St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-03-14
California.
REDWOOD, Feb. %, 1873.

| at all Responsible IOr my lnulSpOSltlOn.
wonder what have written in these
letters. They have been in the main
nasty transcripts of my impressions and
personal experience. But | already
begin to receive letters from Vermont
making enquiries about locations fol
residence here, just as though this
golden state with its marvellous climate
and productions is as new a revelation
to some of the CdledOnian readers as it
was to me. find must stop and con-
slider my words more carefully or pos
sibly your subscription list will be much
enlarged on this cOast-increased by
emigrants from your own state.
But seriously l thought | had given
something of a sOmbre hue to this Gale
fOrnia picture-it certrinly has its dark
side-and if my accounts have made it
appear To You very attractive, it may
be attributed partially at least to its
precedented severe winter. But turn
over the matter as | will | cannot cover
up this fact which Stares me in the face
at every turn: Here is the
FAR WEST OF OUR GREAT COUNTRY:
An empire of its..lf larger than all of
Great Britain or Prussia even: with II
virgin soil, a climate without parallel
for salubrity and equability, producing
nearly all the fruits and flowers of the
tropics and yet without any of the evils
and objections of that latitude and Il
population of less than six hundred
thousand.
Was there ever such country be
fore? Her gold crop of Is72 was TWEEN
ty-tive million dollars her wheat crop
Thirty million dollars larger than any
Other state in the Union) and three
fourths of her wheat producing area is
Yet unappr"priated. Her wool product
is growing to immense proportions. and
size already exports wine 10y the million
gallons. When her thousands of popu-
lition become millions when her arabic
land is all cultivated: when her foot
horses. cattle and sheep; when the
mines in her mountains are fully dcvel-
"pcd when the great works of internal
Improvement already begun are con
summatcd. what il future is in prospect
for California
But find am on the same old sub
jcct, and will leave it here and now
but will not promise not to allude 10 il
at some future time.
REDWOOD CITY
Is Il village of some sixteen hundred
inhabitants. situated on the west shore
OF the Bay. twenty-cight miles south of
san Francisco. The San Francisco and
san Jose (San Ho sdy) Railroad runs
three trains " day each way through
the place. BY the way. this railroad is
one link in the Southern Pacific X. r..
the one coming t" the thirty fifth paral-
lei. and one which Calfolnians say
done this Southern Pacific will probably
take more travel east than the present
roads. as it will never lie blockaded
with snow. and Californians are So in
digmant with the managers of the Cen
trail and Union that they Will not patron
ize them if they can help it. But this
is Il DEPRESSION.
Redwood is the shire of San Mateo
county Ii has four churches. three
hotels. IL court house and county off
GERS, half dozen or more stores, u
shoe mandatory, Il large lumber and
wood maj kct, and several grain ware
houses. Small sailing vessels and
steamers come up the creek from the
Bay. Il mile away, and wharting facili
ties are on the main street of the town.
Here these vessels load with grain and
lumber for the san Francisco market.
The lumber is oak and red wood from
which the town takes its name,) and ia
brought in large quantities 10y teams
lIolll lut todSt range bl mountains
few miles west Of the place. Redwood
is II thrifty, wide-awake town. and is
growing more rapidly than any place
between san Francisco and San Jose.
There are not many wealthy people i'll
it, and hut few nice and expensive
residences. Yet they give evidence of
enterprise and public spirit which larger
places might initiate to advantage.
With ome-third the population and prob
Johnsbury. it has well graded and
McAdamized streets, good sidewalks
those on the main streets fiom tueire TO
sixteen feet ride fine public school
building with graded school, etc, etc.
NOVEL THING FOR a SCHOOL.
One thing about this school building
| wish to make II note of: The boys
and girls have separate play grounds
as they should in all schools | think
The boys have a gymnasium; the girls
Il flower garden. Not little plot of
ground with a small bed of pansies and
large bed of weeds, but large, well
laid out garden, with walks and seats
and water for irrigation. | first saw
this spot just before Christmas. 1t had
been unusually cold here, and frost had
injured its appearance yet | found in
bloom roses, geraniums, verbenas, petu-
MAS, pansies, and several Towering
shrubs. The acasias and oleanders
were not in flower. Among other trees