The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-17
From the Sunset Land.
SAN Francisco. CAL, J
JAN. 90. 1874. {

Santa Barbara for Los Angeles, distant
one hundred and five miles.
The stages are built very strong in
this country. Six horses are usually at
tached to them, the strength Of four Of
which are supposed to be equal to the
task Of drawing the coach, aud the Other
two the passengers.
The road leads for thirty miles along
the coast. A very few miles takes you
away from the town. aud you enter beau
tifuI groves Of live oak, which, 10 SOM
places are so thick as to resemble a forest
Presently you leave these groves aud
your only road l. the sea beach, and the
waves dash against the wheels of the
coach in a very free aud easy way. SEA
gulls and pellcaDs seem to be about tbs
only settlers, aud their right to "sqnrt'
seems undisputed. The roads are ul u
very rough, aud you will be thrown man,
times from the seat in spite Of your grasp
upon some rod Of the coach
AT noon we reach San Beneveniura
where good dinner awaits us, and VT
have time 70 look at two date palm trees
near By, if we are expeditions. Again
we take our seat for the rest oil the jour.
uey. We soon cross the foot Of the
Santa Clara valley and a river by tn,
same name. As there are no bridges il
this part Of the world all streams are ford.
/ ed.
The river being low at the time, it was
an easy task. Observing the high. water
mark, | onquired of my driver how he
managed when the now insigniGcau,
stream was a roaring torrcnt2 ooh I!
said he,as if used to such things, plunge
in and do your d-dest it is the only
way" And so they do, sometimes up.
setting carriages and escaping thcmselve;
as best they may.
Later we pass up a long green valley
where are herds of cattle and many hocks
Of sheep, tended by shepherds. After
dark we enter the mountain, and when it
becomes very precipitous the passenger,
are invited to walk until the summit i.
reached. AS we begin to descend iror
shoes are placed under the hind wheel
Of the coach, so that the passengers car
actually slide down the mountain if they
wish to ride-which | did not. 81,
hours more Of jolting and joIncine
through the darkness, and we arrive a
our journeys end
From Los Angeles to Deano, a dis
lance Of one hundred and eighty miles
and made by stages in about thirty-eigh
hours travelling, day and night, | vii
not attempt to describe.
stopped off at Bakersfield to see i
the town had entirely shaken to piece
with the ague, as had been informed
but found instead thriving young place
the nucleus OF a large town, believe
Here met Mr.. S. Jcwett, VINO took m
in his carriage to his home on Kern riv
er, some twelve miles distant. Here tn
spirit of New England seems pleasant
combined with the free aud generous If
Of California, and was enjoyed, and
believe a precn'ed by myself after week
Of hotel life
| believe there is but little land that i
Of much value for variety of tarii
crops 10 Southern California. unless it i
irrigated, although it is claimed abou
Santa Barbara that they eau raise goo
) crops of corn and graiu aud vegetable,
without water, W ich may be the case. Il
} the damp sea air may be sufi wit
the little rain they get in winter
There is rich tract Of land 10 III
vicinity Of Bakersfield, easily watefc'
} aud worry productive, but there ia c,n-.,'
cradle complaint about its unhe,,thiul
} ness, yet am told that it Is no; mus
subject TO ievers than the luuds along tn
l Sacramento river formerly were. Tn
a'mers are busy putting in alfalfa clio
We which is here immensely productive
. aud after the first season does not r, qnif
irrigation, 1t is said that an acre OF
) will support twenty sheep Tor the Who'll
year, or you mas cut from eight to ii
teen tons Of hay during the sersou, al
iafa is beiug sown all over California q
suitable lands both for hay aud pasture
1t thriyes best on rich bottom lands, au
lands once stocked with it are very val
liable.
At Delano you strike the San Joaqui
Valley Railroad and pass up the vale
for hundred and fifty miles into tn
E wheat region, where MS far as the ey
oau reach are wheat fields on every side
You see an occasional school house to re
mind you that the people here do no
'. live by bread alone What the trut
, may be | can not say, but it seemed t
, me that living in hut in the midst Of
, thousand acre wheat field without tire
, or shrub in sight would not prove mos
!, advantageous tc the mental aud mora
, growth Of wheat growers aud their fam
, ties.
The present season has been yer
: rainy one, and wheat growers, farmer
, and stock men are rejoicing from Mouu
Shasta to San Diego in the prospect O
! an abundance Of feed for stock aud larg
q harvests everywhere. But rain make
!, mud in California as truly as it does
the east, and | do not perceive that it
more agreeable than snow. Soon, how
ever, the mud will be dried up, aud the
there will be no more till next Novembe
| am told. But what is mud now wi
! in many places DO dust then, and MOI
disagreeable than mud. | have bee
q told that in some Of the larger plac,
real estate on the dusty side OF the sire,
n does not sell for more than two.thirC
that on the other side. And belle,
nearly all who travel to any extent her
in summer, in open carriages, reali'
+ what it is, on completing their journc.
e ITO get up and dust"
Respectfully yours,
Il j. +. CRANE.
d For the Register.
From The Iinb."
BosToN, Feb. TO-, l'74.