Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-24
La Crescenta.

Correspondence OF the HERALD
If Ifanyone has been laboring under the
delusion that this place is good only as
a resort for rich invalids, let me dis
abuse his mind of the idea at once.
When an energetic man comes here
with some knowledge of fruit-raising he
is bound to make a good thing of it.
How can anyone know, unless he tries
it or some one else tells him, the posi-
bilities of the rich foothill regions back
of Los Angeles? Here the soil looks
stony and forbidding to the mex
perienced. but it. is in reality one of the
strongest and most fertile. ii anyone
supposed this valley was followed out
and filled with sunshine and kept al
most free from fog just that the unfor-
tunate victim of consumption or
asthma might here find relief, he should
be informed that those very conditions
with the soil, make it a most excellent
place for fruit, such as peaches, apples,
olives and figs, and the oranges and
demons here are so delightfully."- clean
not a particle of smut on them. Cen
eeral Shields has some fine specimens OF
the Early Hale peaches, raised on his
place, without irrigation, at an eleva-
ripen the first week in July. Your cor
respondent can testify to the exceed
1ngly fine flavor and good size of the
same. Mr.. Treat, an experienced nur-
seryman and fruit-grower from the east
estimated the yield on General Shields's
place at the rate of 5000 per acre, and
said that the higher priced Susquehanna
peach, would, on the same soil double
the cash return of the Early Hale, which
here attains a somewhat superior size
and is fully up to its variety in flavor.
Gen. Shields's place, by the way
should be seen to be appreciated it is
perched up at the very foot Of the great
mountains-one might almost say upon
the very instep, for it takes some
''climb-it" to reach it-but when once
there one feels fully repaid for the trip.
The general calls it his "bedstead." He
has low hill for a footboard, then an
almost level place, and higher hill for
a head-board. From the edge of the
head-board one gets one of the finest
views in this county, the Los Angeles
valley, ocean, Pasadena, La Canada and
'Crescenta valleys all spread out before
one, like real-estate dealers map. The
general tells us if ''Hve man. had his
place, he could make some money out of
it, and there is no doubt of it-tho' q
man who wants to give everything to
his friends, seems to have considerable
to give from it. One of the finest
'things about the place is the
recently constructed fume-way, which
brings the water down from it's source
I'm the mountains; it is ledge
several feet wide, and several hundred
feet long. At some places it is a wooden
fume, and at others a fume is followed
out of the rock. This he did alone and
unaided. 1t is wonderful piece of
engineering for one man to do and dis
counts Chinese labor; in fact, one would
think the builder OF that might con-
struct a railroad without assistance
and 80, indeed, he might if inclined to,
but as he is not open to contracts at
present, we will have to look elsewhere
for the builder of the road we so much
want.
Mr.. Fitzwilliams's family have been
camping out near their recent purchase
in Crescenta, but have now returned to
their home in Los Angeles.
Mrs. w. G. White gave most enjoy
able musicale at her residence last
Tuesday evening in honor of Mr.. Sam
Hall, of Canada, whose 2lst birthday it
.commemorated. JUNE.
Ia Crascenta july %