than a score of miles south. The Rocky
Mountain range, known in Mexico as the
Sierra Madre, is here quite low, and the high-
est railroad point is considerably less than 5,000
feet. The scenery is for the most part wild,
and the most striking feature in the vegetation
is the tree cactus, which in many places grows
to a remarkable size. A large part of Arizona
is an arid waste, but where irrigation can be
had the soil is very productive. Many of the
famous mining regions are near our route."
114
DEMING.
CHAPTER XL
HOTEL ON WHEELS, August 7.
The early morning brings us a beautiful
rainbow in the west. The east is aflame with
golden glory. Steadily we move over the
mountain-bordered plain. We reach Deming
at 7:45 and leave at 7, although we remain
here more than an hour. Our arrival is on
Jefferson City time, and our departure on San
Francisco time, being a change of two hours.
We have traversed all night the former haunts
of the buffalo and the hunting grounds of the
Indians. Only a few weeks since the latter
were hunting for horses and cattle to steal,
just here. On this plain, level as the sea, the
Yucca lily attains a height of ten or twelve
feet, and cactus of various kinds bloom amid
the short buffalo-grass and sage brush, while
there are occasional broad reaches of sand
entirely destitute of vegetation.
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
The monotony is relieved by hundreds of
acres of water glistening in the sun ; lovely
afar where it reflects so beautifully the moun-
tains beside it ; here, under the moving train,
leaving its alkali deposit where the sun has
partially evaporated it. Just as we are cross-
ing the line into Arizona an immense eagle
floats along quite near the cars. How easily
he keeps by our side ; now lazily flapping his
great wings, and now sailing without effort.
Keenly he scans the scant herbage, anxious in
behalf of prairie chickens. There may be
desolateness in these great plains, but to my
eyes the mountains afford one continued pan-
orama of beauty. Between them we have
swiftly moved all day. Now in the dim dis-
tance ; now more near, ever changing in con-
tour and color, piled skyward on either hand ;
now kissed by the clear shining sun and now
gloomy and dark under the frown of a passing
cloud ; now with ragged outline, sharp cut
against the clear sky, and now range after
116
MOUNTAINS AND LAKES.
range, losing the loftiest peaks in the cluster-
ing clouds.
Again we pass miles upon miles of water,
smooth as a mirror, reflecting every moving
cloud and mountain peak. Although unruffled
and calm, yet through the transparent air we
can see a raging storm in the mountains sixty
miles away. There is something remarkable
in the strong definition of light and shade on
the distant ranges. The shifting patches seem
almost like splashes of ink on the picture, and
the effects are strange. Should any painter
imitate the reality, his work would be ridiculed.
We pass great herds of cattle, their condition
betokening nutritious pasturage, and yet the
alkali affects the skin, although we have no
dust to trouble us. Yonder, to the left, a
cluster of miners' huts indicates the location
of the " Golden Rule," a very promising gold
mine. Many of the houses in this section
have an extra roof about one foot above the
regular one, extending away beyond the house
7/7
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
on every side. The heat induces a constant
circulation, and all sides of the house are
shaded. An earthen vessel of porous material,
hung in its shadow, filled with water, is the
universal " cooler."
We are not yet out of the reach of wash-outs,
and the small one that detains us here only a
very short time, is at the head of a system of
canons which cut the entire valley in all direc-
tions. The grade is steep, and we get down
fast. The conductor brings us a telegram
from Mr. T. H. Goodman, general manager,
which covers a resume of all the news of the
morning. We wire him our thanks, and while
discussing the news, reach Benson, twelve
miles from the well-known Tombstone mine.
Smelting works are in full blast.
Thirty people were killed by the Apaches
last spring within four miles of this place. To
the south, four different showers are in sight
at once, the lightning flashing vividly. At a
little station a plump squaw is bound to sell
TREE CACTUS.
her dog, but the dog-market is not brisk
enough to warrant the speculation. The
Indian fences in this neighborhood are novel
in their mode of construction, with crooked
posts quite near each other, and small twigs
woven closely. The vegetation is beautifully
green. There are fine willow trees among
others, and specimens of tree-cactus fifty feet
high. Sand bags are laid in piles beside the
stream to keep the water from flooding the
land. At one point the road bed seems to be
cut through copper ore. All rush to the win-
dows to view a splendid cactus grove ; hun-
dreds are in sight ; some thicker than a man's
body and twenty feet in height ; there are also
prickly pear cactus six feet high. Now we
come to miles upon miles of cactus twisted,
gnarled and brown, yet bearing delicate flowers,
which we name Cactus Park. The distant
mountains on the left are inky blue, and on
the right every projection is light gleaming
brown, with dark shadows thrown by the level
ug
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMOS.
beams of the sun. The call to supper meets a
ready response, sight-seeing being a good
apetizer. Train stops at Tucson (pronounced
Too-son), l a city of ten thousand inhabitants,
and one of the three which claim greatest age,
the others being Santa Fe and Fernandina.
