Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-11-16


Ny Dear Ledger:
In your very handsome notice of thu
San Rafael Herald you say that you d.
not know what sort of aplace San Rafae
isl forgive you this time, but hereafte
you shall not be able to plead Ignorance
of the most charming spot on the cont
nent-most charming because its seen
cry is the most superb, its climate thu
most mild and equable and its society
the most cultivated and refined.
But will tell you something Of thiI
in detail. We sit in little cove shell
tered around by high and picturesque
ridges and hills, with front view of San
Francisco bay, to which cast my eye al
this moment and see a fine square
rigged vessel, with all sail set, working
up the bay, and thirteen schooners and
sloops, bound up and down; some with a
fair wind breasting the tide, and others
with the wind foul, yet working to wind
ward with the current. Beyond these
vessels, ten or fifteen miles away, is
the range of the Contra Costa hills, with
Mount Diablo still further beyond, aud
Oakland and Berkely at their feet in the
foreground, with their lines and groups
of white houses showing for several
miles along. The bay, mind, is between
US and those hills and towns This is
one of the fine pictures our people
enjoy. said that we nestled in a cove
among the hills. Beyond the hills,
which are as high as Mission ridge at
Chattanooga; eight or nine miles be-
yond us, as the crow flies, is a great,
grand mountain, with big ribs, rocky
summit and densely wooded sides, down
which pours torrents, which jump occa-
sionally over precipices and make beau.
tiful falls. Pshawl why attempt to de.
scribe that which is beyond description.
have seen very many places in Amer
ica, but none that can compare with
this.
Its climate is in all respects equal to its
scenery. As you we'll know, | left lucra-
tive employment, gave up fine. posi-
tion, and left behind kindred, friends aud
acquaintance in search of health. |
had arrived at the point when it was
either go West or 90 TO the cemetery;
and l think that the majority of my
friends we're of opinion that in leaving |
did my family great injustice, as would
live but short time, and would leave
them in the land of the stranger. Man,
however, is given to hope, and was a
man, and | came. When left your city
in June last could not walk half mile,
and was in constant dread of hemor-
rhages, which of all things on earth are
the most depressing. A man who has
received gun shot wound in his chest
only can appreciate the feelings of those
who have bleeding lungs.
Being a believer in books, studied all
the authors on pulmonary complaints,
and carefully compared my symptoms
with those described. The German
Niemeyer gave me most comfort and
hope. My case was general derange.
ment of the system, brought about by
sedentery habits, close application to
business and literary work and malari-
Gus complications; which latter stopped
my liver from doing its duty, which in
turn caused the stomach to cease its |
functions and grow irritable and tender. |
Indigestion was the result, and that shut
off the supply of nutrition, run down |
the system, thinned the blood and lft |
me open to catarrhal attacks, |
and laid the foundation for tuber-
culosis. This was my diagnosis, and |
| was right. Now, argued that |
was possessed Of vast amount of men
tai energy, was headstrong though leg
maoru ord &c oouIl h,,t II b,o.u . n Al =.
primal cause, torpid liver, by removing
myself from the malarial influences and
the desk | believed ! would recover |
believed this more strongly, too, when |
was told of the many instances of recoy
cry by persons similarly affected as my
self, who had gone into the army and
served as privates in all the trying cam
paigns, and finally, when only the Gttest
had survived, we're able to march with
Hood from his repulse at Nashville, and
finally piled their arms with Johnston in
North Carolina, and are well men to day.
| had a clear and distinct idea of the
climatic conditions my case required
and the treatment needed. | wanted a
place where the sun shines nearly every
day in the year for / desired to be in the
sun as much as possible | wanted the
climate of that place to be equable and
hot nor cold. II change
able, would continue to suffer from
if cold, would be compelled
10 house myself beside the fire; if hot
would be relaxed and enervated, and not ;
EEL the desire for exercise. After look
ng over the country carefully think | !
he al. |
luired by the invalid suffering as | have
described refer you first to the figures
hat are to come to corFoborate my state. a
nents. In the year 1873 our statistics I
show that but ftty.four residents of this
county (which contains 1000 0inhabitants) e
lied=-thirty-6ve adults and nineteen I
,hildren-which gives rs o death rate of 4
ess than eight in thousand, of whom 9
ess than two died of pulmonary com
plants. This small percentage is due,
think, in a great degree to the climate,
. specimen OF which l give you. The
owest points reached by the thermom-
,ter last year we're as follows;
n Novembe degrees
n December...........'...'.' degrees
n January degrees
February degrees
n degrees
The highest points for 'the same
months we're as follows:
n NOVeTn Der - utkIeee
n ...'.'.'''.-'. degrees
n February degrees
IA March. degrees
The differences between extremes y
7ere as follows: D
n degrees
u Decem mber.... .......................2i degrees
n January. .............N degrees
n february ....'ssssssg uceIeec
n Msroh'----' degrees
This record for a winter climate is
ard to beat. Our summer climate is