Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-01-27
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
A BrattlebOrO Boys Impressions Of Pas
adena and Vicinity.
No FaIrer spot Exists for Man OF
Living--a Tournament OF Roses.
THE SOUTHERN,
PASADENA, Cal, Jan. 7, 1893. !

PASADENA, Cal, Jan. I, 1898
Dear PhHnir:-I have now spent six
weeks in this beautiful climate, where
winter as Vermonters understand it, is un-
known. Thinking that some of The PhG-
nix readers may he interested in a brief de-
scription of this country | will give one as
see it. | doubt if the immensely of Cali
fornia is realized by many eastern people
1t would hold all the New England states
and New York, and then have room for
Maine and New Hampshire over again.
Some of the counties here are much larger
than the whole of the state of Vermont.
The city of Pasadena is 4S5 miles south of
San Francisco and nine miles northwest of
Los Angeles 1t has population of about
5000, think, but that number is changed
about dozen times if one enquiries of II
different persons here. 1t is a young city,
having been founded i'm 1873 by men from
Indiana. 1t is located in the northwest
corner of the San Gabriel valley, at the
base of the Sierra Madre mountains The
San Gabriel valley is 30 miles long and IL
miles wide 1t is one of the richest valleys
of the state and only needs water to grow
almost every fruit and vegetable known.
The nature of the soil is gravelly and
sandy loan. In the western part of the
valley the soil is largely formed by the de-
tritus washed down in past centuries from
the mountains.
One ranch a few miles from here contains
$1,000 acres; the ordinary farmer, how
ever, has a small acreage. The claim is
put forth that "ten acres in San Gabriel
valley are equal to 100 in Vermont" This
may be true, but my opinion is that the
San Gabriel farmer has to do just about as
m nd Nil far Twin
the VermOnter. Fruit growing is the chief
occupation of the farmer. The principal
citrus fruits grown are the citron, lemon,
lime and orange, and the leading varieties
of deciduous fruits are apricots, peaches,
plums, figs, grapes and olives. Just here
| would like to advise any person visiting
this country to beware of "a fresh ripe
olive Just from the tree" The knowing
ones enjoy the Joke but the poor tender
foot has such a bitter, puckered mouth
that he couldn't laugh if he would. A
young man from Vermont was recently
sold this way.
Good wel-watered orange land costs from
500 an acre up. think it would astonish
many Brattleboro people to see the growth
tree makes here in year. a tree four
years old here is certainly as large as one
eight or ten years old in Vermont. 1t
must be remembered that the growth con-
tinueS the whole year in this climate, no
stop for winter being necessary. This past
week the mercury has ranged from IS to so
degrees at noon, in the shade. As have
before said Pasadena is located at the base
of the Sierra Madre mountains. which tower
over 5000 feet above the town and nearly
5000 feet above the sea. The mountains are
said to be five miles distant, but they look
TO be less than two miles away, so clear is
! the atmosphere. The city and valley both
are nearly surrounded 10y grand old noun
tains, some of the peaks of which are tipped
with snow.
Pasadena has a prohibitory law, and
| there is not a saloon within Its limits.
| Wine, however, is sold freely and cheaply
/ Six miles from here is what is said to be the
| largest winery in the world. 1t has a stor-
age capacity of 2,6S0,0 gallons. The
best old port wine ten years of age may be
had for $3.50 a gallon
Pasadena has some of the finest school
buildings | ever saw in a small city, and
notice in the annual report that over S27,-
| 600 was paid in salaries to teachers last
year. The city is well supplied with good
! pure mountain water has electric lights
street cars, etc, and is certainly ahead OF
Brattleboro in having a gem of an opera
house. Pasadena will never he lively
business city, Los Angeles being too near
! There are hourly trains between the two
! places and Los Angeles gets the trade.
doubt if Pasadena is a good city for poor
man TO locate in, but for a man of some
means no fairer spot exists. Many of the
residences are the homes of retired men,
who have just land enough for small or
chards and flower gardens. The flowers
they raise and the fruits they grow are a
revelation to person from the East.
The beautiful Gala is grown for boundary
hedges in many places. Some of the resi-
dences are built on a scale of magnifcence,
being the homes of millionaires. To me
some of the prettiest places of Pasadena
are the cottages, surrounded and made at
tractive by tasty arrangement of flowers
and palms. Good ordinary building lot.
can be bought at from $1,000 to $4,000
Others of larger location sell at higher
prices, even to $4,000 The nights and
mornings are quite cool, and a person
needs the same clothing here as in Yer
mont, overcoat in the daytime excepted
There have been several frosts during my
stay here, but they do not seem to affec
vegetation. Roses are now in bloom ant
Que man HAS "a DtlSii LllhL 10 saul ~ llOit
100000. Another man claims to have 30'
varieties in his yard. saw a vine recent.
that measured 46 inches in circumference
at the roots.
New Years day was celebrated by
tournament of Roses" one feature o
which was parade, similar to the one he'll
on the second day of our Valley fair. Tn
parade did not equal the one at BrattlebOro
bnt the rose decorations were very beauti
full. To me it seemed far more like
Fourth of July celebra'ion than a NeN
Year display, the sun .ng sweltering,
One must visit this state to appreciate il
The newspaper reports, while mainly true
} are often misleading or exaggerated. Tha
men make money here is true, that som
make fortunes is true, and that many hav
to hustle for living is true, although tn
r newspapers never mention the latter fac
| The boom days of speculation are over an
live man in Vermont can raise about tn
same sized crop of dollars as his Californi
friend, and without irrigation either. AS
place of residence Pasadena is "a uniqu
corner of the earth" and one of the mos
delightful places of ''our Italy"
A. 5. H.
aN.aaaaa.....-