Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-12-14
From the Boston Post.
The San Diego Herald.

With eager mind and ready scissors we laid
hold of the San Diego Herald, received by the
last steamer from California, and though the
genius of John Phoenix Esq, no longer an.
mates it, we find much that is funny scattered
here and there through its columns, that the
lamented Phoenix himself could hardly sur
pass. The first we shall draw upon is the
Herald correspondence-a letter from Santa
Cruz, signed by the euphonious name OF
'Squizzins,' and if it isn't Phoenix himself un-
der another name, it is wondrously like him.
"Squizzins" says
''It is a source Of much astonishment to my
self as we'll as to other citizens Of the city Of
Holy Cross, that place of such size. business
activity, agricultural promise and farinaceous
fulfillment, should attract so little attention in
the public press. Why. sir, can editors be
be aware that from this city and vicinage, veg
ctables are shipped to every point of the COM
pass!-including Point Pinos and the Light
house. Something under ten millions of pota-
toes were raised this year on one farm con sist.
ing Of half an acre. owned bv Judge Whiteburn
one of which weighed fourteen pounds, and
can be seen by the creduIous, at any time, ly.
ing on the steps of Williams store being too
large to get through the door. Three Of these
vegetable Monsters formed a cargo for the
Tompkins on the last trip, and she was oblig
ed to throw enc overheard during stress Of
weather. off Long wharf.
One farmer has sixteen ears raised on one
wheat stalk; and even glance at .he immense
water melons is enough itself to make one
'melon-cholic
Near the river where the soil is rich "mush-
melons" have been raised foot in diameter,
producing IS per cent. Of mush to three of
rind and seeds. Pumpkins have attained an
enormous size; also, those raised from the seed
brought from the Atlantic side, and bet or
known as the Sun species, being however, of
rather sckly growth. Parsnips aad carrots
do not flourish well, tho soil being too rich for
their nourishnent, IS they die before maturity
of the dyspepsia; but cabbages grow to an
enormous size, and have one leaf by me that
will cover an ordinary sized multipIica-
tion table. They have a new mode of water
ing the ground with the juice OF boiled corn
ed beef, and the cabbages grow from sym
pathy. All other vegetables grow nearly as
well. We have also a fine quantity of fruit,
for which our place is, as it should be, Justly
celebrated. The pears, however, have been
troubled tins year by disease called Small
bois, which has taken off great quantities Of
them in the night, and dog bark is found to
be the only cure"
The following description OF the city Of San
ia Ciuz is very graphic:
"Like richly fed alderman, the town is 10.
Gated on broad bottom. near the stream San
Lorenzo, small rivulet varying in width from
foot to a quarter OF a mile, according to the
season. The heart of the town consists of
four principal houses, with few scattering
lesser ones, all so much alike to as to resemb le
a wooden family with their progeny in INDECENT
circumstances, and sadly in want of new coats
of paint. One of the aforementioned four
has, however, been recently afflicted with a
violent pigment, and has broken out all over
with white, blue and black spots, resembling
sickly marble or the seventeenth crisis Of by.
dropathy.
The edlfce that first attracts the attention
Of the stranger is the hotel, a large. commodi-
Gus building ofjaundiced complexion. with a
bar room where cocktails and smells Of os.
tiers are sold Every boarder is required to
bring a rattrap with HIM. a very sapent reg
ulation and each morning procession of
them may be seen, each trap containing cap.
tive, bound to the river. The next building Of
Importance is the store of the place, situated
at the sharp angle of two streets, ten feet
long, three feat wide on one end and nothing
Oh the other. The principal articles of mer-
chandise are green pears and rat traps. The
recent discovery of the mines has caused a
good deal of excitement on account of the sale
of two shovels and tin pan. Some blue shirts
were priced, but the blue and the woolen were