The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-10-07
Foothill Farms OF California,

who have had enterprise enough to
move on-have as class been success
full. Many OF them know something
about the pinch of poverty. They
would not have moved on had they
been in more comfortable circumstan-
ces. During the last five or six years
great deal has been written about the
foothiIl farming, and much of the ad-
vice given has been from those who
know little about it. They have no re-
suits with which TO fortify their theo-
ries. Not every man is the gamer who
goes to the foothills. He must isolate
himself from society, because in the
nature of things the foothills can never
be thickly settled. Here and there set
Elements will be sufficiently near to
form neighborhoods; that is, within a
radius of five or six miles there will be
enough settlers for district school,
voting precinct, and, perhaps, small
church. But if only pastoral in
dustries are prosecuted, even a dis
trict school could not be established,
nor a post office in so limited an area.
Here and there we have isolated in
stances where very attractive home
steads are created in the foothills. The
owners are not rich, and perhaps ney-
Ell will be, But they are prosperous in
a small way, and, what is better, are
contented. One practical illustration
of o theory goes great way.
The thousand of travellers who in
former years passed over the Santa
Cruz Mountains by stage will remem-
Der the long ascent of the dusty noun
tain, part of the way skirting along
the Los Galos. reaching depression Of
the summit at an elevation OF about
200O feet, and descending into red
wood forest on the other side. About
the only settler seen for some miles az
ter passing Lexington was Mountain
Charley" who kept the toll gate on
the summit and whose profile had been
somewhat disarranged by bear, a
circumstance of particular interest to
boys whose appetites had been sharp
ened by reading Pioneer Adams bear
stories. A single Spanish grant, the
San Augustine rancho, covered an i'm
mense tract from Monterey Bay TO the
summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains a
little to the east and southerly of the
stage road. Westerly along the sum-
mits of the mountai copses OF woods.
sunny slopes, bare hillsdes, heavily
wooded ravines in which water ran all
the year. 1t was an unimproved coun-
try. Here woodmen were found strip
ping tanbark, cutting cordwood or get
ting out "shakes. " They made no
Improvements and apparently wanted
none.
This description would fairly apply
to all that mountainous country for
quarter of century. But within the
last six or seven years there has been
remarkable change. 1t is ten or twelve
years since the earlier pioneer began to
plant small vineyards. These were re-
markedly productive. Some of the
best table grapes ever exhibited in this
market were grown very near the sum-
nit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, The
growth was slow until the new depar-
ture was made in viticulturai interests
five or six years ago. There is now in
the Santa Cruz Mountains, eastward Of
the old stage road. on the northerly
end of the San Augustine ranch, one
of the most intelligent and prosperous
communities to be found in California
or anywhere on the Pacific coast.
Without making an accurate census,
we should say that something like one
hundred families and little way down
the slopes at elevations varying from
1900 TO 1000 feet, and within radius,
say, of six miles from Wrights. The
land which they occupy could have
been bought fow years ago at prices
ranging from Sl.25 to 81 an acre.
Much Of it is waste land and always
will be-that is, it is too rough for vine
yards, although not so rough as that
which is now covered by some OF the
more notable vineyards along the
Rhine. Nearly all the settlers have
vineyards ranging from five acres up to
forty and fifty acres. Only one Of these
larger areas came under personal obs
servation. Besides vineyards, nearly
every settler has an orchard, with
good variety Of fruit trees. including
apple, peach, pear, plum, apricot and
prune. These orchards are remark
ably thrifty; hardly sign of destruc-
tive insects was noted. although il was
reported that they had been found at
some points.
The dense foliage and vigor Of these
trees was noticeable in all the orchards.
There is no irrigation, either in vino
yard or orchard, and none is ever need
ed, Orange trees we're found growing
at several points. the fig was already
ripe, early apples and pears were fall
ing to the ground, and tho plum trees
we'll loaded with fruit. Most Of the
orchards were young, and not yet in
full bearing, and this might be said of
many Of the vineyards. But already
considerable number of the latter are
yielding handsome revenue, some of
the table grapes finding their way to
the Chicago market. Here is a noun
tain community of something like three
hundred persons living in great com
fort, and with the promise of abundant
prosperity, on land which for a quarter
of century no settler wanted. There
are two school districts, place of pub
lie worship, literary society, and two
summer hotels filled with guests during
the warm season. New homesteads are
being constantly created.
OF course the railroad has made