Manchester Democrat., 1920-12-15
1 GLIMPSE OF SOUTHERN CALI.
FORNIA.
CONTINUED from page one.)


more exclusive residence section. Char
ley Chaplin's castle like house tops
a foot hill next to the mountains. Its
location is all that ones heart could
desire, but as we have recently learn
ed, happiness was not there. The
movie houses, NOr palaces, as they are
rightfully called are beautiful, but not
more SO than in other large cities, ex-
cept Chicago. They are more numerous,
however, and have larger seating
capacity and are filled to capacity
all day. They say Los Angeles ranks
next to New York in the patronage
of the movies. The elegance of the
sweet shops" is even more notice
able. Here are served sodas, lunches
and meals, catering to no particular
class; Service is quick and the pa
fronage enormous. Many have seat
ing capacity OF several hundred and
the cost Of the furnishings run into
astonishing figures. On the walls Of
the "Pig-n-whistle", one Of the most
popular places, hang oil paintings
purchased from the exhibits at the
San Francisco Exposition at a cost
Of over 100000.
No one seemst0 pay much attention
to the fact that Los Angeles experian-
ced twenty five distinct earthquakes
during the past year. The residents
will admit that chimneys and cor
nices fell as the result and dishes
t0ppled off the plate rails. They us
ually come during the summer months,
SO that tourists know little about them
as the newspapers seldom advertise
this characteristic Of their locality.
But far and away the most delight
ful thing they have around Los AN
geles and in other parts too are the
roads. What paradise for the one
who likes to ride in an automobile.
There are miles and hundreds Of them
in any direction leading to SanFrancis-
co, down to San Diego, across the valley
to every important point. And they are
even building them over the noun
tains now. They have better roads
there now than we will have here IN
80 years at the rate we are going
They are permanent roads too, toril
the most part cement and asphalt. The
writer rode on paved road over
stretch Of desert In the Imperial val
ley about thirty miles across. On either
side Of the paved highway was land,
or rather drift sand, uninhabited, OF
course. How they could manage to
get road built there was curiosity.
Upon inquiry 1t was learned that the
state built the road and issued in
terest bearing bonds to pay for 1t.
The state sold the bonds to the county
In which the road was built. And
there you have 1t. That state got its
money back and the county gets in
terest perpetually on the money it |
advanced to build its own road.
And BY building 146 miles OF rail-
road from San Diego through the Inn
bgrfai valley THIS vast, and for the
most part undeveloped empire is given
direct outlet to the sea for its pro-
ducts. It is practically all below sea
level, in some localities close to 200
feet. And here you find thriving cities
with contented and prosperous people,
for the most part, just the same sort
you will meet any place around here.
In the summer time the Imperial val
ley is the hottest place in the world.
No African or South American rel
gion around the equator can compare
with it, yet the natives claim to have
the finest climate in the world, nine
months in the year. The three summer
months, all agree, are unbearable. Dur
ing this period all who can afford it
90 up in the mountains or over to
the coast, all within distance of |
1876 miles. This country affords won
derful opportunities for the man who
is willing to settle there and till the
soil, rich soil many feet deep and
OF wonderful fertility. Some fail how
ever, by embarking upon unfamiliar
pursuits. Near one OF the large cities
IN the valley may be seen today q
twenty acre date ranch, abandoned by
an easterner who failed because he
did not understand the business. He
raised the dates all right, but knew
nothing about picking, grading, pre-
serving, packing Of marketing, and
failed. 1t is, a business requiring tech
nical knowledge, and the lack of ex-
perience proved tbs mans undoing.
1t is surprising to see the high prices
received by the growers for their pro-
ducts This is due to the associations
through which practically everything
Is marketed in California. Most careful
attention is given to grading, quality
etc. The grape fruit are all. packed
according to strict requirements and
the result is the natives are able to
buy culls which are off shape, or
spotted, but just as good in other re-
spects, for dollar bushel.
The border country from the Imper-
ial valley to the coast is closely pa
troled. The custom officials say there
is very little effort made to smuggle
In liquor. Some negro bootleggers are
engaged in the precarious traffic, but
the u. s. Government officials are
mostly employed in preventing the
Japs and Chinese from entering the
country. They give our officials never
ceasing trouble. At San Diego and all
along the lower coast most careful
watch is constantly kept to prevent
the entry of these undesired people.