The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-09
THE TOWN OF TIE ANGELS.
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT CURIOUS OLD CITY
WITH ITS WONDERFUL GROVES AND VINE
YARDS.
Syracuse Coarier.

sdn Francisco, May l2.-The distans
traversed by rail to reach Los Angeles
about $50 miles. 10 going and returnin
you take In even more than the ueni
diversity of soil and climate in California
yOu are constantly moving through luxu
| rious pastures or enormous wheat field
| extending on either side of the road, ia
beyond the power of human vision, or IL
| the canyons" or on mountain aides, o
over apparently endless deserts, like tb
Great Mojsve, with its inteEminsble sag
brush and dry alkali clay or saui, or prai
sheep, which roam over these regions II
fOcks of Thousand or more, usually at
tended by one shepherd. sometimes on foo'
and sometimes mounted, and always &C
companied by one or more dogs.
In passing the range OF mountaiDs on the
line of this road, engineering difficulties
present themselves which hardly have q
The elevation 10 80 high that to overcome
it. George Gray, once chief engineer Of the
New York Central road, constructed what
il termed "The Loup.n The mountain
tops are bound with iron, very much after
the modern fashion of . cravat, around the
neck. including the bow. Standing on the
rear platform, in foh view Of the sinuosi-
ties Of the tie, you are tempted to repeat
the negro song of
'tSic6 getting up stairs never did see"
But the contrivaDce 10 . complete tri-
umph, as 1t works admirably In practice.
A single locomotive il able to run up ct q
fair speed with ao ordinary passenger
train. In something less than ewenty-four
hours We reached the old Mexican town of
Los Angelica.
The old adobe houses have given place
to elegant brick or wooden edifices, or been
shut up and abandoned. Almost all brick
structures are externally plsstered, giving
them exactly the appearance Of light col
ored stone, and this plastering never
cracks or slOughs eff. Bat the feature of
the valley is it's immenee, thrifty and
beautiful viney ards and orange groves
There are several in the immediate neigh
borhoOd of the city, but the most elegant.
highly cultivated aud valuable of these
estates begin at "San Gabriel Mission -
about twelve miles to the northeast. This
including q queer looking and
primitive old brick church, was established
ust about century ago; and it is said
al the tropical and semi tropical fruits
1ow grown here were cultivated by the
Jesuts. At some three miles from the
nission, We approached the mansion house |
II Mr.. u. l.. Rose, gentleman of German !
EXTRACTION, who is said to have the most |
Z xtensive, best cultivated and most valua-
Die estate in the valley. It is difficult to |
onvey any adequate idea of the combined
40" "S Vi ht6 coLAOIl6hm6nGs lou enter
he grove and vineyard by q splendid road
mile from the mansion. On either side
re rows of orange treee, thoee growing
earest the road almost forming a bower.
you from the sunshine.
Beyond these trees you get view of the
california vineyards. Whether or not thew
re 90 arranged for effect, the impression
mo have seen this magnificent landscape
'ill be likely to forget it. Instead of the
rape vine we see near Senaca lake, Lake
-euka, and elsewhere, each stem sustained
y diminutive telegraph pole, you are in
III view OF thousands of stumps apparent
: of well grown trees, but not more than
K inches to foot high, and full six inches
ON which, in diameter, spriDg the stem I
avee and already formed clusters of fruit. {
'esenting, at a little distance, much the I
1pesEance of q full grown hill of pota G
es. When you come to view, from a I
sntle elevation, q hundred and fifty acres t
such grapes In one body, the rows ar !
pged so that from any point of view '
ere is absolute precision, and not a weed g
spear of grass or any vegetation to be G
en- intermediate, you are impressed with g
Q marvellous bounties of nature, rs we'll :
the skill, industry and patience which | i
iliZe them and achieved such a success in {
ape culture.
The treatment of the orange groves I
OAno ~ OO p0tS VI SuO bbn0 system, LOT |
ey are equally neat and clean, aud in G
9 entire spAce between the trees the /
,oprietOr, might safely offer large reward '
r the discovery of o weed or q blade of d
ass. In fact, every foot of their fields {
OF less than 500 acres) presents the ap- i
'srance of having been traversed by a '
rn cultivatOr within the past twenty -four q
'urs. il
The beauty and richness of the fruit =
rapges) now just in season, beggar de- t
ription, and the promise contained in
cir golden clusters as you ride under
en- is more than realized when you come n
taste them. The generous proprietor 9
sisted on filling all the available space in o
II carriage with his choicest vince and y
ost delicious fruit, and we departed l. il
thout the slightest fear of being arrested ii
vagrants, for we had abundant "means n
support" Orange are not the only b
lit trees, for there are long rows of Eug- b
b walnut, lime, lemon, olive and almond il
ses, all of which are very successfully b
ltivated, and a great abundance Of apples u
d pears. The whole farm is said to EN-. t,
ace full 5000 acres, much of which is q
mirably fenced, and all of which is util- 81