The Newtown bee., 1904-05-13
San Diego, Cal,
 February "A, 1904.

CALIFORNIA.
 San Diego, Cal,
 February "A, 1904.
 This morning the sun shone beautl- fully and it seemed so warm that we decided to take the thirty-five mile drive into Mexico and back. We left here at about 9 o'clock, crossing by ferry to Coronado peninsula, on the other side of the harbor. Then from there, for about seven miles, we drove along 8 narrow strip of sand, at the narrowest point about 150 feet wide at high tide, with the placid waters of San Diego harbor on our left, and the Pacific on our right, with it's long lines of feathery surf, beating on the shore. seemed to enjoy the run along the surf as much as we human beings could have done, and the thunder of the surf and the jingle of the pole chains and harness made Sweeter mu- sic, to my mind, than Chinese band, or must American ones, for that mat ter. It iS one of the finest natural harbors of the world, so large in size that the navies of the world could find an anchorage there, without over crowding, and sheltered from all the west ocean winds by Point Loma, that rises sharply steep on the left. All government reservation, and if proper ly fortified would be fine defensive point. The narrow entrance to the harbor is sometimes called the s'Silver gate" But to return to our drive. After leaving the peninsula we turned inland, and pursued much more easterly course than before, though 1t tended little toward the south. The region was anything but favorable to agriculture, or anything else, till I was reminded of Gen Sherman's re- mark, that ''in case he owned Mexico and Hell both, he should rent Mexico, and move to Hell for residence" This remark was not made of just this section, but farther east, of the dis puted territory, over which Mexico However, the same remark applies equally well to the section where we were to-day. About o'clock we came to the tiny Mexican village of Tia Juna pronounced Tia wanna). There are three or four houses, hotel, two stores, and big arena where they have several bull fights annually; also a tiny adobe church and 8 jail. Here we were to get dinner, and such 8 dinner as 1t was! I only wish I could tell the Mexican names of the various dishes, but l cannot The first dish brought on was rice, which had been peppers and saffron. The main dish was Chilli-con-carni (pronounce very rapidly as if one w0rd), which was really stew of meat and vegetables, cut to about the size of walnuts, and in a gravy favored with garlic and Chilli sauce, and four or five more fiavors couldn't decipher. The tamales were of a similar nature, except the meat was ground fine, a raisin and olive added, and done up in white corn husk. Another meat dish was of larger pieces of meat (pork} fla vored like the preceding, with toma- toes added. The potatoes were fairly eatable, the gravy being favored with dark brick color and plentifully favor coffee would at least be decent, but it was the most villainous connection that ever yet tasted under the name of coffee. Most of the Americans gave it up in despair, and ordered beer as the only thing to be had,-that being bottled and sealed, escaped both odors and lfavors ia Ia Mexicana. After about an hour, that left us ample time to eat our dinner (if we had eaten 1t all, it would have been hot enough to have made one call out the fire depart ment), see the stores, go down and see where the bull fights are held, and ex-. plOre the church, we started home, coming back by way of the monument that marks the boundary line between Mexico and the United States. The monument is of gray granite. The one preceding it was so ruined by tour ists chipping out pieces for souvenirs that a new one was put up, and the iron fence put around it. Leaving there we kept pretty we'll inland, driving through Chula Vista, the largest lemon growing country of the United States. About 5000 acres are under cultivation, almost entirely in lemons. I saw one fine fig orchard and Yankee, who had drifted West, first to Illinois, then to Montana, then to New Mexico, Arizona and California. He considered California the finest coun- try in the world, but he wasn't above telling various jokes at it's expense. For instance, he told me that Southern California was the "land of cultivation, irrigation and exaggeration."
 Los Angeles, Cal,
 February 26, 1904.
 This morning we took our baggage down to the railroad station at San Diego and lett it there, going out to "Old Town" for the morning, and get ting back just in time to take the train for here at noon, arriving here at about 6 tonight.
 l. Old Town, as it is generally called, is the original town of San Diego. It is at the extreme north end of San Diego harbor, and was founded by the early Spaniards, nearly 15O years ago. The first mission was founded few miles north of here in 1769. It's remains are still standing. In the valley, closer to the water, are the oldest houses in California. One of them is the house usually known as the house of "Ra- mona's marriage" It is one-storied, and built about three sides of an open courtyard. Like all of these early houses it is built of the brown adobe, the outside covered with a very thin