The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-02-28
FAIR SAN DIEGO.
G. ~. George Speaks of the Beauti-
tful Bay Town Where An
gels Dwell.
Long Line of Cloudless Days and
Appetite and Sleep Hang
Over You.
SAN DIEGO, CAL, FEB. 6, '95.

To THE ED1ToR:-When I left Red
wood Falls, about one year ago, I
promised several of my friends to
write to them, describing the land in
general and my impressions in par
ticular. With your kind indulgence
l will do this now.
If the reader fancies he detects some
favor of partially in this letter, let
him remember that it will always be
quite impossible to write on Southern
California, SO as not to be tinctured
either with ignorance or affection. The
tourist of few weeks or months may
give you his impressions. He may ar
rive here in the evening and wake up
next morning with program all laid
out, what to do and what to see, and
find the rain pouring down all day.
He, OF course, will have to say inside,
and unless he is in first class hotel,
with stove or fireplace, he will be
uncomfortable and chilly, and his first
day OF grumbling will have begun. If
he gets here about January he will be
disappointed in the flavor of the or
anges, which are sour and naturally
so, because they are notripe until late
in February. Then I can assure you,
that such oranges are not sold in the
States at all, simply because they are
not ripened on the tree but in the box
es and are comparatively green when
packed. On the other hand if one
stays long enough to learn the lands
peculiar features to know it in all sea-
sons, to see its different kinds of land,
it's cultivation and improvement from
coast to mountain top--the chances
are hundred to one, that by the time
such person gets ready to write, he
wilfbeSlike the present writer, writing
only OF home.
San Diego is located in the south
western corner of the United States,
on the shores of San Diego bay, a
land locked harbor of 13 miles in
length, and from two to four miles in
width, deep enough for the largest
ships. l have seen time and again
three masted schooners sail in with
out pilots. Australian and other large
vessels are towed in and must have a
pilot on account of insurance. Just
now we have here Uncle Sans war
ships, Ranger" "Alert" and revenue
cutter, "Wolcott.' The latter is sta
toned here continually. San Diego
has about 10000 inhabitants and has
all modern conveniences, such as elec-
trio lights, electric street cars, asphalt
paved streets, a splendid opera house,
and just now the council is on the
point of contracting for a large water
ing plant with the two sons of Gen.
Grant, Jesse and U. S., Jr., who are
both residents here. Mrs. Gen. Grant
owns splendid residence on Florence
Heights. U. s., Jr., and Jesse both
have their own residences here. F. O:
VanL Lyke, of this place, wrote in 1886
as follows about the southernmost
part of California:
"It is wild and tumbling sea of
land, land where it seems always af-
ternoon, a land far beyond the orbit
of the tramp, the chrome man and the
insurance agent, where the spinster is
not a burden and the voice of the light
ming rod man is not heard, where moth
ing is certain but death and even that
is remote contingency; land yet
inviolate by limburger, the bologna,
or any other flavor of European civ
illZatlOn; q land OF bees, Dlrds ana
rabbit fed bachelors" This was in
'85. am sorry to state that now the
tramp takes special delight to visit us,
especially in winter. He comes, OF
course, per brake beam and knows as
we'll as any body else that this is far
ahead of where the bleak winds and
blizzard helds sway. The bologna
and limburger are also here to stay,
only the lightning rod man is missing
as there is no lightning nor thunder
It's generally said, where the winters
are so warm the summers must be
very hot. will say right here that
/ never passed q more pleasant sum-
mer than the last one. The hottest
day we had was 81 in the shade one