The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-04-18
Tucson, Arizona.
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April, 3, 1902
DEAR PIoNEER-ExPREss:-


feel at though l had been rudely
awakened from very pleasant dream.
Last night when went to bed we were
in the land of sunshine, flowers and
orange groves. To-day we've been
whizzing through land of sunshine,
sand and cactus. About the only sign
Of civilization we see is an occasional
pile of tin cans; for people eat canned
goods out here too.
While at Los Gatos we could, on clear
days, see the dome of the Lick Obserya-
tory on Mt. Hamilton, 80 miles away.
had always wanted to look through a
real telescope SO Mrs. Short and joined
a party OF one Saturday, visitors day,
and made the trip with a coach and four.
We lett at 1880 in the morning and drove
at lively gait with exception of an hour
or so for dinner, Until $50 p. M. before
we reached the summit. Our dinner
stop was made at Smiths Creek, about
~ miles from our objective point but it
took a mile circuitous drive to reach it.
At one place, by looking down, we could
see our road in seven different places.
The scenery along the road was grand in
every sense Of the word, but as we near
ed the top we began to feel we were to
be disappointed in the end, and about
O'Clock the clouds which had been hover
ing round, completely enveloped us,
shutting out the view from above and be-
low. Then we began to get cold and
by the time we reached the observatory
we were glad enough to hover over the
little stove in the visitors room. Our
trip was not without compensation for
we were shown through the observatory
and all the different instruments were ex-
planned to us, including the great tele-
scope, under which its donor, James
Lick, lies buried, and number of
smaller telescopes. We stayed until $3.50,
in the hope that the sky would clear up,
but to no purpose, the fates were against
us. We had one consollng thought,
however, there were nearly 100 other
tourists who were just as badly disap-
pointed as we.
A great deal of mistletoe grows out
here. 1t is sort of parasite that fastens
itself to the limb of most any tree and
eventually becomes solidly imbedded, a
part of the tree. On the way up we hap
pened to pass under tree on which was
a large bunch. Just as we passed under
it, young man of the party leaned over
and roundly "smacked" the young lady
at his side. Of course there was yell,
but it came too late.
The road to the observatory was built
by the city Of San Jose, but is maintained
by the Lick fund. 1t is splendid road
and was pretty nice feat of engineering.
Coming home that night we were passed
by the regular stages on full gallop un-
der the crack of the whip. We pre-
ferred slower gait, consequently it was
after 3 o'clock when we got home. When
daylight came we could see Mt. Hamil-
ton covered with snow, and it was so
when we left Los Gatos, though the
thermometer was 80 in the shade, Easter
Sunday.
Monday after Easter we started home,
going via Los Angeles and Riverside.
We regretted we could not spend day
at each of these beautiful places. At
Riverside we took a half days drive with
an old Illinois friend of ours, through
miles and miles of orange and lemon
groves. Magnolia avenue is a lovely
drive, 25 miles long, fanked on either
side by palms, roses, eucalyptus and
pepper trees. Oranges are so common
here they don't take the trouble to fence
the groves in. We saw carloads of the
iruit on the ground, going to waste. We
were told that if an orange or,lemon falls,
there is something wrong with it and it
isn't picked up except to put in the sun
and dry for fuel. There are about 80
packing houses in Riverside, but picking
is now nearly over and they are only
shipping about 25 cars a day. During an
average season they ship about 5000
. . J. Z,