Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-08-13
4 CaliE0rnianiS Home.

The following description of the home of
Nicholas Carriger, formerly a resident of
East Tennessee, but now citizen of Cali
fornia, is taken from the Napa, Cali
Reporter:
We found Mr.. Carriger standing under
the shade of one of the trees his own hand
had planted, and were welcomed by him
with all the natural hospitality of that
class, to which the present population of
our State owe so much, the pioneer. His
house is built in true Southern style, and
from its ample porch q view can be had of
unsurpassed and almost magic beauty.
At our feet lay old Sonoma, with its side
hills dotted here and there with fine man
sions, and its red, upturned vineyards
standing out in bold relief from the green
of the everlasting hills. To the right
Mount Diablo rears its double head, close
to which the town of Vallejo spreads out,
looking from here as though it were on a
plain, instead of being perfect tumble of
| hills.
Mr.. G. has in this one farm of his, in this
| part of Sonoma county, ,O53 acres OF which
| l40 acres are planted in vines, mostly ma
tive. He has four cellars, the united capac-
| ity Of which is 10000 gallons, and they
| contain some of the most elegant wine and
| brandy it has been our fortune to taste.
| There is also distillery below the cellars,
which has all the modern improvements,
and turns out yearly 1000 gallons OF
| brandy.
Beyond the distillery is large dairy OF
forty cows, under Swiss management.
Five hundred sheep and any amount OF
| stock are kept here, and roam over the
beautiful hills at will. The property is
blessed with many springs, and an unri.
| vailed trout stream winds through the
farm. Fruit of almost every known vari'
! ETY. is growing luXuriantly on this farm
| nj WI a6antQ1
ture of tropical fruits, by being exempt
from frosts, while other portions of the
farm are too often visited by this fell de
stroyer.
We here found budded orange trees, three
years old, with as large oranges on then
as we ever beheld, proving that buddeC
| trees of this fruit Will bear several years IL
advance of seedlings, as there are Seeding!
here five and six years old that have no
yet borne. The olive and the lemon also
flourishes here, and, in fact, we believe
that there are parts of this place where
even the banana would be a success.
Mr.. Carriger planted his first vineyard
on this property in 1919, moving his fami
~ there the same year, in July. That M
has spent fortune on this place is appar
ent to even the most careless observer, ev
erything living on the property having
been fostered by his care and energy. H
keeps constant force of from twelve t
fifteen men of all nations, employed, en-
larging his force as the work demands
Roses and many other flowers bloom
around the house, so warm and pleasant j
its locality during the winter.
A fountain throws five different jets il
the front garden, to the left of which is
large spring, from whence it is supplied
and in which are q number of very fin
trout. These fish are so tame that the.
, will come to the surface of the water oil
any ones approach. No fog ever envelope
this homestead in its fleecy folds, but roll
, back from it as though it feared its warmth
contenting itself with shutting out for
time the beauteous landscape spread Low
ingly at its feet.