The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-22
The Dark side or Life In CalifOr.
MIA.


| A Wisconsin grumbler calling him.
self "Wahsstch" who writes TO the
Oshkosh Northeastern, undertakes to
give pen pictures of the dark side OF
life in California. He writes from
Santa Barbara under date of Februa-
ry Is, 1875, and says:
| Having said SO much in favor OF
Californis, in this aud former letters,
it would be hardly fair to conclude
without noting some of its objection
able features. Californians as class,
are given to bossting, and are ever
on the alert aud anxious TO button
hole q stranger for the purpose of re-
relating marvellous stories concerning
the country. They forget to tell you
that it is impossible for manufactur-
ing to assume any importance so long
as money is worth one per cent \
month and compete with the eastern
states where Eve and six per cent is
considered good investment. They
tell you Of the large number of immi-
grants coming into the State, but
they say nothing of the emigrant
train tha, leaves San Francisco every
day, loaded with these poor people
destined for the Eastern States-go-
ing back, and glad to get back; many
of them have spent their hard earned
savings under inducements held out
by California "puffists. They came
here without considering that little
labor is required where there is little
manufsc uring that there is already
a supply greater than the average de-
mand; they do not know that Chi
nese labor can be had for 81 week;
labor that will do all kinds Of drudg-
cry without grumbling. These same
Chinese are rapidly becoming skilled
in the mechanical arts, and will soon
supercede our bes, mechanics. They
will stay here TO. as they prefer the
mild climate to the severe winters Of
the eastern states. In Oshkosh the
laboring man works for lower wages,
but on the other hand, he can buy a
very good building lot for one hun
dred dollars, and for four or FIVE hun
dred more can build neat little cot
tage. Here he would require at least
FIVE hundred for a lot no better locat-
ed; lumber is worth twice as much,
and building material Of all kinds
much higher. Again, the laboring
class, in this state, is looked down
upon and snubbed on all sides; and
in proof of this clip the following
from the editorial columns of .the
Oakland Transcript.
"Hired help are treated like Dig
ger Indians; they sleep in the barn
or haystack; have no accommoda-
tion or conveniences that white man
is entitled to; and the results are de-
grading and demoralizing to the Ia
borer.
The hired man in the east is treat
ed as gentleman; he has a tidy
room, comfortable bed, clean sheets,
and is surrounded with the refining
influences of civilization. Here, in
California, how diiferentw
1t is a well known fact that most
of the land is co..rollcd by snonopo-
lists anu speculators. Nearly every
tract sold at public sale is run up to
four or FIVE times its actual value.
At a recent sale seventy miles north
of this place, wild virgin soil sold for
500 an acre. They compelled immi
grants to pay their prices or go with
out-men who came here through in
ducements that they could get this
same land for fifteen to twenty dol
lars an acre. | have made the ac-
quaintance Of wealthy old farmer
from Rockford, H., who came here
with view TO investing in land pro-
viding it could be had at reasonable
rates. He has spent considerable
Slime in looking over some of the prin-
cipal sections in different parts of the
state; he says he finds it "like that
little game of monte-piaying man
at his own game"
The Californian does not tell you
that there are 200 days, or more, con
tinued dry weather; he does not tell
you of the dust that will necessarily
follow. ] have seen it so dusty in
Sacramento, San Jose, this place and
Others, forty eight hours after a rain,
that an air filter would be looked up
on az luxury. Foggy weather is.
also, anything but agreeable, and
such we have had quite often.