The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28
PICTURESOE SAN LUIS.
a Garden-Spot Hailed In by TotcerinS
Elcrdtions.

A Gardem-Spot Hasled Is by To,cerina
Eler0tiOns.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CAL, April 81
Stand at the top of the high hill just at the
eastern end of this old town; one of the
brightest, freshest views in the entire
State will reward you for the climb on the
grassy slope.
Rising abruptly, as you gaze toward the
west, and at an apparent distance of two
miles, is hill somewhat higher than the
terraced one on which you are stationed.
1t has an undulating surface and it is
grass-covered. Half way up the steep side
at the southwark is little white cottage.
Why man ever built there would be diff
cult to guess. On the north slope, and at
nearly the same elevation, are two wee
homes, and the problem of their location
is accordingly twice as hard as the other.
Between these two hills, as you look
from one to the other, lies sweet San Luis
Obispo. Few places are falrer than is this
village in its springtime yerdure. The
town seems nearer to the western hill,
though, perhaps, it is not. The houses
seem to cluster. with the trees and we'll
defined gardens, in the afternoon shadow
homes ramble away into the valley that
lies caught between these hills; village
lots emerge into the more spacious or
chards, the gardens and the fields of grain,
and these soften out into the pasturage at
the beginning of other hills.
There are hills everywhere, the foot
hills about the village and the more dis
tant elevations OF the Santa Lucia Noun
tain range. Walled in on every side is the
hill-dotted va LEY, and the behoIder can
hardly imagine that there is any level
road leading out into the world.
At the right of the elevation that takes
the village into its shadow, but some what
farther back, is higher and more rugged
formation. 1t is called a mountain,
though it is an isolated cone of no great
prominence in such mountainous region.
The surface is darker than the green slope
which is inhabited, and at the summit are
three distinct crags. which give crowning
touch to the general aspect of roughness
and severity. These hills. the green one
on which people dwell and the darker one
that wears the crags, rise up out of the
serene and beautiful valley; and the val
ley stretches still far beyond them and
along between two parallel ranges until
the grassy mountains come together in
the blue distance to the westward. Ma
ture locked this garden spot within walls
that are everlasting.
And the village itself! San Luis Obispo
is the home of about 5000 persons. There
are few pretentious houses that one can
see from the hilltop. The color effect of
the buildings is in gray and white, with
here and there a red-tiled roof showing
through the trees. Verdure is not lacking.
Trees surround nearly all the buildings
even the two tall and unmistakable school
structures of reddish browE-and there are
glimpses here and there of the flower
gardens.
Toward the outskirts that blend into the
ranches on either side of the village some
newly ploughed lots, right-angled and
sharply defined, give the contrast of rich
black soil in the valley of luxuriant green
The foreground has a railroad, running
close to the base of the hill from which
you look, and located just where it will
least mar the picture. Straight down
before you is the station. Up the road at
the right is the good-looking Hotel Ra-
mona. On the railroad in the other direc-
tion may be seen, or, better still, may be
overlooked the railroad roundhouse and a
lumber-yard.
This is San Luis Oblspo-a garden spot
in garden State; valley of beauty
among mountains of grandeur. San Luis
Obispo is shut in from the world, but worse
it is for the world to be so shut out.
Withdraw your gaze from the village,
and from this hilltop look to the eastward.
Again the scene is of verdant sunny val
ley. Far down the expanse of rolling
meadow little round hill stands mp like
huge green beehive. Ranch houses are
all about the valley. In the foreground is
notable eucalyptus grove. with the tall
trees standing as a sort of hollow square.
The County Hospital, with its white build
ings, its pretty lawns, its flower gardens,
fields and shading trees, is at the left and
not far away. An orchard, apparently a
part of the hospital grounds, extends up
the foothill slope.
The sounds to be heard this quiet after
noon, as the shadow of the hill is stretch
ing farther and father over the village.
are OF song bird in the direction of the
eastern valley, and of children playing
at their home down toward the town.
And somewhere man is calling the name
that the COWS know. and down the hill.
side the cows are turning.
To this quiet, rural place the Native
Sons have come in convention. Their
colors are blended with the beauty of the
village at nearer view than that obtained
from the hilltop. The delegates are in
serious deIiberation this afternoon, and
the regions accustomed quiet is unbroken.
but the evening hour is coming when
there will be no sound of the children and
the bird and the man who calls the COWS,
and then the Natives assembled in the
town of an ancient m issinn will make the