Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-02-03

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could direct me to family telling her
my wishes where could get room.
She told ne that she thought Mrs.
Mckee had spare rooms; and said she
would call her. Mrs. Mckee came to the
door, telling me she had two or three
rooms and would be pleased to show them
to me. It was here at Mrs. DIR. Mex ee's,
on the corner of Third and what is now
Broadway, that slept my first night in
the city; and it was a sweet, refreshing
sleep; enjoyed it immensely.
DIR. Mckee was the first physician met
and talked with in Los Angeles; Dr.
Shorb the second. The lady met in the
garden was native OF Maine. Her name
was Mary; her sisters name, Martha; the
two were rooming in that house. Now as
1 was rooming there too there were three
Maineites under one Los Angeles roof.
It was not long before Mrs. Ruth Martin
and her two sons, Clarence and William,
same roof. Before the Martin boys came,
spent much OF my time in grass ham
mock in the shade OF trees in the garden.
1t was the sweetest resting had ever ex-
perienced, and seemed to gain in health
and strength just about as fast rs the
western farmers pumpkin vines grew, and
that was an inch minute.
The doctor TOOK me with him often in
his buggy, as he went his daily round to
visit his patients, SO I had good oppor-
tunity to see the city, but have not space
in this paper to relate what / saw and
heard that was OF interest to me. must
draw this paper to sudden close, and in
doing 90 will have to jump . y ide canyon
in my story.
During my stay in Los Angeles, which
was about two and one-hslf months alto
gether, / had become acquaintedl with
several very fine families and persons who
treated mo with great kindness. often
met and talked with man BY the name
Of Wright, . civil engineer. BE was the
first man who mentioned to me the words
'Indiana colony, and l well remember
how the name sounded in my ears. had
heard much about the .'old colonial" days;
and had been in the Old Colony railroad
depot and ridden many times On the Old
Colony road. Somehow there were famil-
iar1ty and sweetness in that wood tool
ony". II impressed me very much.
Mr.. Wright told me that he believed
that the Indiana colony had great future
which was destined soon to come to the
front. desired very much TO get int
sone kind of an honorable scheme that
was destined soon to come to the front
with money in it. What money had
was fast settling in my purse, and this
fact began to worry ne.
On one occasion Of our meeting, Mr..
Wright invited me to take buggy ride
with him. He told ne he was going to
that Indiana colony on q matter Of bust
ness; said he had done some surveying for
. company that had put on to the market
some land adjoining that of the said col
ony. He had some business with cor
tain Mr.. Wilson in relation to this mat
country.
1t was . lovely June morning, 1876;
remember it we'll. We were in . top
buggy; had passed along between two
rows of adobe buildings occupied by Mex
leans, whom we suddenly came to the west
ern or southern bank of the Los Angeles
| river. Mr.. Wright called my attention to
the fact that We we're fording the river, or
never should have known, perhaps, that
was really fording . river for the first
time in my life. owned an uncle once
who had actually forded the Bay Of
Fundy, and had, in my bare feet, pulled
up or rolled up my trousers legs hundreds
OF times and waded through deeper water
| in brooks in Maine.
Well, anyway we had a very pleasant
drive up the Arroyo road through what is
known as Sycamore Grove, Highland park
and Lincoln park. There was nothing
specially attractive about the landscape
that could see. At this season of the
year all grasses were dry and brown
where thought they ought to be green
and growing. I looked in vain for red
clover, dandelion and the wild straw
berry.
| Finally we arrived at what is known as
Porter's hill. It was a steep grade. Here
saw two pretty cottages and young or
chards that were under fine cultivation,
and began to get most magnificent view
of mountain, foothill and valley of that
| which was to me the Promised Land.