VISIT TO SAN DIEGO.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17412, 26 May 1928, Page 15 (Supplement)

VISIT TO SAN DIEGO.

MISS E. M. HILDITCH'S TOUR.

(Continued from last week.)

Leaving Yosemite.

At last the day come for us to leave Yosemite, and commence the journey to Los Angeles. This we commenced one evening at 7 o'clock —such a new experience for me. We had a Pullman sleeper—a double berth between the two of us. We had two double scats which by some clever contrivance is made up into a bed at night. A negro is in charge of the car—or, as we say, carriage. The bed was made up at 9 o'clock; sheets were spotlessly white and inviting, but it was getting a bit hot—in fact, as we buttoned over the light-(ltling curtains round our berth I decided that I could not live in such heat, and begged my friend to open the curtains. She was shocked, and it was impossible, as people passing through the car would see us in bed. I cared nothing Tor that, for, as I said, nobody would know us; but she had her way, and I panted through the early hours of the night, towards morning getting to sleep, and so soundly that my firend was up and dressed several hours before I awakened. Her greeting was: "Well, no doubt you are some sleeper. Why, I spent half the night wondering how'you could lie there and sleep." She was always thc«one to wake up when we were makifg an early start on our trip. Only once did she leave it for me. We were to start at 6.30; I called her, saying "It is twenty past C" We dressed hurriedly, then she looked at her watch, to find it a little after 4.30. I was so sleepy when I looked at the watch that I had read the hands wrong, mistaking 4.30 for 6.20 a.m. She has not yet forgiven me for journey. I rose and dressed—there are this. Well, to get on with the train

good dressing-rooms on the trains. Then we had breakfast—a good choice of l'ood in the dining-car, and well served, although the cost is high. By now it was i) a.m., and we would not arrive at Los Angeles till 7 p.m., so began a long, weary day—terrific heat

—trains travel too fast to permit of

reading or sewing. 1 got into conversation wiLh a man from Italy— a great traveller and sportsman, he was most interested in my descriptions of Is'ew Zealand. Of course. I told him it was a sportsman's paradise, as it truly Is'. We passed through many miles of dcserl-likc country, where the only trees are some called yukas. They risie from the ground much as our rabbageIrees <lo in the swamps; and. indeed, Ihey are not unlike our trees. At 7 p.m. we arrived at Los Angeles, glad to lie there, and proceeded to the Hosslyn Hotel, where we bad booked rooms. To my horror Ihey put. us on the eleven!!? Iloor. 11, was horrid trying to look out of one's bedroom window to Hie slreei below. I remarked to my friends that it would be hard for a lover to sing "J passed by your window," unless, indeed, he passed in an airplane. As we both disliked the height we were moved lo IhtPfourth floor the next day. In this hotel there were 1100 bedrooms, all with separate baths and toilet. There is an annexe to the hotel. II is situated across the street, and the two buildings are connected by a marble-subway. As the diningroom was in the annexe we had many trips through the subway. The most wonderful dinners, of four courses, were served for 50 cents (about 2s), with ice cream cordials thrown in ad lib —such a meal as would cost, 5s elsewhere. Only folk slaying at the bote!., and their guests, were admitted to the dining-room, and the profits would be made out of the prices paid for rooms. . Seeing Los Angles. The. morning after arrival we took a sight-seeing bus, which are called parlour touring cars (the last word in comfort), and went round the city. ] was surprised lo ibid Los Angeles as big a city as San Francisco. We were taken lo a suburb called Pasendena, about 20 miles from the city. HUviJi a marvel of beauty the. streets and homes are. It is the suburb of the millionaires. The very lamp-posts in the streets are of bronze. The homes arc palaces. Included among those we saw were Wrigleys (the man who made his millions from the sale of chewing gum,, for years he worked as a small confectioner, using a room back of his retail shop. Eventually one of his daughters married a man with business ability, who got a world's market for chewing'gum—hence the millions. We also saw the home of Gillet, of safety-

razon fame; and summer home of Peter Kine. One place worthy of mention was a park of 82 acres belonging Ji the Bush family, who were one of the leading brewers of U.SA. This park was the exclusive playground of their children, and it is preserved as it was 50 vears ago—such quaint dolls' houses, all sorts of dolls, gnomes, fairies,' etc., dotted about among the trees. The family presented it to i«i United States Government at the time of the war. A charge of Is is made for admission, and the funds go to the war veterans. On our way back to the city we visited an ostrich farm, where I learned more about the birds in the twenty minutes spent there than levjr thought to know. I then visited i.n alligator farm (the skins of these reptiles ar% in great demand at present). It was a horrid, smelly place, and I left as soon as possible. Movie Stars' Homes. After dinner we again joined the car for a tour of Hollywood, which is about 13 miles from the city of Los Angeles; but of course the former town spreads out and links up with the latter. Hollywood has 1,006,000 inhabitants, 28,000 of whom are said to be in the picture industry. It is said that for every one before the camera five are employed behind it. Of course we saw many structures, miniature foreign cities, etc., used in the making of pictures; but'of much more interest were the beautiful homes of the movie stars — such varied architecture; such beautiful gardens, flowers, trees, shrubs, in every available foot of ground right up to the street edge. Here I became acquainted with the camphor tree Dr the first time. I plucked some of the young shoots, crushed them in my hands, and the perfume remained for hours. We were shown the homes of Mary Pickford and her husband (Douglas Fairbanks), Hoot Gibson, Colleen xMoore, Sid Chaplin, Charles Chaplin, and the former home of Rudolph Valentino, now owned and occupied by a New York banker. All Lhese homes were situated on the heights called Beverly Hills. We then drove on to the ' cac» —miles and miles of the Pacific Ocean, which, by the way, the Americans also think is theirs entirely; so, of course, I told them it belonged, to us also. Thousands of people on the beach, and dozens of side shows, merry-go-rounds, scenic railroads, and all the , things which the crowds revel in, and which spoil any beach. We returned to the hotel feeling that the day had been full of pleasure and profit. We then had several days in and around Los Angeles. There is a g'-eat amount of traffic on the streets, which are rather narrow; but it is well controlled, and pedestrians have no difficulty in crossing at the right time. Of course, if they do so in between times it is at their own risk. There is a traffic cop (the word policeman is unknown here) at each busy corner, and all corners or crossings in the ity are fined up with automatic stop and go signals and bells. First bell: Up goes a green light: means traffic prepare 'to stop. Second bell (blue light), pedestrians cross;, third bell (red likhl), traffic repedestrians slop. They are severe on folk who cross at the wrong time, as they arc such an annoyance to every minute and a half to allow of drivers of vehicles. As lrafflo4s stopped grossing one should be prepared to wait the signal. (To be concluded next week.)