The record-union., 1892-12-03

2 big h, and put it in the itaiicizedest
italics the office affords. There IS only one
thing more plentiful here than sun-bon-
nets, and that is pensioners.
10 visitor in the East who has been
accustomed to the long, dry, scorching
summers of the West, the climate offers
special inducements. All through July,
August and September, instead of assum-
ing a God-torsaken aspect, tits looking its
prettiest aud putting on the airs Of a
pretty girl who knows she is pretty. For
the rains come every few days, just
enough, you know, to keep the grass
green, the trees washed OFF. the dust
under submission and the public temper
happy. The corn fields grow rank and
hlgh, the beautiful tobacco plants reach
their broad leaves still further up, and the
whole face OF the earth seems to be re-
Joiclng in perpetual spring. There are
no dry ana dusty roadsides, no glimmer-
ing fields OF stubble. no toxtail and the
thousand and one disadvantages that
sprouU in the ''long dry spell" y ou
watch for the rain, and mourn when the
dust flies tiny bit, and when two weeks
go by with no rain you shout the loudest
against dust and dry heat. l did-maybe
you'd do better.
In this line Of thought comes the home
ly simile that the man who is used to
cornbread at home growls the most at the
quality OF the pie when travelling.
Weather, pie Dye see?
II you never witnessed an Eastern
thunderstorm, | would advise you to
chip in and have one sent over. They
are worth seeing or rather hearing. The
native PennsylVaniau can smell them in
the atmosphere. The children are cor
raled, under cover; the shutters closed
ught, and the result patiently waited for.
Gusts they are called. The air grows
dark and humid, the wind coquettes
around like country girl at ball, up
setting everything i'll its wake, and
then subsidies TO let the thunder
get lis oar in. Then comes the ominOus
rumble, from goodness knows where,
In the heavens. 1t rOars, il mutters. it
bangs away like all the demons OF hell
let loose on a holiday; the sky grows
heavier and black as ink and the light
ming lights the mass with zigzaggy
flashes that you can trace for several sec
onds. The aspect of things is little less
than diabolical, and you clasp your
hands and your thoughts revert to good
old ChriSuaniZed California that at this
time in the dead OF summer is not in
dulging in such elemental high jinks,
only, unless, perhaps, earthquakes and
sunstrokes and north winds and things.
Then the lightning and thunder join
hands and take walk around and then
there Is crash, a demOniacal set-to OF the
two which sounds like somebody had
dumped a load of brick i'll your back
yard there is a lull and the native says,
"Jeeminy pats Some fellows house was
strlck that time" Then the rain damp
ems the ardOr of the thunder with big,
swift drops, each one big enough 10
drown man, and it does not cease till
the pent-up moisture in the clouds is eX-
hausted. In ten minutes the cutters viii
be overtiowing, the streets a sea and the
air gloriOusiy cool and fresh.
In Y Ork there are about forty churches,
and the community is working one in
that respect. The denominations which
seem to be in the lead are Presbyterian,
Lutheran and United Brethren. The
Dunkards are numerous and hold regu-
lar services in their small brick church.
The men wear the big black hats and the
women the little plain close-fitting black
sun-bonnet. The folly of over-dressing
is to them as ridiculous as plain attire is
to some other people. A few Quakers are
in York County, but they do not wear
the gray uniform.
The drives are many and exceedingly
beautiful. In all directions run the
pixies" or toll roads, and when out
driving if you forget to take a handful of
pennies you cannot get out Of the city
limits, for every other turn you make Is a
new pike" and out steps the keeper to
y Il,
and so on, according to which way you
have come. The country is slightly hilly,
just abrupt enough to be varied and yet
not rough.
California fruits are to be had for
money. Apricots in season sell two,
three and four for ten cents. The four
for-ten are visible to the naked eye, the
three-for-ten have an apricot flavor, and
the tWo-tor-tens would pass anywhere
as apricots. But when luscious pine
apples retail at three and five cents each,
and lose the silvery twang they have in
California, you forgive the man who sells
apricots and weep for very Joy. At the
present time the Flaming Tokay grapes
retail at twenty cents per pound. With
the exception of the White Malaga the
native grapes are like the Isabella, which
you know slip out Of their skins with the
greatest of ease.
What funny ideas some Easterners
have of the wild and woolly West. How
many questions one has to answer, and
how startlingly one has to draw on his
imagination TO uphold the delightful adj
Vanlages of his native heath. l have
skilltully avoided being asked the same
question twice, and in that way have fur
nished wheat statistics, big tree anecdotes,
political procivities, scenic effects and
wild Oat dissertations to an aWe-stricken
audience until they are convinced that
California is a 5COH-derful place. Only be
sure and avoid getting the same question
launched at you twice and you are COM
paratively free to go ahead.
A telling fact in the favor of this city is
that there are not more than forty drink
ing places, including the wholesale
houses. 1t is quiet and orderly, and one
can pass along its streets without being
confronted by saloons. The city is largely
Democratic in politics-alas, poor Yoricll!
There is a portion OF the city which is
not at all aristocratic, as viii be inferred
from its name-Bulltrog alley. If you
live there you can sit on the fence and
watch the quality pass by, but that is
about all. At one time it was said to be a
desperate quarter, but it is so no longer.
1t is the home OF bask makers, cigar
makers, weavers and like trades. The
old street pianos, our friends during the
summer days, have crawled off some
where, but not to die. They disappear
with the locust and katydid, the former
having z-Z-z-z-Zed himself out Of exist
ence and the latter settled the mooted
question as TO whether Katy did or Katy
didn't. The street pianos are miniature
upright pianos on wheels, turned with a
crank, and hauled about by two more
Every other square or so they halt and
grind ont well-known airs to an admiring
throng of children and many big chill
dren. who listen at the doors. Then the
pennies are donated, the musicians make
obsequous bows and pass on. Some of
the music is right pleasing. The scales
sound very much like running a stick
along picket fence, and many Of them
are afflicted with asthma; but, withal, the
advent of a piano is hailed with delight
by the small fry. How they do chase
from dreading the day Marguerite will
forget 'em onto the leg-tangling strains
of the Highland Elingni
Scattered all around among the resi-
dences are little stores, cobbler-shops,
milk and I1indIing-wood for sale, until it
seems the sellers almost outnumber tue
consumers. You are liable to stumble on