White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1868-03-12
Correspondence.
(For the Chief
slnPertans Rnterp-ise.


Usder this beading. appears an article in
tie San Francisco Herald, Of January 3oth.
by which IL appears parties in San Francisco
have entered up in the U, s. Land Once up.
wards Of two hundred thusand aeres Of the
Assst agricultural land in the San Joaquia
Valley. Afser delineasiag It's advantages in
other respects, it goes on 70 say. "thsrs is
probably ne tract in the State Of Q mere pro-
ducsivs character. or possessing more facili-
ties for reaching = steadily increasing mar
ket." There i, also society formed, Or un-
der initiation, in San Francisco, 70 give in
formation to the millions Of Europe, Of the
advantages ofcatifornis possesses. I Ihave s.en
one Of its inciP,ent pieces, written in the same
glowing language as above, pufpsrtipg to
give information about California nv own
conclusion was, that it was intended to con.
ceal information, rather than give it; so up
truthful was it, in most of its important fsa
lures. In view Of this, and emanations from
the California press in general. all interested
in getting large population into the State,
| deem it duty owe to humanity to state
whatI know and bavs experienced a. CAL,
ifomia farmer. for, the last seyentssn years
It Is but right that all contemplating hnilding
themselves up homes in distant lands, should
have correct knswlsdge Of these lands; this
they will never get from the above named
sources. For instance, what do they say Of
the periodical seasons of fdrought-not months,
but Of years,-the distance from timber for
building, fencing, &C.; the distance from mar
kets, Liverpool and New York; the robber-
les Of homes and lands. through 50 called
Spanish Grants; the litigation and taxation
from double to Eve or six times that of any
other State Of the Union7 Not one word of
all, or ewes any one Of these important facts.
do they Say.
LIST. A word Of the climate. Itis generally
healthy and pleasant; always cool nights;
some loca lities more subject to fever than
others; probably your readers know it has
only two seasons, . wet and dry one. When
the wet one commences, which IL sometimes
early in November, and sometimes not till the
latter end Of December, then in reality com.
menccs the Spring; the grass and vegetation
begin to grow. which before had bee parchsd 4
up to perfect dryness, all the summer and fall
months. Itisin regard to wetness the climate
Of California 10 90 exceedingly variable; the
dryness has never been known to fail; that
continues Ave or six to eight or nine months
out Of twelve. with very much Of the time a
scorehing sun and drying wind prevailing. Thi,
dries up the earth from one to two feet deep
just like suu-dried bricks. The sesssn fol
rain also always returns, but how variable ia
its results! Sometimes the clouds seem L
have every fastening to the heavens loosensd,
and come pouring down to the earth, flooding
the valleys. carrying away bridges, fences
and even houses, drowning cattle, and il
many ways doing much damage. Then, again
other seasons, and they are numerous, the
clouds are attracted to the heavens and the
mountains, and furnish the valleys only from
two or three to ten or twelve inches of moist
sash- Such 4~a,s the seasons iron,ss or ;5l
10 1874, with one exceptions, 81, called the
vet winter. Ny own and adjoining farms in
Santa Clara Valley during those years pro.
daced Eve or six bushels down to nothing per
acre. One year, from over hundred acres
sown, not bushel Was gathered. This was
the case all through that part Of the country;
it was quite as bad, If not worse, throughout
the San Joaquin Valley-indsed, all the large
valleys Of Californis. Almost all the cattle
we're starved, as they we're throughout all the
southern part Of the State; those who sowed
lost their labor and seed, till the San Joaquin
especially was tn ought te be unfit for occnpan
cy, except for the little pasture it afforded for
cattle. Had it not been for this, every acre
of that fine agricultural country would have
been occupied tefore now with bona .fde set
tiers. many of whom have now turned away
and gone back to their eastern homes, dis
gusted with California from this and other
ust causes.
The abundance Of rain the three last sea.
sens has given different aspect to these val
leys, and there are plenty here ready to try
them again; and if the seasons prove the same
Our experience Of California goes to show
that the seasons Of fertility and sterilty come
BY periods Of years. Previous to IS. there
had been plentiful rains. consequently plentiful
crops, for series Of years; after that the rains
in the large valleys, for series Of years, were
quite insufficient to make crops, except in those
places where the water vas near the surface
below, as in many small localities it is.
Now, again, We are in period of abundance
of rain, and mud in the roads ankle to knee
deep. and utterly impossible for loaded teams;
and very possibly the next season may not give
US more than enough rain to lay the dust, a.
has heretofore been the case. For this cause,
and that large portion of the country is noun
tains unfit for habitancy, it is the duty of the
public press to let people know What they may
expect. who are Seguitet INTO kufns 70 Can.
fornia for the beat Of great land spectators.
Take another view Of the case, and suppose
the season of plentiful rains eontinues-there
s ne building or fencing timber in that coun.
Try. the San Joaquin Valley. Il has to be
brought some hundreds of miles down the
eoast to San Francisco, thsn up the San Jes.
quin river one to two hundred miles, then By
your team to it final location. And this 10
not the end-when you have pot that materisl
81 into buildings ard fences. yoa will have two
and half to three (perhaps more) per cent.
State and County taxation on oil you possess,
to your pigs and your vifes chickens; even
ysur furniture, watch and dog are mot exempt. !