Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-04-11

from reading some of your letters,
which he receives from you. infer that
it Is mutual. The last letter You wrote
him. he sent TO rs, and we were glad to
hear th.t some of your friends as well as
his were living near rs, and We begun at
once to try to find them. bat when we
located them We found that Mrs.
Watkins had gene from home on visit
for about 8 week, aud we expected to
call to see her upon her return, but un-
fortunately, she was taken sick with
pneumonia, and died within three or
four days time, before getting home.
This was sad incident, but sadder still,
that she had TO leave suc1 devoted
husband and children, as understand
they were, besides they had snch o love-
ly home, situated about nire miles from
Los Angeles and adjoining pretty
little town, Alhambra, which lies in the
San Gabriel Valley. q very rich part OF
California, Astounding In large Orange
groves and immense vineyards. Their
house stands in the midst of o lovely
grove and surrounded with flowers and
shrubs, and everything to make il at
tractive. Mrs. Watkins. as have been
told, was q model Christian woman aud
mother. Besides her husband she left
four children, the Oldest. son of about
sixteen or seventeen years, the next q
daughter, fourteen ar flfteen, the next q
SON about twelve years and the youngest
little girl about five years; besides
these, there were with her, her brother
and sister, think the sisters name is
Anna. but did not learn the name Of
the brother, you will remember him, no
doubt, as he has been in California only
about four years. Ny wife and went
out TO attend the funeral and met the
family. and had q talk with Mr.. Stone
He regretted very much that we had not
found them sooner, so that we could
have known his siste-. II was great
disappointment to us, In not being able
to do so, as after reading In your letter
about what fine lady she was, we ex-
pected to have friend who would seem
to us, more Of . relative than a stranger,
and Mr.. Combs was anxious that we
should find her also, as her father,
Frank Stone. was one of his dearest
| friends.
Mr.. Stone promised to come to see us
and we expect him soon. Mr.. Jas. w.
Combs is very remarkable man, In this,
that he is in very good health, as rule,
is very active, rides on horseback every
day, and is very jolly loves joke as
well as the youngest, and better still,
raised family of children, in manner,
of which any man would have cause to
feel proud, each and every one Of whom
is always solicitous shout his comfort.
and would not neglect him in any way,
and /, too, feel very much attached 10
him, as well as to all the others of the
family. On his account. more than any
thing else, regretted the necessity of
leaving Kentucky on account Of my
health, but feel very much encouraged.
in the hope that after spending one
more winter in this delightful climate.
l may regain my health, to such an ex.
tent, that 7 can return to Kentucky,
and live there as well as any place
While here in California, we are always
looking out for Kentucky people, and
have met quite number, some of whom,
like myself, are here for health, others,
for the pleasures Of the country. I, as
well as my wife, feel an attachment for
the people of old Maryland. My grand
father and grandmother, on my mothers
side, came from Prince George County.
Maryland, adjoining Mr.. Combs county,
but / do not know, in what part of the
county they lived, except that it was
not so very many miles from Washing
ton, and, think, on the Potomac 1t
has been many, many years since they
left there and settled in Kentucky. Ny
| grandfather's name was Charles Drury
and my grandmother was Elizabeth
Leach. do not know IL there are any of
either family left there now. My mother
has been dead about six years, she being
the last of the Drury family, except one,
who is still living in Kentucky. Iwould
be proud to know, IL some of my rela.
tives still live in old Maryland. My
grandfather settled IN Kentucky when
it was Little less than wilderness, and
my mother said that when he came TO
the site where Louisville now stands, IL
was nothing more than q swamp and
called the Frog, Pond" Now IL IL large
city OF over two hundred thoussnd. so
that his arrival must have been in the
early part Of the last century, ] think,
about 1915.
We live IN Los Angeles. beautiful
city of over one hundred thousand. stu
ated in a rich valley. between the noun
tains on the East and Pacific Ocean on
the West. As you, perhaps. know the
principal crops here, are the orange,
lemon. grapes and nearly all kinds OF
fruits and vegetables. The orange crop
has been exceedingly large this season
but the growers complain OF scarcity
of cars, for shipping the fruit.
The climate Of Southern California d
very delightful; it has been truly said oil
IL. that this 10 the land of sunshine and
flowers, a indeed, throughout the wh0ls
winter sezsUns thsrs u s0.be go ~ III