The San Francisco call., 1897-04-30
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

II the people of Southern California feel
the need of any tonic stimulus after read
ing the depressing account OF life in their
section as described in Miss Harraden's s
story of California life, they can find 1t in
an article by William E. Smythe in the
current mum ber of tn" atlantic, on Real
Utopias In the Arid West" The portion
of the article devoted TO Southern Cali
iornia is not Ions, but it is sufficient to
dispel any gloomy ideas which may be
held, either at home or abroad, con-
cerning that beautiful section of our
country.
Mr.. Smythe says the evolution OF South
ern California may be studied In the ex-
perience of two representative colonies,
Anaheim and Riverside, and of the or
ganization, development and success of
these he gives an account whose truth
needs no addition of glowing ad jectives or
laudatory phrases to make it attractive 10
home-seekeIs. After pointing ont that
the districts in which these now fouris h.
ing settlements have grown up were once
regarded as barren wastes, he descri be 5
the condition of prosperity which obtains
there and pictures the Lille of the people
as far superior to that OF rural reside nts in
any portion of the East
Miss Harradcn's heroine found her chief
objection 10 the country in its lack OF So
ciety, but Mr.. Smythe asserts that 1t is
the social side of these Southern Cali
fornia colonies which makes the strongest
appeal to popular interest. The homes
and avenues of Riverside, he says, (which
have been evolved from an Inferior sheep
pasture In less than a generation, are
among the most be6utiful il the world"
He emphasizes the fact that homes of
| similar beauty and comfort IN the SUBJ
Urban districts OF great Eastern cities
belong to people who enjoy a degree of
! pros perity much above the average while
IN the Southern California colonies these
| ONES and surroundings be ong to average
| people who earn their living by tilling the
| soil.
The writer also notes that the beautiful
homes and high average prosperity at
tanned on the small farms and orchards in
! the irrigated districts of Southern Cali
| fornia have not spoiled the democratic
simplicity or lessened the hospitality of
these communities. AS an illustration of
| this lie cites an incident that occurred
saortly after the adjourn ment of the In
ternational Irrigation Congress at Los
Angeles in 1898, the delegates 10 which at
tended banquet given by the people OF
| Santa Ana.
At the close of this feast Senior de
Ybarrola, representative of Mexico, in an
after-dinner speech paid handsome COM
pliment to the ladies who had waited on
! the table. One of the representa- lives
| from France afterward expressed surprise
that public compliment should be given
to servants. and was amazed when in
formed that those WHO had waited on the
table were the leading ladies of Santa Ana.
DO you mean to tell me-" asked the
French delegate, that the leading ladies
put on aprons TO serve strangers?" Ger.
tainly," was the reply, "ior in this coun-
try service is title to respect"
The incident, as Mr.. Smythe says,
illustrates at once the hospitality and
the equality which are characteristic of
| the social life of Southern California; ;
and we can add that If Miss Harraden's
heroine, or any other person. is untitled
to enjoy life in such society and amid
such surroundings she has only herself to
blame, In all such dissatisfied persons
there has been defect in the bringing up,
and, like Mrs, Poyser's chickens, they
ought to be matched over again and
| hatched different"