Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-06
TRAVEL IN THE TROPICS.
Grandeur of the Garden of south
ern California.

|
ent undertakes the task of continuing
the story, and will take the reader along
| the Santa Fe line on the return trip vis
Orange to Los Angeles.
| The first town sighted after leaving
San Bernardino was Cotton. This cosy
little town shows signs of vigor and pros
perity. Being railway center, and
claiming the ''sinews of war" in orange
land and orange climate, it's future is moi
uncertain.
Riverside, the garden of Southern
| California, is reached after run of ten
miles from San Bernardino. AS an in
corporated city it ranks as of the sixth
class, but hopes before long to be of the
fourth class. The government is vested
in board of five trustees, with Clerk,
Recorder, Marshal, Superintendent of
Streets and Engineer. The population
| is estimated at 5000, and the area of the
city includes a space of fifty-four square
miles. The growth of the city has been
steady rather than phenomenal. Land
does not seem to have fallen in value, as
in many other places, since the collapse of
the boom. The people are sure they
have good thing, and are disposed to
wait till the world finds it out.
A drive ON the famous Magnolia
avenue must not be neglected by the
visitor. This avenue extends some miles
through the whole length of the city. Do
not suppose, however, that the whole
avenue is lined with magnolias. There
is variety of shade trees, such as the
gum and pepper, the latter preponder-
atiug. The "electric-mule" street-cars
carries the traveller the whole length of
the avenue for the moderate sum of five
cents. On both sides of the avenue one
sees nothing but succession of beauti-
full homes and fruit farms, ranging in
size from five to twenty acres. Some Of
the houses are models of beauty and
elegance, while now and then you pass
humble residence of some early set
tier, who has evidently been more
anxious to improve his farm than his
house.
The city proper is we'll laid out, with
broad streets which cut each other at
right angles. The main portion of the
city is lighted with electricity. The fine
brick and stone blocks show the enter
prise of her citizens and the solid nature
of the improvements. Among the lead
ing buildings are those occupied by the
three banking companies, the Y. M. G. A.
building, which cost $4,000. The site
of the latter was the gift of Mr.. Miller,
one of the proprietors of the Gle1wood
Hotel. The High School building,
though to a stranger in an awkward
location, is a credit to the city. Con-
nected with the building is a tract OF
seven acres, part of which is to be used
as park.
All the leading religious denomina-
tions have their local habitation and
name in this favored city. The pioneer
church and, l believe, the largest con-
gregation, is the Congregational. They
have beautiful edifce and enjoy the
services of popular pastor, the Rev. L.
c. Hunt. Next comes the Episcopalian,
under the oversight of the Rev. MIR.
Taylor, who is we'll spoken of by the
people. The NJ. E. Church is modest
but commodious structure. The Baptists
are at present without pastor. The
Presbyterian congregation is one of the
youngest, but is vigorous and determ-
ined. AT present the church worships in
the Opera House. This church, until
lately, has enjoyed the services OF Rev.
j. B. Stewart, d. D., one of the ablest
pulpit orators in America. Rev. DIR.
Deere ministers to Unitarian Copgre-
cation. In addition to these there are
the following organizations: Christian
Church, United Brethren, Catholics and
the admirers of Emmanuel Swedenborg.
One of the most interesting features OF
this city is its gigantic water systems.
These are the "Gage" system, capable OF
irrigating 1000 acres. By this system,
which is under the able management oi
Matthew Gage, Esq, water is brought a
distance of fifteen miles, and, by canals
and pipes, distributed through the city.
The Riverside Land and Irrigating Com
pany and Riverside Land Company,
IL. 900 acres Vivienda Water COMPANY,
$500 acres; North Riverside Water
Company, 1000 acres; and the Jurupa
Land and Water Company, 10000 acres.
The value of last years export was
about 81 ,250, 900.
The leading hotels are the GlenWood,
Rowell, Arlington and Riverside.
SOUTH RIVERSIDE
Is reached after run of twenty minutes
from Riverside. The location of this
young city is fine. Like Jerusalem OF old,
it is "beautiful for situation" 1t boasts
of one good hotel, the Temescal, and one
church. Away to the east lies the beau
tiful Temescal Canon, (the reader must
not confound this with the canon of the
same name near Santa Monica. Over
the hills are the famous tin mines, now
said to be in the possession of an English
syndicate. Some distance to the west
are the extensive pottery works OF the
Southern California Land and Sewer
Company. Rincon is wholly given up
to the production OF raisin grapes.
Yorba has been favored by nature, but
neglected by art. For miles along this
valley the road runs beside the Santa
Ana river. The scenery is beautiful, the
land fertile and aw ats the labor of the
husbandman to make it blossom as the
rose"
Orange, as its name implies, produces
fruit of this and other varieties. The
scale bug has evidently been making
his presence felt in this locality.
From Orange to Los Angeles lies
stretch of country which for fer
tility and beauty is seldom surpassed.
Where are the cosy homes and thrifty
villages that should be dotting this mag
nifcent plain?
Lands which now support twenty
scraggy horses and as many pigs should
comfortably sustain a population o.
60. 900 people. Is it monopoly, or what
is it. that accounts for this criminal ne
glect? And now we reach Los Angeles
the queen city of the Pacific Coast, the
city Of marvellous growth, the city o
illimitable possibilities, beautiful fol
situation, the Joy of the whole EARTH"