Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-07-27
A LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.

ED. MONITOR: Since writing our
last, Spring has changed to Summer,
and the many glor1es cf land and eli
mate that we had heard so much about
at home, now appear in all their Califor-
MA characteristics. For three months.
with one exception, the weather has
been perfectly fair and the sky cloud
less. In this immediate vicinity of the
coast, fogs prevail in the Summer, and
the air is cool at all times, making a
coat comfortable. A few miles from the
coast, fogs are never seen and the wealth
er is quite hot in the Summer months
the mercury frequently reaching 10 de-
grees in the shade; and yet at this high
figure, | do not think the air is as op-
pressive and fatiguing as it is on hot
Summers day in New England. Reports
are now coming in from all parts of the
state, and all concur in making the
wheat crop the largest ever raised in
California Fruit is now coming into
market, and any Vermonter could feast
their eyes as well as mouths on the dis
play; any description is useless, as ev-
cry one has read of California fruit.
Business is very good here and help
scarce, and will be till the harvest is
over. Labor commands high prices
common hands getting from S35 to $50
per month mechanics, So to S. per
day; bricklayers, Sc for eight hours
work. [ am informed that this state of
things lasts till about the first of Sep
tember, when help is plenty again till
the next harvest time. This state, with
its gold currency, has been affected but
very little by the financial crash of last
Fall; business on the Pacific railroad
has been somewhat affected, but, other
wise, people hardly notice it. Every
thing goes ON here just the same as
though Jay, Cooke & Co., with hund-
red others, had not failed Fortunes are
made and lost in day-things moving
on the high pressure principle generally.
Having determined to make an excur-
sion among the hills, four of us were in
the saddle at daylight one morning, and
started up the river. Taking the road
over the ridge, we ride in some places
where there is just room for the road,
the river winding along hundreds of feet
below, and almost perpendicular. A
misstep from the horse would reduce
both rider and animal to condition
similar to the waste from q starch mill
but these native horses are sure footed,
and will walk log over ravine with
as much precision as man. A few
miles brings us to the. edge of prairie
or alkili desert skirting along the edge,
our horses raise thick clouds of dust that
almost blind US. An hour of this kind
of riding, and once more we are in the
timber near the South Fork soda springs
Taking path that leads down the side
of the canyon, we go down, down, like
going down stairs (only there is no rail
ing to keep one from falling off for hall
mile. Arrived at the foot, we picke
our horses, and following the dry bed Of
the creek, soon come to the springs
They are little pools right in the rocky
bed of the stream; the water is clear a;
crystal, and constantly sparkling and
bubbling; in taste it is very much liks
the soda water that is sold in cities
quite pleasant and cool. Having brough
bottles with us, we amuse ourselves bv
shooting each other with the corks. Fill
/ ing the bottles partly full of the water
we press the cork in very tight. and il
otUOut d MinueO, gao having SeHeIdteu
it elects the cork with force that throw
it forty or fifty feet. Filling our bottle
quite full and tying down the corks, W,
remount for the return trip. five fount
it hard getting down the side of tn
canyon, we find it still harder to get up
and we feel relieved when we reach tn
top. After reaching town, some Of th
soda water is used for making bread in
stead of the common baking soda, ant
the result is bread that, for lightness
! would put to shame the cooking of an,
New England housewife.
This part of the state seems to be full
of mineral springs. chief among whicl
are the Geysers and Callstoga, the Sara
toga of the West Coast. They are foun,
any where here-hot springs, col
springs, sulphur springs, iron or an
other kind you call for. O.
TREATMENT OF INFANTS IN SUMNER
Tho Tribune remarks that in Jul
and August the baby becomes. or ouob