Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-05-27
Letter from California.
Correspondence of the Westminster Adyo-
cate.
ARROW HEAD Hot SPRINGS,
SAN BERNARD1No COUNTY, CAL, 7
April 4th, 1886.

| W. lClV CdJ cOA5 ohAN} A~SoSAA~S~ -
via the Iron Mountain route (whel
you come don't come that way.) W.
came over the Atchison, Topeka anc
Santa Fe, and saw much of interest
but, like the last Presidential cam
paign, the cry was "we want change
and, also like that eventful time, W.
got it. In this case the change was not
pleasant. The country is mostly tiat
prairie lands, and soon becomes very
monotonious. We stopped at Ell Paso
Texas, a town remarkable for its push
dirt and immortality. Paso Del Norte
old Mexico, is only II miles from Ell
Paso. 1t Is reached by street cars
Ours was an old discarded one, brought
in.o use by the great rush. The annu'
al church festival was in progress, and
the curious visitors were Numerous, tor
it is not often we Americans are treat
ed to genuine Spanish bull fight OF
Eve olden time" After much shaking
some shrieking from the ladies, and
"look out, there!' from the gentlemen,
we got over the river bridge and the
rest of the way in safety, and were
landed in the town. All, what sight!
Men, women and children gambling in
open daylight! All Was excitement
On the corners stood men and women
selling their wares, each trying to out
yell the other. Officers OF the day,
dressed in gaudy Spanish costumes,
rode about on jaded-looking ponies,
proclaiming their presence by loud
blasts from their saddle horns; and, to
add to the DIN, the band discoursed
wierd, yet strangely beautiful music
In the afternoon was the bull fight
The male portion Of our party attend
ed, and their description Of it gave one
an idea of the cruelty and barbarlsm
practiced. Two horses were killed and
one man wounded. | could not help
wishing it had been men killed, for i'll
this case they were much lower than
the brutes they tormented.
Nothing ofAnterest occurred after
leaving El Paso until we reached COL
ton, "The Gateway OF Southern Cali
fornia,' where we changed cars for San
Diego. And here l wish the power
were mine to paint pen-plctures, for on
this roal-Southern Caifornia-we
passed through one lovely scene after
another. Now to the left are great
rocks, overrun with vines and flowers,
and the pure crystal water falling in
cascades from rock to rock. Again, on
the right are beautiful sloping hills,
green as emerald, with stream of
sparkling water
"Gurgling over rocks and stones to join the
brimmng river;
Men may come and men may 60, but it goes
on forever
San Diego is nicknamed "City OF
Bavan-climate." This bay is beauti-
full to the eye, and is a fine harbor. 1t
is considered by old seamen much bet
ter than the harbor at San Francisco,
as it is sheltered from the winds and is
at all times safe place to anchor. OF
the climate too much cannot be said.
Here there are no extremes of cold IN
winter, no high winds laden with mois-
ture, but a pleasant, dry sea breeze,
stimulating as tonic. l think the
poet meant San Diego when he penned
these lines
There is land, of every land the pride,
A spot beloved by Heaven DER all the world
beside"
The climate of this place is shown by
the recorded observations of the U. s.
Signal station established there to be
the mildest and most equable known
the thermometer rarely rising above
so or sinking to the freezing point
The population at present Is 5000
The town has now a great boom.-
SQUARES that sold last winter for $5OC
and 5000 now bring from $4,000 tc
$4,000. The principal hotels are the
Florence, Santa Rosa and Horton
House. Another large one is under
course of erection. There are numer
Gus others, and person can live cheap
ly or extensively, just as it suits best
There are great many beautiful drives
| will only mention two-the Musse
Beds, where, whilst gazing on thu
grand old ocean, one may feast on mus
sells. We tried them and found then
cutie palatabIe, The Old Mission, es-
tablished over a hundred years ago, il
quite a curiosity, and attracts crowds
of visitors. Naught remains but par
ttnn nut IN