The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-24
"WAITING FOR THE TOWN TC
AnnHVRB

"WAITING FOR THE TOWN TC
ARRIVE"
A Vermont QuiII-drIVer in SOut therT
CaIIfOruIa-Some showing up o.
"Tenderfeet,-The new Towns Oi
the Sunset Land
PASADENA, Los Angeles Co., CAL,
April 2, 1888
DEAR READER:
The San Gabriel valley is so named
from the old mission established in it
over 100 years AGO, and which is still In
use in San Gabriel, five miles south oI
Pasadena, One chain OF the great noun
tains around San Bernadino stretches
away westward to the sea, 70 miles dis
tant. South of this and varying IN dis
tance from 10 TO 10 miles, runs another
chain of mountains and large foothill'
nearly the same distance. The country
between these mountain ranges is known
on the east as San Bernardino valley, in
the center as the San Gabriel valley land
;he west end to the ocean as the Los An
geles valley FIom San BerDardino tc
Pasadena is about 80 miles, from Pasa
deua TO Los Angeles s miles and from
Los Angeles to the ocean about 10 miles
straight line. Thus you will observed
great country between San BernardinC
and the ocean and all of it of wonderful
fertility. 1t is quite fiat from San Ber
nardino to Pasadena, whereit breaks in
to foothills, which increase in size tc
the lower part of Los Angeles. where II
again spreads out into fiat and sweeps
away 10 the sea. have not been abl'
to learn, even from the oldest inhabit-
ants, when or how the rich soil of this
valley was formed. AS it was her'
when they came, it is to be inferred tha
1t was formed at time when, as thu
law books say, the memory of man run
meth not to the contrary. From ap'
pearances infer that when these grea
mountains were raised, the valley be
tween was much deeper than it is now
and that its soil was far upon the noun
tain sides. The storm and wash of |
hundred thousand years, more or less
have cut the mountain sides into deel
raviues, bringing down into the valley
: the decaying granite and the vegeta6l
deposit. spreading them over the plain
mixing them in with its annual vegeta'
? table decay, and thus forming. sol
from the original bottom-no one know
how far down--to the present surface
/. From the base of the mountain to tn
center of the valley there is a gradut
descent. The coarser part of the decay
r ed stone stops nearest the base, and
y grows finer and finer toward the middI
of the valley until the stone disappear
and the deposit is made of vegetable d.
cay and loan, making soil rich enoug
;, 10 fertiliZe the best hill land. The benC
81. hnu fhnnnh fnlI I
[. decGyed granite like coarse gravel,ls "
{ productive land, though requiring col
siderable water. From its higher all
tude and the outlook which it gives IL
choice for residence sites. Many iii
homes, with vineyards and groves su
rounding, stretch along the base OF q
northern range of mountains for mil'
and they will eventually form co
* tinuous line the entire length of the Vi
ley.
From San Bernardino TO Los AngeI
two lines of railroad pass through I
n valley, the Southern Pacific on the sou
and the SaI ia Fe on the north, varyi
y in distance from three to eight mi
Il apar P sadena, Monrovia and sevel
towns just springiug up are on the Sar
Fe, and San Gabriel, East San Gabri
Puente, Spadra, Pomona, Ontario a
Cucamonga on the Southern Pacit
Both lines traverse equally good count
but the Southern Pacific being four
. five wears the senior has grown up
a most towns. AS usual, however,
Of rapid development followed the inco
Of ing Of the Santa Fe some three yei
m, ago.
Ii, People in the Psssumpsic valley W
O. are acquainted with Emmons RaymO
e. wonder why he,a 90years of age shot
- lcloae out his railroad interest cross
continent, build a hotel in sparst
populated locality, and go into tave
keeping with the apparent object
growing up with the country, Mr.. r.
mond is here, and l have had seve
-. conversations with him on that sa
~ subject. The wonder is not confined
" Vermont, but agitates Mr.. RaymoI
a who did not originate the scheme,
G. was drawn into it by his son Walter w
er heads the excursion business. Dur
one of his excursion trips he realii
= the possibilities Of the San Gabriel v
I tI:' ley, and saw big money in first cl
sd. hote'. A mile south OF little Pasade
rose up out of the fiat, 10 feet high
=. round top knoll Of some 5O acres, co
'0 manding a sweeping view OF the val
as far as the eye could reach east
- west. and limited on the north by gr
n mountains five miles away, and on
south by the graceful foothills ten mi
away. The only villages in sight W,
~ Pasadena on the north, and old
Gabriel five miles to the southeast.
every direction were spread out gr
VINEYARDS and beautiful fruit gro
here and there in the broad expanse
rich acres.
"a Naturally enough, Mr., Raymond sa
m the boy was fascinated and bought t
cussed hill.
HI Then he put on men and teams, Gu
down 16 feet at an expense OF S4O,O
u got plans for the big hotel and order
81 lumber. When the lumber was deliv
n ed, naturally enough the lumberm
iii wanted pay. Now, it happened that
III grading gang bad absorbed Waite
spare change and the lumberman's
III not being forthcoming, he attached
N property and stopped the enteTpri
Being acquainted with his father q
HI his circumstances, Walter proba
knew, when he undertook the ent
prise, where the money to complet,
u would come from in the end, but real
q ed that the only avenue to fund, CT
M trolled by a conservative old gentlen
HI would be a necessity for more money
to save what had been invested.
abatement of the circumstances convi
" ed Mr.. Raymond that such necessity
u listed, and with characteristic prom
mi ness, he put hat on the back OF
head and hurried across the contine
PHI Stepping off the train at Pasadena,
III stamped up that hill, surveyed the s
M roundngs and opened his mouth in Il
q criticism Of the boys wild scheme,
m of the big expectations Of the local
HI But after calming himself he wiped
Precipitation from his brow and m
known TO the community ON what c
~ ditions he would pull the boy out Of
C99y mud and go on with his enteIpr
'N' They might accept those condition.
- not, just as they chose. II not,
atto would putIon his hat and go Strai
ram back to Massachusetts, and Cab
w might take his valley and the boy