Our Italy - free ebook by Charles Dudley Warner

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Our Italy

Charles Dudley Warner

55 chapters

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55 chapters

HOW OUR ITALY IS MADE.

HOW OUR ITALY IS MADE.

The traveller who descends into Italy by an Alpine pass never forgets the surprise and delight of the transition. In an hour he is whirled down the slopes from the region of eternal snow to the verdure of spring or the ripeness of summer. Suddenly—it may be at a turn in the road—winter is left behind; the plains of Lombardy are in view; the Lake of Como or Maggiore gleams below; there is a tree; there is an orchard; there is a garden; there is a villa overrun with vines; the singing of birds is

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OUR CLIMATIC AND COMMERCIAL MEDITERRANEAN.

OUR CLIMATIC AND COMMERCIAL MEDITERRANEAN.

Winter as we understand it east of the Rockies does not exist. I scarcely know how to divide the seasons. There are at most but three. Spring may be said to begin with December and end in April; summer, with May (whose days, however, are often cooler than those of January), and end with September; while October and November are a mild autumn, when nature takes a partial rest, and the leaves of the deciduous trees are gone. But how shall we classify a climate in which the strawberry (none yet in

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EARLY VICISSITUDES.—PRODUCTIONS.—SANITARY CLIMATE.

EARLY VICISSITUDES.—PRODUCTIONS.—SANITARY CLIMATE.

Southern California has rapidly passed through varied experiences, and has not yet had a fair chance to show the world what it is. It had its period of romance, of pastoral life, of lawless adventure, of crazy speculation, all within a hundred years, and it is just now entering upon its period of solid, civilized development. A certain light of romance is cast upon this coast by the Spanish voyagers of the sixteenth century, but its history begins with the establishment of the chain of Francisca

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THE WINTER OF OUR CONTENT.

THE WINTER OF OUR CONTENT.

California is the land of the Pine and the Palm. The tree of the Sierras, native, vigorous, gigantic, and the tree of the Desert, exotic, supple, poetic, both flourish within the nine degrees of latitude. These two, the widely separated lovers of Heine's song, symbolize the capacities of the State, and although the sugar-pine is indigenous, and the date-palm, which will never be more than an ornament in this hospitable soil, was planted by the Franciscan Fathers, who established a chain of missi

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HEALTH AND LONGEVITY.

HEALTH AND LONGEVITY.

In regard to the effect of climate upon health and longevity, Dr. Remondino quotes old Hufeland that "uniformity in the state of the atmosphere, particularly in regard to heat, cold, gravity, and lightness, contributes in a very considerable degree to the duration of life. Countries, therefore, where great and sudden varieties in the barometer and the thermometer are usual cannot be favorable to longevity. Such countries may be healthy, and many men may become old in them, but they will not atta

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IS RESIDENCE HERE AGREEABLE?

IS RESIDENCE HERE AGREEABLE?

After all these averages and statistics, and not considering now the chances of the speculator, the farmer, the fruit-raiser, or the invalid, is Southern California a particularly agreeable winter residence? The question deserves a candid answer, for it is of the last importance to the people of the United States to know the truth—to know whether they have accessible by rail a region free from winter rigor and vicissitudes, and yet with few of the disadvantages of most winter resorts. One would

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THE WINTER ON THE COAST.

THE WINTER ON THE COAST.

But the distinction of this coast, and that which will forever make it attractive at the season when the North Atlantic is forbidding, is that the ocean-side is as equable, as delightful, in winter as in summer. Its sea-side places are truly all-the-year-round resorts. In subsequent chapters I shall speak in detail of different places as to climate and development and peculiarities of production. I will now only give a general idea of Southern California as a wintering place. Even as far north a

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THE GENERAL OUTLOOK.—LAND AND PRICES.

THE GENERAL OUTLOOK.—LAND AND PRICES.

From the northern limit of California to the southern is about the same distance as from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Charleston, South Carolina. Of these two coast lines, covering nearly ten degrees of latitude, or over seven hundred miles, the Atlantic has greater extremes of climate and greater monthly variations, and the Pacific greater variety of productions. The State of California is, however, so mountainous, cut by longitudinal and transverse ranges, that any reasonable person can find

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THE ADVANTAGES OF IRRIGATION.

THE ADVANTAGES OF IRRIGATION.

It is necessary to understand this problem of irrigation in order to comprehend Southern California, the exceptional value of its arable land, the certainty and great variety of its products, and the part it is to play in our markets. There are three factors in the expectation of a crop—soil, sunshine, and water. In a region where we can assume the first two to be constant, the only uncertainty is water. Southern California is practically without rain from May to December. Upon this fact rests t

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THE CHANCE FOR LABORERS AND SMALL FARMERS.

