Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-24
'TWIXT OLD AND NEW
EDITH SESSIONS TuPPER WHERE
 LOTUS EATERS DWELL.
She Is Enraptured With Coronado and Monterey and Writes Entertainingly of the Attractions of the Locality-A Good Place For Anonymous.
Especial Correspondence.l l

A2NNAy tiAC "holIA SOh LiSCO HI bL1o SSllIi- try directly asks you: "Have you been to Coronado? Have you been to MontereyH Which do you think the moro beautiful?' Now that have seen both would say that they cannot be compared any more than two lovely women should be. Each has its individual and distinctive charm. Furthermore, these two famous Pacific coast resorts cannot be compared to those of the Atlantic, except in one way. There is not at any eastern resort have ever visited-Bar Harbor Newport, Saratoga, Long Branch-a single hotel that for charm of location, architectural beauty or perfection of system can surpass either the Del Coronado or the Del Monte.
 San Diego County.
 Coronado Beach is in San Diego county, the most southerly of tho state, which extends back from the Pacific ocean to the vast Colorado river, and whose elevation ranges from 25O below to 10, 900 feet above sea level, thus affording every grade of climate and soil.
 There arc three distinct belts in this county beginning at the coast and ex- tending back into the desert region. From the coast line, 75 miles in length, back to the hill country, distance of 30 or 40 miles, arc low valleys, with intervening mesas and hills, where the ocean breezes play and citrus fruits are raised. Then | comes tho mountainous belt where miner | als arc found and deciduous fruits are grown. The climate here is bracing and health giving, with an occasional furry of snow in winter. Tho third division is the desert. In this county arc wonderful ir rigation systems. The great Sweetwater | system cost $1 900, 900, and the reservoir has | a capacity of 6,O00, 900, GOO gallons, suf1i- cient to irrigate 50, 900 acres of land. This | Is tine land of the lemon and orange. In the neighborhood of the great sapphire bay of San Diego there arc 150, 900 acres of | frostless lemon land. It is land flowing | with honey, and redolent with perfumes, and gorgeous with coloring. To the weary | tourist. worn and dusty from the terrible alkali deserts, the sight of tho noble blue | Pacific with its long linc of tumbling | breakers, the glimpses of orange and lemon | groves, the gardens tho gay winter villas, form an ensemble like flashlight peep into fairyland. And when one arrives at | Coronado Beach, where all the beauties and attractions arc concentrated and sub | limated and apotheosized one fancics he l has rubbed Aladdins lamp indeed.
 
 iterranean color and atmosphere. It dips down to the edge of tho marvclously beau tiful bay of it's own namc Tho wide stretching mountains guard ono side; on | the other rolls the ocean, and running far | out into its restless pillows lies a crescent shaped peninsula-fair Coronado Beach. Here, in wilderness of palms. huge cac- l tuses and tropical flowers and plants, with 1 the ever booming, laundering surf rolling 1 s4, l., nN | Del Coronado. It is built in Spanish fashion round patio or quadrangular | court more than an aero in extent. One l of the features of the place is a glass GOV | cred Vcranda facing tho west and com | manding view of the ocean and the peaks | of the Coronado islands. Here you may l sit and dream and drive all your phan- | toms back into their graves Care and | worry and regret take wings and fly away, and the unfathOmablc sea breaks at your | feet and sends its foam up to kiss your tired eyes.
 But there gre many other ways besides dreaming ip which to pass the hours at | Coronado Beach. There is the bathing. Surf bathing is as popular hero as at the eastern resorts. The superb plunge bath 1 is always filled with health and pleasure | seekers. The fashionable hour is between | II and 13 in the forenoon. Thcrc is also most excellent fishing, especially mackercl, bluefish, halibut and barracuda. There is shooting-plover, snipc, curlew, black brant, wild geese, quail, ducks, while deer | are to bo found only a day away in the mountains.
 Fifteen miles to tho south lies old Mex ico The littlo village of Tia Juana, | which in plain Yankee means Aunt ] .Jane,'' is always an attraction to tourists. | After the short railroad ride, comes q walk or drive and one is soon surrounded with | Mexican curios and soldiers. Then there is the beautiful drive to OldtOwn and up the Mission valley. Here arc tho ruins of the oldest mission in California, founded in 1769 and of the old prcsidio whore q | military force of 70 soldiers with few arms and cannon was quartcrcd for tho protoc- tion of the pueblo against fndian upris- | ingS.
 Here, too, is tho long, low, ruined adobe in which the gentle Ramona, the heroine of Helen Hunts novel, is said to have lived while waiting her wedding day, and also the tiny chapel whcrc Fathor Gaspara, the fighting priest, united her to Abessandro. Beside this chapel dashed to a huge beam. hang the great bells of the old mission. Strike them, and they ring as sweet and truo as when Father Junipero Serra first blessed them. Old San Diego is picturesque even in its ruin and decay.
 Even in its tumble down, out at elbows,
 poverty stricken condition it yet has a pathos and a dignity which command your sympathy and respect. Forlorn, dis
 mantlcd, d dying thing, fit symbol of a
 race fast passing away from before tho
 restless tread of a mocking, aggressive,
 cynical century, it strongly appeals to the imagination. Once from these broken easements lovers leaned; once sounded the castanct and guitar; onco rang those | silver toned bells Summoning all the de- vout villagers to mass.
 The Deserted Village.
 | Not face looks forth from the windows | now. An air of profound silence and mel ancholy broods over the deserted village. Only few swarthy Mexicans lounge yon- der in front of that old 'dobe, lazily rolling their cigarettes and eying tho visitors | with languid insolence. But tho sun glad dens with it's soft splendOr, the breeze steals gently from the bay, and the ruins of San Diego are covered with myrtle and roses.
 Monterey is the oldest town in Califor- mia. Think of it! It was founded 174 years before the signing of the Declaration
 of Independence. Shakespeare had not
 completed his plays when the first Spanish
 flag floated over this little seaport town. | Iouay It IS d curlous JumDAng ol the oll
 and the new. Electric cars pass before
 quaint, tottering and ruined 'dobes, the
 old mission is shattered with modern
 paint and gingerbread work, but even the
 vandal hand of progress has not succeeded
 in altogether sweeping away the delight fully drowsy old world atmosphere of the place. Here one discovers Fremont's head
 quarters in quite well preserved two
 story 'dobe, and here is the picturesque
 custom house, with its tall flagstaff, from
 which Commodore Jones in 1S43 hauled
 down the Mexican colors and ran up the
 stars and stripes in its stead.
 Perhaps the most interesting feature of
 the town is the lovely old Spanish senorita l who lnoal history claims WAS the pirliSh