Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-28
THELAND OF WONDERS.

obU English Lutheran Church, Dy heS.
DIR. l.. A. Gotwald.
Despite the Geld and blustry weather the
auditorium of the Second Lutheran church
was filled last night by an intelligent and
appreciative audience to hear DR.. Gotwald's
excellent lecture upon California, the land
of wonders.
The doctor has the rare faculty Of max
ing his lectures both very interesting and
very instructive, thus furnishing the hearer
rich treat.
Gaining the attention Of his entire audi |
ence at the outset by the happy intrOduc-
tion of his lecture he held it closely for
one hour and half, while he pictured in
strong and glowing words some of the
strange sights and great natural wonders
to be met with IN that great western state.
Sketching briefly the history of the country
from the time of its discovery by Cortez to
its C. ssiOn to the United States by Mexico
on February Q, 1S4S, the day which
marked the first discovery of gold in
quantity in the state; and after calling at
tentiOn to the vast area Of the state, which
we so little realize, he brings his hearer at
once into the metropolis, San Francisco,
with its fine natural harbOr, the best on the
Pacific coast. its trying climate, mild and
pleasant in the morning, raw and chilly in
! afternoon, and its great motley population
of 800. 900, gathered from all lands and
natiOnalities.
The doctor then proceeded to visit the
principal points of interest in the city and
the surrounding country, and his words
were so graphic that the scenes he pOr-
| trayed became so realistic that one seemed
to become perfectly acquainted with the
strange life in that strange city.
First noted were the hotels, which, in
their grandeur and magnitude, challenge
admiration, being, perhaps, finer than those
of any other city in the country, not eX
cepting New York. The finest is the
| Palace, an immense marble structure Of
seven stories, costing S., 100000.
! The public schools also excite interest.
| The doctor had hearty word of cOmmen-
datiOn for the school board. who have en-
ployed, in a total force Of 672 teachers, sos
| ladies and at the same salaries as those
paid TO the men; making no difference on
| account of sex.
Among the points OF interest one should
visit while in San Francisco is the Wood
ward garden. with its collection of natural
curiosities. the finest in the world. Then
| he will want 10 visit the Cliff house, a short
]
| tains magnificent view of the great Pa
cifc. lying in all its sublimity before him.
| He will of course spend some time in Chi
natown, that city within city, that Chin
ese town in the heart of American Gus
| toms and civiliZati n. 1t has a population
! of about 1000, or about One-tifth Of
the whole number of Chinese in the
| country. In Chinatown you will want to
visit the Ie Staurant, drink such tea as only
| a CEinaman can make, and experience the
humiliation of knowing that you can't eat
soup with cEor-Sticks as John Chinaman
does. A walk through the Chinese mar
kets will well repay ore filled as they are
with all kinds of meat except the tradition
al rat, but especially of pork, of which the
Chinese are very fond. Another interest
| ing place is the temple, or place Of wor-
ship, of the Chinese. The stranger is at
once struck with the utter lack of rever-
ence manifested by them for their temple
or their gods, the people laughing and
chattering as on the streets. Then, there
are the vices of Chinatown: thseEambliDg
dens, the sabbath deSecratiOn,Sd2 abOfeI
all, the opium den, with its victims lying
| in stupOr on their hunks, than which a
more sad or degraded sight one cannot find.
| Leaving the city with its many attrac-
u
! journey through the state, showing them
some of its many wonders.
| First among these are the California gey-
sers, or mineral springs, 200 in number, all
! lying together, some covered by thin
crust, and some spouting forth hot water,
and all charged with mineral ingredients.
| Then comes the great forest of petrifed OF
stone trees, covering forty acres, the trees
all Frustrated and in one direction-frOm
north to south.
JOurneylng from northern to southern
California, distance of 600 miles. we pass
through the fertile San Joaquin valley. The
fertility of the soil in this valley is wonder
full, vegetables attaining an enormous
growth-pOtatoes weighing ten and twelve
pounds, sweet potatoes fifteen and sixteen,
pumpkins from three hundred to three
hundred and fifty pounds, and corn growing
eighteen and twenty feet high.
South of the San Joaquin valley lies q
great sandy desert, covering distance of
several hundred miles. But just south.
again. of this is the garden spot of our
cOuntry-the Eden of California and of the
world. Here in the southern part of Cali
f0rnia a scene of enhancing lOveliness
everywh r, mse.S Il g eys Well does Los
Angeles, in the midst or this beautiful re-
gion, with its fine. equable climate, deserve
its namA-''the City of the Angels"
Here are situated vast groves of orange
trees, some containing 10000 trees, all
loaded down with their rich, luscious fruit.
Leaving this paradise and going north
ward, one meets the famous groves of Cal
ifornia's big trees, the largest in the world
with the exception of few in Australia.
These trees are red wood, which is soft and
pliable and yet very tough, and are straight
as a column and of immense size and
great age. The height ranges from
800 to $50 feet. and one tree has
attained the great height OF 435 feet. The
best authorities place their age at 5000
years. or more.
| The doctors description of the Yosemite
valley, as seen from Inspiration point and
from Glacier point, was grand. As he pic
tured the great Yosemite lying one mile In
perpendicular depth below you. with its
sublime water falls of from SO to 3, 500 feet
in height, with Mirror lake far In the dis
tance. the little river winding like silver
/ thread through the valley, and the great
walls and mountains of rock-One rising
1900 feet above the level Of the valley
| surrounding IL, one was impressed with the
grandeur and sublimty with which the view
must impress the beholder.
Inc DOCTOR handled MS SUBJECT with
| cOnsummate skill and ability, his
description of scenes and incidents was
mastery and powerful, and the thrusts
which he occasionally made at local evils
and abuses were sharp and pointed, but
deserved.
Ladies, why send your lace curtains to
the laundry to have them cleaned and de-
stroyed? Bring them to the Springfield