Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-08
From A. S. Coon.
San Diego, Cal.

Editors Democrat:
Yours of the 18th inst. came
duly to hand and note what you say
about the weather being cold and
quite quantity of snow on the
ground. Well, we are in the land
Of sunshine and flowers and as yet
there has not been any frost, and
but three or four rainy days since
we came here January Sd.
Mrs. Coon and / are enjoying the
best of health and also enjoy this
mild climate very much and only
wish that our friends were here with
us that they too might have the en-.
|joyment of winter here.
Since writing you before we have
changed our boarding place. We
now have furnished rooms in fiat
on National avenue and street cars
| pass the door every twenty minutes.
We are near A. O. Moore's and, by
the way, Mr.. and Mrs. Moore are
nicely located with pleasant sur
roundings aud are enjoying life to
its fullest extent.
San Diego is a city of perhaps
twenty thousand. situated on the
north side of the bay by the same
name. The general bay is noun
famous with fertile valleys, and is
very productive where thew have
water for irrigating. To the north
of the bay the ground ascends grad
ually for perhaps half to three
quarters of a mile, then it raises
more abruptly to quite hill that
overlooks the City bay and ocean.
To the southwest across the bay is
the Coronodo Island, containing
several hundred acres of land, and
west of the Island is the channel
from the ocean to the bay. West Of
the channel is Point Soma, small
peninsula that divides the channel
from the main ocean. The water is
sufficiently deep that the large
ocean steamers can enter the harbor
with safety. and the high country
surrounding the bay makes this one
of the safest of harbors in case of a
storm.
Week before last very large
merchant boat came into the harbor,
having been out from New York
City fifty-four days and this was it's
first stop. After unloading part Of
their cargo it pulled out for San
Francisco.
Last week, The Buffalo, a war
training boat, with six hundred sol
diers, came into harbor and remained
several days. There is regular pas
senger boats arrive here from San
Francisco every Tuesday and Satur-
day and depart on their return trip
at eight o'clock the same evening.
The city of San Diego boasts of a
number of fine hotels, the largest
one is located on Coronado beach, it is
a very large and imposing structure
with all the modern improvements
and is said to have nine hundred
rooms. have heard that former
resident of Delaware County, Iowa
stopped there week and put uI
seventy dollars for his accomoda
tons.
II Another fine hotel is the Robbi
son situated on the hill north n
the business part of the city, which
, has a commanding view Of the sur
roundings. There is quite a nun
Der of lesser ones for the common
people. Rooming houses are al
over the city either with or withou
board.
We can take the street car at GU
door, go down in town about tw
, miles on Fifth street, thence mort
) about four miles and we pass the 81
} Joseph Hospital, the State Norma
3 School and stop on the brink 9
i Mission Valley. OF course we ar
a good many hundred feet above til
t valley and it almost makes one
: head swim to look to the bottom
AS you alight from the car, on tn
y right is the Ostrich farm, containin
t about forty head. On the left is
/ park and pavilion, great resol
!. on pleasant Sunday afternoons. On
8 can pleasantly spend an afternoo
It viewing the surrounding landscal
i and studying the works Of nature
it this strange land of mountains, va
~ leys and sea. Us. Coon.