White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1868-02-13
Correspondence.
lFor the chief.l

FhEND SOL - lev stray copies Of yoof
PAPER came to hand week ago. and brought
pleasant newsof sayings and doiass adidus the
good folks Of the far-s4 Ciosd How tfue Is
the saying. that distance ieudS snchautnent;' = |
how very much more does ahsence contribute |
10 our good opinion Of our friends. Thinkisg |
perhaps my old nsishoors may feel as solicit.
ous for an item concerning ny. ~hereabouss as
have been to hear from them, take the lib. |
erty Of craving space in your columns for . few
words; aud as native modesty will not allow
me to speak altogether Of myself. J. will main
ly attemat to furnish few hassy ideas coneer
ming the land in which am nov sojourniag;
promising that not few Of your readers. tired
Of cold weather and locusts, occasionally cast
wistiul glances in this direction, and will be
for few crumbs of information re-
specting the lay Of the land
While at New York. en- route. I spent a
whole day rummaging book stores for informa.
tion concerning Southern California, with ,ut
eliciting the slightest particle; and in San
Francisco found it but little better. There
are many fair spots on tern firma that lay claim
to the particular distinction Of being called the
garden-sPos Of creation. There are few per-
sons possessing tsmpersasets the least- ~
imaginative, who haze uljm hDey c6nJurea
beauseous pictures sfsunhy Espaa. and salmy
Italia, and sighed for the pleasure Of hahita.
tion in land SO lovely, amid the continual
glories Of the tropics. where all the senses in
hale happiness. and n.tsre voos the mind TO
repose. by contributing .ery object that tends
to fiji the measure of life's physical happiness;
and vet, beneath the protecting folds Of our
starry Gag, can be found favored country,
possessing everything that makes the southern
portion Of the States and Europe desirable,
and with none of their drawbacks, such as epi-
denies and uncongenial associations. Had
this country been known At the time Moses
wrote his works, there is but little doubt but
that he would have selected it as having been
the particular spot where our common progen.
ltors started in on borrowed ca,ital, vent into
society above their means, and we're foreclosed
and kicked out, a. men are to this day, without
being warned BY 20 memorable an example.
Southern Cslifornis combines more of the
attractions which make Country desirable for
residence, than any other place. Here Ceres
pours out her mystic Cornucopia Of golden
abundance; Hygeis makes it her chosen home.
and at her bidding, rosy health leaps into the
joyousness Of perfect life, and throws aside the
badges Of diseased in6rmity; while the ele-
ments, shorn of their wdated excesses, yield
themselves with passive tameness to be gov
ernd BY the wants and wishes of the human
family. The early Spanish settlers here, fresh
from the delightful valley of Mexico, gave this
section the preference, for picturesqeness aud
beauty, over all others that they had ever
seen. aud went so far, in their romantic rap
lures, as to call their chief city the Paradiss of
the Angels. For fear that may be deemed
enthusiastic. will say that my opinion coin
cides with that of Bsyard Taylor, Gene. Rose
Grams. and host Of Lesser lights; and the Coun-
ty statistics Of Los Angeles County, which l
will presently give, bear out the material part
Of my statements.
The climate bf Southern C4liiornia varies
but little during the different seasons. At San
Diego, 40 miles south Of here, according to Of.
fetal statements, the mean temperature during
the year is 81. In the month of August, the
average is as follows, Wig: sunrise Ga, noon "a,
sunset e5i and for the month Of January, sun
rise so, noon 81, and sunset 50. The extremes
at no time during the year are above 36 or un.
der az. Frost is rare, ami never efficiently
intense to injure the orange blossoms. which
bloom in the Winter mo~ths; and there is No
such thing as snow and ice. The breexes
from the sea and mountains are hacing and
pleasant, and in no way resemble the piercing
blasts that make the coast climate uf Northern
California objectionable. The Summers,
from April to October, are dry and clear, with
no cold, fogs. or cloudy weather. The Win
ter, which may be included in the other Eve
months. will average Eve days out Of every
week of nice. warm, sunshiny weather. There
are usually three or four rainy days every
change Of the mon. An of the blowing here
is done through the Winter; and there is never
more than few weeks. (thrse or four,) that
the rain renders the roads impossible to load.
ed wagons. There is not az much rain fall
here throughout the year as falls in Kansas
during the Spring. The following, from re
ports of U. s. Typographical Engineers, will
give an idea of the amount of rain that falls
here, compared with Northern California. and
St. LOUIS, Mo. At St. Louis, there are 1871 10
inches Of rain in the Spring, and ~ through
out the year. At San Francisco, $50 miles
north of here. there are II 10 inches in the
year; and at San Diego. inches. OF course,
this does not apply to the mountain region, 40
miles back. where there is much more rain,
and some snow which leeds the streams that
water the valleys.
The great difference in climate of Northern
and Southern Cslifsrnis. Is accounted for by
The fact that the Arctic Ocean current sets |
ant fem the eokat NJ Rnipt NDaceptioo. mid. |
way between here and San Franeisco. Thirty
miles back from the ses. in this County, 10 . |
'anse of mountains 5000 feet high; on their
'ep is . level plateau q table land Of 100
'quars miles. with dsnse forests Of timber. Il
s easily accessible. aud there are . number Of |
families living up there. and . small town,
,oataining several stores, has been started.
Hog raising ie the principal business Of the
'eop'e, as scorns Of the pine and live oak are
1t is 20 degrees colder up there
han here. There is good range for stock.
md this uplapd region viii soae day furnish
his country with lumber and four Water
'rivileges are abundant. There is already q