The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-02-14
Santa Monica, Cal.
IL - ~
To the Citizen Republican and
other Friends -

Feb. Gnu, lSUI.
To the Citizen Republican and
other Friends: -
When | last wrote
you the rain was pouring down"
During that shower Il humid
reds of an inch of rain fell and the
effect on the mountains and valleys
was interesting the former forty to
sixty miles to the north east of us
we're covered with a heavy fall of
snow, while the latter we're thorough
ly soaked and in an excellent con-
dition to commence the spring
farming, which is about to begin.
This place is a thriving town of
about eight thousand people on
Santa Monica Bay, an in%dentation
oil the Pacific ocean about twenty
miles west of Los Angeles, has a
fine city hall costing about
forty thousand dollars, a Carnegie
Library, ana severallarg aud COM
mo8ius and well conducted public
schools, housed in fine brick struct-
IRE costing from so to so thousand
dollars each, and the prophets in the
real estate field of operations say it
will some day have a population of
one hundred thousand souls and be
= rival with other Pacific ports for
He 80 y ffs24se=seeee 81 this coast. When
that day arrives we may not be
here, although we would like to be.
lam not quite clear but l think
this is ground nog day east of the
Rocky Mountains, bnt however
that may be The ground hog is not
recognized among the weather pro-
ahefs here aud as the spring birds
ars singing and the buds bursting
into bloom we have mouse for him.
For a few days following the rain
10 which | have referred, one could
Stand with his hack to the ocean
and 'ook away 10 the snow covered
mountains | speak of which present
ed at first view the appearance of
clouds, and the cold air which they
furnished about sun down and dur
ing the nights following reminded
Us that a comfortable fire for heat
ing purposes was not altogether
out of order, Notwithstanding the
suns rays of summer heat during
the day time.
In rowing around the world one
is reminded that the earth is not
so big after all. A few years ago,
at Scotland, u new neighbors,
Geo. Marchant and family, turned
out to sustain a cousinship to my
wife's family by way Of" Uncle JOSH
ah' Marchant, a pioneer from Ohio
to Illinois away back in 1886, from
a family Of Indian fighters in the
early days of the former state, and
"Charley" Maxwell's family who
later lived in the same house, sus-
tanned the same relationship to us
along through his wife, another line
of cousins In Illinois. The other
day [ met a neighbor here named
Warwick, whether he is of kin to
Shakespeare's King maker Of that
name | did not learn, but he came
in from Taylorville Illinois, where
Rev. DR.. Carson was a pastor many
years ago, and the prospect is
good that a Mr.. Miller from that
a
town will soon be another accept
able neighbor.
We were stricken with sorrow TO
learn Of the death of our old and
valuable friend James II. Dickson.
was an excellent man, a good
friend and neighbor whose, course
of life was guided by the light Of
his conscience. He will be long
and sadly missed by those who
knew him, and his death has Great
a vacancy in the community
that cannot be filled. lam remind
ed that when I was about to leave
Scotland for California last winter,
in a will | then made to guard
against the accidents Of travel, I
provided that he should be the ex-
ecutor Of the will and handed it to
him with some explanation, to
which he replied, "you may out