The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1920-04-08
EdiC smith Writes from California,

Z
Il M, r, Springer, of Leon, is in re.
|ceipt. OF the following letter rom
Ed G. Smith, OF near Leon, VINO IS
now In California:
8O4 Pine Ave, Long Beach, Callt.'
March 81, 1920.
Friend Mike: In my last letter co
YOU. / promised that when DR.. Fox
worthy and made our visit to Tla
mana Mexico, | would write to you
again. And so l will try and tel
you something of our trip do"h
| there.
We went from here to Los Ange-
lies by stage, One-hour drive. from
Los Angeles to San Diego is apous
|135 uiles and we with others went
in a Packard twin six automobile
which is certainly the best car | ever
rode in, We had a fine ride over
paved roads all the way, through
orange orchards i'll full bloom, and
also with ripe fruit on the same tree;
then through walnut orchards an.
beet fields and along by the seaside,
and all. the time spinning along at
IS or 10 miles an hour.
We spent our first afternoon ana
evening in San Diego in looking over
the town, after we had secured our
rooms. It was a nice little city with
lots pf hotels and wide clean streets.
The next morning we took the
O'Clock train for old Mexico. Yon
will have some idea OF the amount
of travel between San Diego and ia
Juana when tell you that they rul
five trains of from six to twelve
coaches each way every day. AND
besides auto stages run every hais
hour aud an immense number OF
automobiles for they have a good
IL oil {10
closing my passport which l received
after [ had been asked a few ques-
lions by the officer in charge ara
which must be shown before you are
permitted to cross into Mexico we
first went over to old Tia Juana.
which is perhaps one-half mile away
from the line. and across the Tia
Juana river from the casino and race
track. We found a typical story
book wild west town. Long, low,
down one-story houses, saloons anu
dancing houses doing a, good BUS
ness and the cowboy with his clanS-
ing spurs. On the way over to Tia
Juana we had the good luck to fail
in with nice young Mexican VINO
told us that his father was going to
put on bull fight that forenoon in
his arena near town for the benefit
Of moving picture company from
Los Angeles. who wanted picture
Of q real bull fight in the films they
were making and that we might go
and see it if we wished, and we sure
ly did. So we went to the arena with
him and there met his father, VINO
was a rather nice looking man and
very friendly. He had a bunch OF
cattle driven in from the range that
morning from which they had select
ed bull with horns a foot long to
be used in the fight. The arena was
$50 across and enclosed by board
wall ~ feet high. Almost ali around
the enclosure and above the wall
were seats for $500 people. The bulis;
are in pen adjoining and are let liz
to the ring as desired. At abou:
1890 everything was ready. The
and the natador with his red blan-
ket. The bull was let in. Well, DR..
FoXWorthy was getting pretty ner-
vous by this time but as we were
perfectly safe up in those nigh seats
he soon coined down. The matador
did not intend to try to kill the bull
as it was only for an exhibition
fight, but the bull certainly tried to
kill the matidor and in one OF his
mad rushes, when the matador
tripped and fell, came so near doing
women screamed. Altogether we
had a fair idea OF what real bull
fight is like The Mexican said that
after the racing season was over they
would have a bull fight once a week.
After the fight was over the doctor
and had the pleasure Of eating din
ner in Tia Juana with our host, af-
ter which we thanked him for his
kindness to us and then went over
to the face track for the races. This
track is most beautiful. located in a
little level valley with the mountains
all around. There is large ampt;-
theatre and betting ring adjoining
the track and stables. The races
were fast and good and the betting
fast and furious. There was lots CT
drinking but | did not see anyone
drunk. Neither did 1 hear any
swearing The crowd seemed very
orderly After the races were over
we went over to the casino. This is
a large room filled with all kinds If
gambling devices and was Sc crowd
ed that it was with difficulty that
we could get near enough TO the
saw SO much money in sight in my
life. Bushels of it. And it seemed
to me that more were losing than
were winning and yet as fast as one
left the tables another took his place
and not One-fourth of the people
could get near the tables and almost
as many women as men were gam5-
ling. We watched them for a while
and then returned to San Diego. The
next day we came back to Long
Beach quite well satisfied with our
trip to Tia Juana.
This last week DR.. and Mrs. Rob
inson, sister, Eva. and brother, Joe.
and I went up to the top of Mt. Lowe
which is north of Pasadena. I think
this is really the incest trip we have
taken. We go by trolley car up
1900 feet, then by sort Of life car.
We go up 400 feet in a distance of
one-half mile. Then we go by troll
ley again until we are up 1000 feet
There is an inn here where one may
stop for dinner or for a month if
they have the money. From here We
walked two and one-half miles and
were then at an altitude of $500
feet. A part Of the time we could
see the clouds floating way below us.
The view was magnificent and the
to me seemed wonderful
ly inspiring and beautiful. We are
enjoying our visit here immensely.