Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-03-23
Letter From California.
ALTADENA, CAL,
March Z. 1905.

ALTADENA, CAL,
March Z. 1905.
DEAR REGISTER: doubt some peo-
ple of old Jefferson would like TO know
how Lam getting along and also hear
little something of the Golden State"
of California. We arrived in Los An
gelos the fifteenth of October, after a
long and tiresome journey from Illinois,
as we travelled in tourist car, and any
one who has ever travelled in tourist
car will not forget it very soon. Tour
ist cars were advertised in all the pa
pers of Illinois as great way to travel,
and it was; but will say before III come
East in tourist car, l will walk. We
were loaded in the car at Lanark.. ILL.,,
and were not allowed to leave the coacn
that we were in, or even walk through
the train, without paying extra. We
did eet a chance to stop over at a way
side inn now and then. and that is all
that kent us alive. We had a good,
long stop at Omaha, Neb., and we took
in some of the sights there, but after we
left Omaha we saw nothing but prairie
dogs. wolves, coyotes, mountains and
barren land. Now and then we would
see a small patch Of alfalfa, and there
would be either a drove OF cattle or
ponies enough TO eat IT In few hours
But we got to our journeys send without
mishap, only one old man went crazy
on the train, but we could not blame
him much for that, for he was one OF
the tourists.
was somewhat disappointed when
we got to Los Angeles, as | expected to
see gold LAYING around most everywhere
and fruit in abundance and cheap. But
| found oranges from 20 to 40 cents
dozen, bananas % to 40 cents, and APP
pies five cents pound, and not good at
that; and room rent is about the same
price according. A shabbily furnished
room, size ten by twelve, rents for from
twelve TO fifteen dollars a month put
that is done to catch tourists, ana IL
catches them, too, and holds lots Oh
them. made up my mind If all Cali
fornia was like Los Angeles | would HE
awav to some other part of the country.
a nerson is not safe in Los Angeles, es-
pecially a stranger. If man comes
from the East here and gets to Los An
gelos safe, he is liable to nave MS pock-
cts picked or be sandbagged before ne
leaves the depot, and II he does miss
the pickpocket and the sandbag man
he will surely run into real estate
agent before he gets to his hotel or
rooming. house, and what the agent VIII
do for him Will be plenty, for they
watch the eastern trains the same as
the deer flies watch the horses along
the Potomac.
Nv next move was to Pasadena, ana
that is one of the loveiiest cities in
America, believe, but Pasadena was
too much of a city for me, so we moved
to Altadena, whose population is l,2OO.
Altadena is two miles from Pasadena
and eleven miles from Los Angeles. 1t
is called the millionaire town, and most
all of the residents are wealthy, retired
people. The town is laid off in lots OF
from five to twenty acres, and oranges
are as plentiful as apples in the East.
The trees are hanging full OF the COL
den fruit now and the finest | ever saw.
The main crops here are oranges, lem
ons, figs, grapes, prunes, apricots, OIL
ives, peaches, English walnuts ana al
monds. We also have street-car line
that will take us to most any point In
Southern California. We are about two
miles from the mountain and about
three miles from Mt. Lowe, where they
have the greatest inclined railway In
the United States. We are 1900 feet
above the sea level and distance OF ~
miles from the coast, but can see the
Pacific every day when it is clear, and
can also see Catalina Island, which is
distance of 70 miles. Last week the
mountains were all capped with snow
and it looked like real winter time, but
down in the valley the sun shone bright
" and trees all in bloom. twas love-
" sight, and will say that Southern
California cannot be beat for either
rich or poor man to live in.
Some people have the wrong idea OF
California. | had heard before l came
here that laboring man had to carry
his own blanket and sleep any old place,
but will say that laboring man has
better chance here than In the East.
A laboring mans wages here is 81 day
for nine hours, stone masons or plaster
ers get S. for eight hours, and carpen-
tiers get 1915 10 $3.50 for eight hours,
and plenty of work for all. OF course,
in Los Angeles work is hard to get as
there has been, on an average, 300 tour
lists every day since October, and OF
course all of them are not millionaires,
and it makes work scarce. But this
country is on the boom and land sells
from $500 TO SO, 900 an acre, and that is
outside of town, of course. In Pasade-
ma person has to pay big price to
look at a piece of land But as for me,
would rather have one acre here than
500 acres Of sandstone land such as l
tried TO farm two years ago. don't
mean to speak evil of my birthplace,
and will say Jefferson county is fine
place, but California is better. The
only cold weather we have gotten here
this winter we got out OF the papers
that came from the East. We have
been eating vegetables out of the gar
den all winter, and | wouidlike to have
A. p. Reinhart here to help get away
with the ripe tomatoes. Also Geo. w.
osbourn to keep down the jack rabbits.
| get "West Virginia Hills" sung to me
each day, but turn deaf ear and say
California Is good enough for me.
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