Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-05-11
Letter from California.

SNELLING, Merced Co., Cal.
April 9Th 1866.
| w. j. W WRlGGLEswoRTH, ESQ.
AS promised in my last, | will now give
you few more notes of this truly greatest
State of a great nation of States
Let me see +; promised to say something
about the climate, and it was my intention
to recommend it for its beauty, uniformity
and salubrity But this morning there is
an unusually cold, raw, and fierce wind
blowing from the north-west-the prevail
ing winds from April to October are from
that quarter. 1t is with rather i'll grace
undertake an enconium upon CALIFORNIA; eli
mate.
The winter months-from October to
April-are delightful, beng very like Sep
| tember and October in Wisconsin as it is
called the ''rany season. those who have
never experienced a California winter, would
naturally enough, conclude chat it was dis
agreeable But such is not the fact The
winter is the most pleasant season; at
least such is my experience after three
years residence here. Sleighriding, that
delightful luxury, for it IS a luxury, with
its fast horses, jinghng bells, glittering
snowfields, warm robes, Incompatible warm
hearted, rosey checked girls. It's ''kiss-
me-quicks," "tol,' which must be paid at
the crossing of every bridge be it great or
small, if the swain is not too bashful to col
lect it, and its dozen other concomitants
which make it the delightful luxury it is;
IS sighed, for missed and sadly mourned
in this more genial climate. Nor have we
any pleasure that could be called substi-
tute for it. But, pshaw why talk of
substitute for sleigh riding? To one who
has ever experienced the pleasures of this
pastime, particularly in the snow clad
praires of the West, it is simple nonsense.
In vain dove try to persuade ourselves
that money is quid pro quo for this luxury
We gaze upon the shining yellow product
ion of our auriferous land and in the sweet
music of the ring of Washoes less valuable,
but more plenty metal, and derive much
consolation from the contemplation of our
good fortune in retaining the true metap'
for circulating medium. But it is a
poor qualification when compared with the
winter sports Of our boyhood hours.
But our climate is possessed of many
advantages and beauties not to be found
in any other portion Of our country. The
summer is, to one who halls from latitude
43 degrees north, rather warmer than de-
sirable; but do not believe we suffer so
much from the heat as you do ir Wlscon
sin. Sultry weather is unknown here
We have none of that malarious, oppres-
sively hot and uncomfortable weather which
you experience in June, July and August
the nights are always cool and pleasant, and
IN the warmest months, if screened from
the rays Of the sun,it is comfortable. Our
moonlight in summer is equal to anything
ever heard or read Of Italy's, and must
be experienced to be properly appreciated
If I were the least bit poetical, would
versify to California moonlight, and were !
familiar with the "Bards," would select
sonnet to Diana from the ebulitions of some
famed rider of Pegasus, and insert it here
to give eclact to ny letter, (Byron's 18th
stanza of First Canto of Don Juan, would
hardly be appropriately. But as | have
said, the day is chill and windy, and | am
Sin no humor fort, and shall forego so
excellent an opportunity TO poetize or insert
an extract.
When we take into consideration that
thousands Of our inhabitants have no hab.
itations than cloth tent, Or tbs spreading