The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-07-21

Providence III placing this fountain OF
lif. in such 4 place and IN dlfecth!g
man to il when the trail was flrst iaid
ont across this great sandy desert.
The water pushes up in bold stream
is cold and clear. sweet and sparkling.
Within short distance of it on one
side is an alkali formation Govern @
the earth but the water IS not contain
mated by it. Twenty cars are sup
piled with water from this spring each
day.
After crossing the Colorado river
and travelling over a wide scope OF
desert wastes Of burning sand stlll, at
Barstow. the famous Death Valley lies
10 the RIGHT of Us some distance away.
This is a great basin or valley at the
foot Of immense lava beds, and IN
wears aeone wa. said to have been
strcWn with the carcasscs OF men and
beasts who had persisted in its almost
impenctrablc Businesses. | say lmpen-
ctrablc because no one not amply pro-
vidcd with food and water can get out
alive once they are lost IN this wilder
ness of sand and beds OF lava, hemmed
in by craogy mountains. with no sign
Of tree or living thing and the sun
beating down in scOrchlng rays upon
its barren face at temperature that
is at once blighting and blasting to
both animal and vegetable life. 50
hot and dry is the climate of this
desert in July and August that 1t IS
said q person travelling on foot can not
survive longer than five hours without
water. Every such person is COM
peeled TO carry q canteen or other
small vessel filled with water with
which to wet his parched lips and
Stake his qucnching thirst.
Passing on from Barstow, near Cajon
(Cahoom Old Baby mountain, silver
tipped with perpetual snow, looms up
in the distance and it is grateful and
refreshing sight to the eye after having
been so lon. in the midst of burning
sands and glazing alkali deserts. We
are out of the desert now and fertile
valleys and fruits and flowers are pre-
scented to the view. At keenbrOOk "a
flag station) we pass a large bee rancho
where there were upwards OF l,Oeo
stand. or hives, with the ''busy bees
making honey as fast as they could for
the market at from ,! to ; cents a
pound. Next we pass San Bernar-
dina, beautiful little city Of 10000
inhabitants, 81 miles from Barstow
and 20 from Los Angeles. This is the
seat Of justice Of the county OF the
same name. and is one of the old
Southern California towns. 1t was
first settled by Mormon colonists in
1851, but its growth as a city dates,
like that of nearly every other city in
Southern California, from 1886, the
year in which direct railroad cOnnec-
ton with the East was formed by the
extension of the great Santa Fe Route
to the coast. The opening of this
great line thereby giving direct COM
munication with the cities of the Mis-
sissippi valley, and the liberal and pro-
| gressive policy which has always char
acterized it. was the breath of life to
this sunny and favored land, and the
development Of the country since then
has been most wonderful. The city is
|
orchards, vineyards and olive trees,
while the mountain range circling the
Northern and Eastern horizon COM
| pletes most enchanting picture
Mount San Bernardina, 1860 feet
high, and Mount San Antonio, (Old
Baldy), lo,l42 feet high, are, during
the winter, draped in a white mantle
of snow, and even at the season when
we saw them they were covered Ovel
looking like huge sugar loaf cakes with
the ''frOstlng'' glistening in the morn.
ing sunlight.
Pasadena, lovely place, having {
population of 10000 inhabitants, Is:
miles from BarstOw and 10 from LO:
Angeles, has national reputation rs :
residence city, and its magnificent
churches. extensive libraries, and othel
public buildings, indicate the character
of its citizens. 1t is connected will
Los Angeles by two steam railroads
running Is passenger trains each way
daily. The grounds surrounding thu
residences are ornamented with choices
shrubs and Towering plants which are
i'll bloom in January as in June. 1t /:
at Wilson's Peak, Just north of thi!
place. where is to be located the largeS
telescope in the world. An electric
railway to the summit is also pro
iccted. We made Il short stop a Pas
adena and although it was Sunday
some of the stores were open ant
people were trading Just as they dc
any other day of the week. The sol
i. irrigated and produces abundantly
\ ride of 4 few minutes brings us t
Los Angeles. 1.-The beautiful some
times styled the Chicago of Southern
California. We stay here from 1870 t.
1910 p. N. This is 4 second paradise
almost. The climate is delightful,
pleasant and all kinds Of sem-tropica
fruits and flowers grow in the open al
and bear and bloom at all seasons O
the year. Los Angeles is a modeu
city of most cosmopolitan character il
every sense of the word. Among it
population l was told that nearly ever,
nation i'll the world is represented
But they are stirring, public-spirited
energetic people, and while its citizen
have done their part the city owes it
supremacy to its location. The growth
Of Los Angeles as a city dates bacl
but a few years. In 1880 the numbe
of inhabitants was only 1900. ST,
years later when the great Santa f,
: system extended its line Westward AM
put it in touch with the outside worl,
it had 4 population Of $4,000. To-da,
it is 10000, and increasing rapidly.
Having several hours to stay her
and feeling very much in the humor t.
stretch our joints good after travelling
continuously since leaving home day
before, after eating dinner we starte,
out to take in the town and had tn
satisfaction of doing it pretty etiectu
ally. Besides many very handsome ant
costly private residences and magnifi
cent modern business blocks, the cit,
has numerous public as well as privat
palaces. The city hall, the cour
house. the Federal building. the higl