The Arvada enterprise., 1919-09-04
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA
Vallejo, CAL, Aug. rs, 1919.

ton so will give you little descrlp'
zion OF our trip.
The boss being good enough tc
give me the use Of his six-cylinder
Buick car for week, from Vallejo
we arove to Benecia where we fer
ried across the Bay to Martinez,
driving from there to Oakland by the
way Of the tunnel route and skyline
drive, which gives a beautiful view
of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond,
San Francisco Bay, and the city it.
self. From Oakland we took the
ferry again across to San Francisco.
These ferries carry from thirty to
forty machines and several hundred
passengers on each trip, and take
about twenty minutes in crossing.
From San Francisco we took the in
land road going down the peninsula
through San Mateo, Redwood City,
Palo Alto, Santa Clara and San Jose,
where we staid over night. This part
of our trip took US through the rich
Santa Clara valley, where for mile
after mile we saw nothing but
orchards, mostly prunes, apricots,
and English walnuts. It is just the
beginning of the prune harvest, and
the heaviest crop they have had in
years. We stopped for few hours
and visited with friend at Santa
Clara. He explained the system Of
handling the prunes for market.
They are not picked from the trees,
but gathered off the ground afte-
they have fallen. Generally three
pickings are taken during the season,
rs hhey wait for the prunes to drop
of their own accord, which they do
not do till thoroughly ripe. They are
then dipped in I've solution which
softens and checks the skin, and
placed in shallow trays where they
are exposed to the sun till sufficient
ly cured for packing. They arc net
ting the raisers about $4,000 a ton,
which is four or five times what they
were receiving two years ago.
Leaving this valley we crossed the
Santa Cruz mountains via Los Gatos.
This took US through the Redwood
region and while we did not see any
Of the really large trees, yet wd saw
what to me looked pretty fair sized,
some Of them over twenty feet
through and two hundred and sixty
feet high. The Redwood is 4 verS
beautiful tree, every one as straight
as an arrow, regardless of size; this
must be where all the straight lum.
Der comes from.
| Coming out of the mountains, an
hours drive. put us into Santa Cruz
noted for its cliff drive and Ocean
Beach. We spent considerable time
among the cliffs here, looking for
star fish. of which l saw . hundred
or more.
From Santa Cruz we drove, ID
Monterey. about sixty miles further
down the coast, the first capitol Of
California, also the second mission
built in California is located here
Near here is Del Monte. famous for
the Del Monte brand of canned
goods. several big fish canneries be.
ing located here. We returned fron,
here to Santa Cruz win jacksonville
where all the orchards are apples il,
place of prunes. also great straw.
berry and tomato country From
Santa Cruz we took the coast road
to San Francisco, one hundred miles
and in view Of the ocean practically
all the time. One minute down on
the waters edge and the next several
hundred feet above it, At one point
there is continuous grade Of over
four miles, the road winding and
twisting very similar to the road up
Lookout Mountain. On our way ur
the coast we had the pleasure Of Sec
ing whale out n. sea. also of Sec
ing II spout: also large number Of
seals not far from shore. From San
Francisco We crossed by ferry again
back to Oakland. drove down the
Bay to Rodco, fcrricd over to South
Vallejo and back home: in nil little
over four hundred miles.
Might add That my aunt and uncle,
Mr.. and Mrs. Ed. Batter. formally
Of Arvads and Denver. and late OF
Los Angeles. and who arc visiting Us