Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-05-13
CALIFORNIA HUMBUGS.
Pacific Attractions Mostly imaginary,
and the Drawbacks Numerous.
Everything Exaggerated MANY People
Anxious to Get Away.


grand flourish of sensation heads is a
terrific onslaught on California. Here
is the opening chorus:
Many State papers have chronicled the re-
turn to their former homes of persons who
were induced by the glowing accounts sent
out by the railroad companies and real estate
agents TO immgrate from Minnesota to Cali
fOrnia. Every locality possesses one or more
victims who have gone to the Pacihc coast,
and who, after acquiring the usual experience
of disappointing MT and blasted hopes, have
sadly returned to their old localities to com.
mence life anew. Too many, unnappily, are
unable to return at all, while others have
halted by the way in other States, where they
are struggling to make up the losses incurred
in the ill-advised removal to the golden
shores" of the Pacific.
A little further on the name of the
pilgrim who has seen whereof he
speaks is disclosed. We are informed
that
Mr.. Justus Ramsey has just returned from
several months visit to California, and he cor
roborates the statement that everything is
grossly exaggerated about that state; that ali
sorts of business is overdone, and that an i'm
mense number of persons all over the State
are totally without employment.
This is followed by recital of what
Mr.. RAMSEY saw, or fancied he saw,
after which is this bit of scare to the
farmer:
Farmers who have removed to California
are even worse off than mechanics and labor
ers, for the quantity of arabic land IN the
State is out of all proportion to the areas OF
the State, and the best land Is limited to the
valleys, and consequently Its price is fabu-
lous and totally hey ond the reach of men in
ordinary circumstances. Land brings $40 TO
$50 an acre in localities two hundred miles
from San Francisco, and that, too in regions
where transportation facilities and local mar
kets are none of the best.
The thousands of farmers, large and
small, scattered throughout the val
leys of this State, will read the above
with smile and wonder why RAM
sEY is permitted to remain outside of
a lunatic asylum. But the next para
graph is the richest of the batch. Here
it is:
Much has been said about the wonderful ca
pacity of California for the production of fruit,
but this like all the rest consists OF modl-
cum of truth, upon which is based an I'M
mense amount of humbug. California or
anges and lemons are failure, even when
produced as far South IS the Mexican bound
ary line, and few Of them are fit for consump-
ton. Grapes, to be sure, can be raised ins me
of the valleys in abundance, Just as they can
be proftably rased in Minnesota; but the
vintage business is only success ul when car
ried on by the largest dealers, who, with an
immense capital, are able to raise the fruit
and manufacture it into wine and brandy or
ship the same in large quantities to the CEN
tres of consumption.
The writer next INDUCES in tilt
against strawberries in particular and
a denial of the story that fruit can be
grown the 'year round' in California
in general, after which he gives the
frost-bitten, grasshopper-smitten, pow
erty stricken farmers of Minnesota
another scare in this wise:
| Small farmers cannot flourish in California.
| There is no place for them there, for they are
| brought into direct competition with the men
| and associations who do everything on so
| large A scale that the humble tillers of the
soil are overshadowed and crushed out
The weather is not satisfactory.
RAMSEY came out here in torpid
state and remained in his normal con-
dition of stupidity until his return to
st. Paul. He goes for the weather in
this manner as finale:
Neitheris the climate of California anything
like what is claimed for it. In January and
February Mr.Ramsey saw everybody wearing
about the same sort of Winter clothing which
is necessary in Minnesota, and though the
mercury rarely. reached the freezing point,
people hugged the fires and stoves just as they
do in the colder latltudes.
The nor'westers which sweep down over
California, and which are in motion good
portion of the time, sweeping before them as
they do the sand and dust from the arid
plains, are as detestable feature of life on
the Pacific coast as the coldest weather of
Minnesota.
Now to this tissue of falsehoods no
response is necessary. There are thou
sands and thousands of people in this
world who are able of their own per-
sonal knowledge to give each and ev-
cry one of RAMsEY's statements the
fiat lie. But as we chance to know
something of Mr.. RAMSEY, word or
two concerning him may be read with
interest. He is an Ex-Governor of
Minnesota 1--WE should Judge it didn't
take very smart man to be Governor
of that State) who visited the Pacific
slope some months ago. He paid Los
Angeles a visit, but the people here
did not tender him the freedom of the
city nor do great amount of toadying
to his ex-Excellency in any shape.
They did not note his arrival, nor did
they know or care when he departed.
Minnesota ex- Governors do not
amount to much in California unless
the title is accompanied by an intelli-
gent and truthful gentleman. 1t is
possible that the discovery Of this fact
is the incentive to Ex-Governor RAM
sEY's TRADE against California.