The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-12-15
FROM THE GOLDEN GATE

Los ANGELAs, December eth. 1881.
Perhaps it might be little interesting to
the readers OF the press and more especially
TO our friends in Wichita, to learn after our
long absence, something of our whereabouts
and whether we are in the land ofthc living.
For the passed six weeks and since our ar
rival we have been Stopping in the city OF
Las Angelas and have only time and space
now to say, that this is fine growing city
of about eighteen thousand population, full
ofsin and business. surrounded OF nearly
all sides by SPLENDID Orange and Lemon
orchards, the golden fruit of which, now in
the month of December is just beginning to
ripen. Notwithstanding they can raise
nearly ali kinds of fruit here, yet the great
specially is oranges, lemons and grapes.
Now what | wish to get at more especially
is trip we made last week, in company with
| William Dckrery and S. T. Marsh and wife,
Of Newton, Mrs. b. NJ. Davis and daughter,
] of Topeka. Kansas, and Mrs. d. we left here
wednesday morning, Nov., 80 by Southern
! Pacific r. II. arriving at Cotton. distance
of about 60 miles. small town east of this
city. From here we all rode in stage coach
drawn by four white horses, travelling
! through country of orange and lemon
orchards heavily laden with golden fruit and
grape vineyards, distance of ABOUT seven
miles, when we reached the celebrated VIII
lage of Riverside, of about 1000 inhabitants
tolerably well built up, and quite an active
business town supported mostly by the fruit
growing surrounding country. All the
lands for many miles up and down the valley
are owned by the Riverside Irrigatng Co.,
! and are laid out into small farms of from five
to forty acres each, a large portion of which
| has been sold Off to settlers who have i'm
proved and set them out to orange and lem.
mon trees and Raisin grape vineyards. 1t
has only been about six years since these
lands were properly supplied with Irrigat-
ing water. | will state right.here, one prob
ably well understood, and significant fact,
that none Of these or any other Southern
California lands are of any value for fruit or
vineyard growing without irrigation, hence
the great outlay and expense to get water
into the irrigating bitches for this purpose.
our party took a drive down one avenue
about ten miles aud returned through anoth-
er.These avenues are over one hundred feet
wide and lined with four rows of beautiful
forest trees, avenues nicely graded, making
beautiful and pleasant drives. The Rive
side Irrigating Co., are selling their raw
lands with water right for irrigation at from
$500 to $500 per acre and lots of from five to
twenty acres all improved and set out TO
orange, Lemon orchards and vineyards, and
|
according 10 condition and age of trees and
vines and bearing condition Of the same. 1t
was wonderfully interesting to our company
passing up and down through these magnif-
cent shaded avenues and see on either side
for miles and miles the beautiful golden
fruit hanging in large clusters upon the
trees. in many instances so burdensome as
to make it necessary to prop them up. We
found several land agents here, trying Us
to invest. as property they say is very cheap
now but we could not see it. When they
ask 81 900 per acre for their improved lands.
reply to them that ! can sell them better
and richer lands in Kansas for from So to $50
per acre, but they say we have not got the
climate. So you see climate here is held
very high and sold by the acre.
Since we arrived here we have had a few
showers of rain, but tile weather has been
nearly every day clear and beautiful, warm
as summer. with cool nights and we enjoy it |
muchly.
We are satisfied that Las Angeles is bound
to be the metropolis of Southern California. |
No time to write more. Truly yours,
S. l.. DAVIDSON.