Mower County transcript., 1904-03-23
CALIFORNIA 4 IA PILGRIMS: ! C IN !:
Interesting Letters Frea Austin Peo.
Die Who Spent The Wister In Sosth-
ern Callfornia-Tweuty Cows Kept
On Eleven Acres-AIl 10 not Gold
Tbat: idlitters. "~ Is
EDITOR OF TRANSCRIPT.
AUSTIN, Mimi, March 10, 1904.

u y i a .
AUSTIN, Mimi, March 10, 1904.
A brief account of my recent trip to
California may possibly interest some
of your readers and at your request
have jotted down a few items.
We started from Austin on a tourist
car for California November 10, 2,4O
miles distant, taking the Santa re
route. AS we passed through Iowa,
Missouri, and eastern Kansas, we found
hem pleasant to look at, perhaps equal
to Minnesota, although lacking the ap-
pearance of energy we have here, with
the exception of Iowa.
Leaving Kansas city, the eastern
half of Kansas contains many ideal
farms bnt the western part of the state
is more sandy. The southern part OF
Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona,
for nearly one thousand miles, ap-
peared like one vast arid desert COW
cred sparsely with sage brush. Occas-
ionally quite city built by the rail-
road company would be reached, cities
like Albuquerque, LaJunta and Santa
Fe. Indians we're plenty at railroad sta
tions selling their curios and wampum
and I even saw man give a squaW 70
cents to see her baby which was bund-
led on her back. We passed through
two tunnels in crossing tho mountains.
Arriving in Pasadena in little less
than four days, dusty and fatigued, we
located on a beautiful street appar
emily at the foot of Mount Low but it
was three miles away. Mount Low
is one of the places of resort and plea
sure. Half way up the mountain is a
hospital for consumptives to which an
electric motor runs daily. There is al
so powerful searchlight whose rays
penetrate Los Angeles, ten miles dis
tant, and also the surrounding towns.
Pasadena is a city of Of 5000 inhabi-
tants, The city is clear. ID neat and
beautiful and q strictly temp perance
city. It has paved streets and excel
lent car service. There are no ffrosts to
disturb the pavements and but little
rain to disturb the public. There were
only three showers, each Of d nights
duration, while 1 was there. 1t is a
city of flowers, many roses reaching to
the roofs of buildings. Fruit trees
grow in the front yards and orange
trees covered with fruit not yet picked.
We met the old, the lame and the sick
from all parts of the union. They had
come there for their health and expect
they will live as long there as in the
land they came from. La Grippe was
quite prevalent but not severe. We
took a ride around the foothills OF
Pasadena and from there on to
Orange Grove avenue, where the mill
ionaires reside, among them Robert Bur-
dette, one of our noted writers, who
now breaches in one Of the leading
Baptist churcnes of Los Angeles.
The Tournament of Roses, Passa-
denas gala day, was a beautiful sight,
witnessed by some fifty thousand people.
A procession some three miles in
length,r consisting of" the mayor, the
public down to 20, the poor INDIAN
with horses and carriages caparisoned
with roses, numerous automobiles ana
bicycles bringing up the rear, passed
throu ugh Colorado street. Some Of the
places Of interest we saw were San Cab
riel mission, an old landmark. built OF
brick dried in the sun, with the an
cient bells and burial place and lot
surrounded with wooden palings and
only four grave stones in the enclosure
Mission and all are marked by decay.
We saw there the famous grape vine
two feet in diameter and on our return
we passed through the winery or vim
tage of grapes surrounded by large
vineyards.
Long Beach, twenty miles south Of
Los Angeles, is another pleasant re-
sort. It has pier built into the ocean
one half mile long, with bath houses
~ along the shore and amusemeuts il
{; good style for visitors. San Pedro
another coast city, is much like Long
Beach but noted for its shells ant
moonstones for which pedestrians
F&O often risk too much, the waves often
~ forcing them back wet and more wise.
One other point of interest I viii
mention, that in the agricultural line
I visited a friend at Compton, tel
miles south of Los Angeles who own
a ranch of eleven acres, five acres o
which were in fruit trees, apples, pears
peaches, nectarines, grapes, Englisl
walnuts, black kberrles and many othe
fruits which netted him quite a littl
4 money, selling on the trees. No car
$4af