Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-11-07
THE FAR WEST.
J0ttings by the Way.
Correspondence ofthe Bulletin.


EDITOR BULLETIN:-Since | las
wrote you on the Pacific coast,
have travelled about three Thousand
miles or more; am of the opinion
that left you at Santa Cruz, on
quiet Sabbath eve.
Well, next morning, we mounted
the stage once more, and drove
back to jacksonville, which is :
quaint and pretty town on thu
Southern Pacific Il Il. | rode OF
the outside, along with Mr.. Lyon, 9
lawyer from Stockton, and brother
in-law to L. S. Allen, late Col. 5tl
Wis. Vol. Infantry, but more re
Gently Secretary of State for Wis
consin, as gallant an officer as ever
drew breath.
He gave us a description of the
"modus" of getting hold of Spanish
grants by Yankee lawyers; and be-
ing an old residenter, he was very
amusing, and helped to while away
the tedium Of three and a halt
shour ride.
At jacksonville VIC started ont to
look at q ranch that a man said he
was sure would suit us, but before
we got there discovered that the
place would not suit at all. Peo-
pie have a curious idea Of stock
ranch, such rs we (brother John
and y were in search of. A place
Of about 800 to 1000 acres. with at
least 200 acres that was level
enough to irrigate, with good
creek or springs, to furnish the
water for that purpose. We tray
eled good way, to look at ranches
that l would not accept as gift
and be forced to live thereon, and
again, there were other places that
| would have liked, that money
would not buy. Our object was to
get a place as near Frisco as pos
slble, to raise fine stock upon; and
to raise fine stock in California sue
ccss:ully, Alfalfa or CHILEAN clover
is a decided necessity. This grass
requires loamy soil; the adobe
lands, which abound in California
are too hard and stiff, the roots will
not go down, but spread, while OH
loamy soil the .'oots strike down
ward until they strike the damp
ness, sometimes running down five
or six feet. In order to get good
crop it is necessary to irrigate
once or twice during the summer,
then you can cut if you wish, seven
tons per acre, or pasture twenty
sheep per acre, or Of cattle say five
or six to the acre; but in order to
receive the full benefit, it is neces,
sary to fence the fields, into small
lots, say twenty acres each. Now
Il place such as | have described
is not easy to find, rs experience
has shown. There are places in
some of the best valleys that can be
had for $3.50 per acre; in somc
cases as high as $3.50 per acre, tol
instance, near Oakland in Alameda
county, or in San Mateo county
but such lands rent high, and par.
ties nett as much as $500 per acre
near Oakland, raising fruit and veg.
etablcs. Indeed | heard that from
red currents alone, they made
$1,000 per acre; So that while big
prices are paid, big figures arc re-
allied from crops. We were no,
after fruit farms though, and didn't
succeed in Santa Cruz or Santa
CLARA. So turning toward the north
ern part of California, we started
for Mendocino county on our way
passing through Gilroy, San Jose
thence to Niles, and from there to
the village of IIaywards, twelve
miles from the city Of Oakland
where we stopped one day. Ifever
you heard of people who are bit.
ter against railroad, we found
them at Haywards. The Central
Pacific folks had just moved the
depot one mile away to their main
track, and taken off the train tina,
ran there. The first road the;
built made quite circle by these
towns, but finally they built the
main line, still running an extra
train. But they are getting more
economical, and SO made the above
change. You may be sure any
anti railroad man is popular there
1t is quite Il nice village, and a
good country around it, and near
the "Castro Valley" which though
small is exceedingly fruitful. Tn,
place (ranch) that we stopped to
look at here, we found hill land but
good, but not suitable for Alfalfa,
and only $3.50 per acre twenty
miles from Frisco. "But we could
not see it, and so continued to Men
docino county, via the city, where
We stopped one day and half, go
ing to the theatre to .ee Miss 1t
Clerg in GAS you like it," wherein
there was some excellent acting
and singing, also dancing. But
think Miss Carlotta LIE Clerg has
rather an affected way Of speaking
which makes 1t hard for those moi
acquainted with the full-blooded
Cockney dialect to understand; still
she is an excellent actress. Hel
rendering of Rosalind was superb
Being a very attractive looking wo
man, and having very sweet VOICE
and winning manner is the secre,
of her popularity with San Francis
coans. But her pleading with he1
uncle friedrich, and her scorn, first
made one feel as though he would
like to choke the usurper, thel
pride at her scorn. But the sing
ing was grand.
Under the greenwood tree.''
"Blow, blow, thou winter wind"
"Whal shall he have that killed the deers
| His leather skin and horns to wear"
by the whole Of McGuire's oper;
chorus was grand. Rosaind's
"cuckoo" song was enchanting
| D,,+ not l>o;,,. ~, ~ ,,..,ol