THE CHANCE FOR LABORERS AND SMALL FARMERS.

It would seem, then, that capital is necessary for successful agriculture or horticulture in Southern California. But where is it not needed? In New England? In Kansas, where land which was given to actual settlers is covered with mortgages for money absolutely necessary to develop it? But passing this by, what is the chance in Southern California for laborers and for mechanics? Let us understand the situation. In California there is no exception to the rule that continual labor, thrift, and for

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SOME DETAILS OF THE WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.

SOME DETAILS OF THE WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.

It is not the purpose of this volume to describe Southern California. That has been thoroughly done; and details, with figures and pictures in regard to every town and settlement, will be forthcoming on application, which will be helpful guides to persons who can see for themselves, or make sufficient allowance for local enthusiasm. But before speaking further of certain industries south of the great mountain ranges, the region north of the Sierra Madre, which is allied to Southern California by

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HOW THE FRUIT PERILS WERE MET.—FURTHER DETAILS OF LOCALITIES.

HOW THE FRUIT PERILS WERE MET.—FURTHER DETAILS OF LOCALITIES.

In the San Gabriel Valley and elsewhere I saw evidence of the perils that attend the culture of the vine and the fruit-tree in all other countries, and from which California in the early days thought it was exempt. Within the past three or four years there has prevailed a sickness of the vine, the cause of which is unknown, and for which no remedy has been discovered. No blight was apparent, but the vine sickened and failed. The disease was called consumption of the vine. I saw many vineyards su

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THE ADVANCE OF CULTIVATION SOUTHWARD.

THE ADVANCE OF CULTIVATION SOUTHWARD.

The immense county of San Diego is on the threshold of its development. It has comparatively only spots of cultivation here and there, in an area on the western slope of the county only, that Mr. Van Dyke estimates to contain about one million acres of good arable land for farming and fruit-raising. This mountainous region is full of charming valleys, and hidden among the hills are fruitful nooks capable of sustaining thriving communities. There is no doubt about the salubrity of the climate, an

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A LAND OF AGREEABLE HOMES.

A LAND OF AGREEABLE HOMES.

In this imperfect conspectus of a vast territory I should be sorry to say anything that can raise false expectations. Our country is very big; and though scarcely any part of it has not some advantages, and notwithstanding the census figures of our population, it will be a long time before our vast territory will fill up. California must wait with the rest; but it seems to me to have a great future. Its position in the Union with regard to its peculiar productions is unique. It can and will supp

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SOME WONDERS BY THE WAY.—YOSEMITE.—MARIPOSA TREES.—MONTEREY.

SOME WONDERS BY THE WAY.—YOSEMITE.—MARIPOSA TREES.—MONTEREY.

I went to it with reluctance. I shrink from attempting to say anything about it. If you knew that there was one spot on the earth where Nature kept her secret of secrets, the key to the action of her most gigantic and patient forces through the long eras, the marvel of constructive and destructive energy, in features of sublimity made possible to mental endurance by the most exquisite devices of painting and sculpture, the wonder which is without parallel or comparison, would you not hesitate to

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FASCINATIONS OF THE DESERT.—THE LAGUNA PUEBLO.

FASCINATIONS OF THE DESERT.—THE LAGUNA PUEBLO.

The traveller to California by the Santa Fé route comes into the arid regions gradually, and finds each day a variety of objects of interest that upsets his conception of a monotonous desert land. If he chooses to break the continental journey midway, he can turn aside at Las Vegas to the Hot Springs. Here, at the head of a picturesque valley, is the Montezuma Hotel, a luxurious and handsome house, 6767 feet above sea-level, a great surprise in the midst of the broken and somewhat savage New Mex

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THE HEART OF THE DESERT.

THE HEART OF THE DESERT.

There is an arid region lying in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah which has been called the District of the Grand Cañon of the Colorado. The area, roughly estimated, contains from 13,000 to 16,000 square miles—about the size of the State of Maryland. This region, fully described by the explorers and studied by the geologists in the United States service, but little known to even the travelling public, is probably the most interesting territory of its size on the globe. At least it is unique. I

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ON THE BRINK OF THE GRAND CAÑON.—THE UNIQUE MARVEL OF NATURE.

ON THE BRINK OF THE GRAND CAÑON.—THE UNIQUE MARVEL OF NATURE.

