The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 36, July 1932 - April, 1933 Page: 64

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Arrived in Los Angeles de Pueblo, at nine o'clock - found
several acquaintances and others from San Antonio.
We made hard travel for our animals, in order to meet the
steamer. To our disappointment it left the day before we got in,
so I am compelled to remain one week.
After remaining in town a few days I went to Dunn & Cameron
Camp, nine miles from town, so as to avoid the heavy expense at
the Hotell.
Around the town of Los Angeles are numerous vineyards. Fresh
grapes on the table every day; also Celery, Parsnips, Carrots,
Beets, Irish and Sweet Potatoes, Cabbage, Cauliflour and other
vegetables.
The Landlord of the Hotell gave me some native wine, which is
of splendid quality, and which I class Sherry. The wine at El
Paso is not to be compared to it, although the fruit is about the
same; p[r]obably at El Paso there is no one who understands the
making of wine.
It is my opinion, that this county of Los Angeles, in five years
from this time will be the first county in the state, agriculturally I
mean; in the monte I saw corn fifteen feet in highth, and where
the corn had been cleared away, Pumpkins which would weigh from
thirty to fifty pounds, thickly covered the ground.
Hundreds of acres are covered with wild Mustard; how I longed
for some of the young shoots cooked into salad.
The town of Los Angeles is slowly improving, and although
there is now starting a competition town - some six miles from
San Pedro on the coast, this place Los Angeles, must for all time
to come be the most important town in the county. An Artesian
well - the fi[r] st one - is now being bored - the diameter of
the augur is six inches - the depth attained to is three hundred
and fifty feet; the owner proposes to supply the town, in case he
should succeed in getting water.
Having made arrangements sooner than I expected, I left in a
hurry, taking passage on board the steamship America, a fine boat;
after three days travel and stopping at several intermediate port
towns, some of which are beautifully situated on the mountain
slopes, we entered the Golden Gate after night, which I regretted,
for it deprived me of seeing from the Harbour the beautiful city
of San Francisco.