Cañon City record., 1908-03-26
LAFE COMBS RETURNS
AFTER TWO NONTHD VISIT

months duration 10 C4llIOrul3 3nu tne
Hawaiian Islands, travelling In all dur
ing his absence nearly ten thousand,
five hundred miles, nearly one-half
Of it by water. Although such Jour
ney can hardly fall to result in
greater or less degree Of physical dis
comfort, Mr.. Combs enjoyed every
minute of 1t, refusing to allow his
pleasure to be interfered with by
bodily weariness or mental lndi6ler-
ence to his surroundings.
He went 6rst to Los Angeles. Pasa-
dena, Santa Barbara and other south
ern California towns. visiting most of
the points Of interest In that portion
of the state before proceeding to San
Francisco from which port he sailed
ON the liner "Manchuria" for Homo
lulu, Hawaiian Islands, where he spent
three weeks a. the guest Of his son,
Walter, and wife; the latter whom was
Miss Genevra Hooyer. Of this city.
At Honolulu Mr.. Combs had what
he describes as the time of his life.
Everything was so strange and new
and his experiences there made . most
agreeable impression. He visited the
great sugar plantations and noted the
process Of manufacture on some Of the
largest and most scientifically man
aged sugar estates In the world. The
tropical climate with its perennial
growth Of vegetation and beautiful
flowers appealed to him strongly and
was a constant source of admiration.
There is as great difference in eli
mate and vegetation between south
ern California and the Hawaiian ISL
ands as there Is between Colorado
and the country about Los Angeles or
San Diego.
On returning to the States Mr..
Combs spent several days in San
Francisco and was surprised to see
the progress being made by that city
towards restoration from the great ca
lamity of earthquake and fire which
overwhelmed it In April 1906. The San
Francisco IRE burned over an area
OF upwards of four square miles. or
something more than $500 acres. In
addition to clearing away the debris,
which required many months, there
has been erected in the burnt district
more than 5000 buildings, many Of
them commercial structures. varying
in height from six to twenty stories,
all within less than two years. Hun
dreds of buildings are now in course
OF erection and the city will be COM
pletely rehabilitated in a compare
lively short time II the present rate
Of restoration is kept up. The splendid
optimism of the people Of San Fran
cisco, according to Mr.. Combs, is one
Of their. distinguishing traits and will
result in the reconstruction of the city
on a more magnificent scale than ever.
He says that for every skyscraping
commercial building In Seattle there
are dozen in San Francisco and that
the ratio is likely to be maintained in
definitely. San Francisco, in Mr..
Combs opinion, Ia destined to be the
metropolis of our Pacific coast for all
time despite the disasters that have
overtaken 1t.
Mr.. Combs visited Seattle, where for
several days he was the guest Of his
daughter and aged parents, who for
several years have made their home
in that city. Business In Seattle IL
picking up rapidly, II Mr.. Combs OBJ
servations are correct. He says that .
leading banker told him that oondi-
tons there were fast returning TO nor
NAL and that the financial trouble was
about over. Seattle 10 going ahead at
a rapid gait and Is already one Of the
great towns of the Pacific coast Peo-
pie there are preparing for the Pa
cinc-Youkon Exposition. which 10 to
open there June 1st, 1909. Mr.. Combs
visited the exposition grounds. which
embrace an area Of 254 acrss: The sita1
: IL an ideal one. fsShting' as It doss up
on Lake Washington and Lake Union.
Several of the buildings are practical
, ly completed and are nne examples of
exposition architecture.
On the homeward journey Mr..
Combs visited Butte. Montana, and
Sheridan, Wyoming. At Butte all of
the smelters and mills. which closed
down when the panic came. have re-
opened and business 10 entering upon
an era Of prosperity similar to the one
interrupted by the financial upheaval
OF last October. Everywhere in the
west, according to Mr.. Combs. busi-
ness IL getting better and people are
looking forward to long stretch Of
commercial activity. At San Jose, CAL