Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-02-18
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
Los angeles, Cal, Feb. 9th, 1901

Los AitS6LeS3 OtIt., IeO' OtfS, A0O1'
Mr. Editor:
It is two months today since l left
old Vermont for this fairyland. I
have been up for repairs with the
grip two weeks of this time, but am
on my feet again now and shall try to
make up lost time. I wish [ could
think of something that would inter-
est'your readers, but this is hard to
do, SO many from the East have been
here and know much more about
California than I do. Then again,
am no journalist, but if I shade things
too much I will allow them to call me
down.
"To see is to know" but it is
great thing TO see something and tell
what you saw. To see clearly is the
most difficult task in the world; to
tell things as they are one must see
them in the right light. 81, fJohn,
saw thus begins one of the divine
writers. I don't think st. John ever
saw California; however, if he had
his visions might have read different
ly. Well, since I left the birds sing
ing in the trees in my last, we have
had g whole week of rain, and while
it has been very unpleasant for visi-
tors it has been Godsend to the
farmers and ranchmen. The reser-
voirs are all full and the streams have
overf,owed their banks. Heavy SHOWS
have fallen in the mountains and even
on the great deserts they have had
heavy rains. This seldom happens
but it viii make the cowboy wear his
sweetest smile.
want to tell you about the ostrich
farm 1T South Pasadena. This has
been q very interesting place to me.
There are from one to two hundred Of
these gigantic birds there, Of all ages
and sizes, valued at $4,000 each. This
is strange industry for America,
but am told it is very profitable
business. They have small factory
inside the gate, where they manufac-
ture feather boas, fans, parasols and
many other novelties from the small
feathers, while the large long plumes
are shipped East, and are sold at fab
ulous prices. They charge an admis-
sion fee OF twenty five cents to the
grounds and it is well worth the price.
Don't miss it when you come this way.
Los Angeles has several attractive
seaside resorts with fine beaches; the
Oldest OF these is Santa Monica, To-
Gated on the beautiful bay of that
name. IL has a fine beach for bathing
and a good harbor. Three miles
from Santa Monica is the national
soldiers home with over 1000 inmates.
Every colder ought to visit this home.
San Pedro is the main harbor where
the United Estates government has
expended nearly one million dollars
and the work is not completed yet.
It is the terminal of the Southern
Pacific railroad and must become a
business place. 1t has one of the
finest beaches on the coast, and is
great family resort; many neat cot
tages have been built with flower
gardens in front, and in the rear are
lemon and orange Igroves, with eli
mate all the year round that almost
approaches perfection.
Catalina Island is about twenty
miles from this beach and is owned
by the Banning Brothers who have
turned it into a park and game pre-
serve This island is twenty two
miles long and eight miles wide and
contains $1,000 acres of parks and
mountain lands. 1t was once densely
populated by Indians. many relics of
which are still found upon the island.
1t has picturesque bay, street of
hotels and cottages, a dancing pavil-
ion nightly filed with a throng of
dancers, while before the ball the
celebrated band discourses sweet
music on the piazza of the Metropole
Hotel. Bathing, boating, fishing,
hunting, coach and tally-ho rides are
INDUCED N every day in the year.
The island abounds in quail, turtle
doves, Pheasants, wild mountain
goats and deer. These ANIMALS are
as daring as the famous chamois,
many times being seen on the face of