The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-01-12
WESTERN RAMBLINGS.
Special Correspondents to The Bulletin:

coming FROM San Francisco over the =. P.
X. r. the gateway to this section of Cal. 10
through the San Tornado Tunnel, said to be
the longest, but one, in the United States.
Emerging from the tunnel We then soon
enter the San Fernando valley and % We
pass along down grade We pass the old
mission Of San Fernando, the former home
and headquarters of Andres Pico. the gen.
eralissmo of Los Mejlcanos in lS46, who,
in the Mexican war, at the head OF small
army, confronted Gen. Fremont on the slope
OF FL Gabilsn, only to DO put into an in.
glorious fight before the veterans uider
the pathfinder, who came like whirlwnd
to this place and planted his cannon upon
a hill overlooking the tswn, not over 100
yards from where I now write. 1t 10
worthy of note to mention that two OF the
cannons brought into this valley by Gov.
Fremont are now to be seen at the court
house doing silent sentinel work; they show
plainly the effects Of time and rust, having
been buried for years and are interesting
relies OF those days when our government
had that little brush with Mexico and hsv-
ing whipped her into subsection took slice
OF her domain of which this section is q
part.
The old Mexican general above men.
toned walks the streets OF Los Angeles
almost daily, his whitensd locks and totter-
ing steps tell the tale Of Fastening time that
soon cut his form low.
Leaving the old mansion rancho We soon
reach the Los Angeles river and see all
around vineyards, groves and Eden looking
names. Visitors usually are taken by sur
prise on their first arrival in the city, with
all that has been heard and read concern
ing this place it 10 difficult for the mind to
grasp the realities of the surroundings of
Los Angeles, the Queen of the Angels, ss
the name implies. Coming in the winter
season the surprise aud admiration are the
more noted. The beauty and freshness Of
spring and summer meet the eye every
where and one 10 not long in finding out
that he is in thriving, busting city, beyond
what he expected. the inquiry soon arises
in the mind of the writer, what 10 1t tina,
supports and gives such prosperity to the
place. Just here We will take glance a
the early settlement oil the county. Al
early a. 1884 Fernando Cortez, of Spain
undertook christispize the Indian WIT
held dominion over the peninsula of Cali
fornia but the undertaking Was abandoned
and no other effort was made to settle tn,
country until 1859, when an expedition b!
water aud one by land was sent out from
the City Of Mexico under the auspices Of thu
franciscan Order Of the Roman Catholic
church. The government Of New Spain
aided in the work 80 that in It'll there
missions we're established within the terri
tory Of what is now Log Angeles county
Cattle, horses, sheep, goats and hogs wer'
brought in from old Mexico, and soon th'
missions were in aourishing condition
thousands Of the native Indians were con
verted to christianity and in time there was
mixed race Of people here. vineyards
were set out, orchards planted and farms
crops cultivated; however, the principal in
dustry was that of stock raising, and thu
matters continued until in lS46 Caltornis
was annexed to the United States, when thu
American people OF Anglo-Saxon origina
began to mix in with the former residents
In 1919, December the 9Th, the day Of the
yearly feast of the Roman Catholic church
in CONTAMINATION of the conception o
the Mary Virgin, an earthquake occurred q
the hour of Holy Mass, the building fel
and crushed to death many Of the worship
pers.
What is now the Los Angeles river va
unknown as river until great food II
1882 cut channel to the ocean. Betor
this the waters spread over the plains in va
rious directions, settling in low places ant
disappearing. At that date, where nov
dry lands, lakes and swsmps ver'
common and considerable for
est OF timber was grown
in the vallsy which mostly disappeared
after the channel OF the river was opene
and the lsud thus drained.
The town of Los Angeles was laid on
August 25th, 1881, and was FIRST settle
by twelve families, former soldiers OF tn
Spanish government. The town finally be
came the scat Of government Of the Peninsu
Ia, and occasionally civil wars caused muc
commotion among the people. As state
before, during the Mexican war Col. j,
Fremont held possession Of the town. La
or, however, he left it, and again the Me-
leans took possessions, and resisted the q
prosch of Commodore Stockton and Gel