The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-06-18
ROBT. DOAK'SLETTERS
Interesting Description Of People
And Places.
Long Beach, Calf, June 6. 'Os.

all the beach towns along the coast
of California. The weather has been
quite cold since my arrival and windy
but the streets and alleys are in such
good shape there is no dust to blow
In ones eyes. the nights are delight
full to sleep. The ocean looks grand
today the gentle breeze has it's waters
covered with white caps.
| attended memorial services at
Whittier Sunday, May "a, at the M. e.
church, services by the pastor He
took for his text, Neither count my
life dear unto myself" His discourse
was very interesting and full of
patriotism and delivered to a crowd
ed house.
Decoration Day, May 80, was with
the old boys at Long Beach. The
procession commenced to form at
half past nine o'clock, there were
300 G. A. r. men in line of march, the
W. r. c., the National Guard and diff
ferent city organizations and last but
not least, the children of the differ
ent schools headed by the teachers
loaded down with flowers. A monu-
ment in the park was covered with
these with appropriate exercises, then
march to the auditorium where a
fine address was delivered by Rev.
Thornton of the Christian church
The address was patriotic and pathetic
and brought tears to the eyes of many
in the audience. After the speaking
he Il,
dinner at the hall to all of the old
boys which was feast of good
things.
note many improvements here in
the past year. The Craig Ship Build
ing plant has erected some large
buildings and have in place much of
the machinery for the building of
ships. high fence enclosing the
ground is in place and two dredging
machines are at work making a chan
mel wide and deep so that the largest
war vessels can enter its harbor. The
Salt Lake railroad is fast nearing
completion. This is making a big
boom for Long Beach and the day is
not far distant when she will be the
leading city on the coast. With her en-
terprising and energetic citizens, there
is nothing to keep her from the front.
There are no saloons, while schools
and churches are in sight wherever
you go. The Salt Lake G. Pacific
Southern railroad rus in here and the
Pacific Electric road with four tracks
between here and Los Angeles, and
trains run every fifteen minutes from
$3.50 to IL at night, with SIDE lines to
San Pedro, Santa Anna and Newport,
and connections with Whittier and
many other suburban districts.
Farmers from the east and the mid.
die west should have much to learn in
the way of farming, as everything is
so much different here. The winter
rains start the wheat, oats and barley
to growing and assures crop that
is cut for hay the last of April and
the first of May; other crops have to
have irrigation. The gardener can
have work every day in the year.
When one crop is matured, it can be
marketed and another planted, so the
land is producing and brings a large
income from few acres of land. |
saw one eighty-acre ranch of English
walnvts near Whittier that had never
had any water, only the winter rains
the trees were large and thrifty and
produced well, but the ground was
kept well cultivated and loose after
the rains or irrigation. The ground
has to be thoroughly cultivated and
kept loose or it would bake so hard
you would have to use pick to dig
it up.
On the Leffingwell ranch | saw
large orange orchard which was in
locality where frost occasionally made
its visits and there was n small gaso
Inc stove under every tree, and when
near the freezing point at given sig
nal man to each row of trees and in
twenty minutes the stoves would be
sending off the heat. The expense of |
this is said to run $4,000 a night, but |
it does not occur every night In the |
vicinity OF Long Beach there are sew
Siti VI SuSdi bCtlos llt |
crop Is quite profitable, as they yield |
from 20 to % tons to the acre and |
sell around $500 per ton. There is a |
large sugar factory near here and |
the industry is very profitable and |
gives employment to many laboring
men who need the work.
have met Add Wright He is look
ing well and walks more like a young |
man than he did in Iowa. w. II. Mat |
tison called on me at my rooming |
house and reports the Mattison family |
well with the exception of colds, which |
California peopel have about the same
as in Iowa. John Mattison is book |
keeper for large Touring mill here.
| met some of my old friends with |
whom | spent the winter in San Diego. |
They agree with me that there is no
place on the coast equal to Long
Beach. Et
Four large cruisers came in here
Friday and cast anchor and the sail |
ors gave ball at the Auditorium Fri
day night that was a swell affair
Seebre led in the grand