246

 

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

 

The following table shows the mean tem-
perature of January and July in Califor-
nia and other States and countries, taken
from reliable sources:

Differ- |

{Jan'y |July. ence.

Place. Latitude

 

Deg’e |Deg’e peas Deg. min.

San Francisco..| 49 48
Monterey ....... 52 5 6 | 36 36
Santa Barbara ..| 54 q 17.434... 4
Los Angeles... 52 Ws 23 | 34 04
Santa Monica...| 52 69 17 | 34 02
San Diego ..... 51 2 21 )32 41
Sacramento..... 45 % 28 | 38 84
Humboldt Bay..| 40 58 18 |40 44
Sonoma ........ 45 66 21 | 38 18
Vallejo....:..... 48 67 19 | 38 05
Fort Yuma......] 56 92 36 | 32 43
Cincinnati. ..... 30 %4 44 j; 39 06
New York ...... 31 UG 42 | 40 37
New Orleans....| 55 82 27 | 29 57
Naples......... 46 76 30 140 8&2
Honolulu........ 71 78 4 2h 16
MGXIC0....2005.>] BR 65 13 19 26
London. .......-5 37 62 25 | Sl 29
Bordeaux... ... 41 %3 32 144 50
Mentone ........ 40 3 33 | 43 41
Marseilles ...... 43 G 3 148 17
Genos.........-.] 46 TT 31 444 24

Tt will be seen by referring to the above
table that Southern California possesses a
climate unexcelled in equability by any
portion of the world, and of the happiest
medium between the extremes of heat and
cold. Santa Monica has these advantages
of temperature in a special degree, the air
being modified by the ocean to a point
most agreeable and invigorating, both to
the pleasure-seeker and the invalid.

The bathing house, situated on the beach,
about fifty feet above the water, is the
finest on the coast. It is a large building
supplied with baths of all kinds, where the
bathers have within reach, faucets by which
a supply of either fresh or salt water, hot
or cold, can be instantly obtained by the
effort of turning them on. Here, too, are
steam, swimming, and plunge baths, be-
sides the ordinary ocean baths, accommo-
dations for which ample provision is made.

Santa Monica was first laid out as a town
in 1875, and in two years attained a popu-
lation of 800. It has some good stores, and
quite a number of good hotels, chief of
which are the Santa Monica Hotel, and
Ocean House; the latter has accommoda-
tions for about 50 guests, and the former
for 125. These houses are so situated as to
command a most extensive view. Their
charges are from $12 to $18 per week.
Santa Monica has its newspaper—the Out-
look; an enterprising weekly, edited and

published by L. F. Fisher, Esq., who is thor-
oughly alive to the advantages of the town.

oint Dumas, a prominent head-land to
the northwest, is 18 miles distant. Point
Vincent, to the southwest, is 20 miles
distant. Santa Rosa Island, west, is 91
miles distant; Santa Barbara Island, south
of west, is 25 miles distant; San Nicholas
Island, 87 miles in the same direction, and
Santa Catalina Island, south, is about 40
miles distant. These islands are a great
protection to Santa Monica from the wrath
of old Pacific, when he becomes excited.

The wharf at the end of the railroad is
built out into the bay, to deep water, where
steamers stop regularly on their trips up and
down the coast.

In the range of the mountains on the
north, game of many varieties can be
found, and in the lagoons south of the
town, ducks, geese, snipe, curlews, and
other varieties of game are abundant.

The drives are very fine, being along the
beach for many miles, and then, on the
high plateau 500 feet above, extending for
many niles, affording a most extended
view; or, up to the natural springs on the
side of the mountain, which furnish the
town with water, bubbling up like a
fountain, and is caught in a large basin or
pond, for city use.

A popular excursion is up Santa Mo.
nica Canyon to Manville Glen—a wild,
rugged mountain-place covered with old
forest trees, down which ripples one of the
neatest little brooks imaginable. The
point of the mountain above has become a
very popular camping ground, where
camps are made, and parties spend months
in rambling over the mountains and en-
joying the ocean baths, etc.

There are some beautiful country resi-
dences about Santa Monica, among which
is one of Senator Jones, of Nevada.

Returning to Los Angeles, we take the

Wi~mMineton Drviston—and start di-
rectly south through a succession of vine-
yards, gardens, orange and fruit orchards,
to FLORENCE, six miles from Los Angeles.
At this station the track of the San Diego
Division branches off to the left. But we
continue south, through broad, well-culti-
vated fields, where the good effects of irfi-
gation are shown, by large crops of vege-
tables, which abound in the section we are
now traversing. Gradually the rich soil
gives place to alkaline and salt flats, and
sloughs, with occasionally a few bands of
sheep on the more elevated lands.