Morris tribune., 1883-03-31
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.


and Below the Sea--Iife at Los An.
gcles.
Los Angeles Letter in New York Tribune.
We had been at table about five min.
utes when mofcse man opposite pushed
away his plate, and, leaning both arms
Oh his knees scowled at the young ladies
who were chucking provisions at the
passengers, until one of those damsels
paused a moment to look at him. 81
want some DESERT" he growled, in a
tone of injury and offehse. "What-cher-
say9" 81 want some desert, tell yer"
So she chucked him piece of pie and a
plate of "plum, both," and he went on
full speed ahead.
"Want some desert, does he?" said
Peter, "Wait till the day after to-mor-
row, and see if he is not satisfied" We
were on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fee railroad, travelling sonthward among
the picturesque and sn ow-clad peaks OF
the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico,
whose fantastic outlines almost made us
forget the awful desolation. We break
tasted next morning at the junction
town of Deming and waited there an
hour or so for the Southern Pacific train,
not sorry for the delay in the crisp and
brilliant morning, looking at the distant
SUBMITS and wondering ut the mirage
which created lakes and fog banks on
the dry plain. The arid wilds of Arizona
with the fiat-topped bills, the red col
umnar cliffs, the grotesque ravines, the
thirsty wastes, where nat ure, baked at
the attempt to make trees III such coun.
try, threw down her spoiled work (they
call it meZquit) and betook herself in
freakto the production of cactus-rolled
by us as we travelled on, travelled leis-
urely, for it is happy characteristic Of
the great railway journey that there is
no hurry. On another bright morning
we halted awhile at Yuma, where the
ella and Colorado rivers force their
way through the hills to roll their united
flood into the Gulf of California. The
Colorado. l believe has the distinction
of doing less good with its water than
any other large river in the world, for in
its barren valley the desert creeps close
to the brink; but at Yuma we saw in
the sunrise little bit of landscape glow
ing with color, bright hues in the bare
hills, and fringe of tender vegetation
on the banks OF the muddy stream. It
was our last glimpse of green trees be-
fore entering the great Colorado Desert,
and for many hours, afterward we were
,ant nhzad nv the recollection Of 1t
Even the cactus and the mezquit disap-
peared as we went on. An awfnl sea of
sand spread around us. The mirage
Knocked US in the distance. We were in
the bed of a dried-up sea. Once the
Gulf of California spread over this de-
preston, but it has retreated far to the
southwark. and the railroad runs 200
feet below its level. Terrific clouds
bursts happen sometimes in the neigh
boring hills, and the road is protected by
an elaborate system of trenches against
the torrents which rush down into the
basin; but the ravenous sand quickly
drink every drop of the water, and no
living plant follows the rain.
The naked desolation was at its worst
when we crept out of this accused hol-
low and climbed slowly to the boulders
and gray gravel of the San Gorgonia pass.
2 300 feet above the sea. Then we ran
down rapidly into garden. Somebody
has called this part ofSouthern Californ-
ia the American Lombardy. There Is
an effect in the sudden transition from
the desert mountain country to the smli-
ing and fruitful plain which reminds one
of the descent from the Alps into the
north Italian plain. The passage was so
quick that had hardly time to notice
the beginning of vegetation before l was
in the midst of it. Flowers were in
bloom at the farmers doors. Orange
orchards were ablaze in the afternoon
Light; and about sunset we came to the
end of our six days journey at the bust
liv1rp fnvr Of T 1rhn mil, 70,
is said to be unknown, where the tenn
perature is always just right, and where
everything will grow-except icicles.
Whosoever has had the misfortune to
visit small American town while it is
in the throes of what is popularity known
as q "boom" will have no difficulty in
believing that Los Angeles, having just
now speculative and expansive fever,
is to busy fulfilling its destiny to make
itself very pleasant to the casual tourist.
Everybody is buying or selling land, GO
ing into the fruit business, building
houses, discussing prices. The noisy
and overcrowded hotels are intolerable.
Strangers roam in the streets half the
night seeking shelter, and often-if the
local papers are we'll informed-they are
driven to ask for hospitality at the Jail.
There is general air of pressure and
hurry. The remains of the ancient
Spanish town are not scanty, but then
they are not interesting. The new pop
ulation has elbowed the old into the
worst places. The progency of Cortez
and his companions affect a certain dig
nifty sometimes as they ride their sorry
and unkempt mustangs, or follow the
still more popular occupation of
leaning against a; door-post,
but to a distressisg extent they
have betaken themselves to selling spirits
and small groceries. Even the Chinaman
has thrust them out of many of their
crumbling dwellings. Here and there
the long one-story range of whitewashed
mud houses suggests sort of faded and
always half barbarous gentility. but up
on the whole it must be confessed that
the adobe civilization has lost not only
its responsibility but its picturesque
ness. Los Angeles, with its unfinished
streets, its impoverished plank cottages,
its business blocks, its Ii ely traffic and
its electric lights, seems like one of
those new western towns which despite
their substantial prosperity always wear
the look Of having outgrown their
strength. But in the fat country around
it there are gardens and orchards and
pretty homes. II