The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-07-08
&. CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SAY D1Eao, June I4th, 70:

SAN DIEGO, June l4th, 70.
EDIroR FREMONT JOURNAL: I have Just
been reading the "Jounal," and'it certainly
gives me much pleasure. There is nothing
like your old home paper when one has been
absent for many years. It brings back our
childhood with all its varied scenes, and tells
us of our friends, and old associates. Do you
and your readers know anything about San
Diego? Fearing you do not, III give you a
brief description Of our thriving little town
Old San Diego IS an old Spanish town, found
ed one hundred years ago, about two miles
from the Bay of that name, and up the San
Diego River. Like all Spanish seaport towns
it was placed out OF the reach OF the pirates,
who used to be very numerous on this coast in
those days. 1t contains six or seven hundred
inhabitants.
About two years ago, a Mr.. A E. Horton
bought large quantity of land, immediately
on the harbor and laid out a city, and called
the attention OF the public to its advantages,
as the great Southern Metropolis. New San
Diego had the government Barracks and other
houses. It now has about eight hundred
houses, and perhaps fifteen hundred inhabi-
onts. Pretty good for two years The Harb-
or is twenty miles long, and about three wide,
on an average-the smoothest and prettiest
harbor in the world. In two years and half,
I have not seen a time that could not take
little boat competent TO carry four persons,
and 20 all over it. It abounds in all kinds of
fish, and the web-footed feathered tribe. The
Coranada Islands, thirty mi es at sea, afford
beautiful pleasure trip with our little steam
er. It is certain that we viii have the termi-
nus of the Southern Pacific Rail Road at San
Diego.
We are nearer New York by four hundred
miles, than is San Francisco, nearer the Sand
wich Islands and China, as well as all the
Mexican and South American Pacific country,
which viii depend upon us Commercially;
and we are the only hGr5or in a distance OF
seven hundred miles, and the second in about
twelve hundred miles. Our "thirty second
Parallel" Road is an easy grade never OBJ
5tructed by snow and can be made cheaper by
twenty millions than any otherroute. In fact
the south are compelled to have this road or
everything viii drift up to Chicago.
Just imagine Mr.. Editor, while you of Fre-
mont are wading about in snow knee deep,
wrapped up in an over-coat and furs, we are |
quietly reading in our Office without ever hav-
ing yet had a stove or fire place in it.-While |
you are digging away the frozen dirt. to get |
into hole Of potatoes or apples, We are pick |
ing the lemon, orange and hme;-that while |
YOU 90 to your cellar for old cabbage, onions |
and other vegetables, we, Of Southern Califor- !
MIA, have all these things fresh from the
gardens the gear round. But there are some /
drawbacks, eUeH, to San Diego. Our rivers
sink below the sand in summer, spelling much
of our beauty-There is but little wood or
timber nesrer than fifteen miles, from the
city Our country embraces about nine mil
lion acres Of land and only about one fourth
is fit for cultivation. That is sufficient to
make large country but it makes it lock
rough to be SO broken up with rough, rocky
Lut then it is mostly timbered,
and good grazing land, and our cattle are
counted by the thousands.
Our climate Is such as calls many here for
heir health and they most ell fall in love with
the place, and send for their effects. There
are many here now, that had to be carried
from the steamer, who are doing well and at
lending to business,
We are now suffering from q severe drouth,
in California, and great many people from
the East and middle states are taking advant-
lge of the pressure and buyinglargely ofreaI es-
tate. We arc turning our rough mountains
b good account, as we have discovered very
rich gold and tin mines. They are situated
about fifty miles from the City, and are about
ssventy-five miles long by fifteen wide, but
hey will probably be found to extend from
he mines in the north to Sonora in Mexico,
Is they are in the same Range. They are
very rich. am at this writing, prospecting
/ ledge that will, so far 40 feet deep pay on
in average two hundred dollars to the ton of
-ock. As usual when there is anything
rood there is a spanish grant trying to gobble
Is up but we think it is out Of their power TO
10 it, but it keeps Capital and Mills from {
oming here, and Injuries US very much, we are {
o have mill running in ten days, which will I
Ielp us greately. 1 shall try and come to I
fremont and sec my relatives this fall, and 1 c
riu bring the "JoWnaE quartz specimen. c
have spread over more ground than in c
ended to, and if this letter is too long you c
INST clip IT. Yours Respectfully, t