Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-19

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wall of an old convent building dat
ing from ITO are pointed out as well
as the house in which Robert Louis
Stevenson lived in 1875 When the
capital was removed from Monterey
1t took the commercial Importance and
much of the life of the little town with
! it and now it Is just beautifully quiet
| and calm.
San Carlos Mission.
The Mission San Carlos around
which clusters many beautiful memoir
les of the early days of California fur
nished me an interesting morning. I'm
fortunately the old adobe mission has
been remodelled, yet there are many
traces of it's former design. An attend
ant from the old fashioned rectory
close by piloted me through, and saw
magnificent old pictures brought from
Spain by the good padre whose name
is whispered within these walls with
highest reverence. Handsome old sill
yer plate and altar vessels also brought
from Spain by the old priest were
shown and the beautiful old vestments,
heavily embroidered or wrought in
cloth of gold and silver, are among the
treasures of the mission. was shown
one magnificent robe most exquisitely
embroidered on a heavy white silk
which had once been the bridal gown
OF Spanish senorita, and which she
had presented to priest Of the church.
In the church proper modern ideas
have replaced much Of the old and
beautiful. Thirteen years ago the mis-
sion was remodelled so that its interior
is like modern church. However, the
old belfry still remains and while a
new bell has been placed within it, the
old silver toned gong still hangs in the
arched adobe belfry and Is well worth
climbing up the narrow winding stairs
to see. A handsome new parochial res
idence In Spanish design is being
erected close by but it is the relics of
the old days in tho mission that give to
San Carlo Its peculiar charm.
Two miles beyond Monterey is Paci-
fic Grove, thriving little town with
pretty beach line. On our return we
visited the Chinese fishing quarters
along the shore at Monterey, another
little Chinatown all to itself. Here are
great sardine and mackerel fisheries.
The atmosphere that surrounds Mon
terey is still drowsy with that Spanish
Mexican spirit of centuries past and
one seems fairly to inhale its old
days romance.
Picturesque Coast Trip.
1t was with the keenest regret that
we left Del Monte for Los Angeles
The Southern Pacific road along the
coast winds through a most pictur-
esque country. At San Miguel the re-
mains of mission founded in 1897 are
visible from the train. We went
through Paso Robes (Pass of the
Oaks) and later through seven tunnels
then descending the superb curve
around the mountains to San Luis
Obispo, pretty little town in great
grazing valley, then into the huge
Santa Barbara country. The roadbed
here is fine, being built on rock. Be-
yond Santa Barbara, which is called
the American Mentone. one of the most
attractive winter resorts in California,
and also noted for its old mission and
monastry where few of the old San
Franciscan monks are said to remain,
our road ran close to the sea. The
mountains to the left rose steep and
jagged, barely leaving room for the
tracks. The view out over the Pacific
as we rounded the curves in the wan
ing light of the midsummer day is one
to remember. A feature near Summer
land is that of the submarine oil wells
which we passed closely and learned
how oil was piped up from the bed
of the ocean. This is great oil well
country.
Further on is fertile sugar beet sec
ton containing large sugar factories
Late Sunday night we reached Los
Angeles, the metropolis of southern
California. The service on the South
ern Pacific was excellent throughout
and though it is the only railroad over
this portion Of the country, everything
is done for the comfort of it's patrons.
Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, the city of Our Lady,
the Queen of the Angels" so history
tells, was founded by the Spaniards in
1881, passing into American possession
in 1916. 1t seems to have been of no
great Importance, however, until as re-
cent as 1880, when it underwent an
almost unprecedented boom, it's popu-
lation rising in ten years from II 200
to something over $4,000 and now is
way beyond the 100000 mark. The old
adobe buildings have given away to
modern stone and brick business
blocks and handsome residences. l
cannot recall any city we have visited
where the residence portion was so at
tractive and beautifully laid out. Here
new fad which we have not noted
elsewhere, is that of residence sections
of several blocks extent laid out with
magnificent flower bordered streets, to
which entrance and exit is given
through wide stone gateways, the
whole being surrounded by artistic low
stone walls.
Fruit and Palms.
Los Angeles Is the headquarters of
the characteristic industry of Cali
fornia, that of fruit growing. The
plains and valleys around it are cover
ed with vineyards, olive, orange and
lemon groves and magnificent orch