The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-16

now ona business visit to California Ii gives cInr
and striking view Of the golden State, and presents
many interesting facts concerning its soil climate and
mineral Nweati that We have not heretofore met with
s-Ntss, O6sersll,oss asd Qs0f.z, -,
agreed to give you briefly my impressions Of this por
ton of country the characteristics oil its people, ito
present and prospective condition productions, &c
The climate. This has surpsisA me very much: was
prepared to find it mder by far than in the correspond
ing atitudss In the Atlantic States- This il clearly
rect but the climate of San Francisco exception to
that Of any portion Of the world far informed
In this opinion think you will concur If net already
fully informed upon the subject upon examination Of
the annexed statement. $780,
have before me authentic table, from which am
enabled TO determine and give you the temperature
in that city at sunrise and and the and extremes
for each year. from 1851 TO 1856 inclusive During that
PERIOD the temperature for each month sunrise
rangedfrom forty to fifty five and at noon from fifty
two to seventy degrees The greatest degree Of cold in
the six years twenty five degrees, below the
freezing point This may be set down nearly the extreme
Of cold felt here In three of the years the mercury
did not fall to the freezing point In 1853, tho lowest
point was eight degrees above freezing the extreme of
heat ninety eight degrees This occurred in Sepem
ber 1882 with which exception it has not risen above
ninety degrees, and is very unusual temperature for
San Francisco, though much below the greatest heat in
the interior In 1851, the highest temperature was
eighty degrees and in 1856 the Thermometer did
not rise above eighty five degrees
The rainy season--lIhis commences in December, and
may be said to terminate in March. During the FIRST
rain falls usually than in any subsequent month
marked abatement is observable from the middle of
january to the middle of February One-third of the
average yearly rains falls before the first Of January
third in January and February and the remaining third
subsequent to the first of March No rain falls usually
from the first of May to the first of December This will
give you slight idea Of the rainy season. but think
there scarcely any expression which conveys to the peo
pie of the Atlantic States such erroneous impress
sion During this 1t is believed generally to rain
most of the time the balance to be gloomy, dark
aud cod-the obscured and the horizon
cast with impenetrable Clouds mists, and dark va
pors, accompanied with chilling and piercing winds
This. however is very FAR from being correct The wind
this OF the year seldom blows strong enough
to become annoying and is chilling The tempera
tare, will have been seen, extremely equabe and
with reasonable protection persons feet get cold
although for hours engaged in passing damp pave
ments and muddy streets Twice only during the last
ten years fallen in the streets of San Francisco
in sufficient quantities to he visible upon the streets The
unobscured and the sky clear great portion of the
time During the year 1856 the sun shone brightly is
december, 10 In january, Z3 Jays In red
ruary 81 days in March, and 20 in April During the
montsi it raned IL days in December ii daysn jan
nary in February, 5 in March, and in April During
the balance of those months there less mist
clouds overhanging the horizon The weather when clear
during this is indeed delightful resembling
closely the Indian in the District of Columbia,
Eastern Pcnnsy lvani, Maryland, and Virginia than any
other portion of the year in the Atlantic States From
this alone this city will be made the winter resi-
denoe of vast number from the Eastern States when
it's climate becomes better understood by people and
the facilities of reaching here improved by the consruc
ton Of railroad, and of better class Of steamers upon
this important line of communication st gl
The productions Of this State, not less than its cl
mate by far the most remarkable although but in
their infancy of any of the great States of this conede-
acy 1t produces in abundance and in great perfection
all the cereal grains, fruits and vegetables Of the tenn
peratc atitudes Grains produced in many instances
crop after crop without resolving. 1t is fact ouly
ecaed that the fifth crop of barley, taken from field
of fifty acres, from single sowing, five years previous
in the county of Santa Clara in the year 1856 averaged
yield per of forty three bushels Roots, and
vegetables generally grow during the winter months
in the open air New potatoes beets carrots, cabbages
green peas tomatoes turnps squashes salads, &c., &c,
abundant in this market. In large section of
the southern portion Of the State cotton rice tobacco
and sugar cultivated with and profit, while
the fig, the almond, the olive, and the orange pro-
the latter in great abundance aud Of quality
surpassed The grape in almost every portion of the
State grows and produces to extent and in perfection
unequalled in any portion of the world single clusters
have been known 10 weigh ten pounds &#
Horses cattle sheep and stock of all kinds live thrive
and increase we ii not better than in any other por
ton of the country and this, too without requiring
either housing or feeding during any part of the year.
gathering their food unprotected throughout the year
from the hills and valleys of this much favored country
May we not say that this State is uuequalled in
agricultural point of view
But this view ia greatly strengthened when You
interests No mining country except this sustans by its
own productions its mining population.
This State with all the above advantages, even now
produces annually in gold hundred millions of dollars
and this, too when its quartz mining the great perna-
nent mining interest of the Stateis but in its infancy
pay less than eight dollars per to pay for crush
ing in many parts Of the world it pays at less
than two dollars What must be the gold production of
this Stats when the price of labor shall make it profit
able TO work quartz of that value
Look for moment at the geographical position of this
State and city and if there not strong reasons,
deducbe from that well from the conformation of
this coast for believing that this city will at distant
any rival in commercial Importance wealth. and popua
ton any city upon the Atlantic borders In the first
place. this State itself has upon the Pacific