Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1849-01-05
CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL RE-
SOIJRC ES

The following letter from Col. Stevenson.
of New Y ork, commander of the California
Regiment, to VIM. C. Bloss, Of Rochester,
and published in the Democrat of that city,
affords some information as to the social pc
culiarities of the present inhabitants, as well
as the physical character Of the country;
The climate is fine and soil good, but as
rain falls but few days IN each year. irriga-
ton must be resorted to, to produce crops of
any kind. There may be some places in the
northern part of the Territory where this is
not necessary. For this reason the agricultu-
raj population can never be very large, as the
supply of water is very limited and not suffi-
cient to water one acre in one hundred even
Of the table land. There are but two rivers
of any consequence In the whole territory,
and they only partially navigable, all the 9TH
| ers would be regarded as small streams with
US, as they are nearly dry nine months IN the
year. j he Southern part of the Territory is
entirely destitute of timber exceptin the noun
tains, which are almost inaccessible. and unl-
Der Of the poorest kind is worth from SO TO
ESQ per thousand feet, board measure. There
! is not and can never be any permanent fenc-
| ing except such as may be made ofInud bricks,
baked in the sun, called here aRo5ies, all 9TH
/ er fencing is temporary, made of small poles
or the cuttings OF grape vines, and removed at
the end of each planting season.
! The people are hospitable and kind hearted
quite dark, and the women especially have
fine eyes and walk well the men are active
and can endure great fatigue, they are no
doubt the very best horsemen in the world
The horses are not very large but are hardy
and can endure much travel and hard treat
ment; the cattle are remarkably fine; the
sheep are not very large and the wool is coarse;
4
they range the hills and vallies the whole
year, and generally find full supply of food.
The country is capable of supporting much
larger stock than it now contains. which has
been greatly diminished since the destruction
of the Mission, and is by no means as large as
has been represented.
That this territory is of great importance to
the United States no one can doubt, as it will
form the extreme boundary of the Pacific of
our mighty Reppblic, q boundary too tllat can
never be trodden by a slave; Whatever may
be the action of Congress on this all-impor-
t2Gt subject, it can never effect this territory,
for here slaves can never exist as such. The
best that can be imported, when their labor
comes in competition with the Indian laborer
would not be worth their aasportaticn. IN
dians can be hired from 81 to per month and
their food, which consists Of corn and beans
only, and they VIII do as much work In day
as negro slave. Besides the whole people.
of the country are averse to slavery but if
they were not, here the negro is as much re-
spected as his master, and / have known some
few instances Of a slave (there are some few
here among the otficers) and his master visit
ing the same family, and while the master
was making love to one sister. Ned was anu
sing himself with another and prettier sister
in different part OF the house, and / do not
believe negro would be refused if he should
ask girl in marriage, provided he was we'll
behaved, therefore. ] say that this territory
can never be the home of the slave Won
know am not an abOlitionist as | would rot
disturb the existing Institutions Of the South
which in my Judgment formed part of the
compact upon which Union of the States
was effected. | would, therefore, as readily
defend them as any of the institutions of the
North. however, never would permit slav-
cry TO extend further; but here if slavery was
tolerated by law, the privileges would be val
ueless