ 81 l,x, in tn