The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16
SEEING THE PACIFIC.
4 Seventeen Year-0ld Indianap oils Boy
First Visit to the Great Western Ocean.

I'VE are permitted to make the following extracts
from private letter written to his father and family
ED. JoURNAL.1
Last Monday we took a trip to the ocean. We
left home at 10 o'clock in the morning going by
way of Los Angeles. Everything has changed
since / went to town, two months ago; the or
chards are green and the barley is nearly ripe
The small boys were much interested in the
squirrels which sit by their holes in the ground
and gaze at the passers-by. They wanted their
father to stop, so that I could shoot some of
them with my double barrel shotgun. l have
killed iftyfou rabbits this spring, they are so
thick about here. They were building railroad
bridge over the Los Angeles river which flows
by the northern edge of the city. The railroad
is to go to Pasadena, seven miles from Los An
geles. After crossing the river we drove first to
the postofice.
Mr.. Asa Briggs, one of the owners of our val
10y, Crescenta Canada, owns an orange orchard
in Los Angeles. He told US togo there and help
ourselves. So we drove to the orchard and ate
our dinner under the trees that were laden with
golden fruit 1t is lots of fun gathering oranges.
The trees were large, and the oranges
were big, too. There was an irrgating
ditch running past the place. We
boys threw oranges into the water and
then tried to get them out again. The stream
was so swift that it was no easy work After
filing buckets and nose-bags with oranges, and
tying them under the wagon, we started on our
way to the Pacific ocean. 1t was all one con-
tinuous plain; here and there we could see low
hills rising slightly above the general level. Be-
hind were the grand Sierra Madre mountains.
We could see the peak which we climbed some
time ago, and the side of the mountain down
which we slid in sitting posture expensive
way to have fun, for there was an unusual
amount of sewing to do that week 1t was dark
before we reached the village of Santa Mon lea,
situated on bluff which rises precipitously from
the ocean beach Some time before we reached
our destination we could hear the roaring of the
breakers-I was so excited that / could hardly
sit still, felt like getting out and running even
though knew the horses were travelling faster
than l could run. We drove through cut
made in the bluff and found ourselves right on
the beach There was strong wind and the
breakers were very high Some of US unhar-
messed the team while others prepared supper.
Our long ride and the invigorating sea breeze
gave us all good aDpettes.
"After supper preparations were made for
bed. Charley and 1 made our beds on the sand,
only few feet from the angry looking break
ers. Oh! what beautiful sight it was! The
moon shone on the waves as they broke and
rushed upon the shore. You know how beautl-
full that must have been. After all had gone to
bed took stroll on the beach. The following
Wednesday had speech to make at social,
so recited my piece with the great Pacific
ocean as my audience. l tried to imagine that
l was Demosthenes, though had no pebbles in
my mouth. | went to bed after this perform
ance never will forget, in all my lfe that
nights sleep. lay awake long time, thinking
of everyone knew in Indianapolis.
THE next morning we went in swimming.
Tde water was cold, but did not mind that. 1t
was more fun than Turkey-lake swimming.
swan out quite distance; what fun it was to
dive through the breakers! The high waves
would cover you over If you were not careful.
| dived through one wave, came up on the other
side and was just going to take breath, when
an immense breaker covered me over!
After we had dressed, everything put in
the wagon and we drove along the beach to see
some large rocks which stand in the water near
the shore. We walked slowly along; the beach
was covered with sea moss and other ocean veg
citation, which had been washed ashore. We
only stayed a few minutes at the rocks and
then went back to Santa Monica We slept on
the seashore Tuesday night, and took another de-
lightful swim in. the morning. We all wished to
ay,longer, but we could not spare any more time
from our planting. We started back at noon.
We ate our supper in the same orange orchard,
leaving Los Angeles for home at 5 O'clock. We
were afraid that we would miss the social but
at o'clock we reached Michigan avenue, a half
mile from home. Charley and I walked to the
house where the social was to be- We went to
two houses before we came to the right one.
Each time l unioaded my pockets of oranges,
newspapers and toads. / have not time to tell
about the social l got off my speech, but
hated to do it, for was a sight to behold, with
torn clothes, mussed hair and dirty face
SAM MERRILL, JR.
CREsCENTA CANADA, April 26, 1885.