The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1888-02-02
THE LAND OF ROSES.
Another Letter From DIR. J. 1. Tay-
lor-CaIiiornia Pictured in Glowing
,xAIn

| Another letter From DR.. J. I. ray
lOr-Caiiiornia Pictured in Glowing
CO!ars.
EDITOR ADvOCATE:-A resume OF my
trip to the coast may be of some inter-
est to your readers. Leaving the Nor
mon city soon arrived at Ogden and
took the cars Of the Central Pacific.
The train winding around craggy rocks
and dizzy heights, through volcanic up
| heavalS, over alkali plains OF utter desc
lation. with here and there patches OF
sage brush, tufts Of withered grass and
rusty cactus. Then over ravincs that
seem to shrink away like man falling
in q nightmare: then over gloomy
chasms whici, suddenly swell to hills,
then to cliffs, then mountains rise be-
fore ynn and you are reminded by the
intense cold and the putting Of the en-
gincs tina, You are ascending the Sierra
Nevada mountains, diving into SNOW
sheds plunging into snow drifts, till
the summit station is reached, and af-
ter short breathing spell down wo go
into the hollows Of the mountain. the
train sway!nG from side to side, along
the ridges. through the aanons. down
the Pacific slope into the valley Of the
Sacrrmento. What a change from
winter 10 summer. \ gentle shower
Of rain had inst mGistcned the dirt, and
the whole landscape was covered with
living green. 1t seemed like Il garden
stretching out to view, with vines and
shruhbory. and the orange trees ladencd
with yellow fritit The fig tree, the
palm, thcman2anita ana mHdrOna are
the most conspicuous to 4 pilgrim like
myself. The air is sweet from the odor
Of exotic plants, and it impresseS the
stranger very fayorabty 1t the first
glimpse Of this wonderland. Such are
the sights and scenes all along the val
ley as you follow the river wandering
its way down to the ocean. After
a few hours stay IN san Francisco we
arrived at Santa Rosa. or present des-
tination.
This is indeed a lovely city the capi-
tai of 'onoma county, and located in a
valley hy this name, and unsurpassed
in beauty and IoyelincSs. From the
vantage ground Of the court house
dome you take q hirlseye rioW Of the
oft ha 10
bluffs and looking down upon miles of
semi-tropical beauty. The hillSideS
covered with vineyards. Tall trees lift
th"lf crowned heads on every side; the
encalpyt!i5, WHICH never sheds It's
lea. cS, hlt throws OF its bark like a
boy his jacket before taking q swim:
the date palm, The magnolia, the acacia
the cedar OF Lebanon. and The n1anzan-
ita flourish in every yard in Santa Rosa,
nearly every tree and shrub being an
evergreen. The blending Of the seas
ona, the rapid transit from winter to
SIMMER causes them, no doubt. to for
GIT tho proper timr to throw off their
foliage, No yard orgartcn seems to be
complete without a cactus and century !
plant. and the growth Of these plants is
often growing TO the highth |
Of twelve and fifteen feet. IN company |
with some friends. a few days ago |
went several miles mp the valley and |
called at 4 suburban residence owned by |
an English gentleman. Over two hun
dred aCraS were covered with vines, and I
in his winery were two hundred and |
fifty thousand gallons of wine awaiting |
shipment. On our return we noticed |
a number Of live oaks, ancient in ap- |
ppaIancc. with Spanish moss hanging |
in fcstoons and lambrequinS Of gray
lace from the limbs and SOlemnly |
swinging in the air The Inhabitants |
Of this season being colder |
ihan usual though TO ne it has been
quite pleasant-the thermometer TWEEN
ty above and the sun shining warm and |
bright nearly every day. Many apollo
gieS to me for the cOldnesS Of the seas !
on and hope will notgct discouraged:
but in reply | always assure them that |
cold weather hardly ever dis.
ccuragcs an average Dakotan.
Small farms a few miles from the |
city average from one hundred to five
dollars per acre, according to |
the value of improvements. No charg-
cs for climate like salvat ion, free to all.
But notice the highest priced lands
are generally those that get the most
Heavy overcoats are seldom
wanted here, and scarcely a fire in any
of the business houses and many are
open fronts with folding doors so as to
fully display their merchandise. | no.
ticet! on last Sunday the ladies going
from CHURCH without wraps and carry
Ing parasols. Men are seen every day
in tlielr Shirtsleeyes and wearing straw
hats. No linen busters needed, as tie
soil, at present, continues moist. The
are intelligent, social,
friendly and hospitablc to strangers;
and always greet You with q hearty
welcome. ..r
IL my next shall try and make it
more interesting.
S>NTA Rosa, January Is, 1888.
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