Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-07-21
California Letter.
Cotton. CAL, July 9. 1898.

year. same as last. Had preacher
friend of mine who lives at Santa Ana
for a companion. | went from Cotton
to Corona on a bicycle; distance twen-
ty-five miles. Took dinner with the
Scovilles, and enjoyed my visit with
them very much. Mr.. B. Shepherd,
who is in splendid health, by the way,
was in a reminiscent mood. and we
chatted together for hours about the
Ironton of other days. He would like
to see the old place once more. He
no doubt would be better contented
with Southern California on his return
if he visited Missouri. Mrs. Scoville
was just preparing to 60 to San Diego,
where she expected to remain three
weeks. Her older children still re-
member Ironton and Ironton people.
Mr.. George, a very handsome and
manly young man (an avowed bache-
lor), can recall the names of many OF
the girls be used ito play with. He
has been attending the Stanford Uni
versity at San Francisco, and is enjoy
ing his vacation mostly in bunting
trips with his grandfather, Mr.. Shep-
herd.
Corona claims to be fourth in the
list of lemon-producing and shipping
points in this State. The bulk of her
crop is handled by the Fruit Exchange,
of which Mr.. Scoville is Secretary. and
l found him busy IN his Office at the
packing house. Some idea may be got
of the lemon business of Corona when
it is stated that the exchange has a
curing room (or CELLAR with a capaci-
ty of 10000 car loads. On my visit
there / found large number OF men
and women busy grading and boxing
lemons brought up from the curing
room, while wagon after wagon was
bringing in lemons from the neighbor-
ing ranches to replace those that were
being packed. By this means the
curing room is kept filed to nearly its
full capacity all the time-at least at
present.
The day following my arrival by
train at Santa Ana (where / was met
by the aforesaid parson), We wheeled it
TO Long Beach, one of the most noted
watering places on this coast. The
distance covered was over twenty
miles. / took my second annual sea
bath at this resort. 1t was fine, too.
Also went over to San Pedro and view
ed the harbor which was authorized
by Congress to be deepened. and a big
appropriation of money made to defray
the expenses thereof. Everybody in
Southern California has been cussing
the Secretary of War for months for
not carrying out the Instructions of
Congress. He is charged with being
tool of Uncle Calls" Huntington, the
railroad magnate, whose interests are
centered at Santa Monica, an unsuc-
cessful rival of San Pedro for the har-
Dor appropriation.
Returned next day to Santa Ana.
On going to and from Long Beach we
passed through Garden Grove, where
resides Patrick Henry Twomey. whose
voice used to ring out in clarion tones
at Fourth-of-July celebrations round
about Logtown, back in Missouri.
However, | am sorry to say that fall
ed to locate his habitation. But l un-
derstand that he thinks this part of
the Union about the finest.
We properly observed the day of
rest. In fact, l did more observing
than usual. Monday morning wheeled
to Newport Beach, where more than
thirty car loads of people came TO
spend the Glorious. Heard a fine ora
ton and saw L. S. Grant, Jr., who
looks like living picture of his illus
trious father. He is a successful busi-
ness man OF San Diego and an aspirant
for the United States Senate. His
only claim for the honor, however, is
that he is the son of his father.
Had fine time. Returned to Col
ton the following evening, riding the
bicycle most of the way-some sixty
miles. All very nice when the roads
were in good condition and the wind
on my back.
Santa Ana is in Orange county,
where all the ranchers are getting rich
growing walnuts (English), and the
crop this year will be the largest ever
grown there. Tons of apricots are
now being dried there. 1t is a sight
to see the camps of men. women and
children engaged in pitting the fruit
and placing them on the drying trays.
The orange shipping season is now
practically closed all over this section,
after a continued activity of nearly
six months. Many of the growers
claim that the returns this year for
their crop has been smaller than here
tofore. This in spite of the 1-ceut-a-
pound-tariff on imported oranges!