The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-26

the Charleston Netos and d6arier, writes
as follows about California:
So many elaborate and glowing acs
counts of California have been printed
and widely circulated in the. Eastern
States, all of which exhibit the faifest
side of the picture, feel constrained to
| ask you to allow Charlestohinn to cay q
few words to r'y friends in South Caro-
lima. ! desire most sincerely, to, giye
them, briefly, the other side Of the pic
ture, in order that they may be able to
judge correctly.
In 1873, I left Charleston for Califor-
| nin, with view of making for myself q
| home here in a new country. From the
numerous accounts and descriptions
given by many papers and books, was
led to the belief that there were number
less acres of rich land here, which were
open to settlement, and which would be-
come the property of him who first set
tied upon and improved them. These
beyond description, and the unthinking
would naturally see before him n sure
and sudden fortune. Making deduc-
ton of two-thirds from the statement,
thought q man could mako very conf
Portable support, being, ut the same time,
the owner of o tract of land in q young
and rapidly-growing State. Ny health
fniling me in Charleston, was led to
come out here, thinking country life
would benefit me, and more advantages
would attend my residence in California.
When arrived 1 Immediately set about
an investigation, travelling many hun
dreds Of miles in this State and Oregon,
and found, to my great disgust, the fol-
towing position of affairs: The land which
still remained for settlement, belonging
to the Government, and open to pre-
cmption, was in eut of the way sections,
with nothing in sight or reach but the
ground, and not worth owning. Almost,
if not quite ell the desirable land, i. e.,
that which would pay to cultivate, was
already owned by capitalists, who asked
huge prices for it. Even were it prncti-
cable to get land of good quality at rea-
Sonable rates, man must have money
enough to irrigate it during the growth
of the crop, or stand q very probable loss
of o crop or two, should the season prove
unfavorable, (Which often happens.)
You will tho more readily understand
this when remind you that, from about
the last of April or middle of May, to the
first of November, there is not drop of
rain to refresh the enrth, and, in the ma
jority of cases, unless farmer has the
facilities for irrigation. he works under
very precarious circumstances as by this
means only he cnn and must water his
whole crop. The means of irrigation,
with it's numerous ditchos, grndings, &C.,
involve an expense much above the ordi-
nary settler.
To give you some idea of the "chnnces"
which poor man hns here, will say
that most of the desirable portions of
the farming lands here are held by large
capitalists in small lots of from 2O, 900 to
400, 900 acres each! Messrs. Lux and
Miller own over 400, 900 acres; Mr.. Scott,
of Philadelphia, from 200, 900 to 30O. 900,
and so on. A settler would have to live
for years away from civilization, in n
wild, rough country, and with few and
expensive facilities for transportation.
The Country" here is vastly different
from that to which an Eastern man is
accustomed. In the Atlantic States,
when we speak of the country" we
allude to wide fields, flowing streams,
we'll wooded virgin lands, where flowers
grow and birds sing. and natural life is
abundant. The country" here is tas
very general thing) woodless. streamless:
tlowerless, lifeless. 1t is true, the soil
generally is rich, but there is, for the
most part, not tree or shrub to break
the dull, barren monotony, except al-
most Immediately along the sea-const.
There are no trees for birds to sing in,
and no birds to sing Starved coyotes,
flocks Of prairie chickens on the plains,
with the bear and panther in the noun
tains, are the graceless representatives of
animal life.
would like to write volume on the
beauty and grandeur, as we'll as decribe
the disadvantages Of this storied country,
but the latter strain is most needful just
now. What intend is this: Friends
and South Carolinians, listen to the ad-
vice of South Carolininn, and heed
what l say. Let not the wild, the beau
tifully painted allurements presented in
books and papers prevail upon you to
leave your homes and oil that make the
word sweet, to come out here where nll is
strange to you, where, if you live outside
the city, you have hard, rough life, and
live in hovel which q negro would de-
spise, erected by yourself with few ex-
pensive boards, and be subjected to the
many inconvcniences of a new, unsettled
country, and with no guarantee that you
will earn your daily bread. Thousands
here to-day would give all they have left
if they could but get back to their old
home as they were before; and yet thou
sands are still focking to these shores
like sheep to the slaughter. The mines
are filed with laborers and can accom-
modate no more, and all the departments
of labor are choked with suffering huma-
nifty. Hundreds who came here from
poor homes, (but still homes,) in the
Eastern States, are working ON the