The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-22

side the road and repair IL; e we had
been good climbers we could have
gone down into the canyon and sat
under . tree, however, we contented
ourselves by sitting under one higher
up: some former unfortunates had
left two or three Sunday papers under
stone and we proceeded TO read
them. One might have liked to in
vestigate the rocks on the ether side
of the road but nothing doing, . per-
feet stream of cars going and coming
and there are evidently no speed laws
in this part Of the country; everyone
acts az II they had been sent for the
doctor and could not get there fast
enough. For my part l just a. soon
gaze at the scenery once In awhile.
OF course this break down delayed US
and it was out Of the question going
to the ocean. We drove to San Fer
nando and out to the Old Mission,
about all there is left to this mission
is the name, however, some associa-
ton has taken it over and are trying
to partially restore some OF the build
ings, at least repair them so they will
stand up. They have used this
building for a grain warehouse, and
various other things, 90 of course
there is none Of the furniture, paint
ings or anything lefty but the bare
walls. At one time there must have
been several buildings here as one can
see the partial ruins Of them also q
part of the old original wall is still
standing that fenced in the grounds.
This mission was built in 1897, ]
think it was, as usual / cannot locate
my notes. The old baptismal fount
is still standing but as used for rub
bish, the once beautiful gardens are
now only a dream OF the past. These
buildings were Of course erected by
early priests, on mt least under their
guidance; the InSlians and Mexicans
i'd the real work; the brick are red
and resemble our brick except they
are about seven or nine inches wide
and about two inches thick; the steps
were built of these, the walls of adobe.
Back of the church was the cemetery
and of all the forsaken, deserted look
ing places this was the worst; yet
people had been buried here as late
as 1914. This cemetery was per-
feet tangle Of wild vines and weeds
but every now and then one would see
little enclosure surrounded by an
old fashioned picket fence and inside
this q wooden cross, only three or
four marble or granite stones in the
whole cemetery and yet among all
this some enc had recently put fresh
flowers on several of the graves. /
sure would hate to be thinking
would lay me down in . place like this
but suppose it means much to these
people as they feel it il consecrated
ground and therefore would bring
their dead a long way to bury them
here.
It was now nearing shutdown and
we started back; the new tire then
took to leaking and another change
had to be made; there was beautiful
sunset and we enjoyed walking up
and down the road.
On Sunday, Oct. 81, there being nc
church and getting tired Of setting
around we had our breakfast, made a
few sandwiches and headed for the
Busch Gardens. We had tried sew
eral times to set time to go but it
was always too hot, too damp, or some
other thing 30 we had not made it.
Miss Champenoy, q relative Of the
Weter's lives here and has been very
nice about plotting us around; we
called for her then took q car out to
the nearest point to the gardens
There are two gardens, upper and low
er; we went through the upper gar
den first; these gardens were made
out OF the Arroyo. AZ we enter the
garden one sees the beautiful live
oak and pepper trees, you know be-
fore / came out here / was rather
fond Of English Ivy but have seen
so many hedges, and they are always
cobwebby and dusty, that am not so
fond of it as was, however, this was
one place where it looked very nice,
climbing up around and through the
limbs of these live oaks and hanging
down and forming bell shaped fes-
toons from 100 to 200 feet long, it
was attractive. I hope to be able to
go there again in the. spring as
through the pepper trees Is wistari
and it sure must be a sight for sore
eyes when it is in blossom. There
Is said to be every kind Of tree that
grows in this garden. There is an
old rustic mill to represent some old
historical spot, on top Of couple of
other small buildings one sees a
stork on one and mother stork and
her family on the roof of the other,
from the walks we could see the
homes of the Busches, of course they
are beautiful and wonderful flower
gardens dotted the hills here and there.
/ saw one beautiful lily, called Para
disc lily. could not tell you the
shape, but the outer leaves are a
burned orange, then there are sta
mems, I guess that il right, of q reg
ular deli blue; it was surely most
exquisite thing. It was plenty warm
enough for this trip this day and we
sure got heated up climbing these
walks; there are cement walks all the
way through and of course guards
every little ways; they say they used
to always have old soldiers for guards
they were all rather elderly men SO
| perhaps they are yet. Mr.. Busch was
very fond Of cactus Sc there are q
great many scattered around the
garden; an artificial brook runs
through both gardens. We entered
the lower garden from above and
wound our way around down to the
bottom; it was some walk for fat peo-
pie as the walk in this garden is made
Of cobble stones and of course not
| T. r. l. Il - IA