The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-01-14
A BALMY ZEPHYR
FROM SHELLEY

lear OlhCltf 90 our paper COue6
to us and is welcome guest like let
ters from home. So many new and
interesting things have come into oar
lives since lesving bOms on the 10th
Of December, that it is difficult to
know where to commence as Wa at
tempt to wIite our impressions.
Christmas day Was lovely. We were
entertained by an old friend whom We
knew Is years ago in Seattle, j. A.
Arnitage, who Is promoting this
beach. They have a nice buDRalOw
overlooking the breakers. \ lovely
Christmas tree was unveiled and cur
Grandchildren, Dale and Vivian. to-
gether with their children we're the
recipients OF presents. At p. IN. We
enjoyed feast flt for king. Frum
II q. m. until 3p. m. the thermometer
ranged from rs down to "A degrees
above. The day was bright and clear.
People we're out in summer attire,
many OF them in bathing suits and iD
the surf. This teing my first Christ
mas In the sunny south land, the only
evidence OF yuletide was in Chlist.
mas decorations and the good cheer
that reigned. On the Monday follow
ing we went to Los Angeles aud from
there down to Ocean Park. Stately
palms and pepper trees gud grove-.
Eucalyptus trees, tall and graceful,
which are grown for wood, formed a
most enchanting picture. This being
our fist look at such scene Ia mid
winter, you will understand that il
touched and impressed me VlVldly.
We passed on our way Santa Monica,
one of the Oldest and most beautiful
towns in this section. 1t stands upon
bluff overlooking tho sea sud at It
swift turn ofthe street you see pic
ture OF earth aud sky and ga that IL
ravisbing to behold Wherever We 90
We find hundreds of people like 9nr-
selves trying to increase the Elsasure of
life. But on new years day | reached
the climax SO far on the trip. | went
to Pasadena to attend the annual floral
festival and for the first tine on the
hrst day of the year saw innumersble
doats completely covered with a Iro-
fusion and variety OF flowers, | WOULD
not attempt to describe. The rapers
uext day reported from $50, COO to
300, 900 pres3nt. There were 40 sad
lie horses, one-third of which were
ridden by ladies and all of them beau
sifully decked with flowers. The
orioles Of the saddle horses and har-
uess of those drawing floats we're neat
ly wrapped with white cloth, and in
contrast with rich rare flowers made a
char ming picture Oh beautiful sun
lit day. In the attern ION saw the
races at the park including games and
a stage robbery, such as took place in
Ihe early days. a game OF football on
horse back and the very hest OF all Il
chariot ,ace with two entries which
took 3 mile heats to decide. 10 each
chariot there were horses abIeast
and they made two whirls around II
half mile track in ;48 aud of all the
exciting races | ever witnessed this
vas the greatest, There were %, COZ
people in the grand stands aud on the
bleachers and when tho home stretch
was reached every body was on their
feet, some waving banners, others
blowing hornsand such scramble for
view of the track is seldom seen. If
you have never read Ben Elur, read it,
then see chariot race, until
such time you have something to liV
for. Last Tuesday We all went to the
city, (all roads lead to Los Angeles
| and t.saA tk-ss 80 ttto CuwstOn W.
trich farm, now incorporated by a
bunch of Englishmen. At the show
| ,arm there are 1853 bids ranging from
3 weeks to 28 years old aud at the
large farm come distance away they
have 1000 bitds, some Weighing more
than 800 pounds. The young English
man who acted as guide for us told
me the average life of an ostrich was
65 years and that they frequently
reached the age of 100. They are eX-
tremely vicious, 80 much so that no
one is safe inside the inclosure. The
1000 birds represent million dollar
in vestment as they are rated at $1,000
each In value. The grounds there are
dream All kinds of nverhangiuR
trees, beautiful bordered dover beds
and notice reading "All trees grow
lug on this farm we're planted since
1884," and many of them are two
and a half feat in diameter. This II
a country OF swift growth OF trees and
a swift class OF people. Money
changes hands freely, much of which
10 handed over by the tourists which
are the harvest here. One thing is es-
peoially noticeable here aud that is
that California with all its boast of
wealth its tropical cltmpte and its
many allurements was much longer in
| the clutches of the recent panic than
was Oregon and Washington. They
now seem to have passed the danger
line and are tnnking on Eig things
this year
Our first month here will be up on
the 10th, when we expect to go to
Santiago for probably q two weeks
stay After our return from there we
will, IL our plans are not changed,
take a cnttage at Long Bach for the
remainder of our stay in California.
Our cottage here sits within a hun
dled feet OF high tide and as We write
We see the angry breakers chasing
each other as they lash themselves in
to white foam upon the shore. The
never ceasing, ever changing deop
blue expanse of waters Is alGays SIuR-
Ing a rev song for as. Freed from
the cares of business, the deep toned
voices Of the dark blue sea seems 01u-
stantly speaking to tbs of tho grandeur
and the mystery of the wclks of ma
ture, which is God
Roswell Shelley.