The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-03

use private corporation with a reser-
voir far up in the foothills, furnishes
clear sparkling water at g dollar per
month The town is substantially
built and prosperous. That is, the
new buildings that are going up since
the earthquake are, and most of them
are new buildings. Two of the most no
ticeable ones are the postoffice and
court house, the latter costing 100000
and splendid affair with pillars like
the Kansas state house and marble
floors and ceilings. The four banks
are said to be as solid as the Rock
of Gibraltar" but with little ready
cash on hand to loan the ranchmen,
owing to the great amount loaned the
business men of the town who are re-
building.
The schools too, are on a firm basis,
the high school drawing many pupils
from the surrounding towns up and
down the valleys,
Home of Luther Burbank.
But the pride of not only Santa Rosa
but all California is Luther Burbank,
the great scientist who from childhood
chose the plants for pets rather than
animals. He came to this valley in
1875 and began his work of improv-
ing old plants and creating new ones.
Hundreds of new trees, flowers, fruits
and grasses have since sprung into be-
ing owing to his indomitable efforts.
His greatest work is in providing a
thornIess cactus. This can be planted
leo deserts retaining the waste places
and at the same time allowing man and
beast to wander through without in
jury. The Burbank potato and a green
rose are other vegetable and plant
creations. Jealous meddlers declare
his paint for the roses and hired help
to extract thorns from the cactus have
cost him a fortune. But as Carnegie
donates him $4,000 a year, what's the
odds? He is also the creator of a seed
less blackberry and is working on an
odorless onion His experimenting
station near the city is the yearly
mecca of scientists from all over the
country and indeed is a great curiosity
shop.
An eastern friend who had visited
this country told me I would be eaten
up with fleaS. But the statement seems
to have been of a maligning nature, as
I went to church twice Sunday and had
no occasion to scratch during either
sermon.
here, however is chickens. The
ranches surrounding the city nearly
all have great fiocks of them while
down at Petaluma the place is known
tirety the fowls are white, Plymouth
Rocks and Buff Cochins being I'M
known.
Two town curios I almost overlook
ed. One is rose bush with 10000
blooms from vine with IS foot
stump. OF course no one has counted
the blossoms but experts say this is
low estimate. 1t is owned by mod
est resident and the bush is almost
as large as the home.
The other is the Baptist church
which has the distinction of being the
only church in the world built entire
lv from one tree. The tree came from
the Sonoma county forest and when
sawed yielded $4,000 feet of lumber
In addition there were 500 shingles
left over.
The altitude of Santa Rosa is about
400 feet above the sea level and the
surrounding hills protect it from the
frosts but still few oranges are raised.
However, at CIoverdaIe, 80 miles
north, splendid oranges are grown
and great crops of them
Having no guide book all of the
above statements may not be absolute
ly correct but in the main they are.
E. w. ELLIS.
Santa, Rosa, Calf.