The way seemed long. With the heat and dust and slow progress, it was exceedingly wearisome. Our modern nerves are not attuned to the slow crawling of a prairie-wagon. There had been growing for some time in the coach a feeling that the journey did not pay; that, in fact, no mere scenery could compensate for the fatigue of the trip. The imagination did not rise to it. "It will have to be a very big cañon," said the duchess. Late in the afternoon we entered an open pine forest, passed through a m

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A CLIMATE FOR INVALIDS.

A CLIMATE FOR INVALIDS.

The following notes on the climate of Southern California, written by Dr. H. A. Johnson, of Chicago, at the solicitation of the writer of this volume and for his information, I print with his permission, because the testimony of a physician who has made a special study of climatology in Europe and America, and is a recognized authority, belongs of right to the public: The choice of a climate for invalids or semi-invalids involves the consideration of: First, the invalid, his physical condition (

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THE COMING OF WINTER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THE COMING OF WINTER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

From Mr. Theodore S. Van Dyke's altogether admirable book on Southern California I have permission to quote the following exquisite description of the floral procession from December to March, when the Land of the Sun is awakened by the first winter rain: Sometimes this season commences with a fair rain in November, after a light shower or two in October, but some of the very best seasons begin about the time that all begin to lose hope. November adds its full tribute to the stream of sunshine t

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COMPARATIVE TEMPERATURE AROUND THE WORLD.

COMPARATIVE TEMPERATURE AROUND THE WORLD.

The following table, published by the Pasadena Board of Trade, shows the comparative temperature of well-known places in various parts of the world, arranged according to the difference between their average winter and average summer:...

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CALIFORNIA AND ITALY.

CALIFORNIA AND ITALY.

The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, in its pamphlet describing that city and county, gives a letter from the Signal Service Observer at Sacramento, comparing the temperature of places in California and Italy. He writes: To prove to your many and intelligent readers the equability and uniformity Of the climate of Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Los Angeles, as compared with Mentone and San Remo, of the Riviera of Italy and of Corfu, I append the monthly temperature for each place. Please notice a

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FIVE YEARS IN SANTA BARBARA.

FIVE YEARS IN SANTA BARBARA.

The following table, from the self-registering thermometer in the observatory of Mr. Hugh D. Vail, shows the mean temperature of each month in the years 1885 to 1889 at Santa Barbara, and also the mean temperature of the warmest and coldest days in each month: A = Mean Temperature of each Month. B = Mean Temperature of Warmest Day. C = Mean Temperature of Coldest Day. D = Monthly Rainfall, Inches....

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Observations made at San Diego City, compiled from Report Of the Chief Signal Officer of the U. S. Army.

Observations made at San Diego City, compiled from Report Of the Chief Signal Officer of the U. S. Army.

Column headers: a = Average number of cloudy days for each month and year. b = Average number of fair days for each month and year. c = Average number of clear days for each month and year. d = Average cloudiness, scale 0 to 10, for each month and year. e = Average hourly velocity of wind for each month and year. f = Average precipitation for each month and year. g = Minimum temperature for each month and year. h = Maximum temperature for each month and year. i = Mean temperature for each month

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EXTREMES OF HEAT AND COLD.

EXTREMES OF HEAT AND COLD.

The following table, taken from the Report of the Chief Signal Officer, shows the highest and lowest temperatures recorded since the opening of stations of the Signal Service at the points named, for the number of years indicated. An asterisk (*) denotes below zero: a = Maximum b = Minimum c = Number of Years of Observation....

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STATEMENTS OF SMALL CROPS.

STATEMENTS OF SMALL CROPS.

The following statements of crops on small pieces of ground, mostly in Los Angeles County, in 1890, were furnished to the Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles, and are entirely trustworthy. Nearly all of them bear date August 1st. This is a fair sample from all Southern California: PEACHES. Ernest Dewey, Pomona—Golden Cling Peaches, 10 acres, 7 years old, produced 47 tons green; sold dried for $4800; cost of production, $243.70; net profit, $4556.30. Soil, sandy loam; not irrigated. Amount of rain

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Nordhoff's California.

Nordhoff's California.

Peninsular California. Some Account of the Climate, Soil, Productions, and Present Condition chiefly of the Northern Half of Lower California. By Charles Nordhoff . Maps and Illustrations. Square 8vo, Cloth, $1 00; Paper, 75 cents. Mr. Nordhoff has known the region he describes for many years, and is a skilful writer as well as careful observer.— Hartford Courant. The author frankly writes as an advocate, but, so far as our knowledge goes, with scrupulous fairness.— N. Y. Evening Post. Mr. Nordh

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The Capitals of Spanish America.

