Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-25
An Au.pIctous Chrtstmas. i.

State has the august festival Oh Cnrlsten-
dom been ushered in under more fatter-
ing auspices than now. Throughout the
length and breadth of the imperial do.
main known under that name we hear
words of good cheer. Fhe season has
been one of almost unprecedented
promise, the tide of immigration runs
high, embracing tens of thousands of the
best people of the United States, the
mines are in splendid state for increased
treasure output and the farms and or
chards and vineyards never looked bet
ter. From material point of view the
outlook could not be improved. Here in
Los Angeles the warm rains have come
in plentiful measure, and everything
speaks Of prosperity and progress.
But there are some aspects of Christ
mas in Southern California that ought
not to be overlooked. The telegraph,
day before yesterday, informed US that
the mercury at Saranac Lake, New
York, had fallen to twenty-five degrees
below zero. Think of it, ye baskers in
the almost perennial summer of Southern
California. where fifty degrees above
zero is thought to be harsh dispense
ton in midwinter! Now look upon this
picture and then upon that! There the
piled and drifted snow gives distinctnees
to the skeleton-like trees, robbed of their
foliage, and sobbing and swaying in the
wintry blast. The fell blizzaro is Shrek
ing dissonantly over the whole expanse
of the Atlantic and Western States.
Millions are gathered shivering before
scant fires, and the inelement weather
rules like tyrant over the poor.
How different here! In Los Angeles
county the lush grasses, sparkling with
emerald vividness, cover all the valleys
and crown the crests of the hills, reach
ing up almost to the snow-clad noun
tain tops which, thirty miles away, rear
their crests from heights ranging from
five to thirteen thousand feet. The rug
ged snow-clad outlines add by contrast
to the loveline.s Of the countless orch
ards, grain fields and vineyards which
stretch to within few miles of the
line Of perpetual snow. The rose-fields
OF Cashmere were never lovelier than
the gardens and groves of Los Angeles
on this blessed day. The orange tree in
midwinter is here covered with fruit in
all stages of ripeness, from the golden
sphere to that in which the green still
predominates, while innumerable orange
blossoms in full fragrance perfume the
air. The heliotrope in perfect flower
may often be found trained to the second
story Of dwellings, while the tuberose
and camellia flourish in the open air,
Roses rich and rare abound on all hands
and, save when it is raining, a sky
SURPRISING in cerulean splendor that Of
Italy is spread out overhead. Thus.
from the esthetic point of view, South
ern California is incomparably ahead of
the less favored lands of the East.
But if we are ahead from the
ornamental standpoint, how amaz-
ingly better off are we from
the practical? To-day at Santa
Monica robust people will plunge into
the surf Of the broad Pacific with as
much abandon as in the month of June.
The tables of Angelefios will be graced
to-day by oranges and strawberries, green
peas and asparagus, all grown in the
open air. New potatoes and tomatoes,
and all the adjuncts of the approved
modern kitchen garden, viii figure
to-day on the tables as garnish-
ments to the traditional turkey; and
the feast will be ornsmented by flowers
which, if boughtfrom the hot houses OF the
East, would cost the whole weeks wages
Of an ordinary citizen, and which here
can be had for fifty cents. Goethe ad-
vised men to take care of the beautiful
Tor the useful could take care of itself.
Here nature herself takes care of the
and the useful at one stroke Of
her benignant hand.
Blessed in every way, with our beauli-
Iul Los Angeles already and by long
odds the second city on the Pacific Coast,
With cornucopie of heavens choicest
pitts poured out upon US in "heaped
measure filed full and flowing o'er," let
10 human being within our limits fail to