The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 30, 1898, Page 29

HE SAN NDAY, JANUARY 30, 1898 Angeles to the sea, the irect route leads to Santa and at the rapid rate the owing west d will soon clasp What Coney nd is to New York, Monica is to Los Angeles—the 1l place of resort that its people can with litt] ort and at small cost, having reached, can find adequate sion their yment in almost 3 iety conceived by manp. X A finer building site for a town could not be imagined. With enough grade.to make storm drainage easy and complet the land slope§ to its terminating point the edgze of the blu hundred feet above the sea. and for Looking from the bluff the view is su- perb. In the north he foothills—the Santa range an effective background 1dually sloping into Point Duma, which constitutes the northwes ern bounda On the ¢ . the beautiful curve ends in cent. To the west of Po talina Island, usual- Occasionally, how- a mist or haze or setting sun, Iy a combination of thesa causes, bring about a transformation and you seem to see a castle with rampart and turrets lly clear das nta Bark glimpses Island, ra f lots in Santa Monica d while the city eady, the past progress. 500, which and increasi ng every rere t nd f; vested W consis an A. Roth, Robert C. John Carrillo and M. §. th Robert town in Cali- il can show the sidewalk a Santa Monica points to with prdns T2t An outside ‘corporation z present owns v;‘ (vl«lf‘!mv light system that lights our city. so furnishes an electric 3 alarm s m. 5 Our fire company is well equipped and has be remarkably " prompt and effi- clent in cases of need. Our er_supply 2 is developec springs in th. A s g ervoirs a , and from w. . The site on which Santa Moni is a portion of the S; is tillable med most| aving 1 © have e Statc -two centals of barle been raised, while the m eighteen to twenty. The iful canyons in the foothills ‘ming places to drive, and ob- voints for jolly picnics, and gi and sycamore trees, with manzanita, make them most picturesqu And the canyons have their practi fulness as well, for among them a tered a dozen or more bee farms, vell-stocked laries pre ¢ s Nomeytocked aplarles produce fons The wild sage, riety of wild flow sumach and large va- give ample feed for the little insects, and o s best ki for the hon oF Supei ot o finds, ready and i mand in p n Rustl 3 Forestry Station, on State by Messrs. Jomes account of the excellent tions many valuable ing carried on unc > expe: rection of J. H. Barber, in under direction of the Trees, plants and se ire experimented with .and grown for distribution, and much valuable data relative to thé flora of orded. pretty cottage homes are a ture of Southern California of Santa Monica. In a even-tenths (or more) of : more pl than in, c Additional necdless care. s and grounds of these de so charming. for in t breezes all plant life ntly here, some of the more flowers especially. Fuchsias attain a wonderful growth and one Third-strect cottage bears upon its front a sturdy vine that clambers even to the roof. Tt spreads over the entire front of the cottage, swings its winsome omes c spite of Erows bells in soming Then 0 calla llie: Santa M roses, roses everywhere body's garden. W land towns, Jack F 12 ow ca—protect ocean, med by the gulf curr make a floral display be proud of. icliotrope, that mc of flow- T in blossom at all now—the middle of Januar: e One bush parti we can show, is ten feet with bloom. ‘While no specia grows well. Orang flavor. \in good few lemo re of fine chards that were planted almost 3 experiment 8 sful beyond the most sangul the owr nanas are growr mor ing experiment, however. atached to it. And small derfully prolific. summer season brings ym all over th an influx of t scarcely planned. routine of bathing, d other everyday di- mmer brings a regular “hief and usually the annual tennis vs brings a crowd arouses much local . for Santa Monica d a champion or two 10r in this popular game. claimed a share of pop- tensive links have been 1 enthusiastic club form Ty few polo clubs in Call. headquarters here, PASON meets in most )ccasionally a ho 1 with a_crash e plucky play it much, and s than a br i programme first among s d 't as nothing en bone or two not s not dampened the annual horse Polo Club, which a attended. Al thre given open air concer: h week by some ex ngaged by the differen On the edge of the bluff a band and seats are provided, and t an attraction to mang. m the band stand nort s, along the bluff, the cit ut a park. giver largely for three is laying Here is a pleasant walk un- A PORTION OF THE SOLDIERS HomE der the large trees, while alternating fan and date palms align Queen avenue. Beds of flowers and of curlous cact! have been planted. Three raflroads have their terminus here, the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and the Pasadena and Paeific Electric - Jine. Through the summer months cars arrive and depart every fifteen minutes, and are wded to the utmost capacity. This winter the open air concerts have been continued and prove a drawing card on t every pleasant Bunday. Probably the st notable feature at Santa Monica the mammoth wharf led Port Los Angel built by the Southern Pacific Rail million dollars. and s 4720 feet long. approach I 3120 feet long ) feet wide. The main part of the wharf is 1600 feet long and 130 feet wide at the end. On the north side are coal bunkers 816 feet long, 36 feet high and 36 feet wide, with a (‘B{Ia(‘lly of 12,000 tons. It is_divided into four de- partments with 57 chutes. At the end of the bunkers is the engine room andpower house containing the necessary powerful machinery. Opposite the bunkers are the depot and restaurant. At all times the wharf is a busy, interesting place, and when some of the rhany foreign ships that touch there are in port it is doubly so. Along one side of the wharf a footpath is partitioned off, and here the uisciples