Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-01-08
CORRESPONDENCE.
California Letter.
For the Gallipolis Journal.

weeks, the consequence is with the
mercury at about go degrees above
zero1 the Mountains and Valleys are
beginning to look very green and
beautiful. The natives inform me
that generally ten or twelve inches of
rain falls here during the winter, but
the oldest inhabitsnt has no recol-
lection of there ever having been so
much this early in the season. The
ranchmen, or farmers, are all in ex
cellent spirits, and seem to take great
pleasure in informing strangers that
they will surely have fine crops.
The grass is already three inches
high, and the immense iocks OF
sheep that are to be seen in every
direction, are again in their element.
From the way they frisk and play
about I should Judge they are very
rejoiced, and doubtless they imagine
that spring with its green pastures
has come again. Sheep raising is q
very lucrative occupation in Califor-
MIA, often paying as high as 40 per
cent, and sometimes 60 per cent. on
the amount invested. The price is
80 so to $500 per head in coin. The
ranchmen shear them twice every
year, and have no difficulty in selling
the wool at from 12t to Is cents per
pound. Wool dealers from New
York and Boston send agents here
to purchase wool. which is sent by
sailing ships around the Horn to the
East. 1t is pressed and put up in
bales the same as cotton or hay.
/ had an interview a few days ago
with Col. Hollister, formerly from
Ohio, a very accomplished and intel
ligeut gentleman. He resides six
teen miles up the valley from here.
and is one of the most extensive
ranchmen in this county; he has
over l00,0 900 acres of land, a great
deal of it lies very nicely, and am
told is just as rich as cream. He
has 10000 almond trees, four years
old, that yield every year from 80 to
so pounds to the tree, OF fine soft
shell almonds, that are worth from
12@ to Is cents per pound wholesale,
besides any quantity of orange.
lemon and olive trees, that produce
an immense quantity of fruit from
which he derives a very large profit
/ cannot inform you what his income
from his ranch amounts to, but you
can form some idea by ascertaining
the large sum of money he receives
from the sale of his almonds alone.
without taking his other crops into
consideration. While speaking OF
agriculture products of this country,
l will inform you that If any of your
friends are fond of pumpkin pie,
they could satisfy their appetites out
here without any trouble or expense.
l have heard tell of big pumpkins
being raised in Indiana, but the Cali
fornia boys can beat the Hoosiers all
boiler. There is a gentleman here
that claims 20 be the owner of what
he calls a squash; it weighs 500
pounds, and is used by his econ
plished daughter as a stepping stone
to get on and off her horse, l have
seen fields where you a walk over
acres and acres on the tops of the
pumpkins, without eve putting your
foot on the ground. They feed them
to the cattle during the winter.
A gentleman that resides sixty
five miles south of here, in Los An
gelos County, has one of the finest
orange groves that there is in the
State; be sold his crop last week for
$4,000 in coin, the purchaser to re-
ceive them some time during next
month. They mature and are gen
orally ready for market about the
18th of January. There are a large
number OF invalids here that have
come to spend the winter. 1t is con
siGered the finest climate In the
world for sick people. Hundreds of
persons that were considered incu-
rable, have come here from all parts
of the world and been restored to
perfect health. 1t is an extraordina-
ry climate for consumptives, and for
persons that are afflicted with any
kind of pulmonary diseases, on &C
count of the mild, even temperature
that prevails all year round, If this
letter should meet the eyes of any
poor unfortunate individuals that are
afflicted with any kind of disease
that can be cured, | would advise
them to come out here as soon as
they q possibly do so, and remain
a few months in this delightful To-
/ am quite sure that they
would derive 8 great deal of benefit,
and probably would return home
sound and we'll. 1t would cost 800
in coin to come out here from old
Gallipolis, remain SIX months and
again. Boarding at the Occi
dental and Morris Hotels, two first
class houses, is from $l2 90 to $500
per week in coin, but You can obtain
boarding at private houses for SS or
$40 per week. Mechanics and la
borers can find employment here
without any difficulty, at very good
Carpenters and masons re-
ceive SIS per day, and ranch hands
from $50 to $50 per month and
Contractors inform me that
they cannot obtain half the mechan-
les that they want.
Wishing your patrons a happy
New Year, / remain
Yours,
H. III.