The Capitals of Spanish America.

The Capitals of Spanish America. By William Eleroy Curtis , late Commissioner from the United States to the Governments of Central and South America. With a Colored Map and 358 Illustrations. 8vo, Cloth, Extra, $3 50....

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Charnay's Ancient Cities of the New World.

Charnay's Ancient Cities of the New World.

The Ancient Cities of the New World: being Voyages and Explorations in Mexico and Central America, from 1857 to 1882. By Désiré Charnay . Translated from the French by J. Gonino and Helen S. Conant . Introduction by Allen Thorndike Rice . 209 Illustrations and a Map. Royal 8vo, Ornamental Cloth, Uncut Edges, Gilt Top, $6 00....

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Hearn's West Indies.

Hearn's West Indies.

Two Years in the French West Indies. By Lafcadio Hearn . Copiously Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2 00....

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Warner's South and West.

Warner's South and West.

Studies in the South and West, with Comments on Canada. By Charles Dudley Warner , Author of "Their Pilgrimage," &amp;c. Post 8vo, Half Leather, $1 75....

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Cesnola's Cyprus.

Cesnola's Cyprus.

Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples. A Narrative of Researches and Excavations during Ten Years' Residence in that Island. By General Louis Palma Di Cesnola , Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Turin; Hon. Member of the Royal Society of Literature, London, &amp;c. With Maps and Illustrations. 8vo, Cloth, Gilt Tops and Uncut Edges, $7 50; Half Calf, $10 00....

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Bishop's Mexico, California, and Arizona.

Bishop's Mexico, California, and Arizona.

Being a New and Revised Edition of "Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces." By William Henry Bishop . With numerous Illustrations. 12mo, Cloth, $2 00....

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Wallace's Malay Archipelago.

Wallace's Malay Archipelago.

The Malay Archipelago: the Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel, 1854-62. With Studies of Man and Nature. By Alfred Russel Wallace . With Maps and numerous Illustrations. New Edition. Crown 8vo, Cloth, $2 50....

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Wallace's Geographical Distribution of Animals.

Wallace's Geographical Distribution of Animals.

The Geographical Distribution of Animals. With a Study of the Relations of Living and Extinct Faunas, as elucidating the Past Changes of the Earth's Surface. By Alfred Russel Wallace . With Colored Maps and numerous Illustrations by Zwecker. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $1 00....

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Stanley's Congo, and the Founding of its Free State.

Stanley's Congo, and the Founding of its Free State.

A Story of Work and Exploration. By Henry M. Stanley . Dedicated by Special Permission to H. M. the King of the Belgians. In 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, with over One Hundred full-page and Smaller Illustrations, two large Maps, and several smaller ones. Cloth, $7 50; Sheep, $9 50; Half Morocco, $12 00....

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Stanley's Through the Dark Continent.

Stanley's Through the Dark Continent.

Through the Dark Continent; or, The Sources of the Nile, Around the Great Lakes of Equatorial Africa, and Down the Livingstone River to the Atlantic Ocean. By Henry M. Stanley . With 149 Illustrations and 10 Maps. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $7 50; Sheep, $9 50, Half Morocco, $12 00....

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Stanley's Coomassie and Magdala.

Stanley's Coomassie and Magdala.

Coomassie and Magdala: a Story of Two British Campaigns in Africa. By Henry M. Stanley . With Maps and Illustrations. 8vo, Cloth, $3 50....

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Livingstone's Last Journals.

Livingstone's Last Journals.

The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to his Death. Continued by a Narrative of his Last Moments and Sufferings, obtained from his Faithful Servants Chuma and Susi. By Horace Waller, F.R.G.S. With Maps and Illustrations. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00; Sheep, $6 00; Half Calf, $7 25....

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Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi.

Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi.

Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries; and of the Discovery of the Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa. 1858-1864. By David and Charles Livingstone . With Maps and Illustrations. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00; Sheep, $5 50....

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Long's Central Africa.

Long's Central Africa.

Central Africa: Naked Truths of Naked People. An Account of Expeditions to the Lake Victoria Nyanza and the Makraka Niam-Niam, West of the Bahr-El-Abiad (White Nile). By Col. C. Chaillé Long of the Egyptian Staff. Illustrated from Col. Long's own Sketches. With Map. 8vo, Cloth, $2 50....

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Du Chaillu's Equatorial Africa.

Du Chaillu's Equatorial Africa.

Adventures in the Great Forest of Equatorial Africa, and the Country of the Dwarfs. By Paul B. Du Chaillu . Abridged and Popular Edition. With Map and Illustrations. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 75....

