The Newtown bee., 1904-05-06
TOWN TOPICS
  SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
 AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF AN
 EsTEEMED VIEWPOINT CITIZEN.
 ~.-. Southern California;.
 April 19, 1904.
 MT Editor: We have just returned from our first experience of mountain climbing and camp life. By specia! invitation Mrs Johnson and myself helped constitute party of nine, Tor trip up the side of San JacintO mountain, whose highest peak is about 10000 feet above sea level, and noun tain climbing in this, as in any other country, means hard work and plenty of it, for horses at least. Four Of our party took saddle horses and four horse team took the other four and the driver, also our camp outfit, Whbch consisted of our food, cooking utensils and bedding, also hammer, ax, nails and various other little things that might come in handy on any unlocked for emergency. Four of the party were young ladies. fond of horseback riding, and they changed occasionally and took the wagon.s Two of the par ty were young gentlemen, who took pleasure in seeing that the whole party were we'll cared for. We made our start on Wednesday, April 13, 1904, at g o'clock, and ouf first days drive took us through the TimOteo canyon, and the Allessandro and Moreno valleys to which allusiOn has been made In pre- pio 1offar Unro a IT rs0ArA h0QI1- tiful than when we saw them in Ma'c l, for the verdure of the growing crops, the bloom of apricot, plum, peach, orange and almond trees gave new freshness and interest. Then, too, the increase of bloom among wild flowers made the desert places and mountain sides more beautiful, while the grand old peaks could they but speak might tell us the story of the centuries. We had not gone far into the San Timoteo valley before we saw man running 3 moving machine through a large field of alfalfa that was fit to cut, and from the same field six more crops will be cut this season, yielding in all at least five tons to the acre. The canteen we carried along with us was often patron ized to quench thirst, and it reminded me of my bOyhoOd, when we carried the wooden bottle to the hay field for the luncheon hour. We stopped at a ranch in the Moreno just beyond Rev MT WeltOn's, to whom have before alluded, to water and rest our horses, and for our dinner. A MT Carter owns the ranch. We found him home, but not his wife. She is the teacher of the school about two miles away. MT Carter said he was glad to see us; opened his doors and told us to help ourselves to anything we needed. We used the water and fire to make our pepper trees, of sandwiches, cold lamb, Saratoga potatoes, jam, oranges and coffee. Rev MT Welton, who happened l to be there calling on MT Carter, who l is one of his flock, was our guest. MI Carter came there from Texas; owns 8 large ranch of oranges and other citrOus fruits. NeighbOrs are few and far between. He is a very agreeable conversationaliSt, and had recently come from Alaska, where he and his wife had spent IS months, engaged1n a salmon hatchery. He showed uf many interesting pictures of Alaskan scenery and from him gained much interesting information. When they came home they brought little Aleut boy seven years old, to whom Mrs Car ter took a fancy and whose parents were perfectly willing to give to them MT Carter says but little affection fol children is shown by parents there Our lunch disposed of and horses rest ed we started on, through the canyon sometimes widening out for miles ano then contracting so that there was moi much more than room for 8 wagon road. The mountain scenery did moi
 vary as much as that of the valleys but much of the time we were in non-irrigating section, and what bar ley fields we saw were suffering mucf for rain, of which there has been bu little for a year. Unless rain come
 this month the barley will not matur.
 crop. We crossed much desert land
 waterless, the most persistent growtl
 on it being cactus and prickly pear , and yet, strange to say, some of tn
 tiniest little flowers imaginable coul! be found among the burning sand
 with very little effort. California pol
 pies were plenty the last part or ou . days drive; the color a purplish pink : bloom as the finest of ours that ar
 carefully cultivated. We again say
 the cactus wrens' nests that have bee
 before referred to, and to vary tn
 sight seeing, a rattlesnake, cOyot 1 and 8 gopher snake, that is said t
 catch gophers, were seen, butrno bloc , was shed. When we entered San Js . cinto valley, we left the desert stri = behind us, and were in a valley tha
 reminded us of New England, valle
 more given to stock raising than t crops of grain or fruit. Large drove
 of horses, cattle and sheep find pastul s too heavily. By a long bridge W
 crossed the San Jacinto river, the be
 of which is dry except in the rain season, when it swells to large rusl ' ing river. As we were nearing tf - village of San JacintO, we came to al Il tesian wells and stopped to water tl 2. eight horses that furnished our moti' 2 power.
 z AS we drove through the village a stopped at the postOff1ce to send posta S G home, and the tallest man in our part y whom some of you know, went m
 the store for box of matches. Fl
 for matches was: "Why in h-@n di
 n't you grow?" Here, too, we sa . Chinamen carting new made alfal
 hay off the field, which made me fe
 that it must be July and that l shou
 be home helping about having. R
 membering that Rev Daniel TheodO
 Booth, who, when boy, went to scnC
 at the Academy in NeWtOWn to El1z O w. Keeler with me, and with my wi Q at the same place to J. Homer Frenc
 we thought best to hunt him up. V
 had not met in 50 years, but we foul
 him, introduced ourselves and had
 pleasant chat. His father was cous
 of Josiah Booth, and he closely ]
 sembles the Booth family. He, witf n. daughter, lives in San Jacinto, and
 is rector of the Episcopal church