Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-06-19
A Beautiful Valley in California
SAN FRANc1sCo, May "a.

agement to that beyond your Mount
Adams, and on the hills, where saw
last summer the commencement of a
fine public park, was located in a
valley, l think very likely it must have
been very similar to the one after
which Sonoma Valley was fashioned.
Meandering through its bosom is
Sonoma Creek, another stream re-
sembling, let me say, tie River OF
Life,' clear, sparkling rivulet, fed by
mountain springs, full of black
speclIled trout that lie perdW in
the shade, and jump at your enticing
fly in the silvery gushing rapids. On
each side are high reaching hills that
become respectable mountains, COW
cred with timber and handsome
shrubs and wild flowers, abounding in
game, and afording the best pastur-
age for the ranehero's cattle and fancy
stock of bloOded horses and nativ e
mustangs. There are, also, AFRO oyos
from the mountains carrying from the
town of Sonoma, one of the Oldest in
the State, creek crystal waters.
Then there opens a broad expanse
Of valley land, gradually lost in the
misty bases of the hills; waving foil
age, tall and wide spreading live and
white oaks, here and there a cluster
of pines to show natures exception to
the general -rnla-all this bountiful
nature has done But man, IN thfs de-
Iightful vale, has done much to i'm
prove upon nature. Sonoma Valley
is not, like the majority of valleys in
California, grain growing district. Il
is more interesting than that; it is
specially adapted by location, soil, and
temperature to grape and fruit-grOw-
ing, and no other valley or section OF
the State produces such a variety and
profusion of sweet juices and succu-
lent favors, having probably as many
as thirty varieties Of foreign grapes
besides some of the native, in large
cultivation. AS far as the eye can
reach, leaving Sonoma town and pro.
ceeding north, is sea of grapevines
or vineyards. Grapevines to the right
to the left, before you, behind YOU
Every one knows that of all vendure
or green color, that of the grapevines
is the softest and most agreeable and
pleasing to the eye.
Planted in rows, they seem like ar
army of soldiers clad in green, march
ing on to victory and conquest. They
produce wine and brandy, and tenn
perance folks insist that these produce
more havoc than soldiers armed in
triple steel. But that is question
as regarding the effects of a wine
drinking people, which has given ris'
to great differences of opinion. Whert
the line of grapevines green is broken
it is only to give way to the wide
spreading oak, or the thousand an(
one different fruit trees that go tt
make up the many orchards of thi
charming 'Evale of Avoca"
vale of Avoca" From one end of tn
valley to the other it is a sea of vege
tation and after spell of city life
is refreshing to spend few days in
spot like this, resting our eyes upol
such q soft and rich vendure. Their
is hardly any vacant land, Govern
ment or other, in Sonoma Valley. 1t
ranches we're taken up many year
since, and, to use a vulgar phrase
"acres is acres' here indeed.
Many years ago, when Californi
first became an American State, Uncl
Sam quartered some of his legions q
Sonoma town. A few of the officer
liked the old Spanish place, with it
abodes and Incidence, gradually fe
into the ways of the people, marie
or purchased ranches, and left onl
when summoned by process frol
headquarters. Quite number of ce
ebrities have lived in this pleasar
valley, or this "Valley of Pleasure. %
There you are shown the ranch whic
A. j. Butler, brother of Ben, ono
owned; where he entertained, an
where he passed some happy days
Here is General Joe Hooker's place
"Fighting Joe," as he was called
the dark days. Here livesaGeneral h
V. Vallejo, one Of the veterans til
struggle for the possession OF Cali
ornia. His estate adjoins Senon
town. 1t is a place worthy of tt
gods. We can imagine the poet Horat
wandering through it's orange grow
and inditing odes to his friends. Ho
the friends of piscatorial science ca
study the habits of the finny tride
e they disport themselves in the variot
fish-ponds! The house is mansic
, old fashioned, but comfortable
its appointments. The climate
# such throughout the year as we cs
It imagine Paradise once was. The fine
= fruits, temperate and semi tropical, a
y in profuse abundance, with the choi
est green-h house and common flowe
in wonderful and delicious luxurianc
in the open air.
! There are many other beautif
IS places and villas in this favored vale