Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-28

iHLos Angeles has risen SO rapidly dur
ing the last two years that only the
possessor Of q comfortable fortune can
obtain ample ground, desirably located,
within the city limits But a few
miles out of town there are a number
Of charming suburban settlements
half village, half country. as they are
often described, and blessed with pure
air and unlimited sunshine,-that
seem to be the invalid's paradise. Oh
these suburbs. let me give a brief des-
cription of Alhambra-nOt that it is
more highly favored than all the
others. but because happen to know
| more about it
1t lies in the famous San Gabriel
Valley. six miles from the Sierra
Madre mountains, and seven from Los
Angeles hours easy drive to town
over a good hard road. or twenty
minutes BY the cars. The little village
has several stores, a pharmacy. post
Office, telephone Office. and public
hall A tasteful Gothic church stands
short distace back from the main
avenue, and there are both public and
private schools. Pure spring water
from ncighboring hill-canyon is dis
tributcd over the entire tract through
iron pipes. The broad streets are de-
fined by hedges of Monterey cyress or
glossy pomegranate, and shaded by
pepper trees. palms, grevillcas. and
other ornamental trees. The tasteful
cottages are built with ample YER
andas, festooned with ivy or
jasmine, or hidden by wealth
of roses. Here one may live out
of doors from morning till
night, and pick fresh fruit from his own
grounds every day in the year. There
is always something to interest one.
and the days are far too short to carry |
out half your plans You come home |
from your neighbors' laden with
slips" and cuttings, and watch over
them with tender anxiety; you drive
down the long avenues of orange trees,
and stroll through the great vineyards |
when the grape vines are in blossom,
rcveling in the delicious fragrance; YOU |
picnic in the canyons. and hunt for del
icate ferns and saxifrages; you lie in
the hammock and watch the shadows
on the mountains, and listen to the
mocking-birds; and if you are able, you
devote certain portion each day to
good steady work.
But the great trouble with many peo-
pie who come here seeking to regain
health Is that they frequently work too
hard, believing that with the first ac-
cession of vEor they are perfectly re-
stored to health, and lean do as much
as anybody" This is wonderful
climate, but even its most enthusiastic
supporters would hardly claim that
after man has given years of his life
10 that process known as ''breaking
down" 4 few weeks or months in this
balmy air are all that are necessary to
invest him with old-time vigor. So it
is far wiser to make haste slowly, and
give the pure air and blessed sunshine
abundant time to do their work well.
Better plot of ground just large
enough to afford healthful recreation
and exercise, than an extensive or
chard, the care of which would be q
constant drain on the owners vitality.
1t is very difficult for one who has
never visited the Pacific coast to form
a correct idea of California; the State is
so large and possesses such a multi
plicity OF climates, including, as it
does, mountains and valleys, coast and
desert, within its borders. Indeed,
each locality may be said to have a
climate of its own. depending largely
on its elevation above the sea, and its
situation with regard to the adjacent
mountains and hills. For instance, San
Gabriel, which includes Alhambra, is
the home of the orange and lemon.
Some of the Oldest and largest groves
in the State may be found here. There
is SO little frost that tender green house
plants thrive the year round in the
open air. During the summer plants
and trees require irrigation. Two
miles from San Gabriel is a belt of
moist land suitable for general farm
ing. Grass grows in the streets sum-
mer and winter, crops require no irri-
CATION, and orange trees and tender
plants can not be grown in conse-
quence of the heavy frosts that occur
during the rainy season.
Therefore, if you wish any informa-
ton concerning any particular portion
Of California, try and get il from a res
ident- Do not ask for intelligence of
Southern California-where many of
the children have never seen snow ex-
cept on the distant mountain peaks
from dweller in one of the Sierra
where storms of sleet and
'now rage as fiercely as in the East,
unless your informant is able to an
swer your questions from personal
Bear i'm mind that throughout the
entire State but little rain falls from
May till November. If you come here
in the middle of the dry season expect
ing to find the plains and foothills
covered with February grasses and
wild flowers, bitter disappointment
awaits. But wherever there is a stream
Of water the dessert may be made to
blossom as the rose. And it often
seems as if these California homes,
with their velvety lawns and tinkling
their palms and magnolias,
heir graceful vines and poisoning
shrubs; their wealth of semi-tropical
and Northern fruits, are best appre-
,ia:cd in the brown setting Of sum-
mer. Then their evergreen beauty
presents a more striking contrast than
when all nature is covered with the
ush verdure that follows the autumnal
rain.-A. p. adams, in Christian at
Work. !