The Evansville journal., 1869-10-06


the City--ItS Buildings, Business,
Population, improvements, Pro-
gFesS, &c.-Eh6 CapitOl-PeTSOnaIS
Ride on Sacramento RlTer-
Down TO the Bay.
Editorial Correspondence
SAN FRANCIsCo, CAL,
September %, 1869.
Most visitors to the Pacific Coast
make a mistake in rushing through
to this city, without stopping IN the
State Capitol. They viii fad it
pleasant and profitable rest from the
long railroad journey to stop over at
Sacramento two or three days, take a
good look at the city, get acquainted
with its people, and drive over the
Park, through the suburbs, and to
some Of the ranches in the vicinity.
What strikes the visitor as somewhat
strange on his first acquaintance with
the city is that better location, if
one exists, should not have been
selected for the site, rather than in
this low bottom. But the Gold ex
citement Of 1S49-50 created such a
rush and hurry that not much time
was taken In prospecting for town
site-the miners and traders were
glad enough to find a level plain on
which to erect their rapidly rising
city, without thinking much of future
floods.
almost any other people with the
experience of Sacramento would have
abandoned the project of building a
city here-tWice has the town almost
suffered destruction by fire, and twice
completely inundated and almost
swept away by floods; but with re-
markable California vigor the ravages
of fire were soon replaced In more
substantial manner; and everything
has been done possible to make the
the city safe from the recurrence of
an overflow Large sums of money
have been expended In throwing up
a strong levee all round the city, and
at city and private expense the town
itself is being raised above the reach
Of the highest known floods. The
two principal business streets and
adjoining lots have been filed In with
earth to the heighth Of about ten
feet, and the other parts of the city
will be raised in course of time.
The business houses are many of
them only one and two stories high,
with arcades or porehes reaching en-
tirely across the wide pavements, such
as are seen In New Orleans, or on
Fourth Street, st. Louis. There are,
however, q few stately public build
ings, and some very attractive resi-
dences, one Of the latter just being
completed By Superintendent Croker,
of the Central Pacific Railroad, is said
to be the inestin the State; but, as q
whole, Sacramento would not be call
ed a ageu buiH city. It's Wholesale
business Is not very heavy, but Its re-
tail Establishments and shops are
large, attractive, and with we'll filed
stocks; and, altogether, there is con-
siderable of an air of business stir
and prosperity.
The population is slightly above
twenty thousand-hardly twenty five
thousand, as claimed; it is certainly
considerably smaller than Evansville.
Only two of the streets are improved,
but they In the most substantial man
ner, with Nicholson pavement. The
sidewalks are almost entirely of plank,
even on the business streets; and
frame is the prevailing character of
the buildings. The municipal in
debtedness Is over one million dollars,
the rate of taxation about four cents,
and the taxable property below ten
millions. So. it will be seen that
there are some cities in a worse con-
dition, financially, than Evansville.
While Sacramento has not near as
oh n cA &c
as Evansville, she has moro railroads,
and a good system of water-works.
1t is really the railroad center of
the State, and the roads now being
constructed and projected will give
greater prominence and prosperity to
the place. Outside of the railroad
shops there is not much manufactur-
ing done here. There has, however,
recently been started large wooden
mill, which is turning out hannels,
blankets and wooden goods in large
quantities, which are sent to the Job
bing houses OF San Francisco, and
compete successfully with articles of
Eastern manufacture. The mills are
operated mainly by Chinese labor,
and they are said to make the very
best of Workmen, owing to their ex-
pertness and great initiative capacity.
The Superintendent of the mills made
a statement to me which was to me.
at least, rather surprising. He said
that California did not produce fine
qualities of wool; that our Central
Western States were better; that the |
best breed Of fine wool sheep when |
brought to this Stateso degenerated. |
When told him that / had always been |
under the impression that California |
was an excellent Wool-groWing region,
he replied that it was excellent for
raising and pasturing sheep, but the
quality OF the wool was not so good.
From what had heard expected
to ind the climate of Sacramento
quite mild, but it is warmer for the |
last of September than l anticipated,
being really oppressively hot In the
has been a citizen since 1851. and for
many years previous g resident of /
New Orleans, says that the climate of |
this city is very much like that of |
New Orleans, except the rains. The |
winter, or the rainy season, comes in /
the last of November or In December, /
but very little cold weather is expe- |
rieneed, and never or very rarely any /
snow. Flowers are seen IN the gar
dens at any season, and vegetation
fourishes throughout the entire year.
There is with US in Indiana some as
hot or hotter days than here, but
with US the summer is shorter and /
the cold weather much more severe.
In Sacramento, however, the great
attraction of the climate Is that the
summer nights are always cool and
comfortable.
Sacramento had hard struggle to
locate the State Canifal here hI1f II Is