The Republican journal., 1909-06-03

About this time the sun had come up
from behind the mountains and another
train was due. People were beginning
to move about and began to resume nv
normal condition, and went back to the
| depot to look after my baggage and pre-
/ pare for my work, for | had samples of
shoes with me to take orders from. At
/ the depot in every available space In
dian squaws were squatting in rows on
the ground or walk, with all kinds of
their handiwork for sale to passengers.
This place was so interesting that could
not leave for two days and business was
extra good. inquired the cause of the
rush for shoes and was told that several
new gold mines had recently been discov-
cred, and one of the old ones, the North
Star Gold Mine Co., had struck very
rich streak and was mining ore that as
sayed 1888, 900 to the ton. Three hundred
and thirtyeight thousand dollars, almost
pure gold; that sounded well, and the re-
port has been verified since.
Well, after fully recovering from the
shock OF that eventful morning in Yuma,
started towards California to join my
ing the surprises were all over; but
found they had just begun. Crossing the
Colorado river I was in California, but
quite long way from Los Angeles, and
between were several cities to visit,
which | hastily went through, for the
nearer | got to Los Angeles the more
anxious l was to arrive there. But
visited Cotton, San Bernardino and Red
lands, and in going to Redlands passed
through an orange grove of 800 acres,
every tree laden with the golden fruit,
three miles through, and it was sight l
shall never forget. Redlands is a very
beautiful spot. From there | went to
Riverside, and there had to pinch my
/ self again, for neither Yuma nor Red
lands were in that class. Palm trees,
roses and flowers of every kind were
everywhere. 1t was one continual flower
/ garden. Every street and every lawn
was paradise, and the balmy weather,
IS degrees in the shade all the time,
every day, made me think what l had
missed by being born in the State of
Maine. From Cotton to Riverside, s
miles, there were orange groves all the
way; nothing but oranges on both sides
of the railroad, and l wondered what
next. was sure the height of grandeur
and beauty had been reached, but was
mistaken, the more beautiful was still
to come, as will tell you later on. My
curiosity was worked up to a high pitch
Los Angeles, and so | waited. Well, to
cut this story short, l will say that the
next night when stepping from the train
man tapped me on the shoulder and
asked if my name was not J. Knowlton
Brown, from Maiden, Mass, and l had to
acknowledge the coin, for had pinched
myself until | was pretty sure he was
correct. And beside that gentleman
stood my good wife, who never looked
| SO good to me before, and my sons wife.
1t was a happy meeting of four happy
souls. 1t seemed a lifetime since | had
parted with my wife at Ell Paso, and
more changes have passed before me
| than in all my former life.
Three weeks have elapsed and the
writer has had time to see and learn of
the beauties of Southern California, that
very few eastern people know about.
had heard and read letters from different
people about this wonderful country, but
they all seemed to have an axe of their
own to grind, and none of them have
ever pictured the country of California
as it is. AS stated in the beginning |
am on business and pleasure trip, both
of which are successful, and have reach
ed Seattle, Wash, but what lies between
Los Angeles and Seattle is now to be
told. Of all the sights on the whole
route, Pasadena, California, is the grand
est and most beautiful spot. My pen is
not equal to the task, and will say it is
worth the cost of the whole trip to see
that place alone. At this writing, April
LIST, we are eating native strawberr e.,
which grow in California every month in
the year, to say nothing of all the other
fruits. And for comfortable homes,
adorned with beautiful trees and shrub
berry, you should visit Los Angeles and its
surroundings. Long Beach, city OF
10000, is next to Pasadena, l shall not
attempt to tell all have seen; it would
fill volume. From Los Angeles my
route was by the shore line to San Fran
cisco, 484 miles Of the grandest country
to be found on this earth. Beginning at
Santa Barbara and continuing to Paso
Robes, Hot Springs, Santa Cruz, San
Jose and Palo Alto, to Frisco, it is one
grand panorama of natural sights.
San Francisco is fast rising up from
the ashes and boasts of population of
half million. Oakland, across the bay
miles, has $50, 900, or quarter of a
million, and from there to Sacramento,
another fine city, of $1,000 to 100, 900, is
fine country. At Chico, 200 miles north
of San Francisco, I saw the last orchard
bearing the golden fruit. From there to
the Oregon line we 60 over the Siskiyou
mountains and past Mount Shasta, whose
snow-capped peaks reach up u, 3s5 feet
into the clouds. The next point of inter-
est is Grants Pass in Oregon, where
Gen. Grant stopped over night in his
young days on his way to old Mexico to
fight for his country, and the place was
called ever after, Grants Pass. We
crossed another mountain range before
reaching Portland, Oregon, where 24O,-
900 people live, mostly from the east.
It is most interesting place and des-
tined to be great city. The sights
worth mentioning after passing Mount
Shasta are the immense lumber tracts. For
hundreds of miles it is one vast forest of
the best of lumber, and this, with grain,
is what is making Portland a great city.
Portland's best residential district runs
up the mountain side 1900 feet, and has