The Newtown bee., 1904-04-08

sold for taxes, and the public buildings that were erected, are of not much use now but for the bats and owls. A few families have gone in to try their luck, the land, a most beautiful valley is there, with rich, deep soil, easy to cul-
 tivate, pure air and mountain breezes are invigorating, the climate is all that one could wish, but it lies back 8 long stretch from the railroad, and with no reliable mountain water, there is noth- ing to encourage immigration or build
 up the country. To reach the valley there was long stretch of snake-like mouDtain climbing, that, though aw- fully grand, was of hair-lifting experi- ence to tenderfoot at least; in some places variation of foot of horses or driver would have sent us hundreds of feet into the abyss below. A tor tuOus but fascinating drive of an hour brought us to the crest of the divide, where one can look down upon a valley of singular and bewitchfng beauty. On this crest the driver will wait for you to get out and climb higher peak &C., cessible to persevering ones a peak cause when the tourist reaches that point and takes in the sweep of land- scape, all he can do is to stand, and in awe sexclaim, ''Oh myl" You who have read Helen Hunt Jackson's "Ra- mona," will recognize the names AL leSsandra and Moreno. I have read the book many times, but when I have covered all the country included in the story, the book will be re-read with increased interest. From the Allessandro valley on to Moreno is not long drive and well repays the effort. There we found few orange 3groves, for in spite of the needed water supply to encourage the building up of a town. water to feed few we'll located sites. Few and far between live the families, and the diocese of Southern California Sustains a mission there, and we made the home of the missionary our object i've point. And here we have surprise for some of the older of THE BEE readers. In the center of an orange grove, in little, unpretentiOuS, but comfortable house lives the Rev X. Alanson Welton, with his good wife, who together do what they can for the temporal and spiritual good of the few to whom they minister. His life, un- til past it's meridian, was spent in the diocese of Connecticut, portion of it in Kent and Bedding. He was present in Newtown at the time Trinity church was consecrated, and at the time of Dr Marbles death attended his funeral. How strange that our next meeting place should be so far IT he celebrated his 80th birthday, and his bright snappy eyes and cheery man. ner showed a good deal of old tim
 vigor. We found him in the top of d" olive tree picking olives. not in tn
 land of Palestine. but in S''u'her. California, He gladly left his worh. and at the house, together with hl> good wife, we had pleasant chat ot by-gone days. There are some 12 or l5 families in the valley and no denomi- nation of Christian people represented. It is a,, the earnest request of the few people there that the diocese keep him stationed at that place, and tn. old couple seem as cheerful and cOn- tented as could be expected. so fa' from all their kind red: It was night our homeward way, and we met sev eral teams, when the skill of the drivers was brought in play to pass, as in some instances there is only room for one team, and occasionally there are dug-OutS where, if team is seen coming from the opposite direction, there is a wait in order to have it pass along. Horses become so accustomed to mountain climbing that it is gen. erally wise to let them have an oppOr- tunity to exercise their own instinct we might say judgment, which in some straits is just as safe to allow. It needs sure-footed and cool-headed animals on these tortuous roadways that wind in and out among the cliffs and ragged passways of these grand old mountain ranpeS.-fE. l.. Johnson,