The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-03-07
RIVERSIDE, CAL, J
Eahrttarv 90 1890 {

lemon that weighed 36 ounces. Saw
several oranges more than Is inches
around. Saw two rows Of oranges Ga
feet long and 5 feet high, all of which
were more than inches in diameter,
or 10 inches around. Beside fruits
there were a great many curiosities,
among them many Indian and Alaska
relics, too numerous to mention. Saw
some nice flowers and ornamental
shrubs. Saw nice bouquet composed
OF roses, lilies, cactus, &c, &C., it was
about feet around, was beautiful, but
when Mrs. Bowman inspected closely
she discovered the whole thing was
artificial. The flowers were made of
beets, turnips, carrots, radishes and
parsnips, colored where they needed it,
L he imitation was go good it was hard
to tell the difference without very close
inspection. These flowers were stuck
on sticks the other end OF the stick
was then stuck into a large cabbage
head which would weigh about %
pounds-a pretty good cabbage head
in some places-Johnson City, for in
stance. San Bernardipo is a pretty
place, it is the place where the San
Bernardino Mission was established
in 1920. There are some evidences of
this standardization in the form Of
dilapidated adobes. The mission
building was destroyed by hostile In
dians IN 1882, and the mission was
abandoned in 1912, and the land
granted to private parties by the Mex
lean Government. The present town
was laid in 1858 by the Mormons and
patterned after Salt Lake City. There
are few there yet who are called
MOI mons, bat so far as | could learn
none who believe in the doctrine are
there now. Some who left them are
still there but those who were strong
in the faith went to Utuh some %
years ago. San Bernardino and River
side are both situated in a pretty val
ley, some 10 miles apart, but the
mountains look much the same from
either place. Snow covers the highest
mountains to s months in the year,
while down here in the valley there is
eternal spring At this writing there
is an orange tree SO near the window
that can put nay hand out and pluck
the oranges, and / have but to raise
my eyes and looking 20 miles beyond
can see the snow capped mountain
tops. These things seem strange to
one back in East Tennessee, but when
one is here and learns the ocean cur
rents and sees the country, how it is
situated, &C., these things seem quite
different from what one imagines who
never saw them. This valley is well
watered, is in the region of artesian
wells, can strike water from $50 to 400
feet deep. There are said to be be-
tween 400 and 500 of these wells in
San Bernardino. The water shoots up
in the air from one to thirty feet,
which causes the whole city to look
clean and fresh. This place (River-
side) is 60 miles east Of Los Angeles
and so from the ocean and about one
thousand feet above the sea, 1t is so
situated that it is the home Of the or
ange and lemon, they grow here
everywhere and the fruit from here is
known all over this region. They
claim here that this is the greatest
orange growing center in the world.
The trees are on every lawn, in every
garden, surrounding stores and public
buildings; growing in great density
and luxurience in the adjacent coun-
try, and so near many a portico and
window that its luscious fruit may be
picked while sitting in your chair.
lnterspersing the inevitable orange
are the cypress, eucalyptus, palm,
pepper, pine, almond, chestnut, wal
nut, olive and the beautiful magnolia,
and not the least in Importance, the
oleander, sacred to the memory of the
olden time. The great driving center
and most popular street is Magnolia
avenue, 1872 feet wide, with row of
trees in the center. The railroad
books show there were shipped from
here last year 725 car loads OF oranges,
and that this season they will
aggregate 900 car loads. It is nice to
go through their packing houses here
where they grade the oranges, wrap
them in paper and then box them F.;
which is mostly done by Cinnamon.
will have to give you the spelling Of
the word coyote as you got it alto
gether wrong in one OF my letters.
The Mexican word is cayott, the Span
ish coyote and the English is prairie