Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10
1T SANT BARBARA
Long Has Been a Favorite Re-
sort for the I'll and Weary.
CLIMATE AN EVEN ONE
WORLDS LARGEST GRAPEVINE
SAID TO BE NEAR THERE.
Cultivation Of Pampas Grass-Woman
Keeper Of the Lights-Profits
in Walnuts.

AASSPSA Va tiA0 AA6 AVAASS
in Walnuts.
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
SANTA BARBARA, Cal,
September 2. 1905.
Santa Barbara has been a favorite resort
for the ill and weary ever since anybody
can remember Its climate has attracted
invaiids and pleasure-seekers from the
earliest settlement of the Pacific coast. and
while California was part of Mexico the
proud hidalgos in large numbers made 1t
their winter home. There are legends that
people came here from Europe to get the
benefit of the climate and be soaked In the
sur shine long before the Californians them
selves realized the value of the atmosphere
| and the beauty Of the scenery. Many peo-
pie think it the most desirable place of res
ideEce in the United States, II not in the
world, and it is certainly superior to all OF
the Mediterranean resorts and the towns on
the Atlantic and gulf coasts. because the
temperature is about the same the year
round, and the attractions are equally great
In winter and summer.
Large numbers Of rich people have come
here to live; have built themselves beautiful
homes and surrounded them with plants
and flowers. People IN the central states
are beginning to learn that they can come
out here in the summer and spend their va
cations for the same money that it costs
them to go to an Atlantic resort, and can
| find much cooler places along the shores OF
the Pacific; and Santa Barbara is one OF
them. In order to cultivate this habit, some
hotels have reduced their summer rates to
81 and So day. giving the same table and
accommodations that cost two or three
times as much in the winter season; and
the boating. fishing and sailing are much
better from May to October than at any
other time. There are two or three other
large hotels and innumerable boarding
houses, SO that any month of the year an
! invalid or tourist can obtain accommodate
tons to suit his purse from $25 a month
Upward. Furnished cottages can also be
rented for families from $50 month up
ward, and they are always in great demand.
Santa Barbara has been called 1.-The New
port of the Pacific but it Is more dem
ocra tic and cosmopolitan than the queen of
| the Atlantic resorts. During the winter
season there Is considerable social activity
balls. dinners and that sort Of thng-but
life here is not 50 artificial as at Newport;
the expense of living is nowhere near so
great, and the population spends its time
out of doors. Nor is there such rivalry
in dress and other forms of display. The
belle of Santa Barbara shows herself to
best advantage not in a ball room, but
astr.de mustang climbing a steep noun
tain trail.
An Even Climate.
The Santa Barbara people boast that
their climate is the most perfect in the
world. and the temperature the NEST even.
During the last ten years the thermometer
has not gone above so degrees more than
tWenty-three days in year, according to
the official records; it has passed the 90
mark but fourteen times and the warmest
night during that time 1t registered 81 de-
greeS The average velocity of the wind
during that period has been three and one
nd fnr he
and 1904 the average was 81 miles an hour.
During the ten years ending July 81, 1905.
the highest velocity reached by the wind
was q miles hour.
In this temperature and In the soil of sur
passing richness everything grows; all
plants known to the temperate and semi
tropical regions live happily together here,
and a high botanical authority has asserted
that a greater variety Of specimens of the
botanical kingdom may be found here than
In any other place known. The palm and
the pine. the apple and the oleander, the
maple and the magnolia. grow side by side
with equal vigor; roses bloom and straw
berry beds give rfpened fruit every month.
The cultivation of vegetables and small
fruits for the local markets is the most
profitable kind Of farming, as the hotels and
boarding houses consume large quantities
os both. and land for truck gardening with
in five to ten miles from the city sells as
high as $500 an acre.
Cultivation Of Pampas Grass.
Inc CULTIVATION OF mowers Is also q pfOnt-
able business, and several men have made
fortunes In growing what is known as
pampas grass--a South American plant.
native of Paraguay. believe-which bears
beautiful plume. You will remember
them at the Chicago exposition. where hun
dreds of thousands were given away at the
California building during the summer. A
sea captain with a love of gardening
brought it to this country, and 1t was
r.
Blaine was nominated for the presidency.
In that campaign 1t was adopted as the
emblem Of 1.-THE Plumed Knight" and
millions of the tufts of grass were sold all
over the country. For 4 year Or two it was
very popular and large area was planted
to it: but 1t was only a temporary fad, its
popularity subsidized. and most of the farm
ers plowed up the roots and planted the
land to other crops. The distribution OF
plumes in Chicago revived the demand for
a little while, but it soon fell off as before,
and now only one man-George NJ Williams
by name-raises the grass for commercial
purposes. He sells from $4,000 to $4,000
worth every year to Germany, where 1t Is
dyed, trimmed and sold to the Russians,
who have no flowers. 1t is said that he has
made a quarter of million dollars out OF
this plant alone; while John NJ. Sanborn and
others made large sums from it in early
times. AS much as $20,0t0 worth of plumes
have been sold out OF the Goleta valley in
a single season. and that was all profit. 1t
costs nothing to raise 1t when the roots are
once started. 1t needs no cultivation but
grows wild like a weed. and many farmers
consider it nuisance. 1t Is only necessary
to cut IT. strap it into bales and tumble II
into railway car.
The Worlds Largest Grapevine.
Some of the finest grapes In California are
grown here, the vines having been import
ed from Spain in early days by the Fran
ciscan fathers, who taught the natives how
to make wine well oil. The largest
grapevine In the world, If we are to accept
the evidence of local authorities grows In
the Carpinteria valley, few miles from
Santa Barbara. 1t was planted in 1913 by a
Spanish farmer and has yielded ten tons OF
grapes in q single season. It spreads over
nearly an acre of ground and is supported
by seventy-eight posts If 1t were not
pruned SO closely every season 1t would
cover a much larger area. Six inches from