Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-07
Nafrhn,an & gunrnaL
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1880.
Letter from California.

toned my plans were to pursue my journey |
and visit Yosemite aud thence the city of
the Golden Gate and Pacific shore. In ac-
cordance with plans mentioned September
Goth, continued my course westward, by
the Overland railroad as far as Lathrop,
fifty-fve miles from Sacramento. This is
the junction of the Visalia Division of the
Central Pacific railroal. Visitors to Big
Trees and Yosemite take this route, from
Lathrop TO Madeira, ninety-one miles, and
from Madeira by stage, seventy-five miles,
to the Valley. Here, at the junction OF
these roads, learned that owing to the late
ness of the season, stages were not making
their regular trips from Madeira to the Val
ley. and that it might be attended with de-
lay. / decided to forego that part Of my
journey.
A VISIT TO STOCKTON.
Having learned General Grant was to
visit Stockton September Both, I returned
to that place to visit the town and witness
the reception Stockton is the county seat
of San Joaquin county and has a population
of thirteen thousand. 1t borders on small
bay of the San Joaquin river, at the head
of navigation. Stockton is situated in the
midst of a broad plain, and is the center of
an immense grain trade. The city has
many beautiful public and private build
ings, numerous churches, is well supplied
with public and private schools, is lighted
with gas, enjoys the benefits of street cars
and is well supplied with water from an ar
tesian well one thousand and two feet deep,
which discharges three hundred and sixty
thousand gallons per day. The city is well
decorated with trees and shrubbery. Nearly
all of the private residences and gardens are
tastefully ornamented with lawns, vines,
shrubbery and flowers. These luxuries are
reared by the use of water and hose pipe,
which seems to be at the command Of nearly
every resident. The state insane asylum is
located at Stockton. 1t is situated one mile
from the city, and stands in an enclosure of
one hundred acres. These lands are ir-
rigated and highly cultivated to raise vege'
tables, fruits and products for the asylum
The buildings are fine structures and reflect
credit on the town and state. There are
two separate and distinct buildings, one fol
the males and the other for fenales-each
nearly the same in style and size. They now
contain eleven hundred aud twenty-five pa
tients. By the hospitality of DR.. Shurtliti
the superintendent, was shown through
the various departments, all of which were
built with architectural skill for conven
ience. The institution was well regulated
in respect to order, discipline and clean
illness.
GRANTS RECEPTION AT STOCKTON.
This being the day for Grants reception
at au early hour the streets were thronget
with people buildings decorated with re
gala, flags, buntings and evergreens pro
fusely displayed through all the principa
streets. Grant was received here, as he ha
been in all places in California, with grea
enthusiasm and display. He seems to en-
joy such grand receptions, the gushing fort
of public feeling without distinction o
party. His appearance is not like maj
broken down with age or care; but thought
full and considerate. am happy to stat
that his example is unexceptional in regar
to intoxicating drinks, for he refuses eve
California wine.
October 1st, we left Stockton for Sa
Francisco, and as we proceeded westward W
soon left the broad valleys of Central Cal
forna, and passed into section much NOR
} varied in productveness and appearance
The country is rolling, and the coast rang
is constantly in view. Soon we were on th
eastery shore of San Francisco bay. FroI
here for many miles the railroad skirts alon
, close to the waters edge, on account OF th
numerous bluffs that extend to the shor
We passed several thriving towns situate
on this beautiful bay, and were soon
AT OAKLAND,
the county seat of Alameda county.
has population of forty thousand and
the second city in size on the Pacific Coas
The city is said to have made an increa'
the last eight years of thirty thousan
What Brooklyn is to New York, so is Ga
land to the city of San Francisco. I'll
name of the city is significant of its su
roundings, as it is situated in an extensi'
grove of oaks. From Oakland across Il
bay to San Francisco the distance is s.
miles, reached by the cars running the fir
two miles down the long pier to transf
buildings in the midst of the bay. Oaklar
wharf is at the end of this pier The fer
boats to and from San Francisco leave al
=. arrive every half hour, and long trains, som
+ times as many as fifteen or twenty cars, II
st in connection with the boat to Oakland al
ID the adjoining towns. AS we stand at L
re end of this long pier, almost in the midst
y = San Francisco bay, we behold two gre
ie cities. The smallest has forty thousau
while the largest teens with its three hu
dred thousand inhabitants, representa-
nearly every land and cline. We lea
from the history of California that in 49,
thirty.two years ago, not five hundred viii
settlers could be found in as many hundr
!, miles, and not one ship year visited Il
- bay. Now there are seven large steamshi
in the China trade, six in the mail servi
y, ny via Panama, thirty more regularly engag
e- on the coast-from Sitka, on the north
ee South America, Honolulu, Australia a
a. New Zealand on the south.-besides sh
and sailing vessels of every descripti'
he Here, too, at the end of this pier, is the
in minus, the extreme western end of
." grand railroad enterprise that conceived
plan and put into execution the work Il
prepared the way for the iron horse, not O
to traverse over the summit of the rugs
Rocky Mountains but to wind around
cloudcapped spurs of the Sierra Neva
thence down the western slope into the brC
s, tropical valley of the Sacramento and
cifc shore, thus uniting in bonds Of un
and common brotherhood the length
n breadth of our land
-U, SAN FRANCISCO AND sURRoUsDlNGs
tu,, As we step from the pier upon the fe
ad- boat, to use up the last fragment Of an ov
I'D, land ticket, we behold the bay extending
ca, to the north aud to the south, land loc
nc by the coast range except its connect
AID with the broad Pacif, through the Col
. -ee' Gate, which appears like cut three mile