New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-28
A RAMBLE IN CALIFORNIA.
prf.TrRrs OF THE GOLDEN STATE.
VALLEY OF PEACE-THROUGH THE CAJoN PASS
LIFE AMONG THE MOUNTAINS OF SAN
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. RED
LANDS AND NENTONE.
LANDS AND MENTONE.
,r,ov sr,yr CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE

,rnou STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE,
Mentonc. Cal. May 1O.-1hc California
season begins abont the first OF Dccem
her and lasts till about the end of March,
II has been my fortune to make acquaintance with
tie country at the wrong time, but, even at the
wrong time this land is one OF extraordinary
beauty The place in which now write is a val
Low f peace | came into it on Il brilliant April
morninr after n continuous railway journey OF
more than 100 hours, and presently the world Of
my accustomed pursuits with IT'S turmoil and
fcvcr seemed Il dim and fading memory. Coming
here. from the North-along the comtortabl" and
ncrfcctIy aprointed line Of the AtchsOn. Topeka
and Santa Fc Railroad-the pilgrim enters this val
ley through the Caion Pass sinuous, rugged fan
| t,stic rift in tho majestic San Bernardino Noun
tains-and at first he pauses ut the sleepy old town
| of San Rornardino From that town, settled by
the Standards many years ago, this cosey nook is
distant To the eastward, about twelve miles Men,
tone is "A suburb Of the prosperous city OF kchlanhs
IL wonder Of enterprise and rapid growth-and it
| los at the eastern extremity OF IN" Valc IN the
centre Of pleasant plain that Is ste"p'd In sun
shine and glorious with all the flowers that grow
Fancy could not picture. nor could taste devise,
a swecter refuge from care.
Tie broad cypansc of this valley is sparsoly
groves Of orange blooming vineyards meal VS. OF
sage, and tossing and tumbling sea OF VIII now
crs: arid all this shining luxuriance of green
and Purple and gold is haunted by IN"
blachrd AMI the meadow lark. and swept by
cool winds that watt from every quarter the
mingled fragrance of orange blossoms. roses, and
the mountiin-pine Around it, at no great dis
tancn and forming an almost continuous cir 'lc
rise the grim mountans-rivcn, cr'nklrd, jagged,
rrcoipi;ous-Naturr's everlasting citadel; survlv-
ing UNCHANGED through countless ages and brood-
ing in stony scricc on the transient life Of man.
Northward these mountains form crescent. In the
cast towers San I}ernardinO, crowned with snow.
Nor" distant rises tie Sa1dr-siap"d crest oil
Iravhack. mln'led with the same dele 'te ermlne.
More distant still, and moro in the south crouchcS
the lion -frontcd maj.sty Of San Jacinto, frownng
on the snow-clad SUBMITS Of San Antonio, supcrbly
ominous in the wet II is only pi tho south that
the ramparts are low, and in u short segment OF
the wcst-whcrc the waters Of {" Santa Ana
River wind past blooming Riverside. and glide
by the Tcmrscal Mountains to their home in the
blue Pacific. Whichever way YOU look, your gaze
rppo>ca on tie scrratod outline and the haggard
d,solation Of those eternal hills: while above you,
cloudlcss and stainless. the sky Is blue crystal
flooded with golden light
all wrc-groving and fruitproducing countries. the
traveller observes an excess Of sunshn, AMI the
lack Of foliaco Trees indeed. there arc-lon!
lines Of cucay n,us: frng"s Of alder: the graceful
dropping pepper from Mexico; the weird ghost
like cypress Of Italy; the !alm; the olive; and.
OF course. there are orange and lemon and fig
trees by thousands. Nevertheless, the effect i
nowh"r" produced 81 a country that Is woode'i.
Except for agricultural results everything Is TOO
much i the sun and the greatest luxury that you
can have il the occasional day Of gray twilight
and drifting cloud The orange, however loves
tho sunshine and cannot have too mich Of IL and
i'm this land OF eternal summer the Orange j. tie |
King To that monarch all the Inhabitants ar
loyal: fer him they labor and by(him, for tn
most part they sub>i-t. One valley hay speak fer
all. Southcrn California, througholr its extent,
il composed of fruitful wales n"t"d anon;
rugged mountains and cnvir0ncd with desert;
and every Whrr" her fertile plains ae beautiful
with the mi-ht green Of orange groves and giorl-
nu- with flower NOT very long ago thoS' Groves |
were shining with innumrrablc hal> # gold. To-
day they are white with starry blossoms. that
>wc"irn IN" air for miles around. ind all IN" /
world seems radiant with the Happiness OF brdal
feast ~ / drove lately through tin long yistl>
# press ami palm and olive tina, maI" the famous
me- raaco. on every hand SCI in cmrald ora".c.
groves and drlpcd with roses. thought of Our lr"
Atlantic tcinpcsts AS Il haf-forgottcn cream. AM
scarcely coud llizr that our country l. not, a.
WAYS and everywhere. a paradise.
On" day in this valley is So like another. an
all day, n" 80 uncvcntiul. that you might soon
lo.r account ~ time About { o'clock the
morning ght hceins to glow over the ridge of the
,,ir 4 t,,Ayr ri las of
cloud in the armament slowly changed e.
rose and then t. gold. Ear in the west ia"
shadows steal upward. and tho foothills Of San
Antonio catch the gathering and growing bright
r,,s Of the dawn. Then. Suddenly. ball OF
fire. the sun leaps above the crest Of tray
back. and tie whole vilc is flcl with light
All this while. from distant Groves and ont %
waste rlacr4 on the wide AM lonely moorlani
the call, of many birds ar" waited in mclolous
tumult. Here and there. Joyous with freedom,
squirrel or a rabbit leaps up among the brush
end s.urr,s away. The quail pipes IN his cover
The bnyzarl sails HIN in air. thiA. acc-llc
mist; drifting along the monntalnsldrs. il slowly
melted away The wild flowers. in every di
rrction Enco-n their petals ANA clotlc NJ" sunny
plain in odorous garments Of yellow AID purple.
and white and Lavender. and all tina; copions and
wild profn,ion Of color which Nature and Natng"
alone. can make harmonious and de-
l.ghtfGl ~ day dccprns and the warmth
increases. the mountains. in their lonely
,plrndor. stand forth like cra-. Of ebony v"nci
Will! emerald. against the sapphir" Of a cloud"ss
lumncr sky. ~ sound breaks the stiffness save
the ripplinc song,-ir"lrcntly repeated an almost
AWAY. the same.-of ,hr brown meadow-lark. or
the qucrulous. triple note Of the quail, minsle!
with ia" distant murmur of "A hrawling stream
and if you paus" in Your ramblr through IN"
meadows where the candk>tlck al"
the pcar-shaprd cactus are beautiful with nyriai
roses of pink md yellow, the place IL so still ana
20 lonely that swift, stcalthy lizards VIII GUIDE
across your PATH and the harmless gopher snake
pursue his prey, and the droll little horned toad
.on. forth 10 look and listen. There IL great
n az between 1 and u o'clock IN the after