Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-06-14
A LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
FREasc, CAL, May Is, 1897.


After leaving Eisinore, the first place
OF note was Riverside, a picturesque city
OF five thousand inhabitants; the str eets
are very clean and neat, and the build
ings aud yards surrounding have tidy,
attractive effect, iii fact everything hav-
ing an "up to date appearance" The
city covers quite large era, the dwell
ings being erected at quite a distance
apart, leaving plenty Of room for beauti-
flying with large lawns, some lawns
being dotted with shade trees, while
Others are utilized By being covered with
orange groves, the latter trees being now
laden with those. juicy naval oranges.
There was one popularity about the
orange trees that struck me as being OH
paradoxical score and that was this:
! Some of the trees would be in bloom and
at the same time green and ripe oranges
were hanging from their branches; SOME
thing quite uncommon among the
orange trees, but seen quite frequently
among the lemon trees. rhe residences
were generally located at or near the
center of the groves on slight elevation
OF ground and the many pathways
| winding through the groves, and the
pretty drive-ways leading to the resi-
dences, lined upon each side by shade or
| orange trees. gave TO the city very
pretty and attractive appearance, one
! that could not fail to fayorably impress
! the visitor with the enterprise and pride
that the citizens Of this little place take
in keeping it dressed in a strictly up to
date fashion. But one of the prettiest
scenes is the famous Magnolia avenue
located just outside the city, this being
the residence portion of the upper ten"
OF the city. Every visitor or sitsllt-seer
that ever visited this part Of the country
| has heard Of or saw this beautiful ave
nue. &.
The avenue is lald out in 81 straight
course, ten.miles i'll length, lined on both
sides with palm trees with spreading
the avenue is divided by thickly grown
Magnolia trees, while down among
these branches-at every thirty feet
electric lights throw out their rays to
add to the attractiveness OF the scene.
/ The residences av erage about ten to the
mile and are built after the ancient style
of architecture, without regard to ex-
pense. They are surrounded by very
pretty lawns, orchards, drive and path
ways which lend pleasing effect to the
already pretty scene. The avenue would
be a credit to a much larger city than
Riverside. A tally-ho carries visitors
up this avenue every for evening one dol
lar for the round trip.
After leaving Riverside l started for
Bakersville, some six hundred miles over
the mountains, soon after leaving Los
Angeles two engines were attached to in
sure our climbing the summit nothing OF
note happened more than the parting of
the train two or three times which
would arouse some of the sensitive
and nervous passengers. The scenery
was very pretty but not SO much so as
it was going down the other side of the
mountains, we could not look out of the
window with as much pleasure on &C,
count OF the smoke aud cinders from the
two large engines that were splitting it
! outin great black clouds.
As soon as we reached the top OF the
mountains one Of the engines was taken
ofi-and as far as pulling was concerned
the other might as we'll have been de-
tackled also-for the brakes weresett all
the time for hundreds OF miles. 1t was a
very pretty sight to look out oil the win
dow and see the cars winding around
the mountains in and out of q countless
number of tunnels the longest being one
and one fourth miles i'll length and
shorter ones where both ends Of the
train would be out, then again others
that were so close together that the EN-,
CINE would be in one while the rear car
would be in another. But one Of the
pref test sights was what is called the
loop" where the train runs around the
hill about one mile in circumference AND
comes around directly in under the same
track about one hundred feet below
making complete circle.
great difference is noticeable in tn,
temperature of the climate at Tehachapi
near Tehachapi Peak at an altitude O
seven Or eight thousand feet and Bakers
vile which is said to be the third hot
test place on this mundane sphere. [
was like going from q refrigerator to
furnace