The Columbus journal., 1890-10-08
On THE PACIFIC COAST.


out of place, to explain how this camping
expedition came about. 1 had been
strongly advised to spend the winter on
this coast. There are a great many
health and pleasure resorts here where
thousands Of eastern people attracted by
the favorable winter climate, spend that
season. but To remain any considerable
time at such places would he exceeding
" irksOme to me. even il | could afford
the expense. The ordinary hotel and
boarding house life would be even worse.
To travel continuously by rail is also too
expensive; besides, the trains often take
you to places you do not care for and
leave at one side, Just what yOu want
most to see. l found here a very gen
eral custom o! families and parties going
on camping expeditions during the sum-
mer. The heat of the inland towns
drives people tn the mountains or the
coast. and the people from the cooler
coast regions camp because others do. or
because they like it. Some whose time
or purse does not allow III extended
tours, put a little bedding. a few cooking
utensils. some horse feed and Il cheap
tent, into a wagon. the family getting on
top, or a part of it into another light
conveyance, and go into some canon Of
the mountains or to sOmei fishing ground
not far away and spend Il week, taking
their supply of food with them. or de-
pending on the groceries and farm
houses they pass on the way, and they
have a good time. Farmers as we'll as
town people make these excursions.
Often several of a neiShborhoOd 90 on
these expeditions together. Some make
a o elaborate and expensive matter
OF il. / know a merchant i'm Santa Bar
bara who rugged up a very comfortable
~three-seated conveyance and arranged to
carry the camping equipage, put on a
team OF four mules, took his family and
spent two and a half months this sum-
mer, travelling 1850 miles. He told me
they lived in the tent all the time and
enjoyed the trip wonderfully, and he
came back greatly recruited in health,
| spending a short time in a place. Par
tics from tho coast usually 60 to the
mountains, while those from the interior
| come to the coast. The entire absence
| of rain during the summer season makes
this out door living practicable, which
it would not be, except for the most
hardy people, in our country. Well, it
| occurred to me that l might utilize this
custom. So l bought a good, strong
horse and a buck board made expressly
for mountain travelling. Horses are
cheap over here. They seem to he raised
as easily as in old mission times. At
| Santa Barbara mission and two or three
others, they increased SD fast tina: every
few years they found the ranges over
stocked and the surplus was ordered to
he killed. At one time, | think in 1880,
after allOtting ID horses TO each family
under the jurisdiction Of Santa Barbara
mission. all the rest were ordered to he
slaughtered, and tho result was that
1000 horses were killed, and large num-
beers at other times. This is a matter of
record among the old mission archives
now existing. From the number Of
horses We see in the great pastures here
now, it would seem that either u general
killing or shipping would soon he neces-
sary. l got an 3 year old, mOst excel
lent horse for our purpose for $50. and
very good light horses are sold for from
$50 to $40. My son. who is spending his
vacation over here, decided to 60 with
ed in two common travelling satchels; a
pair of blankets and quilt each consti,
tute our bedding, a close box for food: a
sack of grain for the horse. and Il com
Portable little tent. which can he put u!
or taken down in five minutes, compose
our outfit, making all told less than 2E
pounds weight and the cost. aside from
the horse and buggy. was but tritling
I speak Of these personal matters sim.
ply because if the experiment results in
what il promises now. / hope to induce
others needing the same sort of rest. &c
try it. We started Aug. 2Gth, reaching
this place last evening, the distance be
ing 274 miles. and We lay over Saturday
wishing to remain yer Sunday in tn.
town we had reached. We have neither
slept in a house % eaten Il meal We diG
not prepare ourselves, since We started
l have gained already several pounds in
flesh and much more in spirit. We have
enjoyed ourselves immensely and have
learned more of the country and people
than We possibly could have done in an.
other way. Our entire expenses have
been less than the board Of n of IFS al
any respectable hotel anywhere, and
have not lived as we'll since 1 came u
California as during the past ten days
/ should he very sorry to 60 back t.
common hotel fare. It's n fact. The
other night we came to a village where
we expected to camp, but tho livery
stable man would sell us no hay to &c
out of the barn. As it was late l pro.
posed to stay ut the hotel for a night.
Fred said mo, / would rather drive or
till We come to some farm where they
will sell us hay, than to have TO eat hotel
fare" I was really Of the same mind
and we drove on a mile or two, and no
traveller at San F~ranciscO's Palace Hotel
paying 81 a day enjoyed his supper bet
ter than we did ours If it was cooked by
ourselves after dark, nor had a more re-
freshing sleep in his linen sheets on soft
mattresses in that veritable palace than
We did rolled in u blankets on the
bosom Of mother earth under our little
tent!