Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-02-08
S|LAS MOODY IN GAL.
Gathering Shells From ihe..SedShOre
and Having GOOD lime
625 West Second Street,
Long Beach Cal, Jan. II, 1912

Long BeaCn Odl., an IL, lSl"'
Myself, Mrs. Moody and Mrs. {.
X. Beach, left Long Beach yesterday
morning by Pacific Elect trio. From
here we took a special car each per-
son having a reserved seat This car
had a guide TO point objects of inter
est as we passed to sixty persons
Each person was provided with
folder and map and the name of the
places on route to be visited. We
passed through two tunnels Of several
hundred feet and soon began 10
emerge by winding boulevard into
the most picturesque part of this
great city, We soon came to where
many one story cottages were scat
tered over the hills interspersed with
fine orange groves loaded with fruit
looking fine Our first stop was made
at the Soldiers Home a few miles
from the city occupying some forty
acres, with numerous buildings to &C
commodate the 1900 old veterans, the
oldest being 101 years of age. The
guide told us the average death rate
was one a day, one having died yes
terday as shown by bulletin we
passed. Here we were lined up to
have our photographs taken 60 of
us), and later in the day the car was
stopped by boy who handed MS orr
photos which we purchased at 25
cents each I think there were four
cars a few minutes apart making this
same trip.
We soon came upon the FIRST car
gathering shells on the seashore
Here we clambered down the bank
and took hand in.
AS the gong sounded we struggled
up the steep and sped away near the
shore for several miles past resorts
most of the time. Our car doors
open and ladies in summer costume
with no thought of cold
AT several places our car stopped to
let us see interesting objects. At
about 1890 our car unloaded for a
fish dinner, which I consider very
satisfactory to hungry man.
After an hour and fifteen minutes
we commenced our return trip with
first stop at Venice, which has many
wonderful attractions. Here and in
this vicinity is large show troupe
wintering, also sightseeing on every
hand. Our next stop was at Ocean
Park. another city with many large
buildings built on spiles over the
ocean. At a place called Sherman
there are great numbersof oil derricks
said to be the largest oil fields in
the country Oil obtained from these
wells and many other wells in Cali
fornia is burned to create steam and
for fuel generally Besides, dirt roads
are sprinkled with oil. Even soft
coal is $1400 per ton and wood one
foot long is $500 per cord. Gas is
made from oil instead of coal.
There are excellent farming lands
over much of yesterdays trip; but
saw six horses hauling disk because
of the lack of rain, less than two
inches having fallen to this date.
In all my travels have never found
SO many street cars driven by cleo
tricity as there are in this part OF
California and one company owns
nearly I'll of them. We arrived home
last night at $50 having travelled more
than 100 miles, very much pleased
with Our days trip.
Before closing, must tell fish
story which vouch for the truth Of
A Mr.. Jacobson who lives in the same
house with us, went down to the
wharf this morning and with hook
and line caught fish that weighed
80 pounds after he was bled. It took
fifteen or more minutes to land him
after he had him fast. I did see him,
but don't remember the kind. but he's
all right to eat because we had some
for supper