The Newtown bee., 1900-05-04
TOwN TOPICs.
Excursions in California.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF MRS E. l.
 JOHNSON TO VIEWPOINT FRIENDS.

beautiful, but cool. The tally-ho drawr
 by four horses and containing 12 people
 drove up to the door, made the 18th ana
 another stop added two more. It seem
 ed to me terrible load for four horses
 and thought so more and more as we
 neared the mountains, for the aRcent WAS
 steady and sometimes quite steep. Oc-
 casionally the gentlemen would get Cat
 to Tighten the load and at such times l
 made additions to my collection of wild
 flowers, though not 30 many as I expect. ed for the road most of the way was rough, stony and barren, but grand as as we neared the mountains. Sometimes our road lay through defiles that looked ! as though man must have cut the way, and instead of scor8 of feet to the top It would be good many score. At some time some conVulsion of nature and large volumes of water cut the way through the solid rock. At one point in the drive our attention is called to what is very properly called ''The Sphinx" |" Our drive was only 13 or 14 miles, but so steady climb that we were four hours reaching the point where wagons can go no further, and people desiring to go further into the mountains are obliged to takes burros. At the point where we stopped is group of cabins and people go up there to board, supplies being ia. ken up there from Redlands. Mill Creek Canyon" is the place named from 8 rushing little stream that is fed by the snow upon the mountains and means great deal to Redlands, for 1t furnishes the power for the electric plants that give both Redlands and Los Angeles their electricity. It is said that the pow. CT Is transmitted further than at any oth. CT place in the country, 70 miles to Los Angeles. After doing duty at the electric plants it's water is used for irrigation somewhere. After we came to stop with the horses, the gentlemen carried cushions, blankets and supplies little farther and nearer the water, where were some stone fire places and rude ta. bles, and very soon water was boiling and coffee made, delicious coffee tco Food was abundant and every one was hungry. This mountain air gives one an appetite. We ate our lunch in the shad- ow of Mt San Berna rdino, 10, 800 feet high, and it's top is covered with snow, I think all the year. 1 were my fur cape and needed 1t almost the whole time ex- cept when I was climbing. When we were through eating we started up the ouEI trail for quite distance. Fortu. ofalr hh nd A burro train wss on it's way up the trail and the packs on the little animals, it { seemed to me, were as large as the beasts. There were only four burros. One led the way heavily loaded, s man rode the second and led two more, also heavily loaded. Ladies cut here ride as
 tride almost altogether. It is very much more uncommon to see lady riding sidewise than astEide. Girls ride great deal. gathered some wild flowers and ferns. Our highest elevation that day
 was about 400C feet. Some of the party complained while climbing of noises in the head, but I was not affected any more nor as much as have frequently been at home going up flight of stairs. We started home about 3 o'clock and arrived st 30 p. m., and stopped4twice on the way to inspect the electric powt houses. L'held my breath lots of times as we went rr shing down the rocky hills and swung around curves when it looked as though we should surely be dashed l against the rocks that looked as though they lay in our path. One of the ladiee, I who sat in the seat with me, WE terribly nervous and almost screamed lots of times. Fortunately we met no one ex- cept when we could turn out. I don't ' see what we could have done if we had. It was an exciting ride home and I was tired. When I got into the house found an invitation had been left me by a friend to take another excursion, on the follow ing day, to s'PoEato Canyon, '';and hoping I would go, drew long breath, won. dered little If 1t would be possible, con. sidered that another chance would not present itself for the same excursion and said "Yes, I'h go."
 The next morning our party was made up of three two horse teams, one con- taining six people, one five and one four. had an easy seat and pleasant compan- ions and we soon saw that the day was to be perfect one. The drive was a complete contrast to the one the day be. fore. The road was smooth ss psve- ment most of the way, and while we were all the time climbing towards the sky the fields on eitht side were cover ed with verdure. We pas ssd the 'Yu- ceipe" where the Cbinamen have such i'm
 mense gardens, ,and the barley and wheat sn1 oat fields were very often on one
 side or the other. We also passed sew eral cherry ranches and the trees were
 as white as though enveloped in snow. Several apple orchards we also saw, and
 brought home apple blossoms, also liIaca.
 white and purple. The climb was about
 as steady as the day before, and we we r,
 ues Fly five hours reaching our camping lplace. There camp stove was produc led and fire made in it, another frer lacf # stones was made on which water was
 boiled for coffee and ham was tried in 8
 large frying pan on the camp stove, and
 while the ladies were producing and ar
 ranging the food, the gentlemen had ths Iccffse made and the ham fried, and
 don't believe ham ever tasted better than
 then and there. When our lunch wa
 finished the whole party started for g
 climb towards snow, expecting to fipd
 some, but dld not go far enough for that
 We went far enough 10 see Q beautiful