South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-02
Seeing America
First
BY Fred Kelly.

great many liars are to be found in
/ California. However, they lie mostly
about the weather and so no great
harm is done. Although I have not
yet reached California, l have found
out a great many strange things about
the climate, or rather the climates to
be found there. Part of this informa-
ton l got from talking TO California
people before L started west, and the
rest 1 have picked up in conversation
with Californians on the train. 1t
seems that in any given spot in Cali
fornia one may find almost any kind
OF weather, desirable or undesirable,
at any given time. In order to check
up my information a bit | followed a
practice of getting facts about place
not only from a native OF that local
ity, but also from a native of some
other part of California. Here are
some of the tidbits of information |
have CLEANED by my inquiries:
The best climate in California is to
be found at San Diego.
The California climate is at it's best
about Los Angeles.
For one who wishes TO live in Cal
ifOrnia the year round the place TO
go is the vicinity of San Francisco.
San Francisco has the worst eli
mate in California.
The Los Angeles climate does not
compare at all with that found little
farthe: north. And 1t becomes I'M
Sedrably hot at Los Angeles in sum-
mer.
1t never becomes uncomfortably hot
in Los Angeles.
San Diego is altogether too dry
climate to be fit to live in.
Owing to it's location on the bay San
Diego gets too much moisture.
The place TO live is in the hills
about Richards or Riverside, where
the climate is ideal the year around.
II is so hot in summer at Redlands
and Riverside that a person can
scarcely stand it.
One should live in one of the coast
cities if one wishes TO stay in Cali
fornia throughout the year.
There you have the facts The
greatest beauty OF the California
climate, as 1 look at it, must be that
you can get any kind Of climate you
want in any place you may select at
any time you want 1t.
one of the interesting features of
crossing the continent is the discovery
of the rapijity with which human be-
ings adjust themselves to conditions.
To a person who has done most of his
railway travelling in short lengths of
a day at a time, or less. the idea of
boarding a train and staying there for
Shudder. For some years have been
intending TO make a journey TO Cali
fOrnia, but kept pOstponing it be-
cause I didn't think I could sit still
long enough. Several persons on this
train have confessed to me that they
felt precisely the same way.
But the discomforts Of long rail-
way journey seems to be mostly a
state OF mind The moment you
know YOU are not going 10 get off
the train for a few days you under
so a sort of mental change of base.
You think no more of a thousand
miles than you did the day before of
so miles A day instead of an hour be-
comes your measuring stick. After
the first u hours on the road the
mental readjustment is complete. In
stead of dreading the days ahead you
feel rather self-congratulatory over
not having TO rise early and hustle off
the train before daylight in the morn
ing. You get up. dress leisurcly. eat
breakfast, and settle down to read or
talk with exactly the same matter-of-
course uncOncern as If you were begin
ming another day at your office.
Get on a sleeping car filed with
men and women headed for points five
or six hours away and you will see
frequent swapping shut OF watch lids
and numerous consultations OF time
ldDlCS. EdCH passenger nina Is on
his destination. There is little OF
that on a five-day journey. Not more
than once or twice did I see anybody
glance even casually at a timetable.
Nobody seemd TO be paying any at
tentiOn 20 the time of day or the
amount Of ground yet 10 be covered.
Everybody l asked agreed that a four
or five-day journey is only a trifle
more monotonous than a trip of 10
or u hours. The monotony comes
mostly the first few hours. anyway.
The fact is. I have grown rather
attached 10 my little old berth. This
car has come to seem quite like home.
and when ] get OF. IL il is not like
. leaving the old homestead, / shall at
least have much the same feeling as
when / vacate a suite in an apart
ment mouse. / have come 70 have a
high personal regard for Jim. the
porter, Just as people in novels OF
ante-bellum days entertain "A fond
ness for old and trusted servants of
the family Good old scout Jim IS.
Ii Is going TO be extremely tough TO
20 back living in a regular house and
have 10 dress myself unaided again.
with no Jim TO order around and
minister 10 my wants. II were going