The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-10-18
Corresponds nee Of the News.
Letter from a Highland Boy
in California,

HG LGGi liOlll q EalSdil oliN BOU
in California.
The readers Of the News may
may think I have forgotten them, as
it has been so long since they have
heard from me. But want of time
is all that has kept me from writing.
Ileft Clay Tp., Highland county,
Ohio, on the morning Of April the
25tb, bound for southern California,
to see If a mlder climate would not
be beneficial for my health. Stop
ped four days in Illinois, and saw
some Of the richest looking farming
land that I ever saw any where.
Was surprised to see western Iowa
so hilly and broken. Passed thro
the "Great Platte Valley Did not
/ see 16O acres Of land which 7 Wonsi
be willing to receive gratutitously,
and be obliged to stay on It Is years
Saw some fine sights among the
Rocky Mountains. The highest
point on the R. R. is 8,242 # above
sea. Crossd trestle work 127 #.
high and 732 long. The barren,
sandy desert, the great Salt Lake,
the Humboldt and Truckee rivers,
with their scenery, all afford pleas
ure to the close observer and admir-
er of Nature. But the most beauti-
fuI and majestic scenery is to be seen.
IN Echo and Weber canyons. The
massive walls Of rock, with their
many hues, chasms, outings, over
hangings, &C., rising hundreds Of
feet almost perpendicularly, the
Humboldt river, gurgIng over its
rocky bed, present views which feast
the eye and on which the mind de
lights to linger many days after they
have faded from sight, and the travel
er feels that he could willingly spend
a long time in roaming amid such
grand and richly varied scenery.
One of the greatest wonders of.
nature which we were permitted to
visit, was the boiling springs, which
issue from the ground in quite a
number of places, and II. one place
form pool Is #. wide, loft. long and
Is #. deep. The stfeam of water from
this spring would fill pipe three
inches in diameter, and the water is
boiling hotL
Referring to our diary, we read;
''On We go, and again come in sight
Of civilization, which is a great relief,
after seeing so much desert. Irri
cation is in full operation, and its
effects are seen by the fine fields of
alfalfa clover, wheat stacks, comfort
able homes, surrounded by fruit
trees, and soon we enter the thriving
town Of Reno, Neb.
"sacramento-City, Cal, is one Of
the most beautiful cities in appear
ance, which lever saw. Every street
is bordered with tall trees on each
side, and in the treeless Sacramento
valley, the city looks like an oasis
in the dseert."
But to Southern California. Near
Los Angeles, the R. R. passes thro'
a tunnel 1916 #. long. Los An
geles, is a fourishing little city, and
until recently has been almost entir-
| ly inhabited by Spaniards, but Amer
leans are now rapidly taking their
places. We made our way to West
Minister, Los Angeles CO., which is
now our P. o. The colonywas foun-
ded in 1870, and now has 135 fami-
lies. They were fortunate in getting
water by boring artesian wells, and
about three hundred wells have
been sunk, at an average OF. about
S4OO each. But a failure is some
times made, probably on account of
incompetent workmen, and some-
timesthey fail to find sufficient water,
SO the actual average cost Of a well
is 5000.
Although this is a dry year for
California, the Westminster people
are prosperous as usual. Barley and
corn, which are the staples, are not
so good as usual, but the prices are
much better. Alfalfa clover is just
at home here. 1t has produced nine
crops IN one season, where it was
properly managed, and the crops are
not small. This is not a "Califor-
MIA story" But the usual amount il
four to six crops per year. Oranges
lemons, figs, almonds, English wal
nuts, raisin grapes, aud all other va
rieties of grapes, apricots, plums
peaches, pears, apples, ounces, sc.
bear the second year after planting
The society is good, being chief,
) composed Of emigrants from tn
Eastern States.
The climate can scarcely be ex
ceIed, especially for persons affect
ed with lung disease, or indeed will
almost any disease. A great man.
who come here are invaids, and al
most invariably receive great bene
/ fit, and usually a cure.
+ There are many places more favor
n