Los Angeles in December From North Carolinian's Eyes, 1920

To my friends in Hickory: I will make an effort to tell you a few things about California. First, I will tell about the climate. It is a wonderful climate out here, flowers are blooming all the while and the grass is just looking its best now, especially up in the hills, because it has been raining. Also all kinds of fresh vegetables here now, and watermelons are sure good to us now, for it is something unusual for us. Anyone can be down in the valley of Los Angeles and look up in the hills and see the beautiful white snow, and it is warm in the valley. Second: The schools here are wonderful, the only fault to the schools here is that negroes are going to school with the white children, also Japs and Mexicans. Third, I will say a few things about the parks. There are 18, and they are all very beautiful. The beaches are great, words cannot express the wonderful times anyone can have at the beach. The telephone Company is very good here, there are 15 large offices in Los Angeles and the one I work at is not so large as the others. There are about 75 girls working here. The salary is very good. Now about the people: The people that have been raised here are very distant, but the people from the east and south are nice and kind to you. They will say to you, “Aren’t you from the east or south?” and then “I thought you were. I could tell by your talk.” They like to hear a southerner talk. The mountains here are very large and high, but they are bare, no trees or bushes, but they have cactus all over them. They are not called mountains here; they are called hills. What the young folks enjoy most of all in the summer is taking hiking trips, and hike for 15 or 20 miles. The birls and boys dress in khaki and wear hiking boots. 4336 Eastern Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., Leia Cook. T.J.L. (From the Hickory Daily Record, Dec. 13, 1920)