It seems that Sir Knights Lines and Garvey,
on their way out, met at Kansas City the
Mayor of Tucson and enjoyed his companion-
ship a full day. We find on our arrival that
this ancient city has excelled all by the hearti-
ness of their greeting. During the day a
meeting of the common council was called
and a resolution adopted, conferring the hos-
pitalities and the freedom of the city on
the St. Elmo party. We are met by His
Honor, the Mayor, and the entire common
council, together with several county and ter-
ritorial officials, and are urged to remain for as
long a time as possible. Much as we desire to
do so, it is impossible. This circumstance has
been anticipated. We are accordingly invited
TUCSON.
to take carriages for a ride, and although the
passenger train to which our cars were attached
was a very long one, the Sir Knights of Tucson
insisted on holding it and actually held it while
we were treated to an hour's ride. It is a very
interesting city, containing many adobe houses
which are said to be warm in winter and cool
in summer. A mud house certainly has a
modest exterior, but in Tucson many of them
are richly furnished. It is never safe to judge
by appearances. The streets are broad and
clean and there are many fine buildings. The
retail store conducted by the mayor, Hon. C.
M. Strauss, proved a surprise. Think of stores
larger and better stocked than our own city
can boast, brilliant with electric light, doing a
business of $100,000 dollars a month, away
out on the cactus plains of Arizona ! The
Sir Knights who met us with Hon. C. M.
Strauss, were Sir M. P. Freeman, deputy in-
spector general ; E. Sir A. M. Bragg, E. Com.
Arizona Commandery ; Sir S. C. Hughes, Sir
121
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
Col. A. A. Bean, Sir G. C. Roskrugh, master
of Tucson Lodge, F. and A. M.; Sir H. D.
Underwood; Sir J. McC. Elliott and a score
of others. With heartfelt thanks for generous
treatment we bid the courteous Sir Knights
adieu and retire. The night is warm and
somewhat dusty.
From Itinerary.
" At Yuma the Colorado river is crossed and
the traveler finds himself in California, though
not in the pleasantest part, for the Colorado
desert must first be traversed before the invit-
ing and fruitful Los Angeles county is reached.
A portion of the desert lies 263 feet below the
level of the sea. In the vicinity of the Colo-
rado river the scenery is quite picturesque, a
remarkable group of mountains known as the
Castle Dome being seen in the north, with the
Purple mountains further west. The Colorado
flows between these two ranges. Emerging
from the desert, the train mounts to the San
Gorgonio Pass, 2,560 feet above the sea-level,
SAN GORGON 10 PASS.
or 2,823 feet above the bottom of the desert.
This is the gateway to the most beautiful part
of southern California, and the transition from
desolation to plenty, from a barren stretch of
sand to the land of orange groves and vine-
yards, is very striking. The San Jacinto Range
is near at hand upon our left, while the San
Bernardino Range fringes the northern hori-
zon. We have meanwhile traversed portions
of the second and third largest counties in the
United States San Diego and San Bernardino
the latter being three times the size of the
state of Massachusetts."
123
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
CHAPTER XI L
HOTEL ON WHEELS, Aug. 8.
The sun is rising in a cloudless sky as we
approach Yuma on the Colorado river. A
short stop gave us a view of the Apaches in
their primitive style, a style which to say the
least, would be considered extraordinary in any
cold climate. We cross the Colorado river at
an altitude of 140 feet and from thence a de-
scending grade brings us down to a point in
the great desert 263 feet below the sea-level.
The way is through desolation. Black, bare
mountains on the right ; the most distant, look-
ing as if made of black clay, and the nearer, of
lighter material ; without a particle of vegeta-
tion. On our left, high shifting sand hills.
We speed along across barren sands where
gangs of Chinamen are stationed to shovel off
the track. We pass the Flowing Well, a
spouting spring of bitter alkali water.
124
THE MIRAGE.
