ky.

The mules care less for visible azure than for edible verdure, and soon
carried us by this picture. Far up the trail is a pretty scene upon our
own mountain. Suddenly we came out of the cool, wild forest upon a
little level spot, by the spring of the mountain stream. Here is an old
camp with green grass growing up about the deserted building. After a
final winding journey around the steep southerly side of the mountain,
came the first full view of the wild chaos of broken ranges toward the
desert. Then follows a gradual shaded ascent to the camp. The world has
varied panoramas of mountain scenery "set off" by the glitter of snowy
peaks. In California there are many accessible summits rising from
half-tropical valleys. Mountains which overlook the sea are without
number. There may be in America other points from which one may look
down upon a "city of homes," and a "business centre" with sixty thousand
busy inhabitants. I do not know any spot apart from the mountains of
Pasadena where you may put all of these in combination. From the
northerly peak of Mt. Wilson to the southerly peak of Mt. Harvard is a
distance by trail along the ridge of perhaps three miles, offering a
variety of points of view. To the north and east you may look down into
a gorge two thousand feet beneath, from which rises on the gentle breeze
the mingled voice of brawling brook and murmuring pines. Beyond is a
confusion of green mountains, from which a range of white summits rises
in the calm distance. Toward the south are solitary peaks with halos of
fleecy cloud.

As for the prospect in the other direction, it shows at once that the
way to print upon the mind a map of California's physical formation is
to see it _a la_ bird's-eye--as the short path to acquaintance with a
great city is a vertical one--to the tower of the City Hall.

One would require but a few more well-selected stations to map out all
of Southern California.

The several valleys of which Los Angeles is the commercial capital are
stretched out before us like perfectly level plains, divided by ranges
of hills. In the distance lies the glistening Pacific, with the blue
outlines of Catalina and more distant islands etched upon the western
sky. This picture is sometimes so distinct that you find yourself
trying to recognize acquaintances on the streets of Pasadena. Again
everything is dreamy with haze. Another morning you may stumble out
trying to rub yesterday's sunburn from y