Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1890-05-09
CALIFORNIA.

pie IN the nlttu Nlatt0 hi'"N '''''
homes and where beautiful residences
and well-kept premises were to be seen
on every hand; and, above all. climate
OF unusual pleasantness. Most oi TINS
existed only in my Imagination; ior ia
fact. il can lay about rs little CLAIM To-
beauty as any town IN THE portion oil
California. state street is the only pref.
IS one in the place. II is paved for a
distance OF two miles with asphalt, and
is q beauty as lar rs paving Is concerned
but a majority Of the buildings along II
are only one story and many OF the 9th
ers are old fashioned and dilapidatcd, and
what might have been an exceedingly
pretty thoroughiare falls far short OF II.
OF course there are some hne business
houses and residences, but these are the
exception and not the rule. A great ma
ny old adobe houses. covered with tihng,
are still standing, and sometimes IN the
most conspicuous places.
Tie population, numbering perhaps
5.OOO. is made no principally OF French
Germans, spanish, Italians. Chinese, &c.
composing about ihree-lourth Of the peo-
pie. Ii is a motley crowd, 10 he sure,
which has little respect Tor the sabbath
or any other divine institution, and Is
living evidence Of our too lax immigra-
ton laws. which should be- So amended
that tue ohscourng of the earth could
not he dumped upon us At such lively
rate.
santa Barbara j. situated on little
bav.like projection oi the Pacific, which
IL on its south side. On all other sides
il is hemmed Ia by low mountains,
which are kept green bp the heavy logs
that ,uyelop them at night aud usually
till 10 OF II o'clock IN the morning. The
town might have been made a lovely
one 10y the proper class OF people. The
harbor is about ~ good ~ any on the
Pacific. except San Francisco aud san
Diego There are very few inst class
harbors on this coast. and but Tor the
fact that the west Wind j. broken 10y
mountains and the sca by the santa Bar
hara Islands. not lar away, II would be
next To impossible for large boats to land
here in stormy weather The beach Is
pretty and bathing is quite nice IN pleas
snt weather, but 1t has been too cool
since my arrival Tor such pastime the
thermometer ranging during the day
from So to 20. Fishing is tine sport
and A. a business is remunerative. Fine
specimeus from 10 to 40 pounds are not
an uncommon catch. The people seem
10 think that Better the day, better the
daad - for they ply their avocation ON
SUNDAY AS we'll as on week days. About
a half mile out in the ocean Is an I'M
mense lot OF kelp, or ses.weed' covering
hundreds of acres. Although the water
is 40 feet deep in places, it extends from
the bottom 10 the surface little SUD
marine forest, ~ It were.
The southern Pacific, lrom Los Ange'
Las this Mace. runs thru' the beautiful
santa Clara Valley, which Il almost as
pretty a. the valley OF the same name III
the vicinity of san Francisco. Besides
frnits of all kinds. it grows more Lima
and navy beans than any boundary o'lts
size ON the continent. The little town
ri Ventura. at It's western end, shipped
las, year 500 carloads. No irrigation Is
necessary, ~ the land lies very little
above sea-leyel and is damp enough.
The earthquake OF the 2Ith, which
MAS prettv severe several hundred mites
north was not ielt here. Ina fact have
not vet had the pleasure 90 OF eNperleh-
cling a shock. They are OF right common
occurrence in California, but hardly ever
do any serious damage. The last one
was the most destructive ior a number
Of wears and the only damage 1t duh Was
to throw a railroad bridge or two ont OF
line and shake the plasterlng OH lew
houses. An old mission, totterlng with
it's weight of years, was shaken down.
The oldest inhabitant doesn't rememem
her any shock to compare with the one
which came near destroying Charleston
in 1856.
While oranges and lemons grow pref
" well along the coast they 90 not at
tain to that perfection reached IN the IN
,e,or The rind is generally very
thick and partly covered with mold
They are not grown here Tor profit at all
Mex, to an orange orchard in beauty Is
the English walnut. The treesare beau
tiful and grow large, their limbs spread
ing out and reaching those OF the ADA
cent trees, form almost complete COW
ering for the ground. The shade is dense
and is an inviting retreat IN hot wealth
err. They don't bloom till May, 50
haven't seen them in their most oeanu-
ful parb. The crops are very large and
profitable after the trees are eight years
old. but prior to that time there is very
little income.