The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-16
In SOUTH CALIFORNIA,
PASSING A BIG SEA WEED ISLAND,

Santa Barbara and vieialty-WhsslInE People hsi
Wth-Ths Extensive BAnehss-Rruit Yarns.
Saata sarblra ais,ioa-The Honk.' Absds.
Gra.s Cal. urs-Clinsts Of the Valley
Correspondence ef he EatetiSeneeT.
SANTA BARRARA, September, 1sS3.-ln
my last l left you with lot Of sea sick
folks on board the steamer Los Angeles,
nearing this place. Before we landed we
passed bed Of "kelp,"a seaweed said to
be mile or two wide and extends some
sixty miles down the coast and is 80 dense
that steamers and other vessels are afraid
to enter it for fear Of getting stuck. Thia
kelp Is the article from which iodine ia
made. The bed to which refer can
easily be seen from the ocean shore. ]
left the steamer for terra trma" and took
carrisge for the Arlington hotel, which is
the moet capacious and one Of the finest
appointed hotels in Southern California.
II occupies equare containing Eve acres
Of ground elegantly laid out in handsome
lawns and flower gardens with a,"Deer
Park attachment It's parlors and halls
are spacious IIsreadingroom Is especially
large and comfortable, containing the
latest New York and San Francisco dailiee,
besides library Of books and several cases
OF fine neurological specimens, gathered
with care and neatly labelled. The house
stands on an elevated piece Of ground and
commands q splendid view OF the ocean
and mountains and tho city OF Santa DAr.
bsra. A veranda some twenty feet wide
extends around the front and one eide OF
the building, portion Of which is carpeted.
This is without doub. the finest place that
could be found for invalids and people
with means who have no employment
The chambermaidB at this hotel are all
Cinnamon. Every evening they bring
around waiter full Of lemonade for the
guests Of the house. This is treat.
Here / had the pleasure oil meeting my
old friend Mr.. Henry Tallant, who taught
the claes, OF which / was member in st.
Matthews Sunday school thirty.five years
ago. He was looking about as he did
twenty years, perhaps little grayer. ! also
met his wife who looks as we'll or perhaps
better than when they left Wheeling. The
Santa Barbara folks appear to be making
use OF MIR. Tallant as his name figures in
the proceedings Of the City Council. The
little Episcopal Church here also Is s'lngely
under his judicious care. Long may he
live to take care OF 1t.
sASTA BARBARA.
Santa Barbara has population OF about
5000, and appears to have had its boom
and is now going shade backward. II Is
situated In one Of the lovely valleys for
which California Is SO noted, perfectly
sheltered from the ocean breezo by noun.
,ains. Itis strictly an agricultural city, de.
pending on the surroundin country for It's
trade. Tho ranches surrounding 1t are
celebrated as being the finest and most
productive in the State. / attended a pic.
mic on "Glen Anrie," the rancho OF Col.
W. w. Hullister. This ranche contains
4S0O acres under the highest state OF culti-
yatlon. On 1t are 25,000 almond trees-
also any quantity Of orange, lemen, lime,
apricot, peach, apple, pomegranates and
some olives, and in fact any thing in the
iruit line that you might desire.
Our picnic was. held in beautiful
grove Of live oaks within fifteen feet Of the
lemon and lime grove, it being but the
short walk OF ten s;eps to get lemon( which
we pulled from the treee) to make our
lemonade. When the picnic let out took
stroll through the peach orchard, and
was 80 full that hadn't any room for water
melon and cantelope when came to them.
4, 4,
please ever was in, yisitors being per.
isctly free to take what they wanted and
range all over the rancho. This being the
time Of year corresponding to our winter,
there were not as many flowers in bloom
as wished to see-still there was quite a
quantity OF them. What paradise this
must be in april and May. also
visited the rancho Of Mr.. E. Cooper,
called Ellwood. This is an olive
and almond grove rancho. Mr.. O. makes
1900 to 10000 bottles Of real genuine olive
oil, which he sells for the modest sum Of
one dollar per bottle. which is about as
profitable as Mulberry Sellers Eye
Water" An almond tree at this time Of
year looks considerably like dead beach
tree with few driod peaches upon it
not leaf TO be seen, either on or under
the trees. The live oak trees here were
drilled full Of holes by the woodpeckers,
OF which there wero hundreds, and the
heles alled with acorns. I was anxious to
see the process oi making the olive oil, but
there was no person at home to show It.
For quite distance along the road on both
sides, leading to Mr.. Uooper's rancho, we're
eucalyptus trees, planted very close to.
gether 10 serve as wind brakes.
SANTA BARBARA MISSION.
Iwent visited the Santa Barbara mission,
which was founded in December, 1883, by
the order OF Franciscans. The church is
quite a large ono, being 200 feet long and
10 feet wider with wing some $50 feet
long. In this wing are the cells Of the
Monks, the walls Of which are about five
feet thick. l took view Of one Of the
cells through window 8 feet square, and
from what l saw think they live pretty
we'll. saw q large number Of books, o
demijohn, statuettes, lemon squeessrs,
wine bottles, sugar bowl, etc. l was shown
into this part OF the building by one Of the
brothers who wore habit made OF coarse
grayish brown goods much worn and
greasy. His eyebrows were long and
shaggy aud his beard had not been. cut for
two weeks. The ladies OF our party were
not permitted to enter. went through
the diniug.room, which was Is by % feet
SQUARE with dirt floor. A long, rough
looking table occupied the centre Of II.
Through tie kindness Of Bro. Dominique
n Raid was shown through the church
He said there were eight priests and fifteen
members Of the order now residing at the
Mission. The church contains quite
number Of fine paintings and the clerical
vestments are OF the most costly character.