Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-19
Golden California.
By Miss Bettye Adler.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Los Angeles, Cal, Sept 4, 1905.
In northern California they ask you
"Have you seen Mt. Shasta?" In
southern California Have you been to
Catalina Island?"
A word in retrospect Of Mt. Shasta
My first view Of which shall be life
long memory. Coming down from
Portland to San Francisco on the
Southern Pacific railway, the scenic
beauty battles all description. Noun
tains, wooded valleys, cascaded
streams all add to the vivid beauty of
the flying landscape. Then the train
circles old Mt Shasta and 1 see it
now rising stern and high for over
$4,000 feet, its peak covered with per-
petual snow, flooded with the rosy
rays of brilliantly setting sun; the
deep blue Of the surrounding noun
tains, the flame and pink tinted sky
dipping to the horizon making the
background Of picture to which no
artist could do justice. Our train was
in three sections, for the Southern
Pacific Is the only line south through
California and traffic here has been
40 hSoNs DC CluI oll IlO NSoG-Douhu
trains. AS we circled the mountain
We obtained fine views Of it's rose
tinted peak from every side, rising
stately above the clouds. only to look
down on the other hand and catch
flying glimpses of the remaining sec
lions of our train, trailing beneath, all
three often visible at one time as they
wove and threaded their way among
the shrubbery and trees betting deep
gulleys and ravines.
OF course we did the usual stunt
Of leaving the cars at Shasta Springs
with our drinking cups in hand to
taste the waters. Shasta water direct
from the springs has fresh heavily
charged soda taste hardly pleasant to
me but supposed to contain most
healthful properties. The pretty Moss
brae falls close by where the water
leaps for probably a hundred feet
down the rocks; 1t is most effectively
lighted by hidden colored incandes-
cents and the light on the water at
dusk was charming. Venturesome
mountain climbers often ascend to the
top OF Mt. Shasta, spending the night
at Sisson's Camp, just above the tim
Der line. Mt. Shasta is a huge ex-
tinct volcano said to have = crater
three-fourths of mile in diameter
In northern California the Siskiyou
Mountains appeared deeply, darkly
blue as they seemed to follow and
close In around the winding train.
Del Monte Paradise.
I have already told you much of
Frisco, where we spent five delight
full days, but to me the gem of all
California is Del Monte. don't see
how Paradise itself could be more
beautiful. We took the Southern Pa
cific morning train from Frisco to
Castorville, where branch line runs
to the Hotel del Monte, truly as its
name signifies a "hotel of the for
ests." 1t is situated on most ro-
mantle spot on the southern shore
Of the bay of Monterey, and boasts of
a climate Of perennial summer. The
hotel structure is large and rambling
OF Swiss gothic design, but it is the
grounds that are the chief charm.
They are most exquisitely laid out,
noble old trees, including innumera.
BILE live oaks, Monterey pines and cy.
presses surround 1t and the gardens
and flower beds furnish continued
feast of color. Here heliotropes climb
yards high over the building and
every flower imaginable adds it's
beauty to the place The Arizona
Garden" Is most magnificent; this is
devoted to cacti of all kinds grown
into immense trees, some of which
were in bloom. To add to the en-
chantment, handsome peacocks strut
ted proudly among the shrubbery. In
another part of the grounds Is maze
OF cypress hedges, where one may
walk for mile through narrow paths,
perfect puzzle, winding aad twisting
IN and out among carefully trimmed
hedges. There is pretty little boat
ing lake called the Laguna del Rey,
while on the beach about half mile
from the hotel is large bathing
house. A club house is close by. and
of course golf links, tennis course and
all that goes to make up a pleasure
resort. There is a fine seventeen-mile
drive which is the feature for sight
seers. This skirts the entire PENN
sula OF Monterey through fantastic
cypress groves
Quaint Old Monterey.
The quaint old city of Monterey
scarcely a mile away interested me
greatly. Having been the first cap
ital Of California it is rich in historic
lore. It's streets for the most part
are narrow and crooked, having been
originally trails. Ancient tiled roof
adobe houses of the early Spanish
days make it oddly different from any
thing we have seen. The old custom
house, neavy adobe building, is on
the beach, while to the north on a
high bluff stands the monument to
the Padre Junipero Sierra, the priest
who founded the missions of San Car.
los and Carmel not far away, in the
latter part Of the eighteenth century.
Here l saw the first theater in Cali
fornia. rambling adobe structure
now almost ruin, where they proud
ly tell you that Jenny Lind once
sang"
The first brick house in California
built in 1S47, is one of the POINTS of
interest. The House of the Four
WfndS' or Hall of Racor6 tho odoha