Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-02-16
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAN DIEGO, CAL., Feb. 4, 1893.
To the Editor of the Pleasantville Press

To the Editor of the Pleasantville Press :
We left Los Angeles, February 2,
and after a four and one-half hours
ride landed at this most sOutherly
city. 1t is very interesting ride as
all these routes are in this country.
The lovely orange and lemon groves,
the walnut and prune orchards, the
vineyards, and cattle and sheep
ranches are the old scenes we have
described in former letters. A pOr-
tion of the way, the road runs
between the bluff and strand. Unlike
Southern New Jersey, here the main
land and sea meet, the soil being OF a
hard clay or rocky nature forms a
steep bluff. The storm tides in many
places covers the narrow strip, or
strand, and washes the bluff. just
outside the breaker line is seen large
beds of kelp-the same or similar to
that in New England waters. The
coast line is billy and seems to be
good grazing land in ordinary sea-
sons when the usual rains have
fallen, but now there is but little
green, and hardly a flower which
usually are SO prOfuse. Sheep and
cattle are dying in this country,
sufficient rains not having fallen to
start vegetation.
The road runs within a stones
throw of the old San Juan
Capistrano Mission, built 130 years
ago, but now a mass OF ruins. 1t
was once partly destroyed by an
earthquake, when it's tower fell and
killed forty people. 1t was again
rebuilt to tumble by the elements, a
monument of MOnkish folly. Several
small bays were passed and ducks
seemed plentiful. We were informed
that they were on the loon order not
good for food. One crane stood knee
deep in water cycling the train as it
passed, perhaps wondering Gas we
all dO) what next those human
beings would get up.
Perhaps it would be interesting to
Mrs. Lakes friends to know how she
and many other visitors here do light
housekeeping and avoid hotel life
which is expensive and tiresOme.
The Sunnyview is the name of the
house. 1t was built for the purpose
and has twenty rooms to let. Each
room is furnished and has bed
room adjoining. Across the hall and
for each tenant a cosy little room for
kitchen is fitted with table, stove,
and sufficient utensils for ordinary
cooking. Good beds and linen are
furnished, each room is occupied
with middle aged or older people
from the East, or as we call 1T when
home West. mo children are taken.
They are well-to-do farmers and
business people from cities in Kansas,
Nebraska and other Western states.
They are sociable and interesting
people and are here to escape the cold
Western winter and get fresh hold
on life when they will return to
o.rapple with flhe hf1sfneSS WORTH
Thursday we take the train for La
Jolla a seaside resort.
The constant wash of the ocean
has cut into the sandstone forming
a steep bluff from twenty to ninety
feet high, leaving at it's base
narrow passage at low tide. At one
place and where the bluff is highest,
are several pockets or caves formed
by the breakers-the largest being
seventy-fve feet deep, twenty-five
feet high and thirty feet wide is
bare at low tide. The rocks are
washed and worn in many shapes
and in two places tunnels or natural
bridges are formed.
/ was waiting for two young ladies
to come out of a pocket or cavity, to
show and explain to them Mrs.
Lake was resting at the hoteD how
a little shell fish formed recess in
the rock to protect it from larger
fish, when large swell camerushing
in through a crevice in the rock
throwing the water with great force
above my head, and drenching my
self and a gentleman from Illinois. A
quart went insids my stand-up collar
Ca rundown collar in a storm at
sea is best). / took my bath coolly
and consoled my friend from Illinois,
by telling him it was tidal wave or
turn OF the tide. 1t is astonishing
how soon one will eyapOrate or "dry
out" in this sunny cline.
San Diego Bay is a fine harbor
with a depth sufficient for large
ships. There are now in port three
merchant ships, the United States
fish steamer Albastross and Monitor,
Monterey.
The climate is more even here than
in any other place in the United
States. In this State where alfalfa
is grown for hay, women with
husbands away are called alfalfa,
instead OF grass widows.
A. LAKE.