Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-24
Written for The Herald by Col. j. d. Lynch

elevation about the San Marino orange
grove, the product of which about
twenty years ago made the first inroad
on the eastern markets, and established
the feasibility of a great citrus COM
merce for our horticulturists.
Shorb was the very beau ideal of
Maryland host. Handsome and court
ly, his entertainments were joy in
the valley, and not only that but to
the hosts of distinguished people whom
| he brought down from San Francisco
to enjoy the beauties and destinations
of the southland. His brother, DR.. j.
Campbell Shorb, was one of the lead
ing Democratic orators of California
and a son-in-law of Vice President
Dallas of Polk and Dallas memory.
What there was not of hospitality and
distinction in that charming household
on the San Gabriel hill no man need re-
gret the partaking of.
The days of this elegant gentleman's
prime were gala days to his neighbors.
His daughter, Miss Inez Shorb White.
is today the acknowledged leader of the
San Francisco four hundred. In this
connection 1t may be added that, how
ever deficient the four hundred afore-
said may be In patrician attributes, the
deficit is largely made up by their
patrician head
A Great Horseman
On this same ridge" of the San
Gabriel was located l.. II. Titus, one of
the greatest horsemen that ever figured
in Los Angeles county. When Titus
settled in the San Gabriel valley he
brought means and fine horseHesh. He
was great addition to a section which
was just beginning to attract attention
in all lines of legitimate sport. There
was no social or other pretense about
Titus. His house and table were open
to his friends at all hours. l may
mention as an incident of the magnif-
cent roads we used to have in this city
and county that Titus was wont to
speed his splendid stallion Echo on the
hard pan of Main street, the finest nat
ural roadway and speedway on earth
and which has disappeared with the
advent of the professional roadmaker
and speedmaker.
Next to Titus was the famous Sunny
Slope. For years and years this was
the noted show place of Southern Cali
fornia-perhaps in some respects, in the
world. ] have stood in crowd OF
distinguished men ON Sunny Slope,
under the spreading orange trees-at
that time Seeding orange trees-who
pronounced the Rose double avenue
the prettiest thing on earth, and I
guess it pretty nearly was So This
crowd consisted of Vice President Hem
bricks, Charles Crocker and Dave Col
ton, of the Central and Southern Pa
cific, and other men who had Travelled
far and seen much.
They all agreed that in no quarter
OF the most historic region of Europe.
i'm the storied lands of the Mediterra-
mean, could anything be found so sug-
gestive at once of the glamor of the
citrus and the vine. They agreed also
that the fruit was better than anything
they had encountered I'm Europe or
elsewhere. The Los Angeles orange
grower should remember and his
brother the lemon grower should not
forget-that in quality their fruit is far
ahead of that of their competitors of
Spain and italy and of North and South
America. This gratifying fact was first
demonstrated In the Wolfskill orange
orchard in the city of Los Angeles and
ON the ridge" in the San Gabriel
valley.