Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-02-05
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
For the Gallipolis Journal.
California Letter.
Los ANosLgs, CAL,
January 9th, 1874.

/ sm now surrounded by orange
groves and thousands of beautiful
flowers that impart a fragrance that
perfumes the atmosphere from early
morn till dewy eve, a perfect paradise
on earth, q locality where troubles.
trials and Affections ought never
come. Since my arrival here / have
visited several very interesting places
in the city and country. There are
thousands of old buildings here that
are very curious and quite interesting
to look at. They were erected by
the Mexicans and Indians one hun
dred or two hundred years ago. 1
visited several houses yesterday,
where the natives reside. They are
made of mud and sticks, have no
floors or windows, and the occupants
look as dirty as human beings could
look that ever allowed water to come
in contact with their brute looking
countenances. / found large fam
lilies sitting down on the ground,
engaged in earnest conversation,
which / suppose was very inter-
esting When / entered one of
these delightful mansions, the oc
cupants did not seem alarmed, but
bowed to me very politely, and from
their manners I imagine my visit was
highly appreciated; however, / do
not think that l will call again, for
one visit satisfied my curiosity. 1t
is generally about ten degrees warm
er here all the year round than it is
in Santa Barbara. The climate is
perfectly delightful during the win
ter season. Except a few days when
it rains, but during the spring and
summer months the mercury in the
thermometer does not hesitate to run
up to 100 degrees above zero; then of
course it is not so comfortable and
pleasant as it might be. To day the
mercury stands at 70 above, and l
feel Inclined to be a little lazy, but it
is no crime to be lazy 10 this country.
for a large number of people never
pretend to work; they just exert
themselves sufficiently to obtain
enough food to keep body and soul
together and that is all.
Cultivating orange trees here is a
very lucrative business indeed They
plant eighty trees on an acre of
ground, and when the trees are four
or five years old, the ground a not
be purchased for less than $500
per acre. There are groves or or
chards here that can not be bought
for $1,000 per acre, ten miles from
the city. The trees are eight or ten
years old. The owners of these
groves make q fortune selling their
oranges every year they live. A tree
eight years old will bear 1900 nice
large oranges, That a be sold with
out any difficulty tor from $40 to $50
per thousand.
The city contains about ten or
twelve thousand inhabitants. There
wasonly a small number of buildings
that amounted to anything here five
years ago. Native Californians e
er live in a house that is worth over
5000, it does not matter how much
they have The country that sur
rounds this place is perfectly charm
ing. / eve become weary of look
log at the magnificent scenery. There
is a mountain range seventy miles up
the valley or plain from here, that |
can see very distinctly. The land
is very level, and presents a sight
that is very interesting and beautiful,
surprising any landscape views that
1 have ever beheld. On account of
the atmosphere being Sc soft and
pure, the citizens claim that persons
will live longer here and enjoy better
health while they do live, than in any
country in the world. To substan-
tiate this assertion they positively
say that there is an old Spanish lady
living ten miles south of this place that
has attained the remarkable age Of
one hundred and thirty eight years,
and she shows no signs whatever of
having an inclination to shuttle off
this mortal coil yet awhile, but is ap
parently as anxious and willing to
live now as she was one hundred
years ago She can sew without
spectacles and is quite smart. She
is probably the oldest person living
in the world. Her son-in-law, Captain
WHITE, commands a ship on the Pa
cifc Ocean. He issseventy-three
years of age.
1t is q very remarkable and indis-
putahle fact, that there is more gold
and silver taken out of the ground
in the territories and California now
than there eve Was before. Mr..
John Y. Valentine. general Superin-
tendent of Wells, Fargo d Co.'s Elk
press Co at San Francisco, reports
the yield of precious metals for the
year 1873, at S72,250,0 900; SO, 000,-
600 more than in 1872. Nevada
mountains produced S35, 00a, 900 of
this immense sum, and California
S1S, 000, 900. AT Virginia City ami
Gold Hill, Nevada, they are working
1900 feet under ground; the miners
receive 81 to Sc per daylight
hours being considered a days work.
The cage, as it is called. that runs
up and down, is worked by steam;
they scarcely ever have any acct
dents, as the men are careful to see
that the machinery and ropes are in
perfect working order before they
get into the cage.
l am staying at the finest hotel in
Southern California ] have an ex-
cellent room, and the table is sup
piled with all the ~delicscies the mar
ket affords. Yesterday we had de-
licious strawberries for lunch, raised
in the open air. They do not have
hot-beds here. / have never seen
n since | have been in Californis
pay Sl4 per week; the same &C.
commodations would cost "a so per
H., =