Southern California; . en from the railroad, itis only too often but a hot, dreary, dustywaste, uninteresting and barren, and in thehurry of travel its unique picturesquenessand vast undeveloped resources are alikeoverlooked. But he approaches the blueline of the San Bernardino Mountains, andis told that once across them he will be inthe land of flowers and orange Victor the ascent begins. The enginelabors and the train moves more slowlyover the desert. Hesperia, with its greatgroves of yuccas, is passed, and still thedesert is about us. The grade becomes steeper ^s wepenetrate into
Southern California; . en from the railroad, itis only too often but a hot, dreary, dustywaste, uninteresting and barren, and in thehurry of travel its unique picturesquenessand vast undeveloped resources are alikeoverlooked. But he approaches the blueline of the San Bernardino Mountains, andis told that once across them he will be inthe land of flowers and orange Victor the ascent begins. The enginelabors and the train moves more slowlyover the desert. Hesperia, with its greatgroves of yuccas, is passed, and still thedesert is about us. The grade becomes steeper ^s wepenetrate into the heart of the mountains which towermany thousand feet above us. The vegetation graduallychanges, but still preserves the characteristics of thedesert. Another species of yucca is noted, locally knownas the Spanish bayonet — a bunch of stiff, spear-likeleaves springing from the rocky soil, and one stalk bear-ing the blossom, but often withered, growing out of themidst of the clump to the height of several feet. The. long level sweeps of the desert giveplace to intricate rolling hills, overwhich the railroad establishes a uni-form grade bj means of numerouscuts. Dry creek beds are here largerand more numerous, showing that attimes the water of sudden storms iscarried away from the mountains inroaring torrents. Here and thereclumps of manzanita bushes grow,and again huge rocks stand outnaked and grim on the face of the mountain. We pass Summit through a cut in the mountains andcommence descending through the Cajou Pass. A fewstunted pine trees cling to the mountain sides, but ingeneral the soil is still sandy and scantily clothed withvegetation. Is this, then, the far-famed garden land ofCalifornia ? Patience ! A few wild flowers spring fromthe sand beside the track. A stream of water windshere and there over its gravelly and sandy bed. Wepass the station of Irvingtou with its hives of bees, andconsider that where there are bees there must be , ofi there on the hil
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Keywords: ., bookauthorkeelerch, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1901
