Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-03-04
TRIP TO SUNNY CALIFORNIA.
Mr.. and Mrs. John StolI Have Pleasant
Voyage and Much Sight Seeing.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, February 25.
EDITOR OF CENsoR-I will write a
few lines, having arrived at Los An
geles o. x Leaving Viroqua on Feb
ruary 18th, we stopped in Chicago one
day, leaving there on the Illinois Cen
tral railway on the 18th. On waking
up the 18th, we saw no snow, but plenty
of rain and high water. We were in
water all day. Trains were ordered
not to run over 10 miles an hour At
Memphis we could see the people were
noG up-to-date, and very much behind.
One mule carts with most all negroes
for drivers and cotton fields were much
in evidence. Not very good looking
lands to me. We also saw many OK
teams, so you viii see they are behind
Wisconsin. We got n New Orleans
very late on the 18th, and had lots of
sight seeing. The next day we saw the
block where slaves were bought and
sold, about fourteen cemeteries some
of which were very old. Saw some
tombs where as many as forty persons
were buried in one tomb. The late
cemeteries were fine with elegant tombs
and well kept grounds. Saw the French
market, jackson park and monument,
sugar retineries, and many things of
interest to us
We left New Orleans on the evening
of the l4th, and were ferried across
the river Mrs. Stoll was rather afraid,
but felt better when across. We ar
rived at Beaumont, Texas, on the 18th,
and went the Port Arthur route to
Nederland, where we stopped a few
days with Mr.. and Mrs. j. B. Cooke,
and will say we had visi. of old. They
have nice home in Nederland in the
rice and oil district. Rice is raised in
abundance and many oil wells make lots
of employment; pumping and refining,
making all kind of felt roofing. We
met many northern people, all very
clever and the southern people were
more than we could ask for, in fact we
could not have better time. On the
18th we took dinner at Beaumont with
Mrs. Edith Spencer, Mrs. Cookies
oldest daughter. Had good day visit
ing and sight seeing. Then we went to
Houston, the.country being very fiat,
good deal of timber and many rice fields.
The cattle and stock look bad to me;
worth about $3.50 per hundred in Wis
consin. As TO weatherit is simply fine,
clear, little cool for the south, but we
would callsit May weather in Wisconsin.
Saw oranges and lemons on the trees
and flowers in bloom. Lots of garden
truck arrived at Houston, where we
were met by Asa Groves and his wife
and taken to their home, and. another
fine visit we had. Asa being in the rice
commission business, | learned a great
deal about rice, and Groves is working
up good business fcT the farmers of
Texas as well as for himself. + viii
say Hcaston is live city. Around
there they raise many oranges, figs,
and other truck, as well as lots of rice.
1t frosted while was here, they call it
cold, but not cold to me. We are on
the move again for FL Paso. Was in
San Antonio about two hours, and
around there was some good country.
But on west we get very poor country,
and we were much disappointed be-
cause We could see simply nothing but
desert. Cattle on ranches looked very
poor and many dead earcasses were in
sight. We saw nothing but Indian wig
vans and along the track and a poor
country. We cross the bridge 3l8 feet
above the water in the night, but the
moonlight made it so clear that we
could Just see the water below. We
now begin to see mud huts along aud
Wills 4 ~ ROgA WIN lew
frame houses. AT Tarcey. in making
the grade, we find more crooks in the
railroad than tine Kickapoo ever could
boast of. Miles and miles of crooks,
where you can see the engine most any
time making nearly complete circuits.
We arrived at El Paso late,snd stopped
over and saw Juarez, Mexico. A great
sight to behold, all on Mexican style.
A few good buildings here, but mostly
mud huts, with no windows, and we
don't see how they live. The market
is sight to behold. The custom house
and jail are fairly good buildings, one
store very good, but the balance are on
the bum. NV wife says she don t want
to lunch in Mexico. She is afraid, as
they look treacherous to her, and the
provisions don't look very appetizing.
We leave FL Paso on the 23rd, and
cross into Arizona country and saw
many mountains with snow caps. AT
India, in Arizona, it began to look bet
ter, and the country is more fertile.
We begin to get in the orange ard
lemon groves, all ripe and look good to
me. Weather is fine. Arrived at Pasa-
dena all o. X. | think the sunny south
is sirnnly fine Yours trIlly