Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1934-08-17
A Trip To California

H W sitS uay+ lHey say Lney
will call again. 1 say 1 doubt It'll
Tell me, though, are there people
who might prefer proving around
the dust and clutter of a movie studio
to the journey along the rim of the
world to Lake Arrowhead? Arrow
headl yes, from the valley one
locks up to see that natural rock
formation makes the great mountain
as though branded in the shape of a
clearly defined arrowhead. Once the
climb has begun the car skins along
as though through space-swiftly.
Mortals cannot stand aloof and gaze
out upon the stretching piling noun
tain ranges of the world except in
swiftness. The wind above the
clouds that makes a path around the
earth blows in ones face. At sunset
a quiet eestaey exudes from the root
of the ranges. The glow Of the sun
slips down from the mountain peaks
leaving them purple blue and settles
upon the moving mists of the valleys.
When all is dark, gliding along that
path of the winds one feels close to
the Soul of the Night-crouching
silently waiting to stretch out its paw
and soundlessly snuff the little lights
that CLEAN from the valley so I'M
aware of the great power of nature
over man that streams so close and
yet so remote from them. Once up
at the Lake all this goes, of course.
There are movie stars again and
the swankness of smart California.
The Casino is a favorite place to
dance. The Lake itself is liquid sill
yer cutting into darkness and shaggy
evergreens like mercury splashed
from pitcher into the hollow of the
mountains. By day the cold CLEAN is
gone and all is crystalline aqua mar
inc shooting into silver sun.
In Riverside last weekend / made
hurried visit to the famous Mission
Inn. A hurried visit takes all after
noon, and a year would not be long
enough to make one familiar with
the things to see, or even sure of not
getting lost, fear. 1t was not origi.
nally mission, as many people
J think, but stage coach stop built
by Mr.. Frank Miller as a communit,
. Improvement. Being interested in
collecting (anything and everything
I'd say), he added little display
. room to amuse people waiting for the
stage to rattle in. Through the years
he has added and added-chapels,
long rooms, little rooms, twists, and
: corridors, but all in the style of the
old Spanish missions. The dim dark.
ness of the catacombs suddenly whirrs
about one when grotesque Chinese
god unexpectedly stares with bullying
eyes out of the DUST of one of these
intricate passageways that are lined
with pale figures of saints. The lit
tie Chapel of Saint Francis is as ex-
quisite as any l have ever seen. 1t is
narrow and the windows are so tall
and close that they are like whole
walls of coloured glass leading to a
/. high altar of gold with saints heads
and candles. Two rows of dark pews
run lengthwise beneath the windows
giving warm space to smallness. And
bells and bells are everywhere in the
Mission Inn. Mr.. Miller has the larg-
est and most varied collection of bells
in America, they say. The bridal
suite is penthouse high, high up
near the main tower. John Barry
more and Dolores Costello spent their
honeymoon there.
The other night l met Mr.. Law
renee Powell, who has just completed
a very favorably criticised book on
Robinson LETTERS, the contemporary
poet. One couldn't know him except
in cluttered informal way drinking
red wine and talking. Being an ego
fist, he seldom asks questions, but
when first met him Mr.. Mayne, the
English actor and aristocrat, happen
ed to be along and Powell asked SO
many questions that his wife remark.
ed about it after Mr.. Mayne had left
Powell answered quietly, "My dear
it is seldom that meet anyone whc
knows more than l do"
1 must mention having been to see
Faust" at the Hollywood Bowl last
night. Grace Moore sang Marguer-
lite and it was marvellous perform
anee. At least thirteen thousand
people were there--some to hear the
opera and some to see the movie stars
and some to go to the Bowl. That
is one objection l have to Southern
California. Everything is exploited
Seldom but in Hollywood would one
hear whistling and stomping of feet
in the bravo fashion as a symphony
applause. The night was marvellous
as night always is here. But Cali
fornia must move shifting search
lights over the Bowl. The angry hills
erOuched close to their music. Before,
had felt that music here belonged
not to me but to the hills and the sky
and the mist. Last night the hills
seemed to feel it too and be indig-
nant. But the quiet centuried stars