Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-06-26
Notes of Travel.
(By J. A Sprirgl

l N NHsiy uaSpialr pl the ele- ments, fire perhaps excepted.
 Seeing that the country from Yama to near the breakfast station IS traversed during ihe night, little or nothing can be said here of it's nature and scenery; but upon awaking q beautiful sight pre- sents itself to the traveller: the snow- capped tops Of the majestic Sierra Ne Vada appear to your view; the surround ing country broken by countless ravines 's covered by small trees Of different va rlet.es in:erspersed with creosote and other bushes; here and there an Agaye with its sharp pointed leaves sends out its stem which will III few months be adorned by the floWery capsule peculiar to this plant. The yucca gloriosa also IS well represented on this sandy ground; the heavy rains which have inst ceased have materially advanced the growth or every inlng, leaving visible traces OI lt7 abuudance in every pulcb | and low bottom; tue pyramidal white ! flower O. the mentioned yucca Is already (beginniDg ct Apruj h full bloom in many lnstui cee. Gradually the scenery changes as tic l.On horse pulls us along on the down grade road with grsst vel ocity; green meadows take the place of the broken, sandy surroundinss and ex- tend on either side of the track to the more or lees distant Lills. What n lovely view! Tne brilliant emerald green Of the newborn grass makes n splendid back ground for the millions of flowers which cover the great green carpet displaying every shade of almos: every color known m nature or art. See these bluebells, how prettiiy they nestle against that bunch ot antirrhInum while profusiou oi marguerites look for all the world hke a shOEcr O. suow- 2 kes delicately bedded upon Q yelyetly seen couch. could not help thinking what a splended idea IL would be to copy the patterns of our larger carpets from such field of wild natural flowers instead Of manufacturing from year to year the stereuiyDIcal squares, diamonds and ovais filled m with glaTiny and quite often impossible roses, tulips and other abnormal "dcssius
 Gl, on We gv, Cnd soon we pass the first modest hROitatInEs of ssttlers: A tiny white hOuze on tho foot of the mountain, a small OUtbliid!ny. R few acres Of land fenced in, some horses or cows quietly grazing in the valley or along the hills, a perfect picture Of peace and cOuteutment, an ilyl m itself. Soon the farmhouses become more fire quent, more substantial and extensive: the land under cultivation and surround ed by fences also increases into large. tracts; pretty cottages with gardens and orchards attached preseu: themselves to our view more and more the uearer We approach the small towns that have spsung up along ille track Of tbe South ern Pacific R. R. All these as yet small villages are lad out iu rectangular squares and many uf them possess al- ready streets extending into long ave nGes bordered by trees, amongst which the pepper-tEee and eucalyptus are the most conspicuous. The latter deserves more than a passing glance for ;t k Ces- tiued tc play great role in Southern California. Al first ] could not under stand why this tree, wbicn certainly has nothing attractive in its appearances, IS cultivated to srch uu "ouUrnous" extent n that region, the more SD a5 it Rbsurbs a great deal uf humility and does not allow anything to ErOw well in its immediate vicinity; but I soon leaI1-4 tl-- l-a frequent appearance was due tO its remarkably fast growth, which at the end oI ten years produces a tree capable of iurni hing many cords of tirewood. 1T ihe fUil grown Eucalyptus mss the one redeemias feature of pre- senting Co the eye a straight trunk around which tEe foliage forms more or less regular cone, the young tfee on the contrary !s in most cases sn uDgain- ly sight; the main trunk being crooked, 4-d shooting out ls branches in R yery Isre- u.lF L-a---- .iaI iu every direction, thus reminding one of a ynurgster v ho is sowing hIs wIl- oat5 before straight enlng out" into a 5tcEdy. sensible man. Near Pomona 1 found Q plantation ut the p-ichly pear lJpCn;iaJ cverng about two acres. Upon enquiry 1 iJaTn- ed that its owner TEs making trial Go produce tie expensive Ccchiacal, a dye ing matter of a bright scarlet color pro- duced from gn insect which feeds upon this cactus. Unfortunately I could learn nothing about the succss5 or tail- ure of the enterprise.
 Nearing Lps Angeles VIC pass by quite number of wineI;ss, for the most part pleasantly situated in an orchard ur orange grove uni surrounded by lcras upon acres of vineyards. Southern California is urquestlOnably destiued 70 become the wine country "par excel lence" os Jha world, having become al ready a most formidable rival to the Southern wine countries Of France, Italy and Syain. About two o'clock. p. n. we arrived at the City of the Angels, which We had not seen since the month of January, 1866. 1 will not here attempt a description oi this most lovely place, it having been made but lately the subject of very able articles n yaTiCgs magazines; l will only say that the city covers at present space of thiriy-six square miles and possesses every qualification to make II a desirable abode for everybody ana at all seasons. Quite nunber of eastern people have lately arrived and aruye continually. Eoue to rema.n, and some only tO enjoy inc saiubrliy of ia un- riyaled ciimate for season or two; es- peciaily those suffering from that curse upon humanity -cOnsumptlpc-bTc Ire quently met and easily recognized as sufferers from their salloE complex:ons $ oihsI but toe ey-dent -La1l'o't, ssS.'.t rulned health. Real estate is daily increasing in value and the buildings actually in construction n and about | the city are countless.
 On the first ot April a floral eyhlhi- ton was opened in the tabernacle for some benevolent purpose, consisting of booths established by ladies of Los Angeles and the surrounding towns, and although I had seen in 1853 great pro fu,ions Of flowers in Greece. Italy and | Palestine. ms: confess that l was l dumbfounded by the magnificent dis play of this immense variety of beautiful 1 flowers in country where twenty years ago the plough had touched | but little Of its land. One hundred and thirty-tour different kinds Of roses, | from the almost hiack-red darkest shade to the epotiess milk-white, from the pal est yellow 60 the rich orange. were ar ranged in fancifCl designs aii over the | immense space; gigantic Tyre whose frame was represented by Gala lines, while the strings consisted oi whitc' nlnk, yellow and red roses alternately, l formed the background Of tbe exhiOi-