Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-05-09
California Letter.

IN this case, Tor sure my trip t(
Redlands is the most beautiful.
of all the places | have yet Wis.
tied. Leaving here at $50 am
we travel to the base of Sierra
Madres mountains, through
miles of orange groves, cross
ing over the greatest concrete
bridge in the world, over the
Santa Anna River, being 1000
feet in lenth, and so # nigh,
built at a cost of S50O,O00.
Then the orange groves give
place to 5000 acres of grape
fields, used in growing the grape
from which is made the noted
"Whlte Grape Wine" of Cal. :
Here we find our selves in the
beautiful little city Of Riverside
and from here we take a 20
mile auto drive down Magnolia
Avenue, world famous for its
beauty. down, up, around and
through one mass of roses, the
houses completely covered.
This little city is in the great
orange district and is made up
of beautiful homes and drives.
After dinner we visit the City
Park, and for a change, find one
part set aside for Cacti. Here
are to be found 1000 different
varieties, from small ones on
the ground to those Is feet in
height; a fence is placed around
this part of the park, but just
why / cannot say, as it would
be the last place would wish to
enter. We next visited the
Sherman Institute where 800 In
dian boys and girls are being
educated. and | could but won
der, as looked upon them, how
many of these boys and girls
will make good American citi-
zens, or will they drift back to
their old ways of life?
After a visit at Baradino we
go to Redland, which must be
the garden spot of the world.
We took tallyho and drove to
Smiley Heights, owned by twin
brothers. This is on a noun
tain. We wind round and round
until we find ourselves at the
top, over looking the San Bar
nadine Valley. and all around
us is a mass of flowers. with the
snow capped Sierra Madres, as
a back ground. Leading out
from the main drive are walks,
which bring you to the summer
thatched covered retreat called
Lovers Cove" This would be
an ideal place for our Valley
young people to spend an after
noon. Driving on we come to
a number Of Mirror Lakes. The
flowers are so reflected, it is
hard to tell where the water
leaves off and the flowers realv
commence. 1t is said Redlands
is as near Heaven as anv place
on earth. | will leave the rest
for you to see when you visit it
for your self.
Speaking of flowers reminds
me of a large party / attended
here last week. where 300 roses
and 100 Gala lilies were used in
decorations. | could but wish
we could have the same for our
parties at home.
Having seen the beautiful
side of California we concluded
to see the other side, so joined
"a party and made trip. the 9th
er night, through Chinatown.
Since the destructian of San
Francisco, this is now the lar
gest Chinatown we have. We
were first taken through the
"Joss House," where they go to
pray and worship. It costs Is
cents to offer up prayer here.
The men go here, while the
women dotheir praying at their
home. If they haven't the cash
to pay with. a slip of paper is
marked and the books are kept,
Just as we keep our accounts.
Some of the women are real
pretty; a gold ring in ear de-
notes the wearer is married, il
connected with blue ring
motherhood. They do their hair
up very pretty. and when wound
with blue ribbon, they are con.
sidered of marriagable age. Ir
one family we visited was quite
Americanized. The little three
year old boy had his hair cut
short. The father said he was
making a "Mellican boy" of him
The streets are very narrow
some like our side walks anc
paved with brick. Stores being
on the walks instead of in the