Eminent Sir Knight A. M. Bragg accom-
panies us to-day, having left Tucson with our
party. He has driven six horses to an empty
wagon over this desert when thirteen miles
was all that could be made in a day over the
soft fine sand. By the side of the track we
see great " chunks" of pumice stone. Away
off to the left a splendid mirage presents a
beautiful lake with islands and trees reflected
in the smooth waters many miles of lake
which some of the ladies and Sir Knights are
certain of, yet nothing is there but dry, hot
sand. On the right we pass an extinct volcano,
which is now a broad basin in the desert, a few
feet in depth, with mud boiling up a half yard in
height, over the whole of its extent. Well, well !
There goes a Burro, a pack on his back and be-
hind him a Mexican plodding along, both pull-
ing their feet out of the sand. Where can they
be going, out here, miles from anywhere and no
possible shade within reach ? There's a restless
desire manifested everywhere to "move on."
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
The temperature in the ladies' car is only
114 in the shade, owing to the double roof,
while in the other we manage to laugh at the
weather with the thermometer at 1 20, and we
have dust to-day. We delay dinner in order
to enjoy the sea breeze that sweeps over Gor-
gonio Pass. Gradually we rise, the mammoth
heaps of rocks and barren earth come nearer.
From the depths of this old ocean basin we
rise to an altitude of 2560 feet and the pass is
made behind us. The hot sand is sifting in
the heated winds for a space of 140 miles.
Water is brought to the stations in tanks and
drawn into cisterns under ground ; sand-storms
are of frequent occurrence, yet the trails are
in use. We passed an emigrant wagon (prairie
schooner), with a barrel on each side for water,
a full load of humanity, assorted sizes ; pater
familias in advance on horseback and three
burros (one carrying double), bringing up the
rear. How they stand the fierce rays of the
sun is a mystery. Near San Gorgonio Pass a
BEAUTIFUL VALLEYS.
mountain stream is brought in a trough a dis-
tance of more than a mile.
Leaving the pass we descend 1000 feet to
Mound City. Wild melon, willows, cactus
and occasionally bright flowers put in an
appearance. After the rainy season it is a
lovely country. At this time irrigation is
needed. At Colton, Sir Knight Strong and
wife stop for a day to visit friends. Before
reaching this station we pass immense fields
of barley. Once sown and reaped the land
will produce four or five " volunteer " crops.
The valleys are beautiful. Orchards of apricot,
peach and apple trees succeed each other, in-
terspersed with lovely orange groves, long lines
of eucalyptus, flower gardens, pretty houses,
the ubiquitous windmill which pumps the
water for all, and broad vineyards whose
growing vines need no support of trellis or
post.
At San Jacinto an enthusiastic lad satisfies
the open-eyed wonder of the crowd by the
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
side of the track, with the comprehensive
statement " Them's all the way from Connec-
ticut." Mr. Samuel Miller comes on board to
accompany us and to make arrangements for
the trip to Yosemite. We pass near the Coca
Munga ranch, famed for its wines, and then
look from the windows down Orange avenue,
seven miles in a perfect line. The smoky
haze enveloping the San Gabriel range is sug-
gestive of October, and the great flocks of
sheep with attending shepherd and dogs, the
buzzards floating lazily about, the hills on the
confines of the valley as smooth as if rounded
with a trowel, impress one with the feeling
that the railroad has somehow got out of its
proper world.
There go seven Indians on three ponies and
a squaw on foot with her papoose strapped on
her back. We pass the Sierra Madre villa
and the brick buildings of the San Gabriel
Wine company. Since morning we have
traversed a country where not a drop of rain
128
"QUEEN OF THE ANGELS"
falls for months together, and in these valleys
a thunder shower is unknown. We are ap-
proaching the city of the " Queen of the
Angels." The air is cool and exhilarating.
As the train stops, the Los Angeles Sir Knights
come on board and we alight to take carriages
for the Pico house.
A short ride, and we are cozily settled for
two days in this delightful spot. The Pico
house is built around an open court where a
fountain throws a plashing stream twenty feet
in the air. Shading vines cling and clamber
on all sides. It is cool during the day and
bright with the electric light at night. Baths
are in order and then the dining room. We
arrange for a ride on the morrow, and in
pleasant dreams and restful sleep the night
goes by till at the dawn the chime of bells
calls every one to indulge the fancy in the
strange commingling of life in the streets of
charming Los Angeles.
I2Q
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
From Itinerary.
