South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-05
Seeing America
First
BY Fred Kelly.

Snatches from Dairy:
Getting into southern California on
the train is a fine study in dramatic
suspense. Instead of throwing out
hints Of what is in store and revealing
itself By gradual stages, California
insists on being Climax geo.
graphical climatic, and hOrticulral
climax. The real California comes all
at once. The change from winter TO
summer all takes place within a few
hours In Arizona the temperature
seemed to be about the same as it
was back on the Atlantic coast. Then
we crossed a stretch of California
desert, dropped down a hill, and all
about were palm trees, orange groves,
and shirtwaist weather-eXactly as
represented in the advance notices.
/ was travelling with several mem
bers Of congress, among them Bill
Kettner of San Diego, and Bill Cor
don of Ohio. At daybreak Kettner
jOyfully shouted from his upper berth
that we were in California. Gordon
looked out the window and saw moth
ing but the MOjaVe desert. He feared
the whole state was going TO be like
that, and it was not quite what Cor
don had been led to expect of Cali
fOrnia. There were no oranges, no
tropical profusion OF overs, no rose
carnivals, no cute little bungalows
nothing but desert and cactus. Cor
don who is an intense person in his
likes and dislikes, glared az the scene
a moment and then began to berate
Kettner for not having California up
TO the specifications. y few minutes
later he met me in the diner and eX-
claimed savagely:
All this country we see out yOn-
der is Kettner's district. 1 know it is
because l asked him and he admitted
H."
Almost from the mOmenr one gets
off the train one begins to hear faS-
cinating stories OF the Five Acres and
Liberty brand-hOw five acres of
orange trees will keep a man and his
family prosperous and healthy and
happy all the day of their lives
and long lives, at that.
Just as there are weather liars in
California, there are of course orange
grove liars. But l hate TO think that
at least part OF what | have been told
is true. For / am going TO have a
great deal of fun on the soft snap OF
the man who owns a five-acre orange
grove and has nothing to worry about
but picking his oranges and squirting
water at his rose bushes A life that
Is not without its advantages.
And not the least appealing fea-
E
| heard is this: one may pick fresh
Strawberries from the garden IL
months in the year. The idea OF
strawberry shOrtcake for dinner $40
days in the year might almost recon
cile one TO missing the sport OF prying
snow loose from the sidewalk with a
snow shovel. Unless, OF course. one
happens 10 be a fanatic over that sort
of thing.
There must be some truth in this
talk they're handing me about pick
ing money off the orange trees. for
nobody here in the smaller cities
appears TO be working much. Yet
nobody looks worried, and all seem
1 prosperous. The towns ] have seen
SO far are built without slurs.
Ii is going TO be extremely tough
10 walk up TO the Italian on the cor
ner and buy oranges again. Every
place / go somebody offers me a case
of oranges Just as casually as If he
we're only handing me a stogie.
! Oranges too ripe TO ship east but Just