Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-03-25
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.

Mr. Editor:
/ think we left you in the lemon
fields of Riverside, the Alhambra of
America. 1t is not too much to say
this about the sections where the
orange is grown. Ones thoughts
pleasantly linger there. The semi
tropical warmth, the sunny skies, the
pleasant air, the waving palms, the
profusion Of flowers with their balm
of odorous sweets, the singing birds
with bright winged plumage, attract
the traveller from the SHOWS and frozen
winters ofthe east to the favored spot
where the golden orange thrives, and
like the fruits of Eden, are very
tempting to the sight and are good for
food. Only a few years ago orange
growing was done prin cipally across
the seas, in the land of Alhambra,
Malaga, Sicily and sunny Italy; the
land of art and song and historic
greatness, on the wave kissed shores
of the Mediterranean and beneath the
Himalaya Mountains, famed by
Edenic airs and fed by the perfumed
breath of Paradise, here was first
lifted the primal boughs of the beauti-
full orange. Rich in legend and in
story is the orange, and when brought
across the seas to this country and
made to grow and thrive in the new
world what wonder that human fan
cies cluster about it and that lips are
eager to taste its sweets. Just listen;
to-day California can distance the
world in orange culture, not only in
quantity but more particularly in
quality. She has improved upon
the small, sweet imported orange
until she has produced a navel sweet,
twice the size and of much better
flavor than those grown in natures
own field at home, until the Old World
is no longer our rival IN the orange
field for nowhere else or under no
other sun does the orange grow and
ripen as here and it will yet grow
everywhere in southern California
without flaw or blemish, as millions
of eastern capital and Yankee pluck
are being put into this new industry.
Come with'us from Riverside to the
little town OF Redlands. This is the
youngest but still the most important
orange town in all California and to-
day the most favorably known. 1t
has sprung up like mushroom, SEEM
ingly in a single night. Only twelve
years ago the town was chartered and
desert land. To-day it's oranges have
a world wide reputation on account
of their bright color, size, and delicious
flavor, and when the epicure of New
York, Boston, or Chicago wants the
very best that can be produced he
calls for the Kedland orange and will
take no other. This town is almost |
wholly made up of eastern people and
is to- day one Of the most popular |
towns in southern California; it has a |
population of about 5000 inhabitants.
1t has schools, ,churches, stores, hotels,
parks, and a beautiful library, said to
be the handsomest in the state, has
been donated to the town by A. Fl.
Smiley of New York. Canyon Crest
park, one of the most beautiful parks
in California, was doBated to the city
by the Smiley Brothers of New York;
in fact the Smiley Brothers were tie
main promoters of the town. They
have built costly and beautiful winter
here and own large orange
groves back of the town. It is a town
made up of millionaires; it has the
best and most perfect irrigation of any
town in the state. Eastern intelIi-
gence and energy with its boundless
resources has m ade this desert land
blossom like the rose. Its warm, dry
it's ocean and mountain
scenery, and its many drives offer to
health and pleasure seekers unlimited
Surrounding the town, as
far as one can see, there are large
orchards of peach, pear, prunes, april
cots, orange and lemon and at the
present time all are in full bloom.
This, with its other attractions, make
it place without a rival.
Some of your readers will remember
back to 1851 when Brigham Young
tried to start colony of his Saints in