Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-03-31
FURNISH DESCRIPTION
OF CALIFORNIA TRIP
AN INTERESTING LETTER CON-
CORNING SIGHTS THAT APP
PEAL TO TOURISTS.
Editor Repnblican:


Editor Republican:
When we went to Long eBach last
! fall I did not expect to keep up a
continual bombardment on the peo-
| pie of Audubon county and the edit
ors in particular. but in a land of
almost endless holiday, perpetual
! flowers, continuous sunshine and
| gorgeous scenery, you could write
all of the time and then when you
! quit "The half would not yet be
told" So in these final words
will tell of a few more things as l
saw them and then settle down to
! business at the old stand in Gamer
| on Possibly the question OF ex-
penses might interest some, espe-
cially those who contemplate going
there at some future time. kept
a CAREFUL account Of all expenses
while there, so that I might know
the exact cost of every item. Our
entire fuel bill during the winter
for heat, cooking and washing was
1914 for a family of six and in an
S-room house. The light bill was
about a third as much and the water
was furnished. BY doing your own
cooking, as we did, you can get
good meal at a very reasonable fig
ure on account of the cheap veg
etables and fruit which are on hand
at all times and aid materially in
knocking the high cost of living.
Rent, of course, is very high and
anyone going there should have an
income or must expect TO work as
you would anywhere else in order to
break even. But 1t must be remem-
bered that while the rent is high, 1t
carries a lot of privileges with it.
We had the privilege of free schools,
free text books, free use of the pub
lie library, and in fact enjoyed all
the rights of the permanent citizens
OF Long Beach, except the ballot.
The remedy for high rent is to own
your own home and this is possible
for most every one, for the range in
price is very great. AS the saying
goes, there's a home suited to every
pocketbook. / really believe that
you can live more cheaply there
than here on account of the small
fuel bill and the little need for
heavy clothing. In fact you could
see them along the beach most any
their clothing bill would be small.
There is not much to bathing suit
that has shrunken about a fourth.
AS Lew Beauchamp put II, the man
hunting a wife today under the pres
ent fashions of women's dress, has
a great advantage over the man of
few years ago.o for today he can
see just what he is getting.
Tuesday morning, March the list,
arrived, and arising very early we
ate breakfast, set the house in or
der, picked up our grips and walked
out and as the night lock closed be-
hind me / remarked that ii hardly
seemed possible that we were leav-
ing to return no more, for 1t had
been a happy home to all since last
fall and under its shelter we had
viewed many beautiful scenes in
that sunny southland. The one thing
that I probably miss as much as
anything else is the roar of the
ocean and my last act before leav-
ing Long Beach was to walk out
east of the depot and take a fare
we'll look at its beautiful waters.
Time and again while watching the
Pacific I have recalled those beau
tiful words. Restless as the Ocean
Waves" How true at Long Beach,
for It matters not now quiet the
weather may be, the breakers never
cease and you have the constant
song of the sea.
After starting on our way we soon
came to a small town in which I
counted ~thirty-nine windmills as the
dr,,i1 NJ
course, are common, but not many
reading this article ever saw a town
where nearly every house had
windmill and a tank by its side.
However, There's reason" 1t is
simply that the soil is very produc-
tive but there is a scant rainfall. So
in order to have a garden or a truck
patch they must have a water sys-
tenn of their own, this, Of course, on
~ applying where the general water
system has not yet been established.
California is noted for its dry lakes
and river beds. have seen mag
nifieent bridges spanning streams
almost dry. Some fthese dry up en-
tirely little later in the season. l
have walked along the Los Angeles
for miles and at present there is
only a small stream Of water, yet at
times It is a raging torrent. destroys
property, and floods a considerable
region. During the past winter
much work has been done in lining
the banks of the Los Angeles with
rock in order to keep ii from flood
ing the surrounding country. A
railroad was built on each side of
the river so that the rocks could be
hauled directly to where they were
wanted. I mention this to show
the mammoth scale in which i'm
provements are carried on in that
country. Passing on to the San
Fernando valley you have a beauti-
full region where there are many OIL
i've groves. Looking from the car
window I saw these words on a
signboard: Mt. of Olives" Looking
lust beyond IL you could see beau
tiful little mount, which I suppose
was named from Mt. Olivet. OF bible
history at the side OF the Garden OF
Gethsamane. A short distance
from here a considerable stream OF
water was flowing out OF the noun
tain side. At this particular point
you could not tell where it was com
ing from, but later on j noted
great water pipe and it was simply
CARRYING water down from the
mountains for irrigation PURPOSES
and other necessary uses. The flume
system is often used TO convey water
from a place where IL is not needed.
or is unproductive, to where good
use can be made OF it. My attention
was now directed to vine-clad
house along the wav and these are
verv common out there for they
make a beautiful residence out Of
a very cheap building. An old cow