Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-04
The salinas Plains in California.

The immense pasture lands of California,
where the soil has never been turned, are q
constant source of astonishment TO strang-
ers, and more particularly those from the
Old World accustomed to over-taXed and
oyer-poDulated countries. Instead of the
closely-fenced fields, divided and subdivid-
ed among peasantry who can scarcely
CLEAN a subsistence from the exhausted soil,
broad plains stretching away for miles, and
with fehcesionly at long distances, so long,
indeed, that the inclosed space between
them would form a large estate for conti-
mental nobleman, meet the eye, The fea-
lures of the country are a succession of val
of one range of hills and another rises up,
as Jagged and bold, a dozen miles distant,
with between them these long, marrow
valleys, SO wonderfully productive, so rich
in every natural beauty. ..a5.-.g4.r in =
Among these pasture lands, over which
immense herds Of cattle roam year after
year, the Salinas Plains are not the least
remarkable. They run between thelCoast
Range and Gayilian Mountains, with the
Salinas River running through at the base
of the former hills. The river is q shallow,
rapid stream, with a sandy bed and crumb-
ling banks, into which, after heavy rains,
it makes mo slight irroad!, utphe plain is
wonderfully IeVe1, and, WITH tie exception,
of a few acres here and there which have
been used for potatoes, and occasionally
grain, the pillow has never entered the dark
rich soil. The eannons leading Through
the hills are more like an English park,
where every art has been used to plant the
trees and direct the course of the brook, so
as to make the landscape more beautiful
than a wild where nature alone has ar
ranged the clusters of oak, trained the syc-
amores into shaded avenues and wound the
stream cunningly around the roots of old
J., In
miniature catafacts, forming an attractive
whole which not wealth and art combined
might ever approach. In riding over this
plain one encounter" immense hetacombs
of'the bones and skulls of cattle, which the
wasteful owners in early times used to
Slaughter for the hides and taIlow. The
largest cattle owners i'll this district at pres
ent are Dunphy g. Hildreth, whose ranch
Is situated on the banks of the Salinas.
They employ some fifteen or twenty VA
qlieros TO drive and pick out bulloctSs for
the city markets. The Naqtier0 isaQHrious
Being, who passes the main portion of his
existefice OF horseback who sleeps rarely
under any roof bntcthe Open. sky, and who
never becomes rich-although he receives
good wages for his services in the field.
From the day he was first able TO toddle
-laas- had -laxiat-in-his ham, and
s sSe him the Pe 9aaae
ros of Salinas Plains have got together
thirty or forty d0ilaiSd they. quietly retire
from work, and direct their steps to Natl
yidad; a little town situated at theentrance
| of the plains, Hereathey drink and smoke
DANCE the fandapgo, and sleep in, the sun
until their funds are exhausted, when they
| again return to work The indians are
I much more attached and faithful than tht
| NieXfcans, never desertifIg the rancho O
tiieir employer for whom they hav,
worked for any extended period.-aSop
II ,Ffa,lciScO Bulletin.