Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1890-04-18
The Wonders Of California.
BEAUMONT. CAT.-. April

DEAR INTERIOR Being unable to get
pleasant accommodations at Banning, /
ran up here to see if they could he found
in Beaumont, and engaged board at the
Land and Water Co.'S fine Hotel Beau
mont at very reasonable rates for this
section, where am pleasantly situated.
This hotel cost $4,000 aud is said to be
furnished rs we'll as any in Southern
California. 1t was built with the expec-
tation that the town would grow up to
its proportions, but was finished Just
about the time the boom collapsed, and
consequently has never brought the
owners but precious little revenue. The
present proprietor gets the rent on very
favorable terms as an inducement to
keep 1t open, the patronage necessarily
being quite small. The company is hop
ing to sell out to an English syndicate
who, if they buy, will form colony OF
English families here, in which event
this may be a considerable place some
day.
Beaumont, though not much OF town
is considerably ahead OF Banning in pop.
ulaton, hotels churches. &c. The resi-
dences are larger and OF better design,
and the town is much more prettly laid
out. The streets and avenues are wide;
I the latter, which run north and south.
having row of shade trees on each side.
These, which number 10000 were not
/ planted till last April and have not at.
tanned much size yet, but within several
years they will greatly enhance the beau
/ ty of the place and diminish the force Of
| the winds to considerable extent
Beaumont is west OF Banning only six
miles and OF course the environments
are similar. That distance in California
doesn't change the aspect OF the noun
tains much. 1t is the highest point on
the Southern Pacific railroad between
Los Angeles and Yuma, Arizona. The
scenery is lovely and the view south
from Mount David is one OF the grand
est ever beheld. The mountains in
the vicinity OF san Diego, about * mile:
distant are visible TO the unaided eve
on fine day.
Easter was observed at the Beaumon
churches. | worshipped at the Presby
terrain church, which was tastefully dec
Grated with flowers and evergreens
Heard an appropriate sermon by Rev
John Stewart, who is not only a goo,
preacher, but very nice gentleman
He is native OF Kentucky and durin
his young manhood taught school il
Iarrodsburg. Later on he moved to In
diana and entered the ministry. On ac
count OF his wife's health lac prefers thi
place to better appointment. which h,
is fully capable OF filling.
II has been considerably warmer dur
! Ing the past week, and there was yer,
little wind up to yesterday, when tcom
menced to blow from the east and ha
continued ever since; and altho' it blow
very hard, | don't mind it much, as it i
so dry, pure and invigorating, and un
like the west wind, which is often col,
and penetrating at this time OF yeaI
Speaking of wind it is said that in tia
Colorado Desert below here it blows 81
hard and so constantly that the telegraph
poles are actually cut down By the san,
which is driven before it; and at Sever
Palms, the panes of glass in the window
! OF the station are so worn by the actio
OF the sand that il is almost impossibl
to see thro' them. Notwithstanding tia
force Of the wind, it comes steadily, an,
never attains to the cyclone proportion
at least no cyclone, tornado or hurri
, cane has ever yet visited this state.
This county San Bfrnardinol is on
, of the largest in tae United States, hvin
about half the size OF Kentucky. tn
greater portion OF il is mountains an,
deserts and ! suppose that not over one
third of it is tit for agriculture. 1t ha
been developed wonderfully during tn
last ten years. In 1850, the assessed val
uation of the property WAS S2,000,000; il
1885, Sl2,0000O0; in 1852, S20,000,00C
exclusive OF 4l6 miles of railway.
The famous Bear Valley Reservoir i
about Is miles north of this place Al
tho il is one of the largest artificial lake
in the State, its size is to be greatly in
creased and ditch 40 miles long will b.
dug to convey the water to several town
southwest, for irrigation and other pur
poses. II the dam were to burst, severn
thriving towns would be wiped out q
existence. I'm glad to say that Beau
mont is not in the course the waite
would take. I'm ''skittish" about thes
big dams since the terrible catastrophe a
Johnstown and Prescott, Arizona.
L. X. WALTON.
w. w. Gilmore was killed at Lei