The Newtown bee., 1895-02-22
In Fairfield County.
MONROE.

MONROE.
 AN INTERESTING EPIsTLE FROM JAMES O..
 JOHNSON.
 Editor of THE BEE: As a member of party of California excursionists and thinking that few jottings by the way might be of interest to home friends. take up the pen, not knowing what bet ter to do with few spare moments. l am writing this from Avalon, Santa Cat alina Island, which is distant some 50 miles west from San Pedro, Southern California coast town. Our party ,sssome 40 people, came here on Saturday last by steamer Falcon, for Sundays rest at this delightful Pacific island resort of Californians from San Francisco to San Diego. We arrived here in the afternoon and were royalty entertained at Hotel Metropole. Sunday was spent in wan- dering up and down this lovely beach or climbing it's overhanging and lofty moun- tain peaks, gathering beautiful shells, boating or attending services at the Con- gregationai church, which were quite interesting. This island, some 30 miles long by three to eight miles wide, is own ed by three Banning Brothers of Los An geles, as is also Middetown and San Pe- dro, on and near the coast. It is occu- pied as sheep ranch. Large quantities of sheep sraze on it's fertile mountains. Mexican Joe, who has not been off the island in four years, informed me that wild goats were plenty; also foxes and quail. Fishing is immense; numberless varieties are caught. It is simply won- derful sight of fishermen coming in with their catch. This, and all of California's coast watering places are simply a eli matic paradise, the thermometer varying only about five degrees, summer or win ter, and 65 in summer.
 We set sail at 8. m. for San Pedro, ,on the coast. After 10 minutes sail leak was discovered in one of our boiler fues i; consequently we had to put back to port for repairs, which will require some hours and somewhat disarrange party plans of visitation and sight seeing. On our trip over on Saturday old ocean was quite swelly and most of our party were quite sea sick. We have most interest," ing and representative party from Con- necticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Mime l sota, Colorado, which included officers of the American Pomological society, Vice President Berkman of Agusta, Ga., B. G. Smith of Cambridge, Mass, treas urer; Vice Presidents William H. Perry l of New Jersey, Brackett of Iowa, also Secretary Bracket of Iowa; Prof Kelley, late of the chronological department, Washington, D. o.; H. M. Heximer, edi- tor of American Agriculturist, 8 number of the largest nurserymen of the East, J. J. Harrison of Northern Ohio, with 1000 acres of nursery, William Perry of New Jersey and several others. We also ! have representative of the Penfield fam fly, formerly of Stepney, in the person ot James W. Penfeld of Willoughby, O.. whose father was the oldest of foul brothers, who went west in his youth and grew up with the country. Mir Penfielo is large manufacturer of clay working machinery in Ohio, who, with his estim able wife spends his winters here. Ht has an orange grove at Ontario, some 3s miles southwest of Riverside, whose cul tivation he enjoys much. Meeting M Penfield as did was an interesting par
 of my experience here, having known thu family from my youth. felt could re ly upon what he told me. We have en ljoyed our trip in his genial company
 since our meeting, much. In addition our party consists of successful farmer and business men who, with their wive
 and daughters have combined to mak
 this trip of pleasure and sight seeing i this wonderland of sunshine, fruits an
 flowers in mid winter, when our Atlanti
 homes are clad in winters snowy mantle one of great interest to all, the pleasan memories of which will be cherishe
 while life shall last. Our journeyings
 and in this state, places visited on th way and here, the many hearty oratior and receptions (notably Gov Budd's
 San Francisco) the numerous excu
 sions and side trips to mines, orchard t vineyards, fruit and nut farms, ranche s stock farms, beet sugar factories, lemo
 fields, mountain visits, seaside resort
 parks, etc., it is not my purpose to d F scribe at this time, but will endeav' s from time to time, in future, beginnir n with the start from home on January t James c. Johnson.
 n P. S.: I expect to spend to-morro [, night with your brother, R. H. Smith, d Riverside, the next with A. B. Ruggl It of Redlands. who was four years ago