Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-05-01
MAR POINTOu
in CALIFORNIA

In CALIrUkgvIh
Former Baraboo Resident Tells OF
the Attractiveness About AIham-
bra, Near Los Angeles
You ask me, How do you like Cali
fornia? / sure l Ike it, but l do not
like to write my impression of any
country unless | can tell about the
unpleasant things one finds as Well as
tie good things. No country is per-
feet. My experience gained in several
states has convinced me that no one
can write up a country correctly from
knowledge gained by few weeks. so,
journ in it; one must res de in a coun-
try several years before one becomes
really acquainted with it.
California has a large area and
many slight changes of climate. A few
miles may make great changes in at
mospheric conditions, soil and water.
Water is the man factor in this state.
With it, all crops can be produced;
without it, for portion of the year,
TIE country would be a desert Some
of the water is poor, being impreg-
mated with alkali. Los Angeles brings
its water supply from the Owens river,
ESQ miles. The topography Of the coun-
try is such that in some sections they
have very disagreeable wind and sand
storms, called Santa Anas," also fOgs
nearly every morning, which usually
burn away by 10 a. m. Persons intend
ing to settle here should shun the
windy places and those having poor
water. The climate varies a little
from year to year; the past winter is
considered cold one. few morn
ings found tn n ice on a pan of water
setting outside the house; the Their
mometer registered as low as % de-
grees above zero. Tender plants and
flowers were frosted and orange or
chards suffered in low places. Syuudge
fires were used to save the fruit. The
oil fires filled the air with smoke and
SCOT, which penetrated the houses,
causing the housewives much annoy
ance and work cleaning up after it.
Earthquakes occur occasionally,
worse in some sector than in others.
We have experienced three light
shocks The one that occurred April
Fl, 1918, was the only one that ratified
the things in the houses. 1t came at
$40 p. m. and lasted about 80 sec
onds. | could feel the porch floor
Chick cement) heave. as the ground
wave passed beneath my feet There
were two distinct waves; they pro-
duce queer sensations in ones mind
and body; still, would prefer to take
my chances in a temblor than in a
cyclone. Many people that were trav-
cling in autos did not realize that
they had experienced a temblor. That
was the quake that demolished part
of Hemit.
All Californians are boosters Their
slogan was climate; now they have
added to it the possibilities and po-
tentialities of California for intensive
agriculture, fruit raising, manufacture
ing and industries of all kinds. The
opening Of the Los Angeles harbor has
given us water connection with the
world. Formerly one thought of Cali
fornia as congenial climate in which
to live; now it is considered a place
in which to live, engage in business
and make money. Everyone will adj
nit that Southern California is nat
urally beautiful, and the people assist
nature in every way possible to make
lit more beautiful. They make fine
roads. on which the motorist can see
it in al it's wealth of flowers and
scenic grandeur. 1t is surely a revela-
country; for it's beauty is far beyond
what their minds had conceived.
Alhambra, my home town. les mes
tied between the Puenti hills on the
south ard west and the Sierra Madre
mountains on the north and east,
which gives us protection from the
ocean winds and Santa Anas." We
have electricity, gas, and city water,
which is drawn from a battery of
wells located in the foothills. The
water is soft and 997a per cent pure.
Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alham-
bra are virtually. one city so far as
boundaries are concerned, as they
have grown until the cities connect
one with the other-about $4,000 peo-
pie in the three cities. Alhambra's
population is 10000; has steam rail
way and Pacific Electric railway,
which ramifies throughout Southern
California every twenty minutes
to Los Angeles, 80 minutes to the bus