Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1873-12-18
For the Gallipolis journal.
LETTER.
SANTA BARBARA, Cal,
Nov. u, 1873.

MEssRs. EDiToRs:
Thinking q few lines would not be
embarrassing to the large number OF
intelligent persons that read your
valuable newspaper, from q former
citizen of Gallipolis, / have come to
the conclusion to try and write q few
paragraphs in regard to the numer-
u attractions of this country that
/ trust will be read with interest. /
have only been sojourniug in Cali
fornia two weeks, spent six days in
San Francisco viewing the thousands
of curious and wonderful things that
are 10 be seen there, and / must con-
fess that it is q very attractive place
indeed, for you a e any qusntity
of ornamental and useful articles
there that never seem to have found
their way to any of our Eastern cities.
The city contains about $4,000 in
habitsnts, a large majority being
males, at least I saw in strolling
about the city a great many more
gentlemen than ladies. / was in
formed by number of persons that
ladies were ia very great demand all
over the State Of California. and /
am under the impression thstif any
of our fair ladies in the East desire.
husbands they could obtain them
without any difficulty out here.
San Francisco is q great place for
business, all branches of trade being
in a fiourishing and prosperous con
dition / conversed with . large.
number of business men and they all
informed me that they had more busi-
ness than they could attend to. The
panic does not seem to have effected
them, for money is very abundant,
and every one seems to have plenty.
Gold and silver is the only kind in
circulation. but parties going East
can get their coin exchanged for
~greenbacks at any of the banks that
happen to have them for sale. l did
not see a single storafoom for rent
on any of the princiFaf streets; in
fact, every nook and corner is occu-
pied by some enterprising individual
engaged in selling some kind of mer-
chandise. The city Is improving
very rapidly and is the center of trade
and traffic on the Pacific Ocean, the
same as New York is on the Atlantic.
The immense agricultural products
of this wonderful country find a
ready market in San Francisco at
very handsome and remunerative
prices. Wheat is raised in this warm
climate in immense quantities and is
generally a very lucrative crop, of
ten producing from so TO so bushels
per acre. l saw fields in the Sacra
mento Valley that certainly contains
1000 acres. The farmers here do
not cut down the wheat and bind it
up in bundles as people do in the
Eastern States, they have machines
they call headers that just cut off
the heads of the wheat and leaves
the stems standing; they DO not con
slider the straw of any value what
ever. saw thousands of bushels of
the largest Irish and sweet potatoes
in San Francisco that / have ever
in my life, but the quslity is
poor, they do not begin 10 compare
with our potatoes in the East. When
cooked and put upon the table
they certainly look very delicious in
deed. but the taste is not to be com
pared to the potatoes that are raised
by our honest Gallia county farmers.
Fruits and vegetables of all kinds
are worry abundant here. the producers
gathering a sufficient quantity to
the market demand and what
they require for home use allow
of bushels to rot on the
trees and grouRd. 1t is not the case
however with grapes, for all that are
is either put up in boxes and
market, or converted into wine.
I visited yesterday what is said TO be
he largest grape vine in the world,
.t is three miles from this place and
was planted forty-six years ago by
old Spanish lady. 1t is A. feet in
circumference two feet from the
ground, and it yielded one year over
hree tons OF grapes. This is a very
iourishing little place; it is situated
$50 miles south of San Francisco on
he Pacific coast; the town and coun-
ny is settled by people from all
parts of the world, the majority be-
ng Spanish and French, although
here is a large number of Cinnamon
hat are always ready and willing TO
make your dirty clothes as pure and
White as SNOW for a very small con.
liberation. The climate is perfectly
delightful here all the year round,
he temperature being about 70 in
he shade during the day, but at
light the murcury sofaetimes sinks
o about AZ or accountof the vapers
IF fogs that rise from the ocean.
There is always a cool sea breeze at
light which renders sleep very re-
indeed More sometime.
Yours, truly,
II. NJ.