Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-23
CROWDS FLOCK
TO MT. LOWE
TRACES OF FIRE DAMAGE
ARE EFFACED
Thousands of Tourists, Favored by
Fine Weather, Visit Wonder
Spots Where Nature
Looks Her Best

LOOKS 1er Best
Just as good as ever, IL not better"
These are the words that have been
used by Pacific Electric railway Off
cials regarding the condition of the
rebuilt track and incline up Echo
mountain and they have not spoken
untruly. Those who feared that the
recent fire would hurt tourist travel ir-
reparably are happily disappointed.
The trips to Alpine tavern and to the
summit of Mount Lowe have seemed to
gain in popularity with tourists every
year and the officials say that it is
now even more popular than before the
fire which caused several thousand dol
lars damage to the apparatus.
Cars leaving the Pacific Electric de-
pot Saturday, Sunday and Monday
were crowded with sightseers. Besides
the regular cars, private cars were run
under the auspices of the Grafton
Tours management
Saturday was pronounced to be an
ideal trip by those who went up the
mountain, and who are in position to
know on account of many previous
trips.
Many had been planning to take the
trip all last week, but some of them
were detained on account of the stormy
weather. Saturday dawned bright and
clear and there was q hurried rush
for the early cars.
Hills Are Green
Everywhere along the route the hills
were green and the vegetation had
taken on a revived look, for it's thirst
had been slackened by the downpour
OF the day before. The little stream
in Rubio canyon had been swelled by
the rain, which was heavier in the
mountains than in Los Angeles, and
the water dashed over the rocks.
The incline up Echo mountain from
Rubio canyon was destroyed by the
recent fire, but has been rebuilt with
great care, although with haste, and 1t
works to almost mechanical perfec-
ton. Many Of the traces of the raw
ages of the fire have been removed
by nature with her fresh coating of
green. The power house at the top
of Echo mountain Is now only tenn
porary one, but is sufficient for the
safety of the eXcursionists.
Some had expressed their feelings of
Joy when they arrived at Rubio
canyon with a shout, but when the
top of the incline was reached, they
were too busy looking down upon
Pasadena and Altadena, which looked
more like a huge checker board than
anything else.
Now in Good Repair
The electric line, which winds round
and round the sides of the mountain
from the incline to Alpine tavern,
climbing higher as it goes, was only
partially damaged by the fire and is
now in very good repair. and large
force of men is kept busy leveling the
tracks and keeping them in the best
condition possible.
The greater part of the tourists
reached Alpine tavern just about noon.
Their appetites had been whetted to
a keenness by the invigorating noun
tain air and all made one grand rush
for the dining room.
After dinner followed two or three
hours of sightseeing and the visitors
scattered. some walking to the summit,
others riding up the trail on burros,
while the remainder were content to
wander around the hotel and out to
the east to Inspiration point.
1t seemed as though everything had
conspired to make this point true to
its name that day and those to whom
it did not furnish inspira tion must have
had sluggish blood in their veins.
People who had shouted as they
made the ascent we're now content to
gaze in wonder.
Catalina Peaks Visible
So clear was the day that the two
peaks of the Catalina islands showed
plainly in the distance, while the sur
rounding sea, silverlike in the brilliant
sun, could be seen as 1t stretched away
to the west for miles.
The colors on the mountain sides
were MANIFOLD and had been beauti-
fully blended by nature. The valleys
were clothed in a coat of brilliant green
xx,Hi almost Sepn1P6 tn Snarkla I'm the
sun.
The weather was just cold enough
to make a person feel comfortable when
wrapped in an oVercoat, and yet the
winds which swept around the peaks
were very mild.
Tourists Grow Rapturous
Magnificent" exclaimed an English
tourist. IT would not miss this trip
for ten times the cost"
"Wonderful! wonderful" unused Mrs.
James Heidman Of Cleveland, as she
gazed in rapture at the picturelike
scenery. 81 have seen the Alps,
climbed Pixies Peak and have been up
Mount Washington, but none of them
compare to this"
At o'clock the delega tion of Chicago
men who are touring the southwest
arrived at Alpine tavern and descend
ed from the cars with a shout. AN
expressed themselves as being we'll re-
paid for making the trip.
Numerous stories have been afloat
In Los Angeles that the Pacific Electric
is contemplating an extension of the
electric line from the Alpine tavern
to the summit of the mountain, but
officials of the road yesterday denied
that any preparations have been made.
They do not deny that it would be q
possible engineering feat, but say that
it would not be profitable, as it would
require enormous expense and that
the distance is not so long but that
people can walk or ride the burros or
ponies with comfort.