Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-10-26
Letter from California.
SAN FRANCISCO Oct Ii Is

DAN FRANCISCO, Oct. IL, 1883.
Mr.. Editor: should have spared you
the tortures of a "proiusion" from my pen,
1.-THE torture would have been far greater had
it been poem,) but the subject have cho.
sen for calculation is one over which the
people of the whole country are excited at
this time, and thought my friends of cold
Montgomery" might be somewhat stirred up
on the same subject, hence this infection.
The subject is that of earthquakes. In
Ohio, for instance, there has been a mighty
quaklng in the Republican ranks. Some of
the aspiring candidates in the late primary
campaign may have been "shook up" by an
earthquake in your section. However that
may be, it makes little difference how many
candidates get the stills rocked from under
them so the glorious old Democratic party
remains firm and mistaken on its rock
| foundation of truth and justice.
Now my friends black East in the States"
las Calilornians say have been very kind to
me, and | have IL desire to present them
with small earthquake. | should like,
also, to enclose you specimen or two of the
most delightful climate in the world" but
Uncle Samuel is so old-fogyish about send
ing perishable articles through the mails
that reckon | shall have to desist.
Californans, in order to gull credulous
people "back East in the States" love TO
talk about the "solid growth of the Pacific
slope" Nothing can be more absurd. Cal
iiornia is not solid by any means. On the
contrary, it is an exceedingly rocky country.
Earthquakes prevail to fearful extent, and
they are not all political earthquakes either.
The writer has been in Frisco" two weeks
and has had three hearty shakes. Why, we
were rocked SO violently in the cradle of the
devil, | suppose, as Californians credit hi
with everything unpleasant and novel, that
a good many eastern sojourners found them
selves in the street clothed in the light and
ghostly apparel of their bed chambers. Old
Californians are 50 used to such shakes that
they thought nothing of it. Every ordinary
shake is believed to be an earthquake.
One of our noted bummers went home
the other night charged with gallon or
two of Boca, and without removing boots
or overcoat, stretched himself on his couch
and was soon in the arms of Morpheus-ir
old Morpheus could embrace such wretch
About the hour when earthquakes usually
occur,the tipplers wife braced herself against
the wall and with sudden and vigorous
kick rolled the stupefied wretch out of bed
Rubbing the drunken stupor from his eyes,
his only comment was, "S'phia, mighty earth
quake that, rolled me clean outer bed :"
Even the babies become so used TO the
terrestrial rocking that an ordinary rock in
a cradle has no more effect on them than it
would upon an old salt. Cradles have gone
entirely out of fashion.
1t is quite a comfort to know that YOU
live in an elastic house, and all the private
dwellings here are such, being slapped up
with pine and redwood. Brick is not used
in the construction Of dwellings, Tor the rea-
son that ii is cheaper TO use boards, and
dodgers from the Fast would not iet safe
amidst brick walls There is chance for
some inventor to make his fortune by in
Producing a rubber house that will be proof
against both fire and earthquakes
There is a great deal Of talk about the
good effects Of the climate on the health of
invalids. IL is not the climate at all, il Is
earthquakes that does the work No one
can get sick when his liver is shaken up
once week by an earthquake.
Persons "back East in the States" when
contemplating trip to California TO make
their fortunes, should remember that the
great "b,oms" in real estate that they hear
talked about so much by land sharks will
most likely prove To be earthquakes, and
that more fortunes are sunk than are thrown
TO the surface by them. Y.