The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-02-17
AMONG THE 5
j. Z. Elliot Writes Interesting Letter
from California.
San lose. Feb. 2. Is

Since leaving the old home circle of
long cherished friendship in Milbank
and coming to this kindly climate of
summer land ven in winter time, |
have often been reminded of the many
requests made at the time of my de-
parture. to write occasionally, the
list, however, is too long to remember
each one personally, and as the Her
ald-Advance is a tireside companion
in ali OF these homes, | send this far
away greeting to these friends through
its columns.
| think you will remember editors
ALWAYS rememher) la middle Octo-
Der date we left Milbank for Minneap-
oils, where we arranged for sleepers
fOur days IN advance, as we wished to
visit my daughter Ella at Dwatonna,
before starting on our trip. We
found the family well, with all arms
extended to give US a warm welcome.
The time flew by all too quickly, and
returning to Minneapolis early in the
evening we were soon aboard the
sleeper. The trip was %uneventful,
except that the varied landscape
changes and wonderful scenic grand.
eur OF the mountains speak ever to the
, conscious soul a language of sublim-
ity and a%lnirAtion. After leaving
Omaha our sleeper came direct to
San Jose. This is a beautiful! city of
about q 900 Inhabitants. The fret
day here our time was occupied in
looking over the city and getting our
bearings. Having bought our ticket
from Minneapolis through to Santa
Cruz we concluded to 60 over and see
the friends there. We found them all
usually we'll, with the latch string out,
extending US a warm welcome. Our
two days time allotted for this enjoya.
bic side trip swept by like the wind,
and we returned to San Jose. Our
car OF household goods was expected
10 arrive any day, SO we were on the
look out for that, but getting nothing
definite as to when we might expect it
here, and having found a bungalo
cottage that suited us we concluded to
go to Hollister, forty miles down the
valley, where my half brother George
lives and enjoy a short visit with him.
We telephOned we were coming and
he met US at the depot with his car
riage, and after a short drive of n
and a fourth miles we landed in front
OF his lovely California home, situat-
ed In a grove OF eucalyptus and pep
per trees, with their fresh, green fol-
iage, and along the walk the roses
greeted u.s., making a picture more
like midsummer than winter. We
found a CHEEKY fire burning in the
lire. The October scenery speaks of
summer. but there is d chill to the
air that calls for a little fire on the
hearth. After partaking of a one
O'Clock lunch we strolled out into the
great fruit orchard of pears, prunes,
apricots ana almond nuts. Adah
soon found her way to the vineyard,
and quickly gathered her hands full of
great punches of table grapes, and
began to feast there in the open air
strolls, at the fountain-head Of choic-
est fruits-everthing is at its best.
Returning from the orchards we came
by the barns and fruit houses, where
there was a great pile of pumpkins
OF the mammoth variety, but they
looked to me more like squash. The
kodak was Immediately brought out,
and Adah had her photo taken sitting
between two of these pumpkins, which
were higher than her head while
seated. The fellow who wrote that
the dOughnnts in California were as
big as horse-collars, was in error, but
she holds the worlds record on some
big things. 1t really is no wonder
that this land of mountain, mesa and
valley, with its varied and pictur.