Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-01-01
From Wawona, California.


Even aside from the far-famed Yosemite
Valley, California is a wonderfully inter-
esting state. IL is, indeed, land of fruits
and flowers. There are wide diversities OF
climate, vet ii may be called "land OF
perpetual SUMMER Near one city there
are ten acres Of carnations. In another
place gardener has acres of sweet peas.
Parks, drives and private walks are often
lined with callas. A New England house
keeper is made happy by only one of these
beautiful plants. In Los Angeles certain
avenues are lined with the gigantic Canary
Island palms. These trees resemble an
over-grown pine apple. AS a New Eng
lander passes along the streets OF this
beautiful city, the varieties of trees are
surprise to one accustomed mostly to
naples, elms and an occasional pine or
oak. For here are pepper, eucalyptus,
camphor, palm and orange trees, as com
mon as the trees which we see by our
streets and lanes.
The s'Fiesta" and the s'Flower Parade
at Los Angeles, early in May, are amusing.
The first day is carnival OF fun and bur-
lesque. On the second day taste and
beauty win and the ridiculous is not as
much emphasized. During the "tiesta
season, stores, horses. houses and people
are CAV with the Fiesta" colors OF red,
green and yellow. In the evening OF the
| first day ladies passing the streets might
now and then be showered with "con-
| fetti"-little bits OF tissue paper of the
Fiesta colors II is interesting 10 see the
crowd on these days. 1t is cosmopolitan
enough. There are Spanish, Chinese,
! Japanese, Negroes, Mexicans, Indians
and Americans commingled, all good
natured and all bent on enjoying this gala
day OF the year.
Angeles, but the work in which ] was
about to engage called me away all too
soon. From May 10, ] was up in the
/ mountains as toll collector for the Io-
semitic Stage and Turnpike company. i
was stationed at Mawona. where l had
cottage BY the banks of the South Fork of
/ the MERGED river. Wawona is not in the
valley, but is on the direct road, twenty
six miles distant. Most Of the money
collected was from campers. The people
I camp there in large numbers as they are
going in or coming out Of the Yosemite
| Valley. There are all sorts Of people and
| they travel in all sorts OF conveyancesi
some with two, some with four horses
some with mules; some have pack animals
and no wagons. Now and then bicycllsts
appear. Pedestrians go free. Some
campers have things to sell on the way.
One man had walnuts, olives and noun
tain honey, rather a miscellaneous stock
OF goods.
In a family of Spanish people from San
| LUIS OUtSDO lntIt WIZ nNhtAAA ENAh
mandolin and guitar players. There were
two open-air concerts OF these instru-
ments combined with the flute.
On a busy day IL does not take very
| long to collect from fifty to a hundred
dollars. Round trip from points south to
the Valley costs 1910, for two horses.
Numerous things about here strike an
Fastener as being singular. had heard
the expressions ''two bits, flour bits"
and ssfx bitsn for some time before / was
| informed that 'stwo bits equal twenty
five cents. / have not seen much paper
money here. Goblin fives, tens and
twenties-is more common. suppose
this need not seem strange for a gold
producing state.
Ii is somewhat surprising to meet an
eight OF ten-horse freight team as IT
comes down a steep hill. The driver does
not ride on the wagon seat, with both
hands full Of reins, like the driver OF
circus band wagon, but he rides the nigh
wheeler" and guides the leaders by long
rope. Another rope reaches back to the
brake rod. As the wagon comes down
steep pitch in the road you can see him
pulling hard on this rope. He is not try
ing to pull the wagon after him; he IS
putting on the brake.
lamps are not used in rooms at the
hotel. presume that this is for reasons
OF safety and economy. Candies are
cheaper and do not explode. Matches are
made up in little chunks OF wood about an
inch square, and not in cards or separately.
Cigarette smoking seems TO be we'll
nigh universal-among the men. do not
know that / ever saw man have two
ready made, as you might expect thrifty
Yankee to have. They roll only one at a
time as fast as needed-none ahead. Per
haps there is an advantage in this, as there
are not as many consumed. They pro-
nounce the word here as II 1t were spelled
s'cigar- eats" and not "ettes.o
w. II. SPARHAwK.