The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-22

arc known thoroughly, and if all the
observatorics on the globe were aban-
doned today the science Of navigation,
for example, would know, and does
know, all that can aid it for the next
thousand years. San Jose. however, is
very proud OF this observatory. which
overlooks its beautiful valley, and never
asks unpleasant questions concerning its
utility.
At the broad bases of these towering
hills lies some of the fairest land under
the sun. Deep green orange groves, lus-
cious vineyards, extensive orchards, with
olive and prunc trees galore. | spent
two or three days driving about under
the shadow of Mount Hamilton, and
never did my eyes rest on a roster or
more prosperous country, seeing nowhere
a sign Of poverty, and meeting people
Of uncommon thrift. One afternoon /
unexpectedly visited an olive ranch,
meeting the owner on the highway 10y
accident. II was near Los Gatos, few
miles from San Jose, and is known, be-
lieve, as the Quito grove.
Could be in California? | recalled
day in Tuscany, when sat eating olives
and black bread with a sandaled Italian
priest, and heard him sing his dreams of
hope, and laugh his satisfaction over the
dropping yield of his purpL trees,
Some one has said that no landscape IS
spiritual from which the olive is absent
n 4 e, lt4f
ing olive TO me seems to have the breath
Of heaven on its body just as it had on
that mount where the sermon was
preached more than eighteen centuries
ago. Quito grove is an Italian reproduc'
ton. All the men employed on it have
been brought from the olive groves near
Florence. and have given national
character 10 their present home. The
owner is Mr.. Goodrich, gentle
man with n passion for olive culture.
He is an eastern man, an alumnus
of Yale and a traveller Of observation
and taste. His family is living in Flor
ence, where his children are being odu-
Gated, and he has made his present quar-
tiers resemble the Italian home OF his
wife as much as possible. The servants
and the service are Italian, which is the
one language spoken, and the whole
place has tho true Tuscan flavor. Ho is
improving the olive and, ! assume, max
ing money in this delicious valley, while
all about him are tidy little ten and
twenty acre farms devoted to the French
prunc, the grape and the olive, whose
owners say they realize two and three
hundred dollars an acre. To the visitor
il seems an ideal existence; what its
drudgerv may be | 10 not know. But
this do know, that the roads Of a neigh
borhood are fair criterion of the neigh
borhood's intelligence and prosperity
and the roads of Santa Clara are mag
nifccnt. well graded and ballasicd The
Alameda, for instance, a broad ave
nue running from San Jose to Santa
Clara, is level as a floor and shaded
by trees planted by the mission
fathers 100 years AGO. In the perfection
of its roadways California gives the east
many points in the game. IF You are
in San Jose next Sunday | will run up
and dine with YOU at tho Nendome,
said a San Francisco friend as on a
March Monday evening lac saw me of for
Del Monte and Monterey. The next sun
day | sat in the cool Of the vcranda
awaiting the arrival of the noon train,
whom my friend quietly bowlcd into the
court yard on his bicycle. The distance
from San Francisco to San Jose is fifty
miles. He had made it in a vile over
three hours, 50 perfect arc the roads