The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-03-23
SPLENDID CALIFORNIA LETTER


the past week, to receive the follow
friend and customer, HI. F. Bodine,
whose home is now in the beautiful
city of Los Angeles, Calf. Know
ing that Herbs many friends here
will be glad to have news of him and
that everybody will be glad to read
his splendid letter, we are printing
it below, with the exception of some
brief personal items:
1929 Monterey Road
South Pasadena, Calf.
Feb. A, 1922
Mr.. Chas. H. Reed,
Clio, Mich.
Dear Sir:
AS the fellow said, i seen yo ad
in de paper so / am inclosing post
office order for two dollars to renew
my subscription. This, l trust will
be sufficient evidence that we en-
joy the Messenger We surely enjoy
living in "Sunny California" but of
course miss our Michigan friends
The past ten days we have had some
quite frosty weather. 1t has frozen
trifle every night and of course
has done considerable damage to the
citrus and vegetable crops. Has
ruined lots of beautiful foliage plants
but they grow quickly so will soon
have them again. The mountains are
sight to behold, covered with snow
about two thirds of the way down
and it collects m the canyons five to
twenty feet deep. There have been
lots of travellers caught in the noun
tain passes. Some $50 autos were
caught on what is known as the
Ridge Route between here and Bak-
ersfield. Great rescue parties went
to their relief with food, extra cloth
ing, etc. One young man from Los
Angeles lost his life on the trails
between Mt. Wilson and Mt. Lowe
body has not yet been recovered, al
though one of his arms is raised up
out of the snow. Terrible thing
1t seems very strange that all kinds
of climate could be within so short
a compass. Snow on the mountains,
all kinds of verdure for thirty miles
to the ocean and there people are in
bathing. Hundreds of miles of the
finest roads in the world and taken
together with the sunshine and won
derful scenery auto riding is surely
joy. Los Angeles is rapidly : be-
coming a great manufacturing cen
ter and with its fine harbor nothing
will stop it from becoming one of
the great cities of the world. Water
power is being developed rapidly and
when completed will have electric en-
ergy for every purpose. The pro-
duction of oil is probably the great
est industry. They call it liquid
gold. We produce over one-fifth of
all the oil produced in the United
States. One Of the heaviest pro-
ducing fields, "The Montebello," is
only few miles from us. 1t has pro-
+, duced millions of barrels and every
well is pumping night and day.
| About ten days ago new well came
in on Signal Hill at Long Beach es-
timated at 1000 barrels per day.
The force of the gas blew the derrick
to pieces and oil was blown all over
the land, trees, houses and chickens
| for a good half mile east and west
from it. l was down there yester-
day. A great sight. Sometimes
these shooting wells take fire. The
roar, flames and smoke is surely
awe inspiring. There are a great
many companies exploiting oil stocks
| and what are called units. They run
great auto-busses from all the near
cities to the grounds where they
serve hot dinner, then lecture, af-
ter which comes the selling-very in
teresting. When / get a little lone
some, take in one of these trips.
Will say, however, that haven't been
"taken in" yet. Right here / want
to say while / believe there are fine
opportunities here for making mon
ey, yet from what have seen would
advise any person coming here to
keep a tight grip on their purse.
Somebody will surely grab it if you
don't. Fruit, chickens and truck
gardening form the great industry
of the country. l hear that the
"Japs" take as high as $1,000 per
acre from lettuce. Of course that
would be top-notch. With kindest re-
CARDS to yourself, family and our old
Clio friends, / am,
Yours truly, 5
III, f. Bodine.