Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-03
- - --.
A TRIP ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
Views of Major Edward Preiss on the Indian
Question = California and Florida Con-
trasted

trasted.
One of our reporters had an in
terview with Msjor edward Preiss,
the renowned traveller, who has
now crossed the continent.
Reporter-You come now from
the State of Florida ?
Major-Yes, sir. L and my faith
full dog, Fritz, have crossed the con-
tinent.
Rid you travel the whole
distance on foot, as stated in the
papers?
M.-Yes, sir. Occasionally, but
very seldom, and the other dog
had ride upon wagon, but it
was SO very seldom that the differ
ence in the distance amounts to
nothing. From San Gabriel | rode
upon the railroad 10 Los Angeles.
| paid SO cents for first. class tick
ct, but | used only the smoking
Car; in fact, the conductor was
showing me into second class
car, in spite of my first. class ticket.
| found it quite natural; how can a
man, ieg-weary, with dusty clothes,
loug hair and matted beard, eX-
pecG TO be permitted in IA first-class
car ? Ii is sufficient if he Is permit
ted to pay for a fiIst-class ticket. My
dog, Fritz, made the Journey in
the baggage Car, but arrived AT Los
Angeles.
R.-Had you any trouble with
the indians?
M.-None whatever. l passed
through the Pueblo, Laguna, Ma
vsjo, Walapai, Mohave and Psjut
territories, and found all these In
dians peaceful. The Walapai In
dians were Il little excited on ac.
count of u company OF soldiers be-
ing posted at Walapai camp, in
Walnut Grove, Arizona, TO protect
the workmen on the Atlantic and
Pacific railroad, which traveTses
the Walapai district, and TO which
the Indians are greatly opposed.
The trouble with the Navajo aud
Apache Indians only commenced
after l passed New Mexico and Ar
izona. One of the princip pal causes
of our Indian troubles Is our wise
men at Washington. In every
State and Territory in which In
ulaBS are living, laws are passed
making it penitentiary Of
fence to give, sell or bar
ter firearms or ammunition
Of any kind to ahe Indians.
But our Indian managers at WASH
lugton, who know about an Tudlan
only 30 much as they have read in
Fennimore Cooper's novels, who
des cribes so beautifully the "Drave
red man, furnish the savage In
dian tribes with improved Win
chester rifles and an abundance of
ammunition. The buffalo Is gone,
antelope and deer are scarce; so
the savages, to keep in practice,
shoot white men and go sometimes
on the war-path. Aud that is eX-
actly what the wise men in Wash
ibG uoii W thhts - thC vi
troops and Indian wars, big con-
tracts can be given out and some
favorites can steal a few thousand
dollars from the public money.
What does 1t matter If few hum
dred useful citizens are Killed, if
some pets can only fill their pock-
cts The American people possess
more endurance than any other ma
tion on the globe.
R.-HoW do you compare Flori-
da and Southern CALIFORNIA;; both
are more or less semi-- tropical
countries?
M.-The climate in these two
countries is very near the same.
Southern California is only more
arid. AT this time of the year the
rainy season prevails in Florida,
saturating the low and level soil
with water, which, under the
burning sun, becomes stagnant
and is the cause of the ever-pre-
vailiDg intermittent and malarial
fevers. Very nearly every year
Yellow Jack makes its appearance
in one or the other locality of Flor
iuas nld is IltAltDY
and is by far preferable to Florida
as permanent abode. The pro.
ducts Of both countries are nearly
the same, except that in Florida no
cereals can be raised. Even Indian
corn averages only ten bushels per
acre. The orange trees in Califor.
mia look more thrifty. Here every
thing is worked in systematic
manner, which is not the case in
Florida. There everything goes on
in the old helter.skelter way OF the
former slave time, and it will re-
main so till the Floridans change
their diet. At present they live on
corn-cake and bacon the whole
year round, and possess neither en-
terprise nor energy. The Califor-
mans eat we'll and are q go-ahead
people. Then. undoubtedly, the
chief eivilizers of nations are good
dinners.