"Los Angeles, or the pueblo de la Reina de
los Angeles (the town of the Queen of the
Angels), to give its old Spanish Mexican title
in full, is the capital of the county of the same
name, and the metropolis of southern Cali-
fornia. It has a population of 15,000 and is
growing in size and importance. It is in
the midst of orange orchards and vineyards,
and all kinds of tropical and semi-tropical
fruits are raised in the vicinity. The town
was founded about 1 780, and the older build-
ings are constructed of adobe, in the Mexican
style. The Catholic church is an ancient and
picturesque structure. At San Gabriel, nine
miles east of Los Angeles and within plain view
from the cars, is the old mission church of San
Gabriel, the fourth in order of date ( 1 7 7 1 ) of the
missions founded by the venerable Franciscan
pioneer, Padre Junipero Serra, between 1796
and 1 782. There are many large vineyards and
orange orchards within the city of Los Angeles."
fJO
LOS ANGELES.
CHAPTER XI I L
HOTEL ON WHEELS, August 9.
At Los Angeles we are glad to meet Sir
Knight T. M. Smith, of St. Elmo. Pueblo
de la Reina de los Angeles (the old Spanish
title), is known as Los Angeles. It is a
very pleasant city, with its orange groves,
gardens and vineyards. There are many
large and elegant buildings, much of refine-
ment and wealth, and a strange admixture
of Mongolian, Mexican and American civ-
ilization. The morning and evening trade
winds coming from the Pacific ocean fur-
nish an exhilarating atmosphere, which it is
a pleasure to breathe. This morning, after a
good breakfast at the Pico house (in which
connection I must not forget the watermelons,
which weigh from thirty to ninety pounds each,
often reaching one hundred), we start in car-
riages for a thirty miles' drive through the par-
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
adise of semi-tropical Southern California. Our
route is via Pasadena to the delightful Sierra
Madre Villa. We pass through miles of orange
groves, the streets often lined with graceful
pepper trees, the fruit of which furnishes the
ordinary black pepper for our tables. The air
is spicy, the views are beautiful, and every-
thing delightful, except the dust and the occa-
sional roughness of the roads. At Sierra
Madre Villa we are kindly received and wel-
comed by Mr. W. P. Rhoades, the lessee and
son-in-law of the proprietor, Mr. William
Cogswell. This charming Eden was started
eight years ago by Mr. Rhoades, who cleared
the first land and planted the first orange trees.
We roam over scores of acres of orange groves,
and are allowed to pick and eat at will. Here
are magnificent bird-of-paradise trees, India-
rubber trees, figs, apricots, peaches, apple, pear
and pomegranate, with grapes in rare profu-
sion, also groves of lemon and lime. Three
hundred acres are under cultivation. Thirty
132
SIERRA MADRE VILLA.
miles from the ocean the strong sea breeze
comes like a breath from the hand of the
Creator, full of healthful, invigorating life.
Islands in the Pacific ocean, sixty-five miles
away, are in plain sight. This is no place
for a poor man to locate, but one who has the
means to wait for a half dozen years while his
groves and vineyards are becoming productive,
can make himself a home like a paradise. The
rainy season from November to April is not
unpleasant. Three or at most four days of
rain are followed by beautiful sunny weather
for about five days. There are showers, but
never lightning or thunder, and all the moun-
tain-sides and hill-slopes are vivid with " living
green " and bright with gorgeous wild flowers.
The dry season is without a drop of rain but
delightfully cool except at mid-day. Irrigation
protects the vegetation under cultivation and
there seems to be no portion of the year un-
lovely. We take a lunch, bid the genial host
"Adios" and drive four and a half miles to
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
Sunny Slope, the immense vineyards of Stern
& Rose. They have one plot of vines, in bear-
ing, just one mile square. Here are hundreds
of bushels of oranges lying on the ground
under the trees which are laden with ripening
fruit. This firm manufacture annually 630,000
gallons of wines and brandy. We were shown
200,000 gallons in one room, some of the large
butts containing 2200 gallons each. They raise
one and one-half million pounds of grapes per
annum and purchase six million more. The
establishment is, in the language of the street,
"a big thing." Mr. Rose, Jr., gives our party
every attention. We visit the stables where
thirty fast horses live in style. For one of
these, " Sultan," an offer of $25,000 was re-
fused a few days ago. Mr. Rose is reputed to
be worth $5,000,000, yet 20 years ago he
crossed the plains with a single yoke of oxen
and a capital of one thousand dollars. From
this establishment we proceeded to the old San
Gabriel mission. Here is an interesting old
PRODUCTIONS.
