The Placer herald., 1869-12-25
San Joaquin Valley Correspondents.

PARADISE CITY, Stanislaus Co. Dec. 18th, 69'
Dear Governor:-I have just returned from
trip up the San Joaquin. The country along the
river on the west side, is attracting great deal
Of attention, being part of that extensive tract
(about two million of ncres) lately forfeited by
the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. doubt
whether wagon road could be made to excel
the road over which we travelled. The land is
generally level-what few kuolls there are,
think, will disappear when the ground is thor
ougly cultivated. year ago the country above
Hills Ferry was uninhabited, except by few
stock men, some of whom found it profitable to
tell immigrants in quest of farming lands that
the country was too dry for agricultural purpos-
es who nevertheless, when the land could be
obtained at private entry were not at all back
ward in investing their means nd turning their
attention to agricultural pursuits. The coil is
general rich and is naturally covered with
growth Of alfilerin, it resembles the soil near
Stockton and along the Calaveras, but is more
easily pulverized than the former and with IA
vorable season might be made to yield from
twenty five TO fifty bushels TO the acre. Lands
thirty,miles above the Oristimba creek sold, last
Su MINER, for ten dollars per acre, and fifty miles
above at prices varying from So so to s.. One
drawback is the great scarcity Of wood. The wa
ter is found at various depths, from few feet
near the river 10 ore hundred or more near the
hills 1t is not as cold as in Placer except along
the Los Banos creek, where the best water in
that region is found, in many places il is so i'm
pregna ted with minerals as to be unpleasant to
the taste F. Wyruck who lives ten miles west
of Firebaughs had some OF his well water anay-
zed at San Francisco and it was found to con-
tain salt, sulphur, magncsia and lime, l1ut in
what proportion know not, except that the salt
constituted small part
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD LANDS.
Above Hills Ferry are the so called Southern
Pacific r. r. lands. In accordance with an Or
der of the Secretary OF the Interior they will
be for sale at private entry on the 7th OF Febru-
ary, 1870 which is equivalent 10 saying that on
Il certain day few rich land Spectators will
have an opportunity of adding TO their wealth,
as said lands will not be subject to pre-emption
until they are offered at private entry, and who
doubts that if an opportunity is offered the spec
ulators to make one thousand per cent. they will
avail themselves Of il and that, too, so speedily
as 10 leave few chances to people of moderate
means. Commissioner Wilson, while complying
with his duty requires that due notice shall be
this land but duty imposes a useless task upon
him, for wink at dozen or twenty landgrab
bcrs would have answered the purpose as well,
perhaps the latter would have been the most hu
name act as tending 10 save many bitter disap-
p'intment and many an hour of watcbful ankle
ty, 10 say nothing OF time misspent and money
wasted in the lrullcss endeavors of people to
secure their quarter-Sections true, Congress
may nerccde in behalf of the Railroad Com
pany or the people, before the eth OF ebruary,
and either re-donate the lands to the Company
or pass such law will enable the settlers to
secure their quarter or half sections; the latter
me, sure would be hailed with delight, believe,
by every man in the San Joaquin Valley, ex-
ceping, perhaps. the lew who grevc wuencver
an opportunity is lost of expressing the poor
aud adding damnation to their own souls How
wish, Governor that you were in Congress,
i have such a desire because l believe that
your voice would be against the crimes OF
monopolics there the same as at home.
The best and the most of Southern California |
where lands have been offered at private entry, |
is already in the hands of few specua tors and,
whether the instructions of the Secretary OF the
Interior are carried out as they stand, or Con-
gress re-donates the land TO the Railroad COM
pany the result is alike disastrous to the farm
ing community, who more than ever would be
forced TO a condition bordering on serfdom.
In arguing Tor the Railroad company il will
naldly 10 to say that The country needs a South
ern Pacific Railroad such an argument is pow
erlcss when addressed to a community who are
vainly struggling to secure homeseads and who
see no alternative but ruin. Let the people now
have their quarter sections, and Railroads in
California will be built wherever needed, and
such, too as will possess mutual advantages.
\ law whereby two millions OF acres of land
may be kept from yranical specuatOrs, whether
the same lie organized into Railroad company
or not, is what the people in this section earn
estly pray Tor and what they will get, too, if the
philanthropc M. C.'s are what they profess
to be ~. ..
Let the Legislature at Sacramento speak for
the people in memorial TO Congress, ii for no
other purpose than to show that their faithful
ness is superior to the seductive power Of money.
Let them do this, and they will be gratefully re-
membcred and rewarded by their constituents.
Yours truly, VITAL E. BANGS.
ut has already done so. Ed HERALD