The Newtown bee., 1904-05-13
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF Al
 ESTEEMED NEwTOWN CITIZEN.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNE.l

our Bob White with handsome crest of feathers nearly erect at times or drOopinR forward on it's head. Though shy they prefer to build their nests near ranch houses, the better to be protected from coyotes, Skunks, foxes and the like. Then there is the noun tain quail, that resemble our partridge, that fS common Ofs the higher noun tain ranges. The robin is at home in all America, changing about from plain to mountains north and south with change of seasons and supply o1 food.
 In our mountain climbing we came across many specimens of the stately white pine whose topmOst plumes for 50 feet, whose bark was bored full of round holes of uniform size, as far up the trunk as we could see, and these holes stored full of acorns, all pushed in point first and with so good . fit as that they could not be drawn out without digging around them. Here was 8 find that called for an orni. thOlOgiSt. The driver told us that it was the work of 8 WOOdpecker, storing away it's winters food. But wanted to know more, and on our return home I consulted John Muir's valuable work, ''Our National Parks, and here is what he says of the carpenter wood. becker whose home IS in these high mountain ranges: 1.-The carpenter woodpecker, who stores up great quan. titles of acorns in the bark of trees fol winter use, Is beautiful bird. In the woods of the West he represents the eastern red-head. Bright, cheerful, in. A,ra% mt 3n tha 1aocf chu fho carpenters give delightful animation to the forests at 8 height of from 5000 to $500 feet especially in autumn when the acorns are ripe. Then no squirrel works harder at his pine nut harvest than these wOodpeckers do at their acorn harvest, drilling holes in the thick corky bark of the yellow pine and incense cedar in which to store the crop for winter use, hole for each acorn, so nicely adjusted as to size that when the acorn, point fore. most, is driven in 1t fits so we'll that it cannot be drawn out without digging fully stored in dry bin, perfectly pro- ious method of storing away crop, . granary for each kernal. The birds never seem to tire of the work but go on 90 diligently that they seem deter mined to save every acorn in the grove. During snow storms they seem to eat little but acorns. have frequently interrupted them at their meals and seen the perfectly sound half eaten acorns. They eat them in the shell as some people eat eggs. From the time they store them until they are used up they guard them, and woe to the squirrel or jay caught stealing. h. dians in times of scarcity frequently resort to these stores and chop them more-may. be gathered from a single cedar or pine"
 The western country is a great place for horseback riding and the ladies are experts at it. Here they all ride astride. It is not as graceful to an Fastener as the side saddle, but I am told the custom came in vogue more be- cause 1t is much easier for the horse and much safer for the rider where there Is so much mountain climbing. There is no namby-pamby work about 1t, for they go with dash that sets the blood circulating through every vein in the body, and the ladies' en- durance in the saddle is perfectly won- derful to me. Of course neither Mrs Johnson nor myself took the saddle, HUI OuA OllNcl. VI uac Icudlulnk SIX the two gentlemen rode most of the time, and the four young ladies took turns at 1t, some of them sometimes re- maining in the saddle most of the time we were on the road, on a trip that our driver safd had covered over 150 miles. They think nothing of rid ing 9 or 30 miles day, and the invig- orating air of valley and mountain sends healthy blood coursing through the veins. It is pure fun for them and lthe best kind of movement for those who can endure it.
 Before we left for this wonderful mountain camping trip, was asked if 1 thought Mrs Johnson and could en- dure it. said: "Don't know, we can try" Had I known the amount of endurance it would call for, and the