West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1892-06-23
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Land Of Flowers and Perpetual
Summer.
IFrow-,hc Ealtot's Note Book. ]

We first saw California, Gland
Of the Golden Shore" one beautiful
moonlight night about the middle
o; May. 1t was Saturday night and
We were speeding westward over the
Santa Fe Route ut the rate of forty
miles AN hour. The moon was full
and SIN led softly over all with a
calm, peaceful radiance that made
me 10th TO leave it, and | fingered
on the platform Of the car, drinking
in the weird beauty of the fleeting
landscape till after midnight. Just
before midnight we crossed the
great Colorado river ut the famous
Cantilcver Bridge, one of the most
wonderful structures i'm the world.
The magnificent Colorado rolled
beneath, dividing Arizona and Cali
fornia. We were now in the Gland
OF promiSc,' in many respects the
greatest State IN the Union. Tie
first station was 1.-The Needles, Z"
twelve miles from the Bridge, so
called from range Of mountains
in the distance with many sharp
pointed peaks, piercing the lower
clouds i'll the misty distance.
Sunday morning VIC got breakfast
at Barstow, n town on the soutl or
border of the Great Mojtve Desert.
The town is kept up entirely by the
railroad, and mdeverythingis high. You
can get nothing for less than ''two
bits and that is the lowest piece
of m Oney that goes. We found this
old fashioned expression in use all
over the West, and everything was
1.-TWO bits, flour bits or "six
bis for any sum under one dollar.
There WAS only one barber shop in
the town, and 1t did rushing busi.
ness while our train was hung up
there. a shave was "two bits" >"
twenty-five cents), but we were
glad to get our countcnancc scrapcd
at any price, way out there in the
desert. From here we had IL long
run through II sandy, barren coun.
try, with no vegetation but stuntcd
trees and cactus till we crossed over
the Sun Bernardino Mountains
through Cajon Pass, ut an altitude
Of nearly 1000 feet above sea level.
San Bcrnardino is the county seat
OF San Bernardino county, and is II
beautiful little city Of 10000 in
habitants, surrounded on all sides
by orange groves and vineyards,
and after travelling for twenty-four
hours in barren, sandy desert, it
seemed like yeritiblc Garden Of
Eden to It's. 1t is one Of the old
California towns, and was fr.t
settled by ihc Mormons in 1851,
but its growth rs city dates like
that Of nearly every other city in
Southern California, from the year
1876, the year in which direct rail
road communication with the East
was formed by the extension Of the
great Santa Fc Route TO the coast.
There arc factories and fouudries
and various industries here, but
what interested our party from
the East, were the yards filed
with beautiful flowers and tropical
shrubbery and the orange groves on
all sides, with the bloom and green
and ripe oranges all in the same
orchard. The bloom is beautiful
white flower and very appropriate
for bridal wreaths, and luckily
enough this Leap Year Of 1892,
there is a heavy bloom, so now let
the manageable maidcns do their
duty, for nature stands ready to
crown their efforts in casc Of
success.
Journeying southwark towards
San Diego, VIC travelled through the
luxuriant orchards and gardens
Characteristic OF the fruit belt Of
Southern California. A few miles
below Santa Ana the railway passes
through a large ranch owned by the
famous actress, Modjeska. At Cap
istrano arc the ruins Of the San
Juan Capistrane Mission buildings,
which still retain some Of their an.
cient grandeur, and arc Of great
historical interest. This old Mis-.
sion was founded by the Jesuit
Fathers in 1776. There are four
old bells still hanging iu the ruins.
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