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Du Chaillu's Ashango-Land.

Du Chaillu's Ashango-Land.

A Journey to Ashango-Land, and Further Penetration into Equatorial Africa. By Paul B. Du Chaillu . Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00; Sheep, $5 50; Half Calf, $7 25....

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Du Chaillu's Land of the Midnight Sun.

Du Chaillu's Land of the Midnight Sun.

The Land of the Midnight Sun. Summer and Winter Journeys through Sweden, Norway, Lapland, and Northern Finland. By Paul B. Du Chaillu . With Map and 235 Illustrations. In Two Volumes. 8vo, Cloth, $7 50; Half Calf, $12 00....

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Thomson's Voyage of the "Challenger."

Thomson's Voyage of the "Challenger."

The Voyage of the "Challenger." The Atlantic : An Account of the General Results of the Voyage during the Year 1873 and the Early Part of the Year 1876. By Sir C. Wyville Thomson, F.R.S. With a Portrait of the Author, many Colored Maps, And Illustrations. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $12 00....

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Thomson's Southern Palestine and Jerusalem.

Thomson's Southern Palestine and Jerusalem.

The Land and the Book: Southern Palestine and Jerusalem. By William M. Thomson, D.D. , Forty-five Years a Missionary in Syria and Palestine. 140 Illustrations and Maps. Square 8vo, Cloth, $6 00; Sheep, $7 00; Half Morocco, $8 50; Full Morocco, Gilt Edges, $10 00....

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Thomson's Central Palestine and Phœnicia.

Thomson's Central Palestine and Phœnicia.

The Land and the Book: Central Palestine and Phœnicia. By William M. Thomson, D.D. 180 Illustrations and Maps. Square 8vo, Cloth, $6 00; Sheep, $7 00; Half Morocco, $8 50; Full Morocco, Gilt Edges, $10 00....

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Thomson's Lebanon, Damascus, and Beyond Jordan.

Thomson's Lebanon, Damascus, and Beyond Jordan.

The Land and the Book: Lebanon, Damascus, and Beyond Jordan. By William M. Thomson, D.D. 147 Illustrations and Maps. Square 8vo, Cloth, $6 00; Sheep, $7 00; Half Morocco, $8 50; Full Morocco, Gilt Edges, $10 00....

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The Land and the Book. (Popular Edition.)

The Land and the Book. (Popular Edition.)

Comprising the above three volumes. Square 8vo, Cloth, $9 00. ( Sold in Sets only. )...

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Bridgman's Algeria.

Bridgman's Algeria.

Winters in Algeria. Written and Illustrated by Frederick Arthur Bridgman . Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2 50....

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Pennells' Hebrides.

Pennells' Hebrides.

Our Journey to the Hebrides. By Joseph Pennell and Elizabeth Robins Pennell . Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental. $1 75....

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Shoshone, and Other Western Wonders.

Shoshone, and Other Western Wonders.

By Edwards Roberts . With a Preface by Charles Francis Adams . Illustrated. pp. xvi., 276. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 00; Paper, 75 cents....

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Schweinfurth's Heart of Africa.

Schweinfurth's Heart of Africa.

The Heart of Africa; or, Three Years' Travels and Adventures in the Unexplored Regions of the Centre of Africa. From 1868 to 1871. By Dr. Georg Schweinfurth . Translated by Ellen E. Frewer . With an Introduction by Winwood Reade . Illustrated by about 130 Wood-cuts from Drawings made by the Author, and with Two Maps. 2 vols., 8vo, Cloth, $8 00....

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Speke's Africa.

Speke's Africa.

Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. By John Hanning Speke , Captain H. M. Indian Army, Fellow and Gold Medalist of the Royal Geographical Society, Hon. Corresponding Member and Gold Medalist of the French Geographical Society, &amp;c. With Maps and Portraits and numerous Illustrations, chiefly from Drawings by Captain Grant . 8vo, Cloth, $4 00; Sheep, $4 50....

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Baker's Ismailïa.

Baker's Ismailïa.

Ismailïa: a Narrative of the Expedition to Central Africa for the Suppression of the Slave-trade, organized by Ismail, Khedive of Egypt . By Sir Samuel White Baker , Pasha, M.A., F.R.S., F.R.G.S., Major-general of the Ottoman Empire, late Governor-general of the Equatorial Nile Basin, &amp;c., &amp;c. With Maps, Portraits, and upwards of fifty full-page Illustrations by Zwecker and Durand. 8vo, Cloth, $5 00; Half Calf, $7 25....

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