New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-18
THE TREASURES of THE WEST
A TOUR THROUGH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


GREAT GRAIN CROPS. ,,,
,TsoNyILLE, March 1.-California has GER
,ainIv the finest climate in the world Al SANTA D"ioa
loft nv horse and rode In the stage through pr,so
san, uo,hor, San Luls Ohspo and Monterey Counties,
over fine large mountains and through the long ana mag
anont valley of the Salinas The route Is 40 arrahgeu
that Won travel all day and almost all night Tor the "oc
tourney which lasts nearly sixty hours sep. 'nioo
hours at the little town OF san LUIS ODiSpo, IN" 'n
more AT the crossing of the Salinas. need not SLY 'n"
the nerpetua rumble and fitting OF the stage eeaseu
70 he amusing before got through ana tnat h'c"
the sight Of the railroad at HOLSTER win great Joy
Nevertheless the whole drive is through so fine cou
fry and under such brilliant Skies that the Pc"So
greater than the Inconvenience. Inc country d. '"'
3eason is clothed the lovclicst green when haNo
ever seem do remember evcrsto have read OF tne
necuor tint which the alcria, the native grass OF h
region gives to the pastures. II is light green WIN
tinpe of yellow soft to the eye, rich beyond anything
have ever seen III pastures at homo, ana fen'c'h
with peculiar loneliness the light OF the SUM- III many
parts the al6era is quite high; but IL gives eVefy"c
a shaver, lawnke appearance 10 the '"s' no"S
In viii n grows. which is helped no DOUBT ny inc lree
dom of these pastures from weeds How it comes about
do not know but the grazing lands OF Call-
forpia are almost universally free from "eeus'
The wild mustard is often found, ana groNH
in some places high as mans heau
and just now the valleys full of flowers, growing III
masses and OF brilliant tints of crimson or Diue' or-o
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS You may imagine the CT
fectI cannot describe II TO yOu-of great pioen'S vi
crimson or the deepest and most brilliant blue acres III
extent upon the immense carpet of green over winch
your stage you Each color Is mas'eu ny 'Se'
as the most slful gardener would do 1t ana you pass
now broad patch of red, and again one OF blue OF yer
low or orange for the eschoia is just beginning to
flower; and when you happen to face the mountain you
see the sides covered with yellow bloom
Over n large part of our jouTney-until we reached
the great Salinas plain, which Is real pfalrie-tno
ground was rolling and diversified; the pam was
broken by gently undulaDg hills, ana htte NaiIc)s'
green and fair broke either side into the mountains
Now all this landscape beautiicd by IN
tcrmnabe groves OF live and white oaks, growing "a
these do in California lowbranching gnarled huge ana
IA arsticay disposed, in groups and single trees as
though the most kful landscape gardener had planted
Them and finer so in ldual trees are concerned
than any oaks you can fnd outside OF an Ola fhRhSh
park. No doubt the freedom from weeds and under
brush adds much to the beauty Of this paikko scenc
but many nd, dual ndescribaly grand the
way in which they are masscd, and in which single trees
stand out from the groups and visas are open between
them something quite wonderful, ana shIcleht de-
tense OF the natural school OF landscape gard"hngH
needed any, Through this long. lovely, magnificent park
rode III company with of class OF people not very
numerous in California at this day-a pioneer am not
SIRE but ne gave himself different title, Tor he
WAS not "fortyniner but one OF the original settlers
He came to the state young man. III loo he podSV
ed that "LumblC az IL look, drove the irst stage
through this valley; he was "A little upsy ana very
laxative he owned large ranch IN The northern part
of the state: he was lowclass Enslishman he had
married Mexican woman had - children, OF whom
IL were alive: and, altogether. he was not very
pleasant creature; heic something tie matter WIN
hshs
However, rs he sat inside, and outside
with the driver neither his conversation nor MS pipe
disturbed me and mention him chiefly to repeat to
YOU his opinion that the country has been going TO the
dogs since sio The adobe house he thought the
most convenient and sufficient that could build IN
this climateand there he was not altogether wrong
We had no crime before the Americans came he said
"thcre was not prison in the whole province The
finest building which the Americans erected was jail;
and almost the first thing we knew OF them,
was by the taxes they laid the thieves who stole
our cattle and horses aud tine prisons aud herfs they
introduced into the country" suggested that the value
Of real estate had improved since the Americans came
but he had to sell. In fact # the Americans had
not come he could have had ranch for each of his IL
children so that you will why my suggestion made
him indignant.
AN ARCADIAN TNIsTENCE.
II is probably true that the old Caoinians were, so
far as merely material existence is concerned, perhaps
the happest people who lived upon the face OF the
earth They few in number. In country Of mex
live of doors all the round and made exercise
pleasure for il neither too nor too cold at any
season. The CATTLE horses, and sheep fed on the richest
pastures and cared for as we care for our
beasts in the East Il they needed more land. they
could get il for the asking; ana man
portioned his daughters from the public do
maln and had only TO take TIE trouble TO
select what he thought hc lest Poverty was unknown,
for ne who was poor lived his rich relations; their
houses always open To every one; ana at theif
unces cousins and neces To the arthest de-
gree removed with them to the carne eha
the beans and tortla, which made their sufficient
meals Indians their servants, aud cheaply did
their drudgery. IlLess they did not know, nor
doctors bills and when the ranchero Travelled
he found free hotel at every house; and
when his tired he simply lassoed fresh horse
out of the pasture he to- turned his own adrt
and went on Their few wants We're mostly supplied
from their own lands and for the uxures of coffee. tea,
sugar. bright cacoes for the women, they sold hides
and horns to tho traders But they had Of
The energy and ingenuity OF civilized fe they merely
lived they planted no trees they plowed few fields;
aud soil which is the richest in the world and climate
in which the orange the vine, the almond. and olive
flourish useless to them But do not wonderthat
the old Cafornians regret the change.
MIRACULOUS CROPS.
Santa Barbara San Luis, and Monterey Counties are
largely held Spanish grants In san Luis County we
drove through estate of IS leaguesa league OF land
il 44O acrcsand there are many OF from four 10 eleven
leagues 1t easy to that these great places njure
retard the prosperity of this region for while almost
the whole OF it Is sparsely inhabited You
10 HOLSTER than YOU find numerous and
active population, excellent armhOuses, and thriving
busy country Here some great ranches were sub
divided into small tracts. Salinas City, San Juan. Hol
lister Watsonvilc and Santa Cruz the chief towns
Of region which the Southern Pacific Railroad has but
recently brought TO public attenona country Of al
IN Xamped fertility. Fortunately, n consider
able extent 1t Is owned by small farmers In tracts of