Gunnison news-champion., 1923-11-09
A TRIP THU. Il
SUNNI CALIFORNIA
An Interesting Sg0r- OF
Sights Along tie Pa
cific Coast
lBy Agnes n Winter
Continued from Page Three

fine modem h0te,-@Ye Tavcr7," and
cottage for rent % thCsg De iTiE- 20
remain for . tine. u was one OF the
incest riIs-tFpr we had
No ore = .ts Los ANGELS without
taking q tTip % Santa Catalus. TIA.
beautiful land r5sIng GU; cf the Pa
cifc Ocean. . miles from L0E An
geles. The island is % miles long
and from a. miles in width L II
owned By VIM. WuRiey, Jr.. the chew
ing gum nan, and the first thing one
SECS on nearing the island is the
magnificent white palace Of The own
er situated high up on the bluf7-
The trip ! of special intsre7tr ~ the
steam Uasacr The entire length OF
the United State Naval Ira ming
Station. and liEgui7e thru the battle
ship feet We caught a good look -
some Of our rea monarch. rome l6
being stationed uear San Pedro that
day. The island, itself. is full Of m
iutere ting place. The city Of Ava
ion. with Il modern h0tess. schools,
churches and public buildings is
beautiful pot, while any number Of
interesting trips can be taEen around
the land, either on land. Eca or 10
IN an aiplaHe.
The most interesting thing 10 Us
wa the trp 20 the submarine gardens
around Catalina. Passengers board
q d0ublo-decked boat, the lower deck
looking zomethiHg like a huge tank
surrounded by seats. You take seat
and resting your arms on the edge OF
the glass s-bottOmed tank. gaze down
into the bottom Of the ocean a the
boat sails around the bay. These
gardens are beautiful beyond words.
Towering plants rise up from the bed
Of the ocean, enormous waving ferns,
and more varieties Of vari-colonei fish
and sea weeds than one can count.
More than 80 species Of kslp can be
zen. this being "A plant from which
iodine, crcsote and potash j. made; n
sea cucumber. which is the link be-
tween the Vegetable and animal king
dOns can be seen. This is the lowest
form OF animal life existing, and the
Chinese use IL in making chop suey.
Deep-sea divers entertain the crowd
on the boat by diving to the bottom of
the sea and gathering shells from be-
meath the boat, bringing them 10 the
surface. A quaint old pirate ship.
Ming Po. is anchored on one end of
AAAf lHt4A4h anu htfll ~ NISlNpE@.
Some Of the side trips we enjoyed
were at Sawtelle. where the National
Soldiers and Sailors Home is located.
and considered TO be one Of the show
places in Southern California, the
grounds being yeritable wilderness
of luxurious growth in the way OF
flowers, shrubbery and troes. A
large orchard of several acres, many.
t.,..t - r. Al .
soldiers and sailors who live there.
and likewise pretty. well-kept spot
occupying several acres. which Is the
Home cemetery. A number of old
soldiers, former residents of Gunni-
son county, are buried there.
We would liked to have gone in
sea bathing at Long Beach. but one
look at the customes worn. cured us.
One gets used to it, though. On al
most every day and at any hour after
sunrise the beach will be covered with
human beings, all out for good time.
En- route to Long Beach or Venice,
one passes thru the oil region called
Signal Hill, and should the trip be
after dark, one is treated to the
amazing spectacle of hundreds of
huge, towering oil derricks decked out
in electric globes and lit up from top
to bottom. From the side Of the troll
ley line and stretching up the side Of
the hill, these illuminated wells can bel
seen. Speaking of oil wells-we al
so passed thru Summerland where the
derricks are built out in the ocean,
and you are treated to the surprising,
picture of oil actually being pumped
from beneath the ocean.
At Hollywood one day, we witness
ed the movie "The Covered Wagon
Emerson Hough's famous story of
the West The play was given at
the Egyptian Theatre, one of the FIN
est play houses in the United States.
The play was simply grand. and no
where else will it be shown as il was
there.
Amy one visiting the coast should
visit one of the old missions, which
are located in various parts Of the
state. One just outside of Los An
geles, at San Gabriel, is over l5D
years old. having been founded by
band of the Franciscan Order in
177l, the original hlilding still re-
mains, although surrounded by u
modern church and other buildings.
Inside the mission can be seen the
garments and vestments worn by the
founders, the cooking utensils used at
that time and the curious ovens; a
glass case contains documents hund-
reds of years old, altho still readable.
Once every year the famous Mission
Play is given, which in some respects
resembles the great Passion Play at
Oberammergau We were just itt4
the too late to witness the presenta-
ton of this historic performance.
To one of the Catholic faith, the
old mission chapel is most interest
ing place to visit; it would be inn
possible to describe, or the famous
bells of San Gabriel, which still ring,
and can be heard as far as Los An
geles The original stairway leading
to both the belfry and the organ loft
still stands, and we don't mind admit
ting that We watched our step going
up. In the museum are a priceless
collection of paintings representing
sacred scenes. Some of them bear