Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-08-29
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA. I
lohn N. Baldwin Writes Of His Impressions
Formed In His New Home. "a

Keowee Courier: Probably come of your
readers will like to learn something moro
about Southern California. We have been
here nearly a year and have learned the
country pretty we'll, as we'll as the ways
and habits Of the people.
This is what they call here an open
country. People work on Sundays, and
Sunday is the real day for picnicking,
dancing and all kinds of amusements.
We live near one of the largest places of
amusement II. 7 es Angeles. aud IL is an
amusing sight, as we'll as disgusting
one, to sec, each Sunday afternoon, the
beer-drinkers and dancers, and the
amazing thing about II is that these peo-
pie are the wealthy, fashionable set from
the city. The women are really worse
to drink than the men. 1t would amaze
some OF our good Eastern church -goers
to see the crowds Of drunken women on
the cars in the evening after these pic
nicks. But, reader, don't Judge all of
the people here by these. We have a
few good people, and some of the finest
churches and libraries and colleges to be
found anywhere. There are large societies
OF Christian workers, and might add
that they are much needed.
This is a comparatively new country,
yet it is an old settled one. The natives
are mostly Spariards and immensely
rich, but the city has been so rapidly
populated by Eastern settlers that we
find only comparatively few natives.
People are here from all ovsr the world.
Among the visitors there are many of
the titled nobility of other countries.
The hotels are full all the year round.
They are all large and el gantly fur
nished. The largest here is the Hotel
Alexandra, whore, believe, the Presi-
dent stopped when on his Western trip.
1t has bridal suite, the charges for
which are $50 per day. 1t is a marvel of
beauty and Oriental splendor.
Money is no object here and is spent
layishly. Millions were spent on fro,
works on the Fourth of July, and on all
kinds of decorations for holidays. All
national holidays are observed and cele.
brated in the same lavish manner. WASH
ington's birthday is one of the really big
days here. We spent the 4th of July at
the seaside town, Venice of America.
There we found a real city in every way,
built to resemble the Venice of Italy. 1t
is one of the pleasure suburbs of Los
Angeles. There are real canal.streets
and gondolas, houses built on the water,
hotel in the shape of a boat All kinds
of Oriental imports are on exhibition.
Everything is free. even to Games for
the ladies to ride. These are led by
Arabs. There is lot of fun derived
from these camel rides, especially when
the beasts lie down or rise. In these
cases the riders always have the appear
ance of great fear of falling.
Venice is fifteen miles out aud cars run
every five minutes from the city. On the
way large ranches, fine droves of horses,
cattle and sheep are on every hand. We
saw one thirty-acre field in beans. One,
of the greetest industries here is the rails
ing of this peculiar little bean, which "a
used as q staple article of food ty
GLASSES. >t
Hundreds of Japanese tents are close
W VIZ AobohOos 1hClt IUOT is Cu6aD
and is largely used by the canch owners.
All seem to be patriotic, and United
States flags were floating from each tent
and gay decorations of red, white and
blue were in evidence at every turn. We
also saw many other things of interest.
California has one law and custom we
Southern and Eastern people cannot en-
dure, and that is the social equality of
the negro. Some schools are attended
by both white and colored pupils; they
attend the same churches, ride in the
same cars, and it is no unusual sight on
the street cars to see big, burly negro
men sitting in seats while tired white
women stand-some of them with babies
and bundles in their arms. While the
white men give up their seats 20 ladies,
the negroes never do. They eat at all
tho restaurants anu al many oi Inc hotels.
This incident came under my observa.
tion: A white man stepped mn TO one Of
the many street lunch counters and
ordered lunch. While waiting to be
served a negro stepped up and gave his
order. The white man drew back and
refused to eat by the side of the negro.
This enraged the black and he asked the
white man If he wasn't from the South.
A blow on his head was the answer the
negro got, and he soon found that he
was from the South. The common peo.
pie despise them, but are compelled by
the politicians of the city and State to
end ire them.
Aside from all these unpleasant draw
backs this is splendid country and has
many advantages, especially for the wage