church built more than a century ago. Among
the wonders of this productive valley I men-
tion the eucalyptus tree, specimens of which
were shown us not yet eight years old, four-
teen inches in diameter at the ground. There
is one vineyard in Los Angeles county con-
taining 2000 acres, and the vineyard area of
California is to-day much greater than that of
France. It is claimed that a man of limited
means can sow the Alfalfa which produces a
crop in three months and can be cut once a
month thereafter. We find the best honey
out here ever produced. Artesian wells can
be successfully bored, water being found at a
depth varying from 40 to 200 feet. There is
a charm about this place that captivates the
entire party. Whether it is the bracing salu-
brious atmosphere, the profusion of fruits, or
the beauty of the scenery, I am unable to
state ; certain it is we shall leave this wonder-
ful locality with sincere regret.
'35
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
From Itinerary.
11 On leaving Los Angeles for San Francisco,
482 miles distant, we climb the valleys of the
Los Angeles and the San Fernando. Thirty-
six miles from Los Angeles and 1 200 feet
above it, or 1469 feet above the level of the
sea, the train passes through the San Fernando
Range by means of a tunnel 6917 feet in
length. North of this range the railroad
crosses the Mojave Desert, a more elevated
tract than the Colorado Desert, but another
scene of wildness and desolation. This part
of the journey will be made at night. The
Tehachapi Pass, elevation 3964 feet, lies north
of the Mojave Desert. Here a group of
mountain peaks belonging to the terminating
southwestern spur of the Sierra Nevada stood
in the way of the locomotive, but by means of
a bewildering series of complex and intricate
curves, and finally by making the line actually
cross itself at a different grade, a pathway was
made. Beyond the Tehachapi summit the
ENGINEERING.
train descends to the wide plains of Kern,
Tulare, Fresno and Merced counties and the
valley of the San Joaquin."
'37
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
CHAPTER XIV.
August 10.
Los Angeles ! The jewel in the crown of
Southern California ! Its unfamiliar scenes and
semi-tropical environment ; its delicious cli-
mate ; its streets alive with busy industries,
combine to render it a desirable and attractive
locality. The plow comes into use about four
weeks before Christmas and the winter is the
time of green fields and bright flowers. Its
hotels need no fire for warmth, and the sun
shines on its ripening fruits every day in the
year.
Our party was treated to a ride this morn-
ing and the lovely region through which we
passed captivated all. Pretty dwellings sur-
rounded by topical trees, vines and flowers
with fruits in profusion. In many places the
ground is strewn with oranges, lemons, Eng-
lish walnuts, nectarines, apricots and our well
'38
LOS ANGELES.
known New England fruits. Even on the
steep hillside vineyards were creeping every-
where to the very summits, thickly studded
with brilliant flowers. It was a scene of beauty
that will never be forgotten.
One gentleman at whose residence we called
has at his door a tree from which the family
pick all the lemons they need every day in the
year.
The drawback here is the sudden change of
thirty or thirty-five degrees in the temperature,
which often occurs at or during the night. It
is of course an easy matter to adopt precau-
tionary measures.
John Chinaman is also here with his un-
couth fashions and modes of living. Some
well-informed people, however, consider his
presence an advantage. The extent to which
these Mongolians are relied upon as house
servants may be inferred from the fact that
good servant girls receive as high as $25 a
month.
'39
TOUR OF THE ST. ELMO'S.
Last evening Coeur de Lion Commandery
of this city honored the Knights of St. Elmo
with a princely banquet. It was an out-and-
out California treat ; a right royal spread.
Several of the buildings display Knight Tem-
plar flags and emblems. The hotel at the rail-
road depot was gay with decorations and em-
blems in honor of the Connecticut Sir Knights,
and to-night the advent of the Grand Com-
mander has caused even the depot to enliven
its front with a profuse display.
In bidding adieu to this charming spot I can
do no better than to quote from competent
authority : " Taking all things into considera-
tion equality of temperature, healthfulness
of climate, grand mountain scenery, produc-
tiveness of soil, railroad and ocean facilities,
accessibility, etc., etc., it has no superior in the
world, either to winter in or to permanently
reside."
Saturday, August u, we left Madera for a
stage ride of seventy miles to " Clark's." The
140
MADERA.
placing of our cars and other delays made the
start two hours late. Only half of the party
are off to the Yosemite, the other portion take