The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-11-11
DELIGHTFUL COUNTRY
officer Tom Orr Well Pleased With
California, Where He Now is,
He Likes Old Kentucky Better, How
ever, and will Bo Home the
goth or Sooner.
HIS HEALTH MUCH IMPROVED

for his health, to a friend, and gives a
fair idea of the delightful climate and
attractions of the Golden state;
Riverside, Gal, November 8, 1902
My Dear Old Friend; According to
promise 1 will write you few lines
to let you know what kind of ooun-
try this is and how everything is.
First will say to you that this is
certainly the finest climate in the
world as it is now pleasant enough
for the men to be wearing straw hats
and light summer clothes. Ladies are
wearing white dresses and you have
no use for overcoat or umbrella. IL
looks like the whole face Of the earth
is covered with rich roses and fra
grant flowers Of all descriptions.
Anyway you look your gaze is met
by all kinds Of fruit, such as oranges,
lemons, lines, 6gs, olives, prunes,
grapes, English wslnuts and lots of
other fruits too numerous to mention.
We are eating all kinds OF nice vege-
tables, and, as you will see by the
slip l send you, there is just lots Of
building going on and it is not exag-
gersted one bit for was in Los An
geles last week two days and / will
truthfully say that I never saw as
much building going on in one city in
my life.
The city of Riverside covers an
area of 50 square miles. 1t has .
splendid street car system running
out eight miles and good electric
lights, fine schools and lots Of
churches and a hundred and sixty
five thousand dollar hotel under COD
struction and court house that will
cost one hundred thousand dollars
and not . saloon in the city nor
blind tiger, and have not seen
drunken man since / have been here.
The stores are closed all day Sunday.
Our journey here was long and tire
some one, but l enjoyed it as we
saw so many grand sights along the
route, especially after we left Den
yer.
OF course you may not be interest
ed in this, for perhaps you have wit
messed those sights yourself, but
nevertheless will try to describe
some of them to you. First came the
Palmer lake "a beautiful lake some IS
or 90 feet deep fed by stream spout
ing up out Of the earth 10 or 10 feet
high and so clear you could see the
bottom as far out as you see. Next
was the Elephant rock, o rock Of enor-
nous size and the exact image OF an
elephant; next was q natural tunnel
through the mountain. The monument
park, this being rocks in the side Of
the mountain, giving the appearance
Of all kinds Of different shaped monu-
ments, then came Pixies Peak, which
as you know stands $4,000 feet high
and covered with snow; next came. the
Garden of the Gods, consisting of the
forms Of almost all kinds Of animals on
the sides of the mountains Of solid
rock. Next came the Rocky noun
tains, then came what consider the
grandest sights Of them, going through
the Royal gorge, the rocky cliffs tow
ering above us on either side three to
four thousand feet, with just enough
room for our train and lots OF points
we could see both ends OF our train
with two big engines pulling us at the
rate of so miles an hour. You bet it
looked scary. Next we came to the
great Salt Lake City, saw the fine
Mormon Temple and magnificent struc
lures with every street Of the city
starting out from the Temple, next
the Salt Lake. Next we crossed sum-
mits Of the Sierra Nevada mountains
which as you know are 1000 feet high
and they are covered with six inches
Of snow and it was still showing; next
we passed alorg the edge Of the Great
Blue Canyon for about so miles, II be-
ing 1000 feet right straight down be-
low us, which looked very dangerous,
and a great many other grand sights
which will not tax your patience to
describe.
This is certainly great country,
but none so dear to me as old Ken
tucky and my many friends in Padu-
oah I axnaot m no hack nv the OOth