The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-04-28
ANOTHERL EOLETTER
FACTS AND SCENES FROM IN AND
ABOUT LOS ANGELES.
SUFFERING FROM DRoUTH
Which is Running Crops in That Sec
LONESOME Peculiarities Respect
ing Los Angeles An
Ostrich Farm.

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Probably no city in the country is
better supplied with hotels, boarding
and lodging houses and restaurants
than Los Angeles, from A. No. L,
I" strictly first class" with prices to
correspond, down to those of more
moderate pretentions with respectable
accommodations within the reach Of
those Of slender purses, and no one
need lodge in the streets if he has a
few nickels, or go hungry or thirsty.
AS a rule, prices at private family
hotels are more moderate than those
of the same grade in the eastern states.
The influx Of tourists curing the winter
has been so large that all houses have
been we'll patronized. Kenosha has
furnished at least a dozen, perhaps
more. If other cities contributed pro
portionately it is not strange that
Southern California has been captured
and held duriBg the winter.
The prolonged drouth for several
months past has been great detri-
ment to the country, and except for II
rigation vegetation would be badly
shriv eed, and as it is many fields are
showing the effects, and pre- spects for
grain and feed are not promising Bar
lev and wheat harvested green are
used as a substitute tor hay in this
country, and prices have more than
doubled, and this kind of feed is re-
failing at more than $50 per ton.
Los Angeles abOunds in fine resi-
dences, and, Notwithstanding the
drouth, lawns are kept bright and
green by irrigation. There is one lit
tie pest to lawns in all this part of the
State, and that is the gopher. He
burrows under ground, constructing a
perfect labyrinth of subterranean pas
pages. honeycom bing the whole ground.
He brings the dirt to the surface in his
mouth, dumping it just at the entrance
or front door Of his underground home,
accommodating mounds of half bushel
in size if unmolested, and if it is packed
back upon it he is not discouraged, but
goes at his work again with a most
persevering determination. He is an
industrious little fellow and works
while people are asleep CT awake. Ii
an attempt is made to poison him he
/ seems to understand the chemical eff
fects of the drug and is seldom de-
ceived. If an attempt is made to
drown him out he only laughs at the
effort-the water coming to the surface
Pby some other opening, while he can
take a bath in the clear mountain
water or retreat to some other apart
ment above high water mark, for such
cases made and provided, and bid de-
fiance to his prosecutor.
While Los Angeles is, in some re-
spects, model city, it has its own de-
fects. The stranger may search in
vain with microscope TO find street
sign in tie business parts of the city,
md must grope his way about the
streets by instinct. Perhaps Kansas
City, Mo-, may be a rival to Los
Angeles in this respect-not much diff
ference. The residence portion Is bet
er supplied.
One curious custom prevails in this
country in laying out streets. They
are laid in any direction except with
the regular points of compass, for if
there is strict corresponding with the
meridian or a parallel of latitude it is
either an exception or an accident.
Why this is thus, no fellow can find out.
rhe north star is distinctly visible
hut surveyors seem to have ignored it,
in favor of some wandering comet.
Cross streets are laid out at right
angles with the universe. City lots
bounded by right lines would be unsal-
able, and would be abandoned to the
gophers.
An ostrich farmi within few miles
If the city is curiosity to those who
have never seen anything of the kind.
1t consists of seven .or seight acres, en-
closed with tight fence, divided into
small corrals of suitable dimensions,
containing about nehundred ostriches,
Of various ages and sizes, some of the
larger ones standing seven feet in
helghC. lney are SOmeClneS llGSlo
spiteful, picking and striking at strang-
ers who come too near to the open
fence of their Enclosures They breed
and thrive as we'll there as in South
Africa, from which they were imported.
A full grown bird is expected to sell
for $500, but the figures are seldom
realized. 1t is said one full grown bird
will yield $4,000 worth of plumes, but
such figures must be taken cum granum
salts. They have voracious appetite
are fed on cut alfalfa, sugar beets,
corn, ETC., and small oranges, which
they gobble down whole. An average
bird will weigh about 25O pounds, and
troop of them running with their
short wings outspread, alarmed at
some object is a novel spectacle.
Another similar but smaller establish
1888 IoooAoI ~ RI co,,+hnry, NJ