The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-15
THE PRESIDENTS JOURNEY.

REDLANDS, Cal, May S.-After jour
neying through the arid plains Of New
Mexico and the aIkaIi desert Of Arizona,
the Presidents entrance into the beautl-
full and picturesque valley of San Ber-
nardino, in tropical Southern California,
was Ike passing through purgatoTy into
paradise. Here nature has Iayished her
most gracious gifts, and the hand of man
has wrought wonders Of surprising beau
ty-
Fourteen years ago there was scarce q
human habitation throughout this canyon,
which lies protected on all sides by the
snow-capped peaks Of the Sierra Madre
Range, and today Redlands and the sur
rounding plain is a veritabIe garden spot
where fruits and flowers are in perennial
bloom. The little city of $500 people where
the President met his first introduction
to the bounteous hospitality of the Col
den State, lies in the southwestern pOT-
ton Of San Bernardino county midway
between the mountain fastness and the
placid waters Of the Pacific Out of San
Bernardino county might be carved ten
States each as large as Delaware and yet
there would be enough territory left to
create a dozen Commonwealths each the
size of little Rhody- The reception to the
President was on a scale of like rnagni-
tude-
On either side of the railroad as the train
entered the canyon were to be seen beauti-
ful orange groves, some Of the trees bur-
dened with their rich, yellow fruit, and
here and there spots where the ground
was literally covered with fallen oranges,
like apples in a New England orchard. The
cd 7s-
the President and those who accompanied
him drove through the city, along the
broad roadways lined with spreading
palms, and dropping pepper trees. with
flowers Of all kinds in great profusion
everywhere, past beautiful residences in
the centre Of spacious lawns, and through
the sinuous drives of Canyon Crest Park.
was one which Mr.. Mckinley will not soon
forget
Throughout the length and breadth of
the seventeen square miles Of the city the
streets had been sprinkIed with oil in or
der that not a particle of dust might rise
TO annoy the pleasure of the ride Oil IS so
plentiful in southern California. ike na-
lures other gifts, that it is used aItogeth-
CT in many places for sprinkIing the
streets The cost is less than water, which
is sometimes scarce and needed for irriga-
ton, and the result is much more salts
/ factory, as after q thorough oiIing the
streets are in good condition for three or
four weeks.
It would be difficult to find anywhere
| on the map more enchanting and pict-
| uresque spot than this canyon Of San
| Bernardino in which Redlands is situated
| Orange growing is the chief industry Of
| the people, and rules the entire section of
| the country, just as the odor of the sue
cJuent fruit permeates and perfumes the
whole atmosphere. From Canyon Crest
! Park, a rough and barren foot hill OF 200
acres, transformed into a fairyIard by a.
X. and y. H Smiley, eastern capitalists
who have chosen RedIands as the site Of
their winter homes, the eye looks down
ana sweeps the valley beholding vast or
ange grove. More than 4,000 acres in and
about Redlands, wateTed by irrigation, are
devoted to the growing of oranges, and
hundreds of thousands OF crates Of this
delicious fruit are shipped from this val
ley to Eastern cities to crafty the appe-
tite OF those who live in a less favored
cline
Here and there are orchards of grape
fruit lemons and olives. The fact that
Rcdlands embraces so large d territory is
explained when ii is known that in the
residence portion, which is all OF the city
save the small business district, ten and
twelve acre orange orchards separate
neighborhOod dwellings These dwellings
are all ideal homes; many Of them are Of
Moorish style of architecture, picturesque
in their beauty and superb ia their ar
/ raIsSements for enjoying the glorious eli
mate with which the region is blessed.
There are no old and dnapidated build
ings in RedIands, no section which is not
as good as any other. no best portion Of
the town for It is all the best, and every
thing is modern, for the town itself has
just passed its twelfth birthday The
residents of RedIands are inclined TO be
/ boastfuI Of their dry warm, and invigor-
ating climate, their beautifu' parks, fine
residences, grand mountain scenery, or
ange groves, their glorious sunsets, and
the fact that the sun shines there go
out Of the go days OF the year.
They may well be pardoned for their
pride and enthusiasm. Here rose bushes
climb 10 the roofs of two-st0ry houses.
and bloom, some of them almost as large
as cabbages; geraniums grow Ike trees.
and every variety Of flower and plant
thrives n abundance. In Smiley Park
Ih=re are no less than 600 different Varic-
ties and species of flowers. shrubs foil
age, trees, and plants These are not
spring-tiTne OF summer growth. but many
are perennial Here the thermometer
ranges from 20 degrees in winter to an
average Of % degrees in summer, the
coolest nights are when the mercury falls
to 40 degrees and frosts are unknown
Yet ID from this splendid valley where
the sun kisses the orange groves almost
every day in the year there rise the lofty
peaks Of the Sierra Madre Range whose
SUBMITS are crowned with perpetual
snow. They are in plain view from the
bottom of the canyon On one side rises
Mount San GOrgoniO, commonly known
as old Grey Back whose peak, always en-
wrapped in snow and ice, is IZ.600 feet
above the level Of the sea. Beyond 1t is
Mount San Bernardino, 1850 feet from
sea level while across the canyon there
IS Mount San JacintO. the smallest Of the
trio whose summit measures l0-l09 feet
from its base. Thus continuous winter