Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1885-05-09
THE AMERICAN DAMASCUS.

THE late Bishop Gilbert Haven, while at.
tending the Methodist conference in Los
Angeles wrote thus of that place:
"lfaving never seen the original, it comes
very easy 81 compare 1t with It's American
copies When at Bayroot, and only days
ride from the famous city, we turned away
to the north and left it, probably forever.
+ Or. Vandyhe said Yon are eight Thousand
miles from America, and only few hours
from Damascus; you had better visit the
latter ere you GO But my companion, a
Presbyterian clergyman with whom had
| travelled through Egypt ana Palestine, was
half sick and wished to catch the next
J steamer. / surrendered, and left Damascus
for the next time. That was seventeen
years ago. The next time has not come
yet
" But substitute has. No one need go
eight thousand miles to see that city lie
can find it in going half that distaIce.
Take cars from any city on our A,nntic
border, buying your ticket for los Angeles,
and you are delivered as surely, saf3 and
swiftly es IN express package It the 1enot
of the American Damascus. T. is less than
four thousand miles from New York and q
palace car bears you across the laid ocean
without sickness or much waariuess.
"This Damascus, like tho oriental one,
is reached by crossing desert. The
desert OF Moiave gives way at last to the
broad ranch of San Fernaailo. some ten
miles sqpare-only forty t3 s.rty thousand
acres--the gift of the governor to a local
preacher, well known elsewhere in the
church sunken here in splendid wheat
plantation. A preacher is snppctted here,
and so all is not lost
The valley of onr Damascus sonn opens,
and we are landed in n garden Of delights.
See this pretty yard-a common front
yard, no larger than an ordinary front yard
in any surhurl,an city of the East. Here is
an exquisite hedge, three years old. Elk feet
high. as round and full as If raised in :. con
seryatory. Here are roses blooming III ire
year. Here are geraniums in abundance,
AID tall as rosebushes. The hejotro"e
twines itself up the pillars of the portico
fall Of Blossom and fragrance. Here are
rhododcndros and oleanders growing like
trees. willie fuchsias are as numerous ard
varied and lovely Ms in their own aboriginal
homes in the valleys of Cuernavaca All
this in front yard twenty-five feet square
oil grown by lawyers wife, who had she
steved at home. would have last winter been
shut in by snow for nearly half the winter.
Here not n frost bite mais the life al.G !oy.
Illness the whole year through. A few feet
lower down the moisture occasionally turns
to frost, but the dry hilltop is perfectly
tronictl. At our permanent stopping place,
the genial home of Brother Bradley, the lay
delegate To the general conference. there
was II like profusion. A geranium grows
so tell ard stout rs 70 ,lmost prevent the
opening and shutting Of our blinds. We
pushed it away with difficulty. This was
20! on tie second story. These s; ;ories are
on,r one story b gh.
"Come little nearer the town Judge
Widney's house stands fiu.h With thc street, /
an urwatered. and therefore gravelly look
ing walk admits to the dwelling Don't
stsy inside, cool though it lie. Pass through.
back yard slcping up few score feet in
cludes, perhnrs, n third Of an acre. On
thai LIT of soil fionrishes in the open air
un ouched Of frost every tropical fruit.
-Four stHtslv uca'y'.ti six years old. sixty
to eign.y .eet high, are On the level plat
behind the house, n half hundred feet
square Of shade and green and refresh
newt. From that pleasant bower climb
the few rods. three or four, that bring you
to the end of his grounds. On that slope
you can pluck and eat apples, cherries