Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-01-30
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
Los ANGELES, CAL, Jan. 10, 1885.

Gland of flowers" and now ] ask a
space in your paper for this from ''the
Golden State" and trust there may be
some items Of interest herein for some
of your numerous readers.
We left our home in D., Ohio, De-
cember 20. shall not speak Of any part
of the country between there and Kan
sas City, as it is too well known; but
soon after leaving the latter place one
was struck By the barren look Of the
country. For miles and miles there
was nothing but the fiat, open plains
not tree, not blade Of grass, save the
dry "bunch grass" kind Of weed on
which the poor cows subsist. There
were numerous cattle ranches, ranging
| in number of cattle from one hundred
to ten thousand each. In Colorado,
stunted cedars were thickly scattered,
and the country appeared more rocky.
When near Trinidad, Col, we had the
first glimpse Of the mountains. On,
how grand How majestic! One snow
crowned peak above another! l wish
could describe them to yoa-
would that my pen could utter
| The thoughts that arise in me.
But that cannot be. My thoughts
travel too quickly for my pen. SO all l
will say is that my most vivid imagina-
tons had never given to them one-half
their true beauty and sublinlity. AS we
entered New Mexico the towns of the
natives, with their queer mud houses,
interested us greatly, Then evening
came, and at {. 80 we reached Las Vegas,
where we remained over night. Heie
we found some difficulty in breathing,
owing to the altitude, 1000 feet. We
left Las Vegas at 10 next morning,
Christmas day. The weather was de-
| lightful; we sat almost the whole of the
day outside OH the rear of the car, view
ing the magnificent scenery. Now ana
the n we would pass an Indian settle
men., with their churches, streets, lit
| tie mud houses, orchards, fields, herds
of goats, horses and cows. They look
so comfortable and so civilized it was
hard to believe they were once the ter
ror of the old settlers. Our next stop
ping-place was Albuquerque. 1t is a
remarkable town. In 1880 there was
not a house to show the site Of the pres
snt tiourishing town, and now they
have 5000 inhabitants. Street-car fare
is 10 cents, newspapers sold OH the cars
after we left the town for 10 cents for
four-page edition. About mile from
the town, by street cars, is Ola AlDu-
oueroue, or Mexican town; none but
Mexicans live here. Their houses are
all built of mud, and here let me give
an explanation regarding this "mud."
Adobe, pronounced "doby," is the
Mexican name for IL; it is simply earth
mixed with water; some make 1t into
bricks, dry them in the sun, and then
plaster them together, while others just
make kind of mortar and build solid
wall of it, foot thick, one-story high,
fat mud roof, with wooden trOughs set
down in them to carry the water OIL
when it rains. They have windows and
doors like we Use. Some have board
floors, and others just the hard, packed
earth. The generality of the houses are
neat and clean inside. You can imag-
inc the desolate look of the place-not q
tree or bit of anything green-heuses
and ground the same color. The only
thing beautiful was the clear blue sky
overhead.
Somewhere in Arizona we crossed an
elevation of 1900 feet, and there we
went through snow two feet deep and
drifting terribly. Two engines with a
snow-plow were required to pull three
cars. Soon after leaving Mojave, Cali
fornia, We could see changes in vegeta-
ton, and as we neared here the country
became more and more beautiful. Los
Angeles is an overgrown town of $4,000
inhabitants. l believe can describe it
best by saying it is one immense orange
grove and flower garden combined, with
the houses-and some of them are very
fine-filling up the spaces. No tongue
or pen can exaggerate the beautiful
Will in
When l tell you have seen sixty Gala
blooms in one bed, heliotropes twenty
feet high, hedge fences Of scarlet gera-
mum twelve feet high, and rose trees as
large in body as my arm, all in full
bloom, you will have faint conception
of what l see all around me. And,
more wonderful than all, one may raise
their eyes in either direction and see
mountains covered with snow. What
is needed most here Is a first-class hotel.
The two best are the est. Elmo" anG
the "Pico." There are numerous small
r ones, a nd nearly every other house is
either clearinghouse or else has the
sign out, "rooms to let" The climste
is very delightful. We sit with open
windows and 60 out without wraps Until
p. m, after which wrap is comfort
abe, and OH your bed pair of blankets
are needed all the year round. We have
found since we have been here but lit
tie truth In the eastern phrase, "cheap
Chinese labor" For instance, cooks
get, in private families, from $25 TO $40
per month, and will do nothing but
cook. The price OF other labor is in
like proportion. Wood is SIS per cord
and soft coal is $3.50 per ton. Grocer
les are about the same as in the East,
and fruit and vegetables much cheaper.
Strawberries are in the market, also
peas, tomatoes and other vegetables.