Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-19
A Letter From
DR.. McDavid To
A G. A. K. ade

\ letter written in December by Dr.
VIM. McDavid at Santa Barbara, Cal.
has been handed the Journal and is
herewith published: first. that all his
friends may hear from DR. McDavid
and second that all may obtain q
glimpse of the delightful spot ON the
Pacific coast.
Santa Barbara. Cal, Dec. 6, 191 i
My Dear Comrade:-
Your kind, thoughtful, newsy and wei
come letter of Nov. -, was received by
me in due season and afforded me a
great deal of pleasure in its reading
When one is 5000 miles from nome a
word from an old friend or comrade
means more and conveys more than 1t
does at another time. While L am de-
lighted with this part of California and
am enjoying almost every minute Oh my
stay, my thoughts often revert to Au-
gusta and Augusta people. / have llVeo
away from Augusta and been away from
Augusta a good many times IN my IRE,
but | have always returned to II, happy
TO get back. 1t Will be the same TINS
time. Were | a younger man or veal /
thier man | might want TO stay r1ght
along.
This part of California, at least, is n
paradise ON earth, if there ever was one.
The great mountains, 1000 feet high
just back of the city and the great IA
cific ocean in front indeed make a pie
Barbara is not so large in population as
Augusta, and pretty as Augusta is and
beautifully located, II has not the nat
ural OF improved beauty of Santa Bar
hara. santa Barbara, with one excep-
ton, that of Brookline. Mass, Is the
richest city per capita in the tnltea
States. 1t has also the distinction OF
having the largest number of automo-
biles of any city of it's size in the coun-
FRY This is accounted for by the many
rich people that live here and the many
miles of asphalt paved streets Whlcl
make it an ideal place for autos and all
sorts of wheeled vehicles.
Santa Barbara is Unique in that it has
positively no manufactures or any
kind 1t depends altogether on its sum
mer and winter tourists, who come from
all over the world. one gentleman who
owns Il fine place in one of the suburbs
let's his house furnished. for three
months. for $4,000 and takes UP TO
Europe with his family in the meantime
There are two magnificent hotels mere
with many smaller ones, the largest OF
which cost over Sl,000,000. The wealth
err is remarkably even; il is summer all
the time. People go in bathing the year
round. The nights are cool just little
too cool so that YOU see furs on women
and overcoats on men. l have hired
small bungalow of five rooms ON the
hills overlooking the city and the Pa
cifc ocean, delightful place. nave
flowers in my front yard and an orange
and Il lemon tree and several guaVa ana
olive trees in my little plot back OF the
house Nothing grows here unless IT is
watered and my first duty, every morn
ing after breakfast, is to water the fruit
trees and flowers on my little ranch.
1t was Milett that painted the great
picture, The Man With the Hoe, but
out here It would be @The Man with the
Hose"
This city has three daily newspapers
but all three are not equal to the Ken
nebec Journal. | don't see much evil
dences of Grand Army life here met
an old fellow with a button, the other
day. and asked him where | could get
my pension voucher executed, and he
replied, AT the courthouse. the clerk of
courts and II won't cost you anything,
either" Here they call the clerk of
courts the county clerk went and
sure enough, there was nothing to pay,
i thought how times had changed since