Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21
in GODS OWN COUNTRY

The news OF the terrific hurricanes
which swept over Cuba last week Is
not especially encouraging TO those
enterprising easterners who had In
mind scheme to make the queen
Of the Antilles" into huge winter
resort.
The devastation which the recent
tropical storm left in its wake all over
the southeast coast also acted as a
decided argument against Florida and
the Gulf states as places Of pleasure
during the cold weather up north,
which has already set in.
But at that time Cuba escaped. and
the interests, financial mostly. which
arc struggling to divert winterJ travel
there. loudly exclaimed that Cuba
would never be subject to any such
inflictions, and that II was the place
above all others for the wealthy and
those who could not stand the severe
winters of the east to flee to for re-
course.
The fact is and every effort to con-
trovert It only makes 1t the palmer,
that there Is only one sure. safe, ever
certain winter resort, and that is
Southern California. Cuba is all right
If you don't mind hurricane. cyclone,
yellow fever, malaria, revolution,
tropic langour. and few more ills
beside which even the northern winter
is preferable. Florida is near New
York and the eastern cities. and may
suit those who care for swamps, alli-
gators, typhoid and the humid, heavy,
soggy dampness that is ever present
real escape from the evils that hedge
these other regions about, and who
feel that they cannot or do not care
to stand the northern cold and bliz-
yards, snow ard ice, will still come
to Southern California. as they have
done in the past, and as they will con-
tinue to do, in ever increasing num-
bers.
True, one may go to Cuba in
shorter time, but in doing so one must
take a sixty-mile ocean voyage over
a treacherous sea, at the constant
peril of a typhoon which may sweep
sn entire vessel to destruction at any
moment, and is almost certain to
cause seasicbness and worse troubles.
Florida is still nearer, but what is
there when ore arrives save extreme
ly expensive hotels, enervating ennui
and miasma?
California is four days away, but
think Of the joys of four-day trip
from one end If the United States to
the other, in palace trains, with ever
scenes to charm the eye, with
every comfort at hand, and no trouble,
no danger, no WEAKNESS of sameness,
ard all the joy of learning ones own
country from personal observation.
Really. the trip to California, even
from New York. is an attractive feat
ure at any time of year.
And when one arrives-al1, what a
wonderful sensation it is to cross the
desert, the last stage in the journey,
and to drop down, even in lnidwinter
through the snow-clad mountains into
the glorious Southern California
plains, where the orange trees are in
bloom and laden with golden fruit;
where the land is one tremendous
flower garden, and the air is heavy
with their perfume; where the balmy
sunshine makes an overcoat super
fluous even on New Years day; where
fires are merely excuses for family
gatherings and reminders of the old
home now snowbound; where sea-
bathing in a crystalline ocean is pos
sible and pleasurable every day, and
where the smiling land simply is an
earthly paradise. That is worth all
the trip from sea to sea, just to drop
down into it.
And then, to bask in it day after
day, knowing that never a typhoon,
never norther, never a snowstorm or
a blizzard, a thunderstorm or a tor
nado will come to mar the joy; that
a happy soft and gentle rain will be
followed by days and days OF golden
sunshine, and that every day will be
finer than the one before-what more
could any mortal ask?
No; don't talk Cuba or Florida to
the man who has ever been to South
ern California for his winter; he
knows better. This is the earthly gar
den of Eden; it ever will be-and all
the world may come here and enjoy
it. The latchstring is out; all you
have to do is-comel