Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-06-17

4
tate agents. What she needs is An
army of active. able-bodied men and
women who are not afraid OF manual
labor.
Newcomers are invariably surprised
at the large amount of property for sale.
"What is the reason" they ask. THAT
every body wants to sell. if California
is such delightful place to live in:s
One principal reason is that each year
as new railroads are bHilt more of the
large ranches are subdivided. and new
tracts are constantly being placed on
the market. Again, many of the set
| lers, who came here ten or twelve wears
ago when land was much cheaper.
buying from twenty to one hundred
| acres-are now selling their orange
groves and vineyards. reServing 4 few
| acres. for home. Then we have a
large floating element among our popu-
lation-people who take up new land
| and improve it. sell out at q good profit
| TO some one who does not care to
commence from the beginning, and
then move to another locality to repeat
| the procedure. In addition, there is
the usual changing from city to cOun-
try and the reverse. But if one takes
the trouble to inquire into the cause of
these mutations he will find that few
property owners wish to sell that they
may leave the State. l have never
seen class of people so thoroughly
satisfied with their location as are the
residents of Southern California. And
well they may be, for where can one
find greater diversity of scenery or a
more healthful and pleasurable eli
mate?
1nvalids who come here expecting
to gain new lease of life make great
mistake if they remain in the city. 1t
is all folly to suppose that a weak,
spiritlesS creature can win back health
and strength in Il crowded boarding
house, or by pacing listlessly up and
down the narrow lot on which his cot
tage stands. The price of real estate
in Los Angeles has risen so rapidly dur
ing the last two years that only the
pOsseSsor of a comfortable fortune can
obtain ample ground, desirably located,
within the city limits. But a few
miles out of town there are number
Of charming suburban settlements
half village. half country. as they are
often described, and blessed with pure
air and unlimited sunshine.
seem TO be the invalid's paradise. OF
these suburbs. let me give :: brief des-
cription of Alhambra-not that it is
more highly favored than all the
others, but because l happen to know
more about it.
1t lies in the famous San Gabriel
Valley. six miles from the Sierra
Madrc mountains, and seven from Los
Angeles-an hours easy drive 10 town
over Il good hard road. or twentv
minutes by the cars. The little village
has several stores, pharmacy, post
Office, telephone Office. and public
hall. A tasteful Gothic church stands
a short diStace back from the main
avenue. and there are both public and
private schools. Pure spring water
from a neighboring hill-canvon is dis
!ributed 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. grevilleas. and
other ornamental trees. The tasteful
cottages are built with amp.e YER
andas, festooned with ivy or
jasmine, or hidden by a wealth
of roses. Here one may live ont
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 ncighbors' 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,
reveling in the delicious fragrance; YOU
picnic in the canyons. and hunt for del
icate ferns and saXifragcs; YOU lie in
the hammock and watch the shadows
on the mountains. and listen to the
and if YOU arc 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 vigor they are perfectly re-
stored to health. and lean do as much
as anybody" This is a wonderful
climate. but even its most enthusiastic
would hardly claim that
alter Il man has given years of his life
to that process known rs ..breaking
down." :, few weeks or months in this
oalmy air are all that are necessary to
invest him with old-time vigor. So it
$ 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
,hard. the care of which would be .
drain on the owners vitality.
1t is very difficult for one who has
lever visited the Pacific coast to form
. correct idea of California;: the State is
20 large and possesses such multi
,licity of climates, including, rs it
loes, mountains and valleys, coast and
lesert, within its borders. Indeed.
'ach locality may be said to have a
climate of its own. depending largely
N its elevation above the sea. and its
ifu.tion with r,arorI tn tho a6iaoopt |