National Republican., 1880-10-04
The Garden spot Of America.

Los ANGELES, CAL, Sept. 81, 1880.
To he Editor Of The National Republican:
SIR: Los Angeles pronounced lbs Angel.
ess) is the business centre Of southern, or as
the people here like to call it, sem.tropical
California. Your correspondent has been
hero about three weeks and as are all now
corners, is charmed with the novelties of the
place and section. 1t is novel to ono who ha S
always lived in cold climate to see the
luxurious growth of this section. Nearly
every fruit-the fig orange, lime, olive, almond,
peach, pear, apricot, plum, necarine banana,
ounce, apple, English walnut, pecan, with
all kinds of grapes aud berries--aro in open
air growth. Oloanders and lemOn.trifolias
become large trees. Gcraniums are used for
hedges, luschas trail over pcirhes and all
come to perfection with surprising rapidity.
70 90 about among these orchards and be as
sured that this wealth of vegetation has all
been developed in less than six years is as.
tOnishing to II nOrtherncr.
/ found here the family of the late assist
ant postmaster, General Mcclellan, formerly
WashingtOnians whom you will remember,
aud who moved hero but three years ago.
They now have n charming home, with semi
tropical trees, vines and shrubs In lavish
abundance about it, all of their own planting,
that in the east would have taken at least ten
or twelve years to grow.
In this climate, too many plants that are
annuals in Washington become perennals.
One instance will answer. The tomato be-
comes running vine, covering arbors, If
given chance, bearing fruit every month in
the year, year after year. AT the house where
| am stopping, tho proprietor budded II gera.
Mum upon n tomato vine in his yard that ac
tually bore flowers the second year. Where
nature thus lavishly requites those who till the
soil, do you wonder that strangers are strongly
attractedY
Another novel feature 10 the visitors is tho
foreign air of parts Of the city. few days age
your correspondent, in taking short walk in
the business portion of the city, turned a cor.
ner aud found himself suddenly in tho Chinese
quarter. Here were to be seen only Chinese
men aud women, Chinese signs aud places of
business, laundries, doctors (who also sell
drugs, gambling and opium deus, aud one
could easily imagine he had tumbled through
into China. Aud last night, after reading some
hours, took walk for an airing,
with no particular direction in view. Walk
ing toward the bottom Of the street on which
am stopping l saw number of lights and
lanterns forming II sort Of illumination. Com
ing up to the place found myself in the Span
ish quarter. Here were the swarthy, black
eyed Spanish and Castilions aud Mexicans
holding u celebration, which proved to be the
| Mexican Independence day. Booths had been
erected, gumes of various kinds were going on,
opon-air bars were attended by Spanish maid
| ems, many were dancing to the music Of the
guitar, and the bellies were all of foreign blood,
aud no language but the Spanish could be
heard Surely here was a novel sensation for
one to find himself in less than five minutes
walk from his boarding place in what could
easily he taken for n town in Spain.
There are numbers who cannot speak one
word of English, aud the tongue may bo
French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Italian
Indian or Portuguese.
Another novelty here is the climate. Los
Angeles is on the parallel Of Columbia, S. G.,
and Of Algers, Africa. Tho summers are cool
and the winters warm, comparatively. One
must all the year round sleep under blankets,
aud in summer from May to November no rain
falls. The green, beautiful season for the
hills and uncultivated plains is the winter, at
ter the rain begins to fall. Then such ber-
res as the strawberry, etc, which have given
one crop In June, como on for another crop and
all the hillsides us well us the plains are COW
cred with II garment of emerald hue and
richly sprinlilod, as am Informed, with very
great variety of wild flowers. In the winter
the different grains are sown aud ripen, and
are harvested before the dry season has fairly
set in. with irrigation aud proper culture Il
second crop of these can be raised.
But even this location, often called "the gar
den spot of the world" etc, has its drawbacks
lis lulautuluhi lls Cchtlptues hlu scorpions,
gophers aud ground squirrels by the legion;
It's sicknesses aud failures ofcrops occasionally.
Some get very tired Of the sameness Of the
temperature, aud Que person even complained
Of "a surieit OF fruit all the year round"
l spent several hours yesterday at the little
seaside resort called Santa Monica, "the Long
Branch of the Pacific" an hours ride by rail
from this place. There is beautiful beach,
u grand ocean outlook from bluff, reminding
one much Of the bluff at Long Branch, n. j.,
aud very excellent bathing facilities Bathers,
am told, can be found on the surf at this
resort twelve months in the year. though sum.
mer is The popular season. q. NJ
n,,uiou,tr. CrIu,,,nI