Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-19
MORE OF THE WEST
Prof. Swensberg Contributes
Another Chapter
ON THE BEAUTIES OF THE COAST
From Bafstow Through TO San Diego and
Other Points of osea, Natural
Beausy-The Railroads.

=
II is q Distributing point for large sec
ton OF mining eoantry. but has no AZ
ricultural or manufacturing inter ests.
Its chief claim to notice lies in the fact
that II is che initial station on the line
of the Southern California railway, q
part OF the Santa Fe system, 90 ably
conducted and efficient in ITS opera
ton. From this point We are taken
over the California road. which runs
southwest from Barstow. through the
Cajan pass OF the San Bernardino
mountains. 1t reaches an altitude OF
$50 feet 70 their summit, the highest
point on the line. From this point the
train descends quite rapidly. The
scenery is striking, 1T places extremely
IN teresting, and the effect most Won
derful. These mountains, though COM
paratively UNEMPLOYED, are said to con-
tain great variety of minerals, lnclud-
ing iron, tin, gold and silver. The
observant traveller will notice some
great feats of engineering through the
Cajsn pass.
At Highland, the junction point,
with q belt line running east, along the
foothills 70 East Highland and Men,
tone, runs portion OF the famous
kite-shaped track of the Santa Fe 4
| Southern California. This runs through
Rediand and joins the main line at
San Barnardino. While yet upon the
desert, or among the snow.capped
mountains, we seemed to feel change
| beyond. On nearing San Bernardino
| great and sudden transformation
came over US. We seemed unconsci0usly
and magicallv TO have dropped from
| sands and rocks into Gods own hsbi.
tation. We passed out Of q most desc
| late into q most delightful country,
| banks and bends OF flowers, trees loaded
with fruit, pomegranats blossoms,
palms and every other variety imagin-
abe.
| Gathering Hay and Snow.
The farmers were gathering hay,
| while the mountains on each side Of
the valley were still IN the act of gath
ering snow. At times we had snow to
the right of US, then again to the left
of US, at times on both sides of Us, then
all around US. Again we would plunge
into bunch of cactus frees. out again
and in among the beds of rocks; then we
would leap into beds of flowers and
orchards of fruit. How beautiful and
delightful were these sudden trans.
itions! What q wonderful change
in few short hours! We reached
San Bernardino ON Sunday May Is
The citizens were at the station with
loads of flowers, of every variety that
the country is capable Of producing
including the beautiful pomegranate.
The women exerted themselves to cover
the newspaper peop.e with the choicest
of their valleys sweet production.
The DINING room of the Santa Fe,
in which we took a 2 o'clock dinner,
was bower of Gala lilies, every
variety OF roses, beautiful plants, fruits
aud foliage. The only wonder to all
was how so many varieties of flowers
and fruits and plants could be raised
in SO small space. 1t seemed al
thought they had sprung out of the
rocks. 1t was certainly a grand intro
duction Of our party to q grand state
and country, "the golden gate
From desert sands and caps of snow
into a garden of fruits and flowers II
the beautiful valleys below.
The Pacific in Sight.
The mighty Pacific 10 now in sight
Today it seems calm, serene and re-
signed; tomorrow it may lash itself
into foam. We pass q seal rock COW
cred with it's roaring contestants. We
move onward to San Diego passing
over the different branches of the At
lantlc Il Pacific and California South
ern roads.
These roads are delightful in their
surroundings and their management is
excellent. We passed through magni.
4 ficent ranches, one Of them containing
100 900 acres. on which is raised almost
endless sorts of plants, fruits and
cereals; the finest of stock, horses
sheep and cattle. Such farm in Mich
igan would be q great and grand
sight. OF course the farms in Califor-
MIA are not all a. large. There arc
many fruit farms of from five to fifty
acres upon which people make fine
living BY keeping them under high cul.
tivation. We passed through another
ranch. for a distance Of twenty miles,
owned by onc man.
1 We arrived IN San Diego s O'Clock p.
m. sunday. day Is, though due ut 4:3t
p. m. But when we did arrive We
were the more welcome. The recep-
ton was q grand one. The newspaper
men, including the most tiny carrier
boy. were out in full force. They dis
trIbuted programs, while the women
distributed badges, flowers, boquet'
and boutonnieres. San Diego is . beauti
fui place. beautifully situated anc
claims about 10000 inhabitants. The
mountains and bay lie before it in all
their slightly grandeur.
Hotel Del Coronado.
The city il bounded on the west b,
the waters of the Pacific and rises grad
ually from the water level to . hiet
plateau, which IL assembled by cable
line of street cars. The choice resi-
dence portion ~ built on q high hill
overlooking the bay. Opposite san Di-
ego, on = peninsula. lies Coronado,
with its handsome, worid-ssmed Hoto
Del Coronado. This hotel 10 IN itself /
wonder in sixe and in it, perfect ar
rangementa In eli iss departments,
there il beauty and completeness
On our ARRIVAL at the queenly spo
Mayor shermAn gave the welcome al
dress 20 the journalists. 10 wAs dsiIv
cred feehngly aud distinctly, in beau
tifai language. and on the most beAuti
fnl spot IN the extreme southern par
Of Caisfarnls.
Il Coronado. ''sae garden Of deiIghs.
u adorned with howeFlsg plants anf
snFubs along il surf~besten shores
There are slso otssr ssshts of great in
tsRsstss saang then, the ostfieh farm