The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-01-15
WINTER IN CALIFORNIA.
How Ii Differs from Winter in New
England.

After Thanksgiving. winter. In the
Atlantic states, east of the Hudson,
ynnd sleighing is expected at this date
Here nothing more than 4 few white
frosis Indicate the winter has come.
There have been frO<tS in the iowlandS
during the past wt.ca. Last night the
frost crept up on the hillside a little.
l Inc crystals lay on the plank sidewalks
in the suburban tow rs, and sparklrd as
the rays of the rising sun touched them.
For i moment or two there were mill
ions OF diamonds, then small drops OF
I water. and then nothing. But the frost
makes crisp mornings, and coal or
wood fire most ENJOYABLE morning. and
( eveninG-the wood fire especially
Moreover. the frosts help TO color the
foliage, although in this country the
deciduous trees drop the greater part
of their foliage before the frosts come.
The soft NAPLES, elms, white birches,
and locust trees. which have been nat
uralized here. for the most part, have
east their leaves. Yet the NAPLES take
on wealth of color before the leaves
fail;sO the frosts do not do all the color
ing. Even the eucalyptus, which casts
its leaves ut midsummer and continues
dropping them until late in the au-
tumn, has wealth of color which is
hardly noticed. The coniferous trees
prevail so largely in California that the
high eolors of deciduous trees which
grow on the hillsides and mountain
slopes of eastern states are rarely seen
here. Yet in every dell after the first
frOsts have come in this latitude, one
may find patches of color shading off
from gold to scarlet, with great many
subdued tones, which artists, who are
good colorists, do not fail to notice.
The first rains have already come.
But the winter rains have not vet ap-
peared. There is a sort of hush between
the autumn and winter. If one goes to
the wood, he will hear hardly any 9TH
er sound than that of the harsh and
obstreperous blueiay. Here and there
will be Il tapping on the trunks, and an
occasional squirrel deScends to see what
provision in the way of -acorns there
may yet be left on the ground. In the
open, where the ground is soft, there
are the tracks of the sneaking covote
Even owls cease i'll measure TO hoot
in the winter season, and the mournful
sound of doves has altogether ceased.
A great silence has fallen upon the
woods. There is hardly singing bird
The linncts in the suburban gardens,
which two months ago were so active
in feasting on the ripe fruit, beginning
even earlier with cherries, and contin-
uing until the last ripe pear had disap-
pcarcd, have become silent also. No
more songs and no more depredations,
for the good reason that there is moth
ing to steal. and the pairing season has
not begun. The white frosts are the
fitting introduction of winter. They
precede the heavier rains.
The trade winds have died out. They
will not prevail in this latitude before
the middle of next May. Some are TN
kind enough to say that it is a pity
that they should ever prevail But these
winds are the Lords scavengers, sent
mp rs so many messengers from the
salt ocean to deliver the city from
plaques and peStilence. San Francis
co has not been clean city from the
day OF its foundation. There is Orien-
tai dirt. Ii has come to be a foreign
city. Merchandise fills the sidewalks,
and in many places crowds the pedes-
trian into the street. Otfal is thrown
there. The six months trade winds of
summer and the six months rain are
the two sanitary agents which keep
watch and ward over she CITY, The
most dangerous weeks of the year, on
the score of health, are those when
neither the trsde winds nor the rains
prevail The winter season being less
pronounced in this latitude, there is less
disposition to store up anything. All
the season is open, and even now the
bee. are making honey, or are going to
rob other hives. For in this state even
the bees have caught the spirit of the
monopolist. They get part of their
honey honestly, and, as to the rest,
they do not scruple to ges it dishonest
ly.--,SdH Francisco Bulletin.