Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-09


the bottom of this stupendous ravine a
swift rushing river sweeps all along that
gets in it, whilst the rocky sides present
formations and colorations perfectly in
describable and requiring vocabulary
of ecstatic terms and peans of praise
that we dare not attempt nor would our
long-suffering readers of the Republican
submit to. All we can say is take the
journey; it will pay you to come solely
to Flagstaff without stopping off else
where.
But it is of the historic cliff dwellings
that we would fain talk at length.
These interesting remains of race that
peopled the land during the mytholog-
ical stone age are located in a narrow
caf1on thousand feet deep, and midway
from the top. 1t is hard work for man,
and decidedly so for lady, to descend
the rocks to the cliff dwellers' crumbling
abodes, but our party of three, guide,
wife and self, made the trip, and were
sore enough for it, too, for days after.
The rock had been followed out and
then closed in with walls of stones laid
in mortar. A step out of doors over the
narrow ledge would have precipitated
one to certain death. We saw scores
of these dwellings, and were in
many of them, picking up odd pieces OF
pottery remains, and an occasional
arrowhead, all that could be seen of the
implements OF the extinct people. In
different museums there are sandstone
slabs from here and other places, that
have inscribed thereon mysterious fig
ures, telling tales that no one yet has
been able to unfold. Tired and breath
less we again reached the top of the
plateau, and ravenously partook of
light lunch, and then midst the linger-
ing twilight rode back to Flagstaff, mus
ing about what must have been with
these cliff dwellers.
Down from the mountains our rail-
road ride took us to the western border
of the territory to the California line,
and then for one weary day we rode
over the Southern California desert, hot
ter than hades, and still heating.
Thankful indeed were we to enter into
the Los Angeles valley, and as evening
approached, seek shelter in this city Of
the Angels, where we have been enjoy
ing ourselves the past few days, viewing
the sights and greeting a number of for
mer Schuylkill friends.
Los Angeles has population of $4,000
WlUilll d VI SlA llll6S lTOul UuG
plaza; has many prominent business
cottages aad tropical surroundings to be
seen anywhere in such profusion in the
United States. 1t is not uncommon to
costing anywhere from ten to hundred
thousand dollars each, with one undi-,
vIded lawn filled with palms, acacias,
IL m bro I1o ond nf,ty
plants, pampas grass bushes, etc., etc.,
presenting an appearance entirely in
keeping with what we read about in the
proverbial fairy-tale mansion of means.
The streets are never less than fifty,
and oftener one hundred feet wide.
There are no flowers that bloom in the
spring, for it is one eternal summer here,
they tell us, with the climax reached in
the months we speak OF as winter; then,
they say, everything blooms, even to the
burrs that have been twisted into the
burro's tail to make him go. Snow
doesn't come any nearer than the top of
the surrounding mountain peaks, and if
you want to you can cut crop of alfalfa
hay twelve times in the year, or once a
month. Fruit grows to wonderful pro-
portions and excellence, and vege-
tables are dirt cheap, many fami-
lies constantly buying sufficient
for meal for a nickel. The Chinese
run the truck gardens, whilst the
Americans cater to orange orchards and
other fruits. 1t is surprising to note the
care with which these orchards are kept
up and every blade of grass and SEM
blance of weed eliminated from beneath
the trees, but we'll repaid are they for
their labors, as orchards sell from $500
to several thousand dollars an acre, and
it is not uncommon to get for the fruit
alone as high as thousand dollars an
acre for fine crop.
OF course all land and crops must be
kept up by irrigation; nothing grows
without water, and get it they must, no
matter what the cost.
We spent one evening in the Chinese
quarter, and saw them "holding wake"
over the corpse of dead woman. Such
pounding of tins and singing of the
priests was not only deafening but more
than sufficient, we thought, to scare all
the devils in and about her to quieter
cline. The tapering candles, gaudily
decorated altar and oriental tapestries,
gave beautiful effect to the small room
in which the services were being held.
We saw them elsewhere gambling by the
hundreds, others in the mission schools,
and few engaged at tailoring, shoe
making, etc.
Then on another day we visited one
of the hot house plants here and saw
fresh surprises, if one can use that ex-
preston after seeing such strange
growths aswe have here. Why, that
morning l took nap on the velvety
lawn grass, under banana tree forty
feet high, with leaves half that long and
a yard wide, and about me were trees
twenty, thirty feet high bearing tomatoes,
with roses growing on bushes that would
reach to the second-story window of
any Pennsylvania home, whilst gerani-
ums are used for hedges and often over
ten feet high, with a stem as thick as a
mans arm. At the chamber of COM
merce display we saw wheat nine feet,
oats ten feet, and corn nineteen and a
half feet high; apples weighing two and
half pounds, pumpkins nearly as large
as big brewery beer watts, peaches that