American Scenery.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7898, 14 August 1905, Page 4

American Scenery.

SOME MILLIONAIRES' HOTELS. CALIFORNIAN ORCHARDS. Mr P. A. Sproule, New Zealand representative of the Oceanic Steamship Company, who returned from a visit to America, was seen by a representative of the Herald on his return by the Sierra. He expressed himself delighted with his tour in the States. "I went to Southern California," be said, "and saw sometiring of the big hotels there. They arc caravanserics for lhe millionaire.. At one of tbern 1 was assured tfr..it ib the season they have as many as 158 miHwnaircs staying there at oim time. Some of these great places have from 608 to 700 rooms." "And the tarifl is princely, of course ?" ' "Well, the American millionaire, however keen he may be about making money, is not very particular how lie spends it. He does not mir.d long prices so long as he gets what he wants." "There is no room in the inn for guests with moderate purses ?" "Weil, yes ; if you know how to go about it. If you go in and say, 'I Want a room or rooms,' well, they give you the twst, and you know it when you come to settle np; but if you say you want a 3d01., 1d01.,-or sdol. room, tlicy can generally suit you."

"The rich Americans love to demonstrate to all the world thai they can pay a dollar a minute for the joy of rocking themselves ta i sleep op the broad verandahs of these ■ places, is it not so?"

"They certainly do patronise the great places most extensively, and do not care what they pay. Mind you, in these hotels no expense is spared in ministering to every comfort Jo! the guests. Th4n the htttnls themselves are built in the loveliest position that can be got, and the service is admirable." THE GRAND CANYON.

"Speaking as an expert caterer for tourist traffic, do you think—from lite commercial pomt of view—that the scenery of New Zealand is as attractive to sightseers as that of the United States ?" ".Well, you sw, it is rathksr difficult to make a comparison. Certain.y the Yellowstone I*ark is very grand, awe-inspiring one might say , mt Milford and the other West ■-"oast sounds are equally grand, and the two scenic reserves have this in -ominon, that they (joth have a najdity about them which commands the highest admiration, and aotb compensate the tourist in any :imc, trouble, ar expense which they ost to sec thorn. I must say, though, that nothing impressed me more on ny visit than the Grand Canyon of ihe Colorado." I have seen a £reat leal of the renowned scenery in the •vorld, but nothing 10 equal that. everyone who sees it goes to the edge and looks over those stu;.>endous dins into the abvss wk-re -he Colorado, like a thin silver hrcad, winds far, far below, and bconies dumb with wonder. H is a act that parties, of tourists who are -hatting and laughing all the way to he canyon are so impressed with its gigantic character that they become (uite silent as thev peer into the lepths and mark liie gorgeous tints. >f the rocks. It is most impressive when the sun goes down, and tin.' .oeky Walls, rising thousands of feet rom the river-bed, are bathed in scarlet, then in purple, with rising 'louds, which sail lightly along beWeeti tire- )valls, hundreds of feet beow. Nothing in America impressed ne jnore than the (hand Canvon oi tlic Colorado." MODEK.N KI'I'ITG ROWING.

"You saw something of the fruitgrowing districts oi California, perlaps '!" "1 saw a good deal —mind, I do not ;peak as an expert oil the subject , <ut the order ati.l neatness of the Jalifornian orchards are certainly trovocative of the greatest admira.ion. Kvetylliing appears to be to •veil regulated • arid nothing is left o chancr. 1 drove through miles ind miles of orange groves, and there !rd not seem to be a thing out of ilace Iherc, nothing untidy or ill>cmpt. By the way, they have some ovely roads in the country. I thought I hey were asphalted. They, •.eenifd 1o be st) firm , ami so clwni. I was told it was not so, and so one occasion I jumped out of the buggy to see for myself. It was v ( - ry difficult to convince me that the roads were not asphalted. No ; thcyi were laid with crude petroleum, anil ost about £24 a mile, and last for years."

OILED ROADS. | ' But our roads, you know ; our northern roads l '-' "Well, 1 was assured that no spe■ial preparation is needed. The read machine can go over a paddock or over amy rough eourrtry, and, using the oil, makes the roads.,No special preparation cf the road bed is required. The crude oil is just laid on and hardens very quickly. It would I* a great thing for the Auckland country roads, I should think, if the material couM be landed here—cheaply, of course." N.Z. Herald.