Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1929-01-04
INTERESTING LETTER
FROM W. v. GARVIN

The following letter received by
his son, w. ID. from w. V. Gar
win, who is spending the winter
with his daughter and family al
Long Beach will be of interest to
his many friends. Grandpa Car.
vim" is one of the old settlers, III
point of years spent on the island,
but that is the only way III which
he is old. For one who has lived
several years past four score he is
one of the youngest acting citi-
zens of Vashon we know of. His
activities would put some young
er people to shame. His daughter,
Miss Nina, who is also spending
the winter in California, thought
it was necessary to go along to
look after her father, but we
know, especially after reading d
letter Mr.. Hansen received from
Mr.. Garvin this week that Grand
pa Garvin is perfectly capable OF
taking care OF himself.
Long Beach, Calf, Dee. 4.
Dear Folks:
| have been thinking for long
time that | surely would write but
when Nina came | just let her do
the writing. | think | have i'm
proved wonderfully since | came
down here. | have spaded quite
bit Of ground, and planted a
garden, but the seeds come up
very slowly, owing to the cold
nights. Some of the seeds will
have to be replanted. Flowers are
growing and blooming every place
so it is summer here, but while the
days are warm the nights are cool.
l have been around quite a bit
of country since came here. We
took a trip the first Sunday to AN
old mission, built by Spanish
priests in 1776. 1t is wonderful
the way they put up their build
ings without sawmills or machin-
cry. They sawed the lumber by
hand, with whipsaw and made
their bricks by patting them out
with thier hands. Part Of h g
buildings are of adobe and the
walls are seven feet thick The
earthquake of 1909 broke the main
building in two and left half of
the dome standing. The buildings
are built around a patio in the
shap Of a quadrangle. the patio
looks to be about 200 feet wide
and 400 feet long.
The chapel is wonderful. The
whole end back of the pulpit is
an immense carving Of white ma
hogany and all 2ilded. The worl;
was made in Spain, but it would
take too long to tell you about it.
On the next Sunday we visited
the lion farm, and they surely
have lions, 145 of them. Their
roaring is terrible. On the next
Sunday we went to the zoo in Los
Angeles. There they have about
as many lions and almost all kinds
of animals, from monkeys to ele-
plants. Many Of the lions and
tigers are trained and their per-
formances were fine.
The first Sunday after Nina
came we took long trip to Lo-
meta. From there we went up
over the mountains and around to
Redondo, Venice and number Of
other towns, then around through
Los Angeles. Pasadena and home
The next Sunday we took il
Wilmington and San Pedro. We
put in the afternoon driving
around among the docks and can
ncries.
Las Sunday we drove out about
% miles to a big farm, owned by
man by the name of Huff. II,
had originally over 700 acres, but
has sold all but 316 acres, the most
Of which is in oranges, alligator
pears and persimmons. The per
simmons are fine, as large as tea
cups. He also has fine cattle and
horses.
! spend some Of my afternoons
on the ocean beach. | went fish
ing one day with usual fisher
mans luck, but ] have watched
the fishing boats at San Pedro and
Rondo coming and unloading theil
fish, all kinds of them | am tired
so will saw goodbye Love TO all
Your loving father.