The herald., 1893-07-23
SOMETHING ABOUT OUR PLEASURE
RESORTS.

The watering places are suffering to
some extent this year by the unusually
pleasant weather that has characterized
the season thus far. Santa Monica, in
particular, has not perhaps had the full
advantage of her unrivaled bathing
facilities owing to the circumstance that
her principal hotel, which has reputa-
tion all over the coast, was not opened
until late in the season. We presume
that the unusual travel to Chicago has
had something to do with diverting
pleasure-going people to the interior OF
the continent. All these things, and
the fact that people have temporarily
allowed themselves to feel poor, have'
had some influence in retarding the
prosperity Of ''the City by the Sea-"
Nevertheless, this charming region is
holding its own in great shape.
The Hotel Arcadia, although opened
late, isl now maintained in
superior style. Today probably ten
thousand people will 60 down to the
city by the sea, and while many of them
will confne themselves to the wharf
above the Santa Monica cafion, and the
precious fishing privileges thereof, null
titudes will mesnder through the town
proper, and leisurely survey the at pres
ent modest proportions of what is des-
tined to be one of the gayest, brightest
and most prosperous pleasure resorts on
the earth's surface. Large oaks from
little acorns grow" ETC., etc. Long
Branch and Cape May will not be in it
with Santa Monica in five years from
today in splendors of fsctitious attrac-
tions, while in natural and overshadow-
ing claims q million years of sedulous
competition would not bring these At
lantic points up to their modest Pacific
neighbor.
A most remarkable popularity OF our
lovely Pacific coast watering places is
the fact that not only is the tremendous
expanae of the Pacific ocean interesting,
from its vsstness and from its usual
placidity, alternated at times by tre-
mendous storms, but the coast scenery
is indescribably grand, the mountains,
as behind the coast of Los Angeles, ris-
ing to height of thirteen thousand feet
at certain points. The cafi 3ns and
cafiadas that abound everywhere in
these vast and dominating mountain
ranges are full of healing springs, often
miraculous in their regenerating energy,
and of an infinite variety. People who
LA 80 20 %kas o,,th
cesses are not only compensated by an
increase of, or restoration to health, but
their esthetic sensibilities are stirred to
the innermost.
Whatever may be the success OF our
oceanside resorts this year, Of one thing
we may be assured, and that is that
their sovereign efficacy as winter resorts
will hereafter be recognized everywhere.
The winter climate of Southern Cali
fornia is fully appreciated now. The
supreme folly of sending people over to
Nice, Mentone and Cannes for a mild
climate, when they can avail themselves
of such an infinitely better one in theil
own country, will soon be thing of the
past. OF course, Californians who Anow
that, charming as are our winters, oul
summers are still more charming, regret
that our own knowledge has not been
communicated to the outside world.
But it is certain to be 80 in time.
From information in our possession
we have no hesitation in saying that the
largest volume of travel to the Pacific
coast ever known in railway annals will
be recorded this fall and winter, maugr'
the monetary disturbances.