The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-06-20


about 1000 cars are shipped from here
each year; 80 packing houses handle
the bulk of the trade
Passing Paso Robes Hot Springs,
noted for their medicinal qualities,
Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina, all
charming summer resorts, we come
to Los Angles, the City of the Angles,
a city of 1000. remarkable for the
beauty of its homes, for its steam
lines and trolley lines, and the num-
Der of beach and hill resorts, easily
reached. Santa Monica. Venice, Ocean
Park, Redondo. and others are but
30 minutes distant, while Pasadena.
San Gabriel Mission, Mount Lowe, and
Mount Wilson are easily reached.
Los Angles is Is hours by rail from
Frisco, and has many finely appointed
hotels and attractive parks.
Many eucalyptus trees and Cassia,
the same which grows the sprig of
cassia, which is one o<{he emblems of
one of our most ancient secret or
CARNATIONS in existence. Down in
lower California, near Redlands, We
passed an immense vineyard, contain
ing 1000 acres owned by an Italian
grape.
AS we are now down in lower Cali
fornia, we soon cross the Colorado
river into Arizona and the scene
changes. The finest town of any i'm
portanee is Yuma, then Tucson, pro-
nounced Tus' on. but the part of Ari-
iona that we passed through was
very barren and in many places
broken. We passed over an arm of
the Salton sea, a wonderful body of
water in Arizona. which contains
200 square miles, with no visible in.
let or outlet, and holds its same level
continually. The water has yellow
ish muddy color and contains a large
percentage of alkili From Arizona,
we reached New Mexico where
we followed the Rio Grande to
Ell Paso. The pass where they used
to cross from old to New Mexico and
across a breach in the Rocky Noun
tains which extend down across the
continent. 1t was formerly called Paso
del horte, the pass of the north. 1t
has many fine public buildings, United
States Custom house, and Court build
ings,. and mammoth smelling works
and a population of $4,000.
Passing many pieces and things of
interest, we came to the great yiaduct,
spanning the Pecos river, steel
bridge PAS feet in length and 32l feet
above the river bed, one of the great
est railway bridges in the world 1t
looks very airy, but is solid as rock
at this time it is guarded by U. S
in a
in evidence all along the Rio Grande
The next city of Importance is San
Antonio, Tex, 572 miles west of New
Orleans, and having a population of
100000; the area of an empire Is trib-
dtary to 1t In live stock, cotton and
general farm produce and has most
salubrious climate. Here is located
the largest military post in the L. S.,
Fort Sam Houston. There are 81
parks, hot sulphur wells and many
fine hotels. Here is also the immortal
Alamo. a semi-military church, where
during the war with Mexico and Texas
in 1886, 1872 citizen-soldiers were be-
seiged by Santa Ana with 5000 Mex
lean regulars. at the end of the J.
days the sacrifice was completed, the
last defender died, leaving one woman
with a year-old child and negro SER
want to tell the tale. On the momu-
ment, Texas has inscribed, "Thermop-
lace had it's messenger of defeat. The
Alama had none
Crossing the Sabine river, we came
into LOUISIANA, where We saw many
large rice fields and as We neared
New Orleans came into the flooded
section of Louisiana. At Morgan City,
on the Calcachiu river, the water was
s feet above normal and going about
the city in boats and the surrounding
country We're all afoat for miles. Saw
many cemeteries under two, three and
four feet of water, which was a most
pathetic sight such conditions pre-
vailed for over hundred miles before
we arrived at New Orleans.
This city, the metropolis of the
South, is one of the quaintest most
picturesque and cosmopolitan cities
of America and embraces strong at
tributes both of the Old and New
New World. It has q population OF
about 100000, and il has the largest
area of any city in the world except
London, New York and Paris.
After leaving New Orleans, we pass
ed through the cities of Mobile and
Montgomery in Alabama up into
Georgia to Atlanta, one of the finest
cities in the South. 1t is here the
Federal prison is located and we soon
came to the Carolinas through vast
forests of pine and oak, through the
towns OF Greenville, Spartanbure,
Charlotte, and Salisbury, famous for
its prison in the Civil War, and up
through Virginia to Washington, d. e.
the finest city on the continent. As
we leave these, we fee! that we are al
most home When We pass through
Baltimore, Philadelphia 10 New York
and from there to Boston ~ the way
of Hartford, Conn, and from feston
to Skowhegan was easy, and was Very
glad to get back to the old homestead.
having made a trip OF 550o miles from
Sacramento.
The railroad officials were very
courteous and obliging, and the equip
ment was of the finest The southern
and western roads use oil burning en-
gines and the roadbeds are oiled. SO
the discomfort of dust is reduced To a
minimum. Many ask me which I like
the best, West or South. have but
little choice between the two but vii
say that New England to good enough
for me.
ABNER CGRRIER
Ends HINT for Rich Girl