terflies.

This first carnival was such a success that it was decided to repeat it
and make it an annual affair.

Since then, not only Santa Barbara, but a number of other Californian
towns have held their annual flower festival.

People from the East are now making excursions to the Pacific Coast on
purpose to see the charming sight.

The carnival season that has just passed has been more beautiful than
usual, the favorable weather bringing the flowers out in great splendor.

In Los Angeles they had a parade of carriages decorated with flowers, a
prize being given for the most tastefully decked vehicle.

The prize winner was a basket phaeton covered with pink carnations, and
canopied with the blue Californian daisies.

Four white horses with harnesses of pink carnations, and collars and
head-pieces of blue daisies, were attached to the carriage, and seated
in it were two young ladies dressed in the same colors as the flowers.

No trouble is spared in decorating the carriages, and that no speck of
any but the chosen colors may be seen, the entire carriage is first
covered with cheese-cloth of the required shade, and the harness and
whip wound with ribbons of the same color. The flowers are then fastened
on the cloth, and the carriage, wheels and all, looks like a bower of
blossoms.

When you think that this was but one of the exhibits in the parade, you
can form some idea of the bounteous way flowers grow in Southern
California.

* * * * *

An attempt is to be made to climb Mount St. Elias, the snow-clad
mountain in Alaska, which makes the boundary line between Alaska and
British Columbia.

[Illustration]

Mount St. Elias is about 18,000 feet high, and was supposed to be the
highest peak on the continent till Mount Logan was discovered a few
miles farther inland, that was found to be 1,500 feet higher.

The slopes of Mount St. Elias are covered with glaciers, and so far
about 4,000 feet of the mountain have defied the efforts of all
mountaineers.

Two parties will make the attempt this summer, one composed of American
scientists, and the other of Prince Luigi of Savoy, who is a nephew of
King Humbert of Italy, and some companions.

The first attempt to explore the mountain was made eleven years ago, but
only an altitude of 7,200 feet was reached. Two years later an
Englishman made another effort, and had climbed 11,000 feet of the
mountain before he was obliged to desc