Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-03-07
NUMBER SO.
LETTER FRoa FORMER BURLINCrONIAN.
Los ANGELES, California,
February IL, 1879.

LETTER EROa A FORMER BURLINCTONIAN.
Los ANGELES, California,
February IL, 1879.
To tho Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
DR.. S W. Thayer's interesting letter
about California in your issue OF the 29th Of
January, is generally correct. Bot the
unfayOrable conclusions, unavoidably to be
drawn from some of the statements about
Los Angeles city and county, are calculated
to .nislead and give injurious impressions. i
therefore beg that you will permit me to
cOrrec. them. OF Los Angeles city, town
Of about 5000 inhabitants, he says,
"thc guiding star of its modern prosperity
shines but dimly." This Is true. But the
''dimly shining" is only temporary, and is
due Grst-to the failure of one Of our hanks
for one and half million Of dollars. about
two years ago second - the country is
carrying over a heavy crop of grain. Over
400 900 bushels Of barley are in store at this
point, close beside a large reserve in the
country, and it will not sell for 30 cents per
bushcl; hird-all the farmers in tho
county are putting in crops; tourih-the
journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles
by railroad costs $50; by steamer SIS. The
distance is about 400 miles From San
Francisco to Oregon, about l 900 miles, the
fare by sea is only 500; steerage $500
Such heavy odds divert tie travel almost
entirely from this section. Burlington has
suffered from like causes and recovered. So
will this place, and the fact that one of our
oldest, wealthiest and shrewdest capitalists
keeps investing in real estate here, is
evidence in proof of the above.
1.-The uncertainty of rainfall in Califor-
MIA is great drawback to all agricultu-
raj enterprise. Particularly is it so in that
section clos Angeles county, of the State
We have visited
Rainfall in this State is certain two years
out of three. In one Of the two years. as u
rule, the rain is superintendent +; and
generally sufficient with eight or ten inches
in the following Winter, to carry the State
through the third year. This section,
recently settled by Americans, is no more
subject to disastrous droughts than were
other unsettled portions near San Francisco.
in carly days. When our laws will permit
water development and equitable distribu-
ton, this objection will entirely cease.
Above all, if people will drop some of the
ways of Northern farming and learn TO
adapt agricultural principles to. the peculiar
conditions of this semi-tropical latitude, les
water will be required. The years in
which fair crops Of cereals may not be
obtained, where lands are fallowed and dry
sown, so that the seed may sprout with
the grass, and receive all the rains of the
season, are exceptional. But this section is
peculiarly the home Of the grape. The vine
will so through two seasons without water.
1t will do we'll in eight inches Of rainfall /; I
and its heaviest crops are said to be in
seasons of drought. This county can supply
all the United States with raisins and wine.
And these, when capital has sufficiently
increased to permit a farmer to wait
four or five years for his vines to
become good bearers, will become leading
industries and this section will be one OF
the wealthiest and for climatic reasons, one
of the most desirable spots on this coast.
The rain fall of Los Angeles county for this
year, counting from December eth, when
the first rain began, has been 9.3l inches,
nearly twice as much as that Of San Fran |
cisco
1--WE met former acqnaintances
from Minnesota and other Western States.
who have been three or four years endeavor-
ing to develop farming lands for the culture |
of grain and fruits. Without an exception
they said to us, ii they could dispose of
their property for the halls it has cost them
they would joyfully return to the hills Of
Vermont" etc.
In no one of the last sesen years have |
failed to raise from two to four tons Of |
hay to the acre, never less than twenty
bushels Of barley, and from thirty to seventy
bushels of corn to the acre. The rain fall
of ISIS, was twenty-tour inches-tOo
much Sixty thousand acres in this county
were in cereals, and this year, the cereal
crop will probably be seventy-fve thousand
acres. II there be parties in these years
who have been unable To raise grain, i. must
be because they arc not farmers or if farm
ers, and from tho North, they have not
learned how to apply farming principles to
the pecUliarities of this section. As for
yermonters who would "jnyfully return
to the hills of Vermont, etc"
say that very likely every Vermonter.
In whatever pait Of the world he may be,
would be most happy to return to Vermont
for risa. Vermontcrs abroad always love
Vermont intensely. Its scenery is rich, varied
and evergreen and the remembrances of it are
wildly the same We honor it for its en-
terprise, advanced ideas and great libcrality.
This love of our native State, makes US
somewhat clannish. do not know Of any
natonalitics who cling stronger to each
other when abroad than NermOnters. But
it does not follow that We would like to re-
turn there and settle. would like my
children to be educated in Vermont and then
to return here. Further, | would like
to see Vermonters here, ieeli' g, a.
| said to the Doctor. that twenty good
and true Ncrmon;ers could pack this whole
county on their shoulders to higher
civilization. Yours, Ggo. ii. PICK.
PS.-A few years since Judge Redfeld,
a Democrat, was unanimously made Judge
OF the Supreme Court, hY an intensely
Republican Legislature. Although Re
publican, like other Vcrmonters abroad,
corld not help admiring such noble
liberality. Such acts make us feel that the
State OF our nativity is unquestionably the
biggest in he Union. &. ii. p.
n