Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-21
THE CAPITAL CITY.
AN EASTERN VISITORS IMPRESSIONS
OF SACRAMENTO.
The City of Homes and Flowers-Rer
Libraries and the Museum of Art
A Wilderness of Roses.


The following letter, written from this
city to the Fort Wayne, Ind, Netss by Miss
Florence F. Beaver, is interesting, as show.
ing how newcomer was impressed with
what she saw in our city:
am DESTROYS to tell you of our visit 10
San Francisco but must first give Won a
short sketch of our present headquarters-
Sacramento. The City of Roses is sit
uated, as you know, in deep, broad val.
ley, watered by the swift courses of the
American and Sacramento rivers, both ac-
cessible for trade and travel to the city.
All the lots are filled and leveled into roll
ing, green lawns. The broad, level streets
are shaded with beautiful trees, and all the
sidewalks will soon be of broad, level stone.
Such wilderness of roses Gracing in pro-
fusion each neat little cottage. decking in
testal wreaths the terraced lawns, and climb
ing The lottier balconies of statelier houses.
Roses everywhere OF every tint, from the
snowy, bridal rose TO deep, rich crimson
and golden yellow; rarest tea-roses, such
as flourish in our greenhouses at home
Here the Oriental palm trees cast their
queer shadows upon the smooth, green
lawns of almost every home. Here are the
magnolias, with their large, snowy bios
SONS, and endless exotic trees and shrubs.
There are
MANY BEAUTIFUL HOMES.
In the Capital City. One thing that strikes
US as peculiar, is that the balconies are all
on the second story, with long, outside steps
to reach them. The main entrance is
nearly always story above the ground. The
effect Is unique and pretty. The reason IS
this, that during the rainy season it is
more healthful TO be story above ground.
and the people have a traditionary fear OF
a flood which happened long ago; but is
now prevented by powerful leyees. Sacra-
mento has, indeed, many places of attrac-
ton, Among them the Capitol, Art Gal.
leries, Libraries and Marguerite Home.
The Capitol is a beautiful piece of archi-
ture. OF white stone and iron, closely re-
sembling the Capitol at Washington.
Passing the columned entrance, we enter
a cool recess, beautifully frescoed. in the
center OF which statue of Columbus be-
fore Queen Isabella, consisting of the Queen
and her Page and Columbus kneeling be-
fore her with a globe in his hand. This
is the work of Meade, while in Florence,
Italy, and is exceptionally fine.
THE CAPITOL BUILDING
Contains the various rooms of the officers
of the State; the beautiful green Assembly
hsl, gracefully frescoed and adorned in
peristyie, the capital and entabature of
the columns wrought in elegant designs
and gilded the red Senate hall adorned in
like manner, and the printing department.
The halls are trescOed and hung with rich
paintings. Ascending o whirl of winding
stairs, one reaches the dome, from
which the beautiful grounds of the Capitol
spread out like q picture below; the ter
raced lawns, gracefully arranged in par
terres, with showers of raiubOW-tinted
blossoms, and deCiduous trees with their
leafy shade; fancifully trimmed evergreens,
stately palms, etc The white grayeled
paths look like silver tinseled ribbon bands
from our airy balcony. What an extensive
sweep of country the eye commands
Reaching to the east, the snow-crowned
Slerras; to the west the Coast Range. But
let us descend and enter the library. 1t
contains $4,000 books. Not only do the
tonnes of political records look upon us
with dignity, but here are inviting volumes
OF all the poets, travellers, orators, etc The
cost OF the Capitol Is estimated AT So, 900 600.
A NOBLE LADY.
1t gives me pleasure to speak of Sacra-
mento's most public-spirited and philan-
thropic lady, Mrs. Margaret E. Crocker.
Not only has she given to the city pleas
ant, spacious Old Ladies Home, at a cost
of $38, 900, and with $4,000 as a fund for
its support, but also has bestowed a most
valuable art gallery upon the city. The
large white building is airy and commodi-
Gus. In the basement are many valuable
collections of minerals. Upon the first
floor is the studio-well lighted and venti-
lated. and furnished with models OF Greek
and Roman sculpture. The ceiling is
wrought in beautiful gilded designs of pale
blue and white.
Ascending the brassed, broad staircase.
we enter a profusion of scenes of various
kinds-thoughts of the greatest painters,
hung in brilliant frames. Here one eau
feast the eye upon faithful copies of Ru-
bens, Titan, Vandyke, and Raphael: one
after La Perle, is worthy of note. We
wished ourselves for one moment in the
famous gallery at Madrid to view the
famous original, which Philip ". of Spain
called LIE Perle.
THE COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS.
Among the many pictures that particu-
larry attracted us, were The Gypsy, by
Murillo, Reading of the Will, by Il.
jacob; Christ Raising Jarius' Daughter,
by Theobald Goune. The beautiful, tear.
full Magdaline, in scarlet drapery and
brown hair, by Cesare Geunari. and
many others l should like to mention, but
special note must be taken of the San Fran
cisco artists. The excellent portraits by S.
W. Shaw; the tropical paintings of Norton
Bush and VIM. Hahn; the paintings of
Chas. c. Nahl are of very high colorlng and
fine thought; among them, The Love
Chase" in which the beautiful daughter of
a Sheik, according to Arabic custom, on
q fleet steed, is running a race with her
lover; but she is checking the Teins, full
willing that he should win and claim his
bride. The couutenances are expressive of
coloring exquisite, the horses
true Arabic, fine and spirited.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES, ETC.
Sacramento has an excellent public
library and reading-rooms The climate
is very good, with the exception of ten
denCy to malaria for some people. 1t is
especially beneficial for certain forms of
throat and lung diseases of such as cannot
stand the fog and wind of the seashore.
And for those who love the ocean breeze. il
is only mornings ride
The thermometer is very aspiring here in
summer, and sometimes reaches 1909, but
then we can look forward to the cool,
balmy evenings and glorious sunsets.
DELICIOUS fruits are snoWered upon us
from the opulent ranches surrounding the
city. Such large, meaty cherries, luscious
peaches, mammoth strawberries, endless
variety of fruit and vegetables.
Sacramento has very good churches, and
The members greet all strangers with such
hearty shake of the hand as makes one
fee! good the whole week. They are good
Christian workers, too. She has also some
large, thriving business establishments and
manufactures. She has excellent schools.
and her large pavilion of State Agriculture,
every September, is loaded with products
of the Golden State.
1t has not rained here since the first of
May, and we do not expect any more until
autumn; but our windmills are busy in
the breeze. FLORENCE E. BEAVER.