Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-01-28
CALIFORNIA LETTER.

CALIFORNIA LETTER.
The following interesting private let
ter has been received by a gentleman
residing near Loydsville, to whom we
are indebted for its use:
CARPFNTERIA, CAL, Jan. 4th, '75.
The mail goes from here to San Fran
cisco by stage noW-takes about as long
to go there as it does from San Fran
cisco to New York, while it could be
conveyed by our daily steamers in two
days. Some bad management about it
some way or other. After one sees
coach here with six mustangs to it ON
the jump he can have better idea of
II. Greeley's ride TO Piacerville.
have been missing all of your bad
weather; has not raiIed since | left
Santa Barbara, Nov Goth. People are
wanting rain now, as the ground plows
hard and wears out points very fast;
have had five inches of rain since last
spring; the ground looks moist and
mellow after it is plowed.
Some farmers are u;!itIng for rain be-
fore they plant potato ;, as it is now
time TO plant for early or.es, and the
mention of potatoes calls 10 my mind
the fact OF. our having new ones for
dinner tO-day-they were volunteers;
a crop would not do well TO ripen now
unless irrigated.
Did not work any ON Christmas, but
we boys went down to the beach
IN the morning and took a swim. 1t
was little cloudy something very un-
commOn) and the water in consequence
little cooler than usual; saw seal,
shot at it with rifle and-and missed
| il of course. In the afternoon we went
two miles down the beach, gathered
lsome CLAIMS and had roast; while
there drove of porpoises fifty or sew.
enty-tive came charging along, plung.
ing and jumping clear out of the water
one of the boys took the rifle and | rar
down over the rocks to the water anC
opened fire on them with big six
shooter-thought hit one, but perhaps
not in vital spot, as it went on witt
the rest. They were from five to eigh
feet long.
The other day we went to the top o
Mt. Hoar-stands apart from the mair
range-looks but a short distance ant
easy to climb from here, but the tasf
was OF so easy as it looked, as it tool
three hours of persistent effort. Saw
two cuyOteS (wolves.) l sept four bal
lets at them with my revolver whicl
made them scratch gravel. The view
from the top payed Us we'll for ou
trouble: could see this valley up t,
Santa Barbara very plainly, and ais,
Point Conception forty miles to othe
side; could see seven islands-three O
them visible. The Ojai and Sant
Clara valleys down the coast. We wen
down to the beach on the other side
(hard on legs)-and while there we saw
a tree with butterflies hanging i
punches from its branches like swarm
of bees-just thousands of them.
Prompted by the success of Orr Nj
Hoar trip, several of US decided to d.
tempt one of the highest peaks of tn
main range, and set out early this MOI
ming to accomplish the task. Think
ing, perchance, we would meet with
mountain lion or grizzley, we too
with US a Remington, a Henry, and
common rifle, one shot gun, two nav
revolvers and two large bowie knives
OF all climbing, scratching and scramf
: ling l never saw the like. Sometim
we had to crawl to get through tn
: bushes, was in some of the Wildes
places imaginable. Saw plenty of dee
trucks but no derive made so uluc
!, noise we frightened them away I SUI
pose-but we shot at some cages. a
noon we ate our lunch and drank VIZ
ter which we had brought with US i
; bottles. Finding that we could nc
J reach the highest peak and get bat
the same day, we changed our cOurs
and went to the summit of one not s
high, and come back home at dark
| and am feeling pretty sore. One of ou
} number succeeded in getting back wit
/ only part of his trousers--the buShe
, are wearing the rest. We saw som
canOns which were very deep,
t Wild animals do not bother peopl
: here very much, but once in q goC
2 while one comes down into the vale,
! We had tree shown us in VI hich
panther WAS killed few years ago. 1
was about eight feet long, and one
the neighbors has a horse with etar
marks on it-but they prefer y0an
colt when it is to be had. The LAT
q griZZley Dear seen here was two veal
, ago. A man heard his pig squeahn
one night, and jumping out of be
I and without taking time to make an
toilet he burris u out to see what WI
the matter with his pig. Diving int
| the bushes he was soon near the seen
. of action, but hcrror! there on HI
| haunpbeS sat an old bear with the pi
III its arms enjoying its music. A Yer
f suide'i thought ST. uck the man thu
; his bed might get cold, and he hurrie
. back to it with all speed.
The climate is warm enough here
4 but it is dry of course, dryer than it
! over at Los Angeles, but the mosquito ,
bother them over there good deal.
1 As for Catairh, my employer, M
. Ballard, had it badly when he can
: here, but is about clear of it nc W.
used to break on the outside of b
nose on his face. Other simiE AZ Gas
could he mentioned.
+ l forgot to say that we came. thr0uo
q an orchard on our way home this eve
: ing aRd helped ourselves 10 figs, v
also had watermelons. He " is that f,
). January? But it is time that al
n turning i'll for the night. A. S. II.