The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1922-04-22
John B.SIater Tells
. About California
Writes of the Old Mission
City of Santa Barbara
on the Coast

Santa Barbara, California, April
II. Dear Examiner: For enhancing
beauty of landscape, to my mind,
nothing we have seen in California
surpasses that of the 100 mile trip
northwest from Los Angeles to Santa
Barbara, doubtless the most beauti-
full, in fact, the most picturesque
city by the sea in all America The
thousands of acres of intervening
live oak groves cover the rolling
hills which gradually rise from the
level valleys for some miles back to
the mountains. These uplands are
threaded by the public highway which
occupies an altitude to command a
view of the orange orchards along
the foothills in the distance, and pass
ing along the way the tourist sees
between the spreading oaks large
herds, or rather herds of large swine
which subsist in the luxury of the
abundant mast from the oaks.
Mind you, we had not reached
Santa Barbara yet by 25 miles when
we encountered the little old city of
Ventura with it's 5000 busy inhabi-
tants. From Ventura the road fol-
lows the ocean shore and through
the Summerland oil district which is
said to produce all of the petroleum
with a paraffine base on the coast.
The producers have here erected
long wharves, reaching a furlough
into the sea, from which at intervals
of 100 feet or more wells are sunk
from 500 to 700 feet to the oil
sands Being shallow wells the
pressure is not sufficient to raise
the crude oil, hence a system of
pumps has been installed. lmme-
diately on the shore is a refinery
which handles the product.
But, the object of this trip is not
to exploit the resources of one of
the richest districts in the state con-
tributing in fruit, agriculture, hogs
and oil, but to see Santa Barbara.
For several miles before rounding
into the city boulevards we pass the
low hills covered with native forest
growth. Everything we pass has
fine, clean, aristocratic appearance.
Oaks cover the hills and sycamore
follows the canyons, and tucked away
in the suclusion of the green timber
are the mansions of the rich who
have retired from the open struggle.
1t is a very happy situation for them,
but of little consequence to US. Their
estates ranging from 5 to 100 acres
are reached by paved roads the
length of which would register 100
leagues in territorial of 200 square
miles. Thankful we are that we may
enjoy these scenic wastes without en-
cumbrance by the burden of their
precarious wealth.
The Santa Ynez mountains which
here terminate the Tehacapi range
come to a sudden stop in a brow
standing 1000 feet high, from 6 to
10 miles back from the coast guard
ing the city and fronting the ocean
for 80 miles. From the city in the
winter season snow on these sum
mits may be seen for weeks at a
time, but this does not affect the
climate below where the soft breeze
from the sea tempers the air. On
the rolling hills between the promon-
tories to the seaside for many miles
along the coast are the farm lands
and orchards that make Santa Bar
bara famous. Walnuts, lemons and
olives are the outstanding fruit
products The Santa Barbara soft
shelled walnut had it's origin here.
Walnuts come into bearing about
eight years after setting. In the
meantime it is customary to plant
lima beans between the rows as an
aid to cultivation and for the rea-
son that the beans are prolific and
profitable. A walnut orchard, in
bearing, we are told, is worth $4,000
an acre and pays as high as 30 per-
cent on the investment.
The city has population of 25,OOO
people and it is said to its credit
that there are proportionately fewer
of them of the undesirable foreign
intrusion so common in so many
coast cities. 1t has taken $50 years
for this population to grow counting
the fact that the explorer Cabrillo
| pronounced Ca-brio) drove the first
stake in 1912. From thence it was
simply a discovery point until FIR.
Junipero pronounced Wha-ne-pra)
Sierra, in 1876, selected it as a site
for mission, but he died before
actual construction was started or
the mission building which is thu
best preserved of all the 2l. lndiar
missionary establishments whicl
dotted the country between Sal
Diego and Sonoma.
The Santa Barbara mission is tn