Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-11-13
From a Former Trego County Girl.

PASADENA, Cal. Oct %. 1897
1 went to Sunday-school and church
this morning and then after dinner
grandma and / went to a concert at
the Universal church. 1t has been
cold and windy today. last night it
rained. but today the cold wind is
from the west, we suppose there is a
storm on the ocean. Last Sunday /
told you we took ride. We rode
about fifteen miles, l guess. and saw
some of the most beautiful country.
The day was just warm enough to be
pleasant We saw acres of orange
Seeding. that is little orange trees
started from the seeds: also acres of
flowers / guess we saw about three
acres of carnation pinks together,
and about as many acres of lilies and
many other varieties. and acres of
hot houses besides. Then what in
terested me most were the MeXicans.
Some were sitting on the floor and
looked about like pictures of Indians.
Some were washing. Saw women as
well as men dead drunk Two Next
cans were on two wagon-lOadS of
grapes with their wives and they
stopped in front of saloon and went
in and got their share l suppose, then
they brought two beer mugs to their
wives. / don't know what was in the
mugs, but they seemed TO think it
was good from the way they smacked
their lips. Then we saw the old mis-
sion at San Gabriel. II think grand
ma sent you a picture of it a long
time ago. 1t is supposed to be the
oldest building in the United States
1t has four bells-at one time it had
six-but two have been stolen. They
claim they are made of silver and that
Spanish princess placed them there
in memory of her husband, who was
lost in war. After doing this she
went into convent and gave the rest
of her money to the poor or in some
charitable way. The two that are
gone are supposed to have been taken
by the priests at some time and melt
ed and sold. The adoby houses look
good deal like our sod houses where
the outside is worn off. They mix up
a certain kind of black soil with some
kind of herb and then put it out to
dry in pieces about the size of our sod.
When these are hard they stack them
up and paste them together with
some kind of mixture. Then the
houses look about like our sod houses,
but they mix up something that is of
light yellow color and plaster it all
over their houses on the outside
about two inches thick. / have never
been in one so don't know what they
are like inside, but if they are any
thing like some of the inhabitants [
should think they would be dirty.
Another very interesting thing was a
cactus hedge. The cacti were about
fifteen feet high / should think, of
course some not so high, and l was
not near enough to see how broad it
was, but one leaf is often two feet
across. This hedge at one time en-
closed space thirty miles square. 1t
was planted by the Spanish to keep
out the Indians. 1t is almost impos-
sible to kill it so it extends for miles
in some places. The Indians used to
throw their captives into this hedge
and let them die there. One spot of
this ground the father or priest bless
ed. In was the first priest and this
spot is thought holy on that account.
so they used it for a grave yard and
to this day these Catholics bury their
dead there; often six deep and any
way so they can get there. Then L
saw such beautiful homes and trees
and so many pretty rose hedges, and
was once again in a barn yard with
pigs, cows, horses, chickens, ETC.