The Portland daily press., 1888-02-01
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
A Gloomy Picture of a Much Doomed
Country-Cold which Makes People
Shiver-A Man from Maine who
wished he was at Home.

Correspondence Of the Pressl
Los ANGELES, Sunday, Jan. 3, 8 p. m.
After trying in vain to keep warm this
morning by remaining in bed and falling ut
terly adopted the only sure method here
that of scurrying rapidly over the hills and
fields till middle of day when it was warm
enough so that after tripping and falling
over the Minneapolis City Hall L sat down
on the Art Museum to nurse my toe, rest
and mediate on the agricultural prospects OF
State like this where every square foot OF
soil is worthless except for the use 1t was
formerly put to by the native Mexicans, that
Of building adobe houses, and yet is staked
off into lots ranging from 30 to $1,000 dollars
each.
l sat on the Museum 5000 miles from
Maine and civilization, miles from Los
Angeles and barbarism and thought to my
self, If this isn't about as near nowhere as it
is possible to get in this world I'd better
learn the other place, go there and have seen
the whole show.
have found nc one yet able to give sat
isfactory explanation of why the cold here is
so uncomfortable. One would think a man
from Maine able to stand anything in the
way of climate in place where hardy
plants bloom in gardens and flies are
nuisance at midday during all the year. yet
such is not the case. meet men from all
over the world, men from Dakota, Mime
sofa, and such places who say they have
been accustomed for years to winter tenn
perature lowering about the twenties below
yet they can't stand this weather and are
going back. l sat at the table Friday beside
large rugged man who looked able to en-
dure any degree of cold or hardship. He
called for something hot saying he had not
been warm for four days. The tenaclty OF
the beef and particularly the sickly pallor Of
conversation. learned he had left Clinton,
Maine nine weeks ago, telling his wife he
would get located, send for her and they
would spend the remainder OF their days
away from the colds and SHOWS Of Maine
where little comfort could be taken with
the earnings of fifty years struggle with
the rocky soil Of Clinton. But he had writ
ten the night before not to sell the "Old
Farm" he would rather grub among its rocks
and endure its colds for fifty years longer
than spend another such miserable week as
had been the last and are likely to be the next
twelve or sixteen to come. As write there
are five hardy railroad men in the next room,
all from different points in the frigid north,
yet their conversation is wholly on means Of
keeping warm which none OF them seem able
to do. 'TwOuld amuse you to hear the differ
ent plans they tell Of having tried without
success One got out OF bed, went to
saloon, filed with whiskey and returned to
bed, to freeze just the same. Another got
up and stood naked in the open air till nearly
frozen to see il the contrast after returning
to bed would not be comfort. But tbs need
less to say his plan failed. We have slept
three in one bed for the sake of keeping
warm on several occasions but do SO no more
as on the last trial the middle man frozen.
But for tine CONCEALED condition OF ones
own marrow 'twould be amusing to note the
ice on the streets, the disgust in the eye, the
length of the visage and the complaint on
the tongue of every one one meess on the
way up town. The "0ld Timers" tell US the
blood grows watery here on account OF the
warm moons, but to judge from my own feel
ings my idea is that we have all been sub
jected to a TRANSMISSION OF Ice water anu
liberal one at that.
From my seat on the Museum Ut was then
noon and warm, remember) looking down
the valley, at my feet lay the largest sheet OF
water for lailes around, about equal 70 the
pond In Deering's Oaks, and made by dam
ming the outlet of the valley, thus utilizing
the drainage of every description Tor the
purpose of irrigating an orange grove OF per
haps 10000 trees. the total crop OF which,
Judging from samples tasted, would not De
worth marketing in the East.
The "TenderfOot' Im one) Is always anx-
ious to get into grove and try the oranges.
Eut at the first taste the exgerlence Is
enough, and he comes away, ieeilng ABOUT
as | imagine the old hen must have felt that
| saw to-day following the plow with a
brood of newly hatched chicks, scratching
over yard after yard Of soil so parched ana
dry that no worm ON earth could by all the
railroad advertisements in circulation be de-
luded into trying to subsist in. Yet that poor
motherly old hen would scratch, look over her
shoulder toward the East, sigh, and scratch
again, but tG no purpose. knew the time
must soon come when her poor old heart
must break, for sooner or later she must
scratch over one of the promiscuously scat
tered railroad bills which give notice OF in
crease of So In fare to the East.
NY chum has been writing home describ
ing things in general about as they are. He
received letter yesterday from MS father,
asking him for the bright side will not be
so severe on the country, but say tue bright
side is very narrow compared with the dark,
and comes for about two hours about noon
dailv oharrinp rain