Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-02-28
THE CALlFORNIA TOURISTS.
Editors of the Monitor:

FROM NEW OT10dUS W0 tIdVOlOS
straight through to California with
short stops at maaiing stations, max
ing more than eleven hundred miles
across the tate of Texas alone. Our
first days journey in that state we
traversed some rich looking prairies
Houston and San Antonio seem to be
two large and enterprising cities; af-
forwards we passed into the regions
where little else seemed to flourish
but sage brush and cacti, some of the
latter growing to immense size as
high as the telegraph poles standing
like solemn sentinels Of the plains.
The plains and deserts, with the
mountains in the distance were very
interesting to me on account of their
immensely and, then the mirage of
the desert, an optical Illusion, making
you see lakes and rivers and ships
where there are none. Ell Paso on the
border line isauite a favorite winter
resort, and from this point, tourists
make trips down into Mexico. There
you see glimpses of Mexican homes
and people. The corner of New Mex
leo we pass through, also the lower
part of Arizona is but a continuation
of desert, plains and mountains. Ev-
cry now and then the mountains
would seem to close about us until
by winding round steep ascents, from
800 to 24OO feet above sea level and
again descending to the salt fields 265
feet below, we found means Of egress
somewhere without tunneling. At
Yuma, another border town and
mealing station, many Indians in
bright array appeared on the scene to
dispose of their wares or to watch the
travellers. The owners Of kodaks had
an amusing time trying to make snap
shots at some of the dusly maidens
who seemed to stand in superstitious
awe of the camera. Through eastern
California we traversed 100 miles of
desert where no water is, excepting
what is drawn there in tanks. The
engine must draw it's own supply.
Arrived at San Bernardino, Satur-
day Jan. 80. Since then we have not
felt like strangers in a strange land,
for the next day we were greeted by
the friendly faces Of our townsman,
Mr. Benz. Mossman and his two charm
ing grand daughters, who are his
and by them we were
n 81 oh
in the most royal fashion. On Sun
day we attended church and dined
with them. On Monday, Mr.. Moss
man got a fine turnout and took us all
put to Redlands, one of the favorite
resorts of tourists. This excelled any
thing I had ever dreamed of. One Of
the chief attractions, beside the miles
and miles of orange groves, fairly
bending with their weight of golden
oalls, was drive up the mountain side,
where two wealthy twin brothers had
disposed of vast sums of money in
oeautifying it. We had evidences all
about us where the "desert was made
20 blossom like the rose," but this
mountain side blossomed with roses,
and every other kind of flower and
shrub and tree, more than the aver
age mind could conceive of. And
then to add to the picture, there were
the snow clad peaks, glistening in the
sunshine in the distance. I got SO
excited over this enchanting scene
that they threatened TO leave me at
the asylum for diseased minds in the
the Casaloma, one of the fashionable
inns for which Southern California is
SO famous. After lunch we called on
Rev. Mr.. Sterling and family. Mrs.
being one of our Barton girls
of whom we we're very fond, and
right hearty welcome we received
from them. From there we drove
home, through the charming scenes.
Mr.. Mossman seems to be good IL
lustration of the invigorating inf1u
ences Of California climate, on some
persons, for after our long days ride
he seemed less fatigued than the rest
of us. Maud Mossman is giving a
good deal of attention to violin prac-
tice. Plays first violin in an orches
ira of twenty pieces, and sometimes
assists in conducting. She has be-
come favorite violin soloist in that
locality. We were treated to quite
concert by her, with a neighboring
piano player as accompanies. Tues
day, we went down to Riverside to
call on Mr.. and Mrs. Ford, who
were at Hotel Barton last summer.
You never saw anything like Califor-