of lzaak Walton congregate with hook and F : 1A ISHE Al MENDS LUCK 6A§TA MONIcA. e e SCENES IN AND AROUND SANTA MONICA. line of all kinds and patents, drought affects the fish crop 204 no Genial John Bassett of ‘the Southern Pacifie road can catch more fish and o] more stories than any other man. v an_ wh; throws a line from the wharf, and is al. ways ready to dispense Information. The churches of Santa Moni the most flourishing condition. T dist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Congregational handsome edific Besides the Brethren, [ churct e Christian’ Sclentist_anad these religious bodie ance an; est worker are_the Metho. Baptists, United Christian attend- s to he cause. The Salvation A band of earnest workers in th e Methodist ety here publish r the Church Builétin, weekly * Our public schools rate with the best under the efficient care of Principal N. T, Smith and a corps of s teachers, The mew school bullding now in proet of ~construction is ntracted finished ‘the 15th of March. It ha large rooms and 4 commodious ball, 45x70 feet. .he contract the building, which Is of frame a the site and furnishing, is present there are 508 puplis enrolled. The Santa Monica Free Circulating Li- brary occupies four large, cheerful rooms in the Santa Monica Bank building, and ) contains nearly 4000 volumes. As an evi- )f its prosperity, during one month 2 volumes. 1Its reading-rooms witu the leading magazines and are Lighly appreciated by resident: elf on the fact ily newspapers, e ich publishes a weekly edition. The Outlook has been a stanch advocate for the town since October 13, 1875, while the Signal is a later arrival in the jour- nalistic fleld. Santa Monica should be called the City of Brotherly Love, and the assertion would be borne out by the number of se ret societies. 1f there are any that are esented here they should send organ- s into the field. The various lodges 'h have a flourishing membership roll. h has its social diversions as well as business side. Each looks after the well being of its brother members and adds its quota to the comfort and happi- ness of the community. f national interest is the Home for sabled Volunteer Soldlers. located at Santa Monica, or, to be more exact, three miles out of Santa Monica, and nearer the focthills. The grounds contain 630 acres of the best land in the county. Even a casual inspection will bear out the truth of this seemingly rash assertion. The buildings are many and spacious, yet inadequate to the needs, for many of them are overcrowded, even to the attic rooms. The present number earolled is 2085. There are eight of the large barracks and numerous other buildings, including the hospital and annex, the administra- tion building, the new assembly hall and library. the laundry and engine-house and others, besides the residences of the governor of the home and other of- ficials, Governor Andrew J. Smith is in charge of this branch of the National Home, and he has the interest of his charges at heart. Many innovations have been in- troduced for their welfare. His adminis- trative capability is working needed re- forms. Of necessity the hospital is a center of interest, for with the increasing age and infirmities of the home members, it is only a question of a short time when the whole institution must come un- der this department. Now there are 250 patients in the hospital and annex, with 30 more for daily- treatment, and more rocm must be afforded. Dr. Hasse is surgeon-in-charge, with a force of three assistant physiclans, twenty-seven male and six female nurses. Among the hospital inmates are a num- ber of most interesting cases. One, Jack Turkington, a Maine man, is the oldest man enrolled here. He is 97 years old. Another man is totally blind, and yet to him is Intrusted the delicate opera- tion of sharpening surgical Instruments, for his sense of touch is marvelous. Governor Smith has also instituted ac- ceptable changes in the burial services, which are conducted with full military honors. The roll of members shows 14 survivors of the war of 1812, and 119 of the Mexican war, the balance from the Civil war. The new Shaw memorial hall is nearly completed, which contains an auditorium to seat $00, with convenient Stage ad- juncts. All entertainments are to be free to the members of the Home. The headquarters building contains the offices of the Governor; also of the Treas- urer, Major F. K. Upham, and the Quar- termaster, Captain E. J. Rising. The library contains 1926 volumes and many magazines and newspapers. The supply, however, is not equal to the de- mand, for there are many readers among the Home members. The percentage of illiteracy is very small. The Home has two chaplains, the Rev. J. M. Merlin- Jones Episcopal, and Father Hawe, Catholic. "Besides, the other denomina- tions hold services. All are very well at- tended. The grounds are laid out in artistic form, with broad walks and drive ways., Much handsome shrubbery is growing. The new water supply is contracted to furnish 500,000 gallons per day. - Visitors are at all times welcome and every courtesy is extended to them. Particularly interesting is the garden, where is_grown nearly the whole vege- table’produce consumed. Last year 97,000 pounds of onions were used. This one item may give some idea of the extent of the agricultural part of this work. Small fruits and berries have been ex- tensively planted, and lemons, oranges and figs in plenty are in bearing. Thirty-two_cows supply the necessary and the supply of pork is also ed on the grounds. engine-room contalns machinery of enormous power, which performs nu- merous duties, among them being the steam-cooking system that is used in all the kitche al the electric light plant the power used in the manufacture An excellent brass band gives a con- cert eve afternoon, and plays at other stated times. Everything possible, neces- sary to the