The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-10-01
mi j S G ella II . O rs.
For tile 1Agis and Intelligeneer
Letter From California,

TE-HA-cHI-PA, CAL, Sept. Sth, 1875.
4EGIs INTELLIGENcER: Having few leisure
hours to day, write for the pleasure and in
struction of your many and intelligent readers.
1t is an unreliable plan TO go rushing through
any section ofcountry at railroad speed and then
attempt to write up" the country, with an as.
surance of correctness. To know any place, so
as to impart accurate information, it is essen
tial that the informant reside at the place for
some weeks at least, hence have deferred writ
ing until now.
Within the past few years much has been said
and written about California. The opening of
the U. p r. r., Chus linking the interests of
the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast togeth-
er) no doubt has been the means of bringing
this State into such enviable notoriety. How
ever, one seldom reads or hears much in regard
10 The mountainous sections of southern upper
California, outside of the State. San Francisco,
Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, Los Angeles
and their vineyards, the Yosemite Valley, with
its enchanting beauties, have become familiar
to the eastern reader long ago, so | will not re.
peat what l have heard and read about these
places, but will attempt to describe in plain
terms this part of the Golden State; the climate,
people, their habits nationality, ETC., etc
The climate here is surely the finest in the
world. | write this after being here it is true,
only about six weeks, but | have observed
enough TO convince me that there could not be
climate more hcalthful At this place we are
about one hundred miles east of the coast, at an
elevation of from 1000 to 5000 feet above sea
level, situated Immediately between the coast
range of mountains and the Sierra Nevada range
AS rule, it never rains here between the months
of March and December, yet no irrigation is re-.
quired for small grain crops. The air is delight
fully cool in the summer months, and the win
tiers mild and bright like the autumnal DAYS of
the cast The rains during the winter are not
incessant but occur about every ten days or two
weeks. About the same kind and amount of
clothing is needed the year through. To show
how pure the air is, | have observed almost ey-
cry day, men slaughtering cattle, cutting the
beef into five and ten pound pieces stringing it
on wires, then suspend it ten or fifteen feet above
ground, in the sun to dry, without salt. This
is done during the warmest weather of the wear
When thus dried it makes q splendid relish, far
more excellent than the sailed smoke-dried
beef found in the eastern markets. Every day
is alike, no rain, no clouds, no thunder nor
lightning, nothing in material nature to break
the monotony, cXceptan occasional earthquake,
though there has not been the slightest "shake''
for some months. The water is fine; innumer-
able springs may be found around the "foot
hills" many of them strongly mpregnated
with sulphur. Water can be obtained anywhere
by digging from thirty to sixty feet, and always
good.
The people are of all nations of the world,
save the African. The natives are Indians,
Mexicans and Spanards beside Americans,
Germans, Irish, French, Jews and Chinese, and
representatives of all chimes have found their
way here, and now make up the population of
the country.
We often see what seemed to us at first sim
gular sight, mingling ofthe different races of
mankind. Even now from our window we OBJ
serve the carriage of wealthy Spaniard stop
before the doors of q jews store house, the
Spanish lady gives her order to the salesman,
her Mexican coachman holds with steady reins
the spirited span of horses, and her Chinese
waiter boy cares for the children within the car
rage, and looking far away up a mountain road
to the east we see q band of Indians rushing
down riding "Bronco Ponies (wild horses) com.
ing into town to buy and trade at the stores.
We have formed the acquaintance of many
excellent people, though society here is differ
emily moulded to what it is in the eastern
States. In the social circle the people are OPEN
hearted and enthusiastic, in business transac-
tions, shrewd but not mean. Men, as rule,
do not quarrel over difficulties pistols, not
words, are used. This is lamentuble, but such
is their idea of "Individual rights" Time and
the introduction OF more considerate element
of society will change this spirit of revenge.
Even now the day is dawning for better things
You cannot estimate mans financial ability
here by his personal appearance; see that swag-
gish looking fellow, yonder, coming down the
street, looking as careless and easy as though
he did not care what turned up. Who is he,
and what is he? He is "one of the boys" Has
he wife and children-none; a Housewives at
the village inn. On what does he live, for he
never works? o! he has ten thousand sheep
out on the plains, worth three dollars apiece,
| SO you see the young man amt very poor if he
does not "put on airs" and thus it is with Il
majority of men here. As n class, the cold
Forty-niners" are poor, say they will never re.
turn to the States because they cannot 30 back
as they would wish 10.
Tc.ha-chi-pa, our town, is simply a mountain
village, eighteen miles from railroad station,
has three large stores, two hotels, three saloons
and restaurants, two livery stables, school house
| blacksmith and wheelwright shops, photograph
gallery, postotfice, daily mail, two Chinese wash
| houses, two butcher shops aud other business
| interests. Monied interests of this section, are
conferred in sheep raising, gold and silver min
| ing and raising of small grain crops in the val
| legs; besides, large herds of cattle are raised
| Hogs are not numerous because OF the absence
OF corn. What hogs are raised are raised wild
in the mountains and live altogether upon the
| grasses and acorns. Likewise the cattle and
horses are as a rule raised the same way
Butchers buy cattle by the herd, from one to
mountains and buchered as the market may
demand, and it is the best beef we ever ate, ten
der, and as fat as could be desired more fire.
quently too fat than otherwise.
Win now give the prices of our market
wages for labor, etc. Flour $3.50 per cwt
|
pound; eggs, so cents II dozen; beef the best, {
and cents pound; wood from SO to 81 pei
cord; good COW, $50 to $40 horses-colt one
year old, So; two years old, Sl0 three years old
$l5; four years old and broken to saddle, SIS
Horses broken to harness, sound, gentle, and o
line appearance, are worth from $40 to SIS
| hay $50 per ton; oats IS cents per bushe; pota
toes cents per pound; cabbage 4 to cents
pound apples, pears, grapes and tomatoes from
to 10 cents pound,
House rents are very high an ordinary cottag
of four rooms will cost $50 to S25 per month
Wages-school teachers get from $50 to $12
per month"; statesmen from S65 to Sl25 pc
month; ranch and farm hands $40 to $50 pc
month and board; mechanics wages correspond
ingly high A cook gets from $35 to $50 pc
month at hotels, and from S25 to S35 in privat
families
No greenbacks arc used here at all. Gold
silver and gold notes, Money is made here b.
thousands, and spent rccklessly, or SO 1t seem
to us. There are no one cent or five cent piece
in use. No transaction of trade is INDUCED 70
! less than "two bits" (25 cents).