The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-09-23
San Jose, Cal.
5000.
Mr. E A Payne,
Iuka, Miss.


| was in Old Mexico and gave you
a description of that country and
my 10 days hunt, in which | kill
ed IA deer and caught 1000 lbs of
fish; it was great sport. l visited
the American colonies who are
immigrating to that country by
the thousand and in my op MON it
will be matter of only a few
years until Mexico will change
her government. The immigrants
are mostly typical western from
tier men like those that followed.
Roosevelt in the Spanish war.
Wish so much you could have
been with me When | passed
through Colorado; through the
Royal Gorge; viewed the Mount of
the Holy Cross and Pixies Peak;
the snow was 3 inches deep on
Pixies Peak Aug 30. The air
was so light | could hardly breathe
and my kness felt like they did
the morning | was drawn up in
line of battle in front of Manila
awaiting the orders to charge. l
saw some beautiful country and
scenery in Utah. I visited the
Norman temple in Salt Lake CITY
which is the most beautiful build
ing ever saw. Am now in San
Jose, Cal. Since have left home
in 1894 | have travelled $4,000 mi.
and consequently have seen a great
deal of this world; to say the least
a great deal more than the aver
age man and taking everything
into consideration, think Califor-
mia is certainly the most desira ble
place to live in | have ever seen.
On this trip | came through the
great San Bernardino and San Ia
cinto mountains. These peaks
rise over 1000 feet high and just
beyond is the pleasant fruit grow
ing valley and takes its name from
the mountain. Just to the south
is Riverside, made famous for it's
great succ SIS in growing the seed
less novel orange. Thd grounds
are beautiful; here you will see.
the Magnolia avenue $50 feet wide
and ten miles long and in its parks
are the finest collections of cactus
in the world and near by is Red
land, also a hourishtng orange
growing country and city lined
with stately palms and the yards
are perfect flower beds of the rar-
est kinds The large orange
groves with their brilliant green
and the San Bernardino Noun
tains for a background certainly
is beautiful sight.
Los Angeles is beautiful city
and indications of great wealth and
business and should be called the
auto city" They have $4,000.
1t is 10 miles to the ocean and the
bathing place is Santo Monica
Bay. Next is Pasadena. Words
fail me in giving description of
this city. 1t is a perpetual gar
den and is considered the most
favorite place in the United States
for fine residences. 1t is located
in the San Gabriel valley over
over which rises the great Sierra
Madre mountains, over 1900 fit
high and the city has more than
100 millionaires living in it.
Then comes Santa Barbara,
which is one of the most charm
ing resorts that California has.
Here | went through an old Span
ish church, built 1875. 1t still
has a few of the Franciscan monks
yet in charge. / saw one grape
vine at this place that bears over
5000 lbs of grape annually. The
trunk of this vine is more than 4
# in diameter and and covers a
square of 80 fit of ground.
Next stop l made was at the
Santa Cruz grove of large trees;
they were or the Redwood type
and are certainly wonderful.
Some of them over 800 feet high. |