Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-02-14
KOdaking a KOntinent.
The Amateurs Camera shows us South
ern California, with its snOw-Clad
Mountain Peaks, Fertile valleys and
Thriving Towns and CIties.


not see how he ever could have reached it,
as explorers of less courage would have
lost their way and quietly settled down for
life where grasshoppers were plenty and
honey could have been bought at a reason
able price.
From Yuma we do not coast the side of
barren mountains as for the previous "a
hours, but soon begin a gradual descent
until at Saton we are 26j feet below the
normal level of the crust of mother earth.
Then we climb to height of 2560 feet at
the beautiful town of Beaumont, so miles
from Los Angeles. The ascent is through
the valley that lies between the two high
est peaks of the San Bernardino range,
covered with glstening snow and ice for
1000 feet from their submits down. Green
fields of waving grain, and extensive
groves of the citrus family, with deep green
foliage, make their appearance.
Cucumongo, Ontario, Pomona, and 9TH
er similar places are reached and passed
in quick succession, where wineries, raj
sin drying, orange groves and fruit pack
ing give an appearance of commercial ac-
tivity which is worthy the bright and in
telligent people seen at the stations. At
San Gabriel, which, to the critical observ-
er, is a suburban attachment of Los An
geles, large amounts of fruit are received
and shipped to the larger cities on the
coast.
At last sight of Los Angeles-the city of
the angels, the show town of the Pacific
coast-gaddens our eyes. The town is a
gem richly set in a bower of unequaled
beauty, with miles of semi-tropical luxury
of vegetation all around. Turning the eye
in an easterly direction from the eminence
on which the county buildings stand, a
picture unequaled on the continent breaks
upon the vision. The snow-capped noun
tains are in full view, though 60 miles dis
tant, the clear atmosphere showing every
outline, and form background to the
prodigal luxury of garden, field and village
that intervenes, impressing the beholder
with the inspiring thought that the wand
of the Infinite is en- rapport with man as
| one stands spellbound and silent in the
presence Of such rapturous sublimity of
| the Creators gifts TO his children.
From Los Angeles the scene changes TO
San Diego, 130 miles distant, in the south
western corner of the state, a city possess
| ing many possibilities but few probabilities
This town is the antipodes of Eastport,
Me-, or Bar Harbor if you prefer it. The
climate is wonderful, the location unique,
tion of pecuniary profits to the enthusiast
tic promoters who have poured their mil
lions of capital into this skeleton of COM
mercial centre.
On the south lies the semi-barbarous
Mexico, with no ambition, intelligence or
care except for the immediate present. On
the north the surface is broken, and con-
sists of steep hills and narrow valleys from
the ocean TO the Cuyamaca mountains
which hem in the city and suburbs from
the east. The soil is rich and produces
abundant growth of tropical fruits of all
kinds, but nothing can be done without
water and the first cost of this improve
ment is $40 per acre, counting all the land
lying in reach of a given system of irriga-
tion. When the lands are in good order,
with water supplied, the average cost is
500 per acre, the planting with lemon,
orange, walnut, pecan or other trees being
additional, and for any profit the owner
must wait from six to ten years.
Many readers of The Phoenix are aware
that the great San Diego Land company,
which started in 1887, has been a monu-
mental failure, that the stock is worth
but five mills on the dollar, that millions
have been expended where the money can
never be recovered, that the 5000 people
of the town are now living on the drop
pings from the platter of the Land com
pany, from tourists, and others from the
North and East, from an occasional 'ten.
derfoot" with money, who is persuaded tc
part with few thousands by the persua.
sive appeals of the ever-present promoter,
and lastly to live, or rather exist on each
other.
The statistics of trade for 1895, accord
ing to the compilations of the chamber Of
commerce are: for imports, $4,000, ex
port, $269, 900, leaving a balance agains
the city of SAT- 200, which must be mad,
good by the funds of people of other 10
calities. At Coronado Beach, a suburb o.
the city, lots suitable for building purpose.
that sold for $500 each six years since car
be bought for $50, and the depreciation IL
the city, in many localities, is equally ap
parent.
There are many costly residences herC
and the best section of the city is admira
bly, adapted for improvement. Many o.
these residences are owned by familie
who come here to spend the winter months
which is the only attraction, as from Ma
to November there is no rain and all vege
table growth ceases, except by continue
irrigation. Lumber of all kinds is brough
from Seattle, coal from Australia, the lat
ter costing the consumer $40 per ton, an
} soft or bituminOus at that. With no school
or roads outside the town, and fruit land
held at prices above mentioned, wood an
coal at starvation rates, interest on loan
at to 10 per cent per annum, market 70
, produce 5000 to 1000 miles distant, . ]
petition increasing every year, orang
. groves being cut down to make way fC
some new experiment, walnuts and olive
, for example, which take ten years to ma
ture, the care of these exotics being cor
, tinuous. our average New Englan
,, farmer can judge of the chances a ma
/, would take in coming here to improve hi
, condition with few thousand dollars Onl
, as capital.
There is but one railway, the Californi
Southern, operated by the Santa Fe rout'
connecting San Diego county with th
: other railways of the state. Two throug
trains are run daily; thirty miles of thI
ine, as we leave the city, are over an
through series of conical hills and rs
vines, without a tree to hide their naked
ness or give variety to the scenery
Countless herds of sheep are grazing o
the steep sides of the verdant pastures
the restless ocean is seen as we pass nea
its shores, and the general outlook woul
indicate similar view on the shores G
Lake Champlain in June.
About Oceanside the country is les
broken, more of the mesa is under cult
vation, and the lemon grows here to Pc