The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-02-01

the outside world ever think Of it ex-
cept as "a land Of sunshine and flow
ers," al earthly paradise" the game
would be up, the bubble burst, our
beautiful city deserted.
("They say the Lion and the Lizard
keep
The courts where Jamshyd gloried
and drank deep"),
and the circumambient desert would
claim its own!
To me it is at best a beautiful con
tradiction. a cruel coQuette. | am en-
abled by my five years residence (and
my own abnormality) to see both good
and bad in it. 81 love her fertile val.
legs" but | don't admire her deserts
OF the sunshine there is an overdose
for ten months-and dust-then an al
most total lack of it for the first two
months in the year.
Last January it rained twenty-six
consecutive days. At these times our
bungalow becomes a veritable ark, and
| looked in vain for the dove with an
olive branch. About this time every
year you will observe in the papers
about the country. news of a terrible
food in California, and the local papers
surprise and chagrin, like a foolish
mother apologizing for her spoiled
darling: "Why he never acted this
way before can't understand it,"
ut is very unusual" Hasn't happen
ed for twenty years" n hears also
when the mercury reaches 112 degrees.
One common delusion is that it is
never too hot or too cold. 1t is both,
and the worst feature is. usually both
in the same day. You eat your break
fast with hands and feet like ice on an
average day. Heat. You don't need
it, for by 10 a. m, you are quite com
Portable indoors. At noon, you change
from a thin house dress to a wooden
street suit, 20 out in the hot sun and
are nearly FRUSTRATED. You come home
hours later, damp with perspiration,
remove your coat, sit down in the
/ shade and chill to the bone. Late in
the afternoon or evening of a fine sum
mer day you may feel tempted to sit
on your porch. At such times always
put on YOU sweater. Here every wO-
man boasts two sweaters at least. One
to face the world in, one to show her
family, if they love her. Should You
be invited to motor to the beach take
both your sweater and o%vercoat. To
you will need amber glasses and par
asol, a pillow and a steamer chair,
but all these things can be rented from
old Neptune himself. not to speak of
fishing tackle and baby buggies.
Everything is "for rent" in Califor-
MIA. One can do housekeeping with
out owning a salt cellar, and even be
buried without buying the lot. Thirty
dollars will give you ample accommo
dations, three by six, with your lawn
cared for and all the privileges Of the
club.
Flies and fieas, while not extra heavy
per capita, are with us all the year
round. San Francisco excels in the
latter. Also in wind. Also in gaiety
Also in booze and crime. Only a very
daring nan cares to edo" Chinatown
and the "Barbary Coast" after dark.
Yet Frisco is a good, busting place.
and ! know our own rather mild Los
Angeles is viewed by it's denizens with
contempt. In the east you see no
such rivalry among cities. San Diego
though but a few hours ride from us
boasts Of its own superior climate
Pasadena has for us the scorn of Sill
Stocking Avenue for the Reservation
Those living near the coast claim thai
the interior" for excessive heat, Is
hardly inhabitable. Yet | have heart
it asserted inland that the desert Is
far more healthful than our f~og-soak
ed nights.
We have at times a terrible dus
storm resembling a Simeon, which !!
called a Santa Ana" | don't know
why, except that Santa Ana is a poor
obscure little village, which is no NOR
subject to them than our city Of thu
Angels. They probably there call /
the Los Angeles Special" just az on
own "Attica Jerk" in Attica is Spoken
Of as "the Covington punkin vine"
Another common delusion is tina
we have delicious fruit and vegetable
all the year round raised by irrigation
They are lacking in quality and favor
Would | not forgo them all for on
Winesap, a Grimes Golden, or a clus
ter OF real grapes, Concord. you kno,
Or real cherry pie,-or real any
thing!
I,xcc bou1 n Poront xr,to orJ NO