Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-03-12
From the Cleveland Herald.l
CALIFORNIA-CLIMATE, &c.
SANTA BARBARA, CAL, !
February IA. 1873.

weather you are having in the East,
and of the scarcity of coal, caused by
the miners strike, it does seem good
to be in this part of the world, even
if everything is not altogether lovely.
This Is the rainy season in southern
California; but to one who has Just
arrived, the expression would seem
! out Of character. 1t does not appear
like rainy weather to me. who is ac-
customed TO the young floods which
are Of such frequent occurrence in the
States. There had no water fallen
here for months, until Christmas Eve.
Then it began to drizzle. and until
New Years Day we had wet weather.
It did not rain continuously during
that week, nor hard when it did come
down. The sky was clouty almost
all the time and the air was cold
and damp. Invslids kept their rooms
closely, for it was not safe to venture
out. 1t seemed like genuine April
weather. Immediately after New
| Years the rain ceased, and not a drop
fell until the last of January. On the
evening of Thursday, the 29th, the
second week of shove rs set in. Thurs
day was as unpleasant a day as we
have had The thermometer stood at
about AZ, and a cold, raw wind was
| blowing off the ocean. II was no use
| to try to dodge the dust You could
not turn your back upon it, for it
came from every quarter. Neverthe-
less, some tried that plan. One lady
was backing along State street, and
fell her full length in the gutter. 1t
did not seem to amuse her at ALL
Friday evening the storm began il
earnest, and continued 10 rage until
Monday. 1t howled, and blew, and
hailed, and thundered a little. The
tops of the surrounding mountains
were white with snow. 1t did not lie
deep upon them, and only lasted dur
ing Sunday and Monday. They say
it is seldom that it thunders here, and
that hail storm is also rare. With
my usual experience, l am not sur.
prised to learn from the older inhab
iiauts that this is an extraordinary
season. was not sorry it showed ON
the mountains, for it made them look
beautiful. The clouds hung low, and |
the contrast between the summits cQY- !
cred with snow, the rocks and dark 1
green chapparal, and the plump foot |
hills covered with light green, was |
very striking. The surf was rolling |
in heavily, and broke on the beach \
with a roar. 1t is seldom that the old /
Pacific speaks in such harsh tones
such heavy surf was grand to look at
from our point of view. The steamer
was due on Friday evening, but was
not able to disgorge her passengers
until Monday. These unfortunate in
dividuals claimed that the storm, as
viewed from on shipboard, was not
entertaining. l think there would
be more disasters on this coast were it
not for the fact that there are but few
boats in the vicinity that would make
first-cIass wrecks.
But to return 10 the rainy season.
After it had drizzled for few DAYS
more the storm ceased, and with the
exception of very high winds, ana
dust. and stones, the weather has been
eyer since. The mud, to be
sure, Is not nearly so severe as that ,
which tears up Bank street in the win ;
ter. The sun dries the surface of the
ground very quickly, and that ae- :
counts for the dust 50 soon after the ,
rain.
The amount of water that has fallen
Is seven and siX-tenJhs inches. The :
average rain fall is fourteen inches; :
therefore we may expect about two 4
weeks more Epple9sant weather. .
Invalids and pleasure seekers are,
# course, only interested in The pres !
mt condition Of Santa barbara but =
having done Justice, as best | could,
o its disadvantages, it is only fair that U
he advantages and capabilities of the
lace should have hearing. =
have told you that the climate is = =
like our spring-time, with y
flavor OF Indian summer thrown in. =
The town as yet is small, but it has y
pretty good prospect of becoming Q y
lace OF considerable importance.
D not think that it viii be larger =
ity than San francisco, in few u
ears, as is the opiniQn of its most y
rdent admirers. If, within the next M
eoade, Santa Barbara has ten or fif- =. :
zen thousand Inhabitants, every one =,
ught to be satisfied. The means of n
ccess by that time undoubtedly will =, -
e by rail. This will place US within ~ ~
omfortabIe distance of San Francis ~ ~
D. 1t is a little queer, but when you SST9
1ink about the matter, it is readily =
zen that the people of Santa Barbara 81 81.
,Ould give credit entirely to the East "a "a
n its growth. Santa Rarbarians ~ "
lould give thanks. not that they have ~
ieh beautiful climate, but tlTa II the " "
asst has such u miserable one. 1t is ~ ~
| the East that the invalids, who are Ss SN1
make the place, and beiug nicely "a
arted downward there, they come ~
sre, and having regained their m la
salth, settle down that they may re- ~ ~
in It. "
Santa Barbara is within the United Ln' II
,ates and that fact offers an induce -,
ent TO the invalid, if he finds he can ioi m
We here, 10 become 3 pernlanent cit a. a.
en-. So much, however, might be "
id of Aiken, in South Carolina, aud u
IOrida, and the neighboring places 2
resort in this State. mau m
1 have spoken, in q previous letter, pc
the good religious aud educational !.
vantages. "a "a
The society in such a place as this RAJ RAJ
ust necessarily be good. People who WI WI
me here for their health are gene W nu
lily people of wealth and refinement. S ale
'aveling has. polished them, worn -
unpleasant provincial traits of ~
araoter which are so common in our H,1 v
untry, and rendered them, in de- %Av
ne, cosmopolites. Invalids, if they
. not too sick, are very pleasant ~
ople to meet. - T
The water in this part Of California ei eus
execrable, unless It is brought from cIP
rings in the hills. 1t is brackish, M ran
d / should think would often prove wa wa
grious. But this evil will be done W. W.
-ay In time, for the town has pur- - "
ased some reservoirs, which lie in SoI -
3 vicinity Of the Mission, and mean - -
bring the wafer into the town. ~ o
Iese reservoirs were built, years ago, s
the Fathers. They are of stone, ~ "
d are supplied by good springs, ~ -
sh the water had already been -
ought into town; in that case the ~, ~
Tx would not taste so bad. tiot
think Santa Barbara will flourish ~ ~
ire than San Diego, for various res- shil 1H
Is. The climates of the two places tbn lS
almost identical. Santa Barbara, ,aT, n1
start with, is the larger place. The go go
in this section is the less sandy d; r;as
re rain falls here, and the showers
of more regular occurrence; con-
uently, the dust storms can not Re
severe THAT is no small item1,' and y
crops are more to be depended up MAJ
!; and there are fewer f1eas. l un- vlsl
stand people of San Diego claim you
t their town is six hundred miles now
Irtr New York, and also six hun puff
-