Southern California . rom 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, wTith its greatgroves of yuccas, is passed, and still thedesert is about us. The grade becomes steeper as wepenetrate into the
Southern California . rom 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, wTith its greatgroves of yuccas, is passed, and still thedesert is about us. The grade becomes steeper as 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 19. long level sweeps <»t the desert giveplace i intricate- rolling hills, over which the railroad establishes a uni-form grade by means of numerouscuts. Dry creek beds arc here largerand nunc numerous, showing that attimes the water of sudden storms iscarried away from the mountains inroaring torrents. Here and therefcr ? . *UL clumps of manzanita hushes 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 Cajon Pass. A fewstunted pine trees cling to the mountain sides, hut 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 Irvington with its hives of bees, andconsider that where there are bees there must be , off
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Keywords: ., bookauthorkeelercharlesaugustus, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890
