Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-05-01
REV. i. n. DAYS TRAVEL STORIES.

| ii
brella trees and they are well named
From the handle trunk the long
ribs run out in great profusion anG
without special training the leaves
form an oval cover, verv dense
making a fine sunshade, and in
case it rains-but it don't rain in
summer In the court house park
they were using the hose and jets OF
water on them, else they would not
make even sunshades. Here also
we saw our first pomegranate trees
we'll loaded with fruit, but we were
told that they were of no food or
commercial value. y"
Reaching Fresno by noon, we
changed to branch road, and
were soon out at Clovis, where we
visited an aged father and his
daughter with whom in Iowa we
had been for years associated. We
had the distinction of being the
first Iowa people who had visited
them and our parts Of three
days were very happily spent. Here
at Clovis everything seems to thrive
unless it be apples and citrus fruits.
Along the railroad right Of way on
either side run large fig trees laden
with fruit and the country roads
were packed with large palm trees.
The great fields of white grapes
were ripe and being picked and
packed for shipment and the black
wine grape, filled with juice. was
about ready to be taken to the
winery" The olive groves resem-
BILE willow trees and were full of
green fruit. Best of ali peaches
were in their prime; the trees were
bent to the ground with most lusious
peaches, and uncared for they lay
under the trees. The Muir peaches
are so dry that they do not seem to
spoil Open patches along the
roadway were covered with wooden
trays, filed with peaches, drying in
the open air and the sun for themar-
ket. Grapes also are made into
raisins by like process. Usually
about cents a pound for peaches
dried are paid by the buyers, but a
half crop made them bid to s
cents this season. Raisins some
times bring cents or less. A large
warehouse filled with many tons Of
prunes was awaiting higher prices
and greater demands. The Indians
and Mexicans were arriving in large
numbers to help in the vineyards
and orchards and get the fruit ready
for the market. Since there is no
rain in Clovis the sidewalks are ma
lures own make, brown, hard and
bare. Along these walks are park
ings of fig and other trees Here
we saw our first almond trees,
which have the appearance Of a
peach tree; the nut is covered with
| a hull similar to a peach in looks,
but not so large and this divides
and falls off leaving the nut on the
tree. 1&' q.
A lumber flume ends at Clovis,
coming from, the mills in mountains
81 miles away. To reach the rail-
road with it's lumber this huge water
trough has been constructed, which
in places is 12O feet above the
ground. A stream of water flows
through this flume and floats the
boards or plank down to Clovis
where it is piled and later shipped
out. Men are stationed every half
mile along this waterway to keep
the lumber moving. Il
On the Sabbath we attended Sun
day school and preaching service at
one Of the several churches in the
morning and found that the pastor
was Rev. Damon, formerly an To-
wan. The sermon was good and
the service inspiring. In the even
ing everybody went to the public
hall to hear former pastor dis
course on what I Would Do If
Were a Girl" He was dressed entire
ly in white and indicating I presume
what he would do If he were a girl.
The pleasant part of this service
was when the time came to go
home. /
The trains having changed time
so they miss connections at Fresno
we chartered an auto and reached
the interurban which has its termi-
nus in the middle Of great grape
fields at Sunny Side. Fresno is a
large and lively town, we'll built up
with great brick buildings and very
fine stores. 1t was a pleasant trip
to Los Angeles by daylight, and we
oroughly enjoyed the valleys and