The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-06-20

Bertha OCOtt, OF Deacon. MISS OIOll
closed her school since our last writing
and Bluff Creek closes this week wit
program Friday afternoon.
"Blake Morrow was an Eddyyille cal
Ter one day last week.
Eddyville's stock buyer, R. ]. Oldham
and family, and A. L. Oldham and fam
lily, from "out on the prairie" were Sun
day visitors at the home of w. F. lager
and family.
Mrs. Amos Evans visited at the home
of her mother, Mrs. Erwin, in Oskaloosa
last week.
The following persons, all of whom
attended the S. d. A. church at Eddy
vile, recently returned home from Des
Moines where they had been in attend
ance at the S. D. a. yearly camp meet
ing. J. H. England and Miss Laura
Beamer of this place; Misses Rena and
Verna Watts, Goldie and Minta Mater,
Eva Bowles, and Madames Naomi Sc
cress and Maggie Watkins, of Eddyville,
and Mrs. D. S. Peters, now of Abba
Miss Beamer and Mesdames Watkins
and Peppers were the three delegates
from the Eddyville church to the Cen
eral Conference.
Quite a number of our people have
been in Oskaloosa on business sinee our
last writing, in Guiding the Bum"
Not long ago we took pleasure in
contributing to this paper letter writ
ten to Mrs. Daniel Whitsel, of Sand
Ridge, by her brother, James Buck, who
has been in the west on account of his
health. We now submit another letter,
or rather a descriptive article, written
by Mr.. Buck some time ago. This ex-
cellent article is entitled:
A RAMBLE TO THE OLD MISSION.
With CALIFORNIA; bright sun shining
on us and the mocking birds in the
green trees warbling their plaintive
songs, we started for ramble thru his
toric old San Gabriel valley, Our desti-
nation being to take in the sights around
the old San Gabriel Mission, but the
beauties of nature and art combined came
very near making us forget our destina-
ton.
As we drove out of the limits of the
sity, We drove down a ravine clothed
as nature had formed it, with the ancient
live oak and other native timber, and
the ivy and the honeysuckle, where it
led us out on the old valley where as
grand scenery as one need want to see
was spread out before us. The first
thing that called Our attention was the
magnificent roads; there are none nicer
in any country than they are here All
| nature appeared to be on the move. The
farmers were blowing and sowing grain
while others we're pruning their or
chardS; some tending their flowers. The
| scenery came so fast we could not take
it all in. The roadsides were lined with
| Eucalyptus, Pepper, Cypress, and orna-
| mental trees; making it one of the
grandest scenerieS it was ever been our
opportunity to see. There was an or
ange grove on one side, or on both
sides of the road, bending to the ground
with their ripe, golden fruit; so heavy
there were supports put under the
limbs to hold them up. Then there
would be an olive orchard, an apricot
and lemon grove, and peaches and
grapes, and then a sSore or two acres of
| flowers which are raised here and ship
ped by the car load to the eastern mar
ket. Then there would be the never
failing Eucalyptus groves which are cul
tivated here for fuel. Here and there
would be the all important reservoir
with " Adams Ale" flowing out of
pipe in the ~enter of it,
Finally we came to some of the old
landmarks, the adobe buildings; some
of them crumbled to the ground, some
partly standing, but the most of them
had passed in their checks" On a lit
! tie farther we came to the old mission
standing solemnly, majestically; its head
turned to wards the sky and its base
covering a space 200 feet long, by so
feet wide. 1t has withstood the ravages
of time. and is in a fair statesof preser-
walton considering the length of time
the elements have been battling against
it. The mission was founded in I77I,
and was moved from its original site
to its present position in I775, and was
crested in 1904 from material imported
from Spain. The bricks are two and
one-half inches thick by twelve and six
teen inches square. Having no guide,
we did not get to view the inside of it,
Behind the church is the CITY of the
Dead" which covers about five acres
of ground and is very near all utilized
In front, where now stands some little
cottages, is where the stockade was
but it has about all disappeared
From here we drove to the San Ga
briel Sanitarium and thru part of the
Baldwin ranch. Having had feast for
our eyes and food for future thoughts,
we wendell our way home.
JAMES BUCK.