comfort and happiness ¢ these men, who so bravely went to their country’s aid, is done. It is a small trib- ] ute, g]ad?’ given by the United States, to its defenders. To the south, four miles away, lies Bal- lona Lake. With its marsh lands, it cov- ers about 1200 acres. It is a source of de- light to local sportsmen, for here, in sea- son, come ducks in countless numbers, teal, widgeon, sprig, mallard, gadwell, redhead and the famous canvasback, while wild geese and brant are sometimes to be had. All the available land has been leased by the gun clubs, of which there are three with headquarters in thifs vicinity, the Santa Monica and the Alta, both composed of Santa Monica men, while the Recreation Club numbers most of its roll from Los Angeles hunters. Each club has its own clubhouse, boats and necessary belongings, and the Re- creation clubhouse IS the most elabo- rately equipped of any in the State. It has its billiard parlors, library and read- ing-room, its kennels and ~ everything that can add to the comfort or pleasure of its members. Allhou‘fh a part of Santa Monica, the south side has its own especial interests, and deserves a separate mention. The growth here has been remarkable. The sound of the hammer and saw is con- stantly in the air. It has its own stores and markets, schoolhouses and churches. also its own water supply. The Santa Fa Rallroad has erected a pleasure wharf at its terminus, and a second one will be VIEW S0uTy FR SANTA MONICA capy G="1 e built this spring along with the outfall sewer. The south side generously allows camp- ers the privilege of its water front, and through the summer months a city of small cottages and tents fringes the wa- ter's edge. The south side has its Nob Hill, where rifle its cholce residence location is. A ti farther out are rolling fields, where, in their season, great quantities of Calis fornia golden poppies and dainty anemo- nes grow. The south side. too, is the dwelling- lace of Santa Monica's oldest citizen, ‘ncle Daniel Turner, more than 100 years old, and whose energy and health ara the best rofislhle recommendation of our wonderful climate. L. E. ALLEN. ————— FEATHERS OF GREAT PRICE. Many curious things go through the appraisers’ stores, and some of tha most interesting through the fifth division, where millinery goods. are examined and appraised. All sorts of birds and feathers are examined by this division. Within a few days sev- eral large boxes were examined, each containing something like 500 stuffed paroquets. A box was opened this week in which it was estimated thera were nearly 3000 Japanese swallows. These little birds are caught by the Japanese in immense numbers by means of nets. Their plumage is very plain, but their wings, which are ex- traordinarily long, make them especi- ally valuable to milliners. The birds when imported are rudely stuffed with cotton, and each one is made up into a little roll about the size and shape of an ordinary cigar. Before being used they are twisted Into various shapes and dyed, the wings spread and new feathers added, and they are made into gay and fancy birds. The most valuable kind of feather goods that passes through the ap- praisers’ hands Is undoubtedly the aigrette. This feather is worth more than its weight in gold. The aigrette is obtained from a bird called the egret, found in China, Japan, Egypt and South America, and sometimes in Florida. Some of these feathers come directly from South America, where, along the upper waters of the Amazon, the Indians shoot the birds with blow- tubes and smali arrows. But Paris is the market of the world for aigrettes, ON Yo just as London is for ostrich plumes, and the greatest part of the imports come directly from the French capital. ‘Within the past two months aigrettes to the value of $30,000 have been im- ported. There are two varieties of the aigrette, the long and the short, and their value-is in inverse proportion to their size. The short variety, which is obtained from a smaller bird, is ex- tremely delicate and fine, and is worth from $22-to $25 an ounce. Only a few feathers on each bird are valuable, and it is estimated that fifty or sixty birds would have to be killed to obtain an ounce of the shorter aigrette. The long aigrette is worth not much ‘more than half as much. These feathers are looked after as carefully by the appraisers as are precious stones. They are imported in soldered tin boxes, and are locked up and guarded until they are examined. They are invoiced in the Brazillan unit of value, reis, which is very small, so that figures giving the values of the imports are often startlingly large. One importation of these feathers was recently invoiced to the value of 5,283,600 reis, an amout which in American gold is equal to about $100.= New York Mail and Express —_——— Since the institution of cotton mills at Shanghai the wheelbarrow has been extensively used as a passenger - vehicle, especially for carrying work- women to and from the mills. One man can wheel six women for a dis- tance of about three miles, morning and evening, the charge being 1s b5d per month. The average earnings of a wheelbarrow-man are about 8%d per day. About 4000 licenses are issued monthly to the same number of wheel- barrows plying for hire in the streets of the foreign settlements at Shang- hai, where, being under the municipal regulations, they are, perhaps, the best in China. Sometimes as many as fifty barrows may be seen in the streets, traveling one behind the other, each carrying two parrels of Engilish Port- land cement and pushed by one man. Very frequently a load is carried on one side of the barrow only, and it is ex- traordinary to see a Chinaman skill- fully balancing and propelling it. The upsets and accidents are remarkably few, when it is considered that about 4000 of these vehicles are in use in the streets, in addition to a large traffic of other kinds.