The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-30
FAR DOWN THE COAST.
Nh. CAMPBELL IN CALIFORNIA.
slIlIns ia Through III. Golden Ga.s-rhs Bay and
naibpr Of San Prasel,so-rhs GlotI.s Of tho
Amtrieaa PldoradO, Past and Pr.ssnt-H.r
Features Of Climate and Production.
Special Correspondence QfNe bttelIiQMoer,


coast, on my way to this metropolis Of El.
dorado land. Twill only add to that lettel
the remark that we ended rour somewhat
rough voyage in good shape, coming in OF
our regular time on the early morning o.
calm and beautiful day, enjoying from
our steamers deck splendid view Of the
Golden Gate" and Of both sides Of San
Francisco's magnificent city.
The bay Of San Francisco, as perhaps
you know, Is enc Of the grandest in the
world, having an area Of $50 square miles
or about three and half times that ol
Ohio county. The Golden Gate" Is about
a mile wide and has two big rock head
lands on either side oil 1t, and you pass up
through deep strait, somewhat like the
D D.troit river, from the ocean into the great
bay.
A traveller surveying this peculiar en-
trance from the ocean, and seeing the su.
pcrb land-locked harbor into which It
leads, whero a thousand ships can ride 30.
curely at anchor undisturbed by any
storm that blows, must naturally ask him.
self why 1t was that long before the Uni
ted States acquired this territory some
great maritime power like England did not
seiz, upon this site and make 1t the seat OF
a great empire
Spain once nominally held this COST, in
the days OF the great adYenturer, Corles
Then France claimed 1t as part Of her
Louisiana possessions, and, finally, 1t be.
came one OF the States of Mexico. Seeing
that Mexico was an insolvent debtor 10
English capitalists, and country chron.
ically torn to pieces by contending factions,
1t is a wonder that Englsnd did not wade
in, as she did In Egypt, and take poeses-
sion OF the country as an indemnity 10 her
money lenders. Weknow that che wanted
Oregon and Washington Territory; and also
that she claimed both prior to the treaty,
and she must have. wanted this Gibralter
OF the Pacific coast and Its magnificent
harbor. - - .+Hr
WHEN CALIFORNIA WAS FOREIGN SILL.
Perhaps It Yves our political assertion ci
the Monroe doctrine, and the conscious.
ness that setting up her Gag here might
bring on collision, that led her to forbear
ssiztng upon this tempting fruit, but wc
can well imagine what a temptation IT
must have been to her cupidity and spirit
Of conquest. At all events, let US be glad
that she stood of until our opportunity
occurred through the Mexican war to sail
In here in 1915 and plant the stars and
stripes on these heights and take posses
sion OF this fair region in the name Of the
United States.
Perhaps 1t will never be known by what
intrigues and Vaccinations the war with
Mexico was brought on for the express
purpose on the part of Folks administration
Of getting possession ef this much desired
portion OF the Pacific coast. II Is well
known that squadron OF war vessels was
kept lowering of this coast for at least two
wears prior to the Mexican war, and that
ut one time prior to that war, and on the
strength OF rumor that war had been de.
clared, that one ofour naval officers actually
landed at Monterey, below here on the
coast, and issued a proclamation and sstup
claim to the country.
This much by way OF history. While 1t
is not new to your older readers 1t may be
interesting 10 both old aud young among
them. Young people can hardly realiz
that California until a generation ago was
f,reign soil, and that great as is our coun-
try now from east to west, 1t has become 80,
10 very essential respect, by the settle
ment within recent years Of the Oregon
boundary question and the acquisition OF
California. Had Great Britain made good
her claims to 0rgcop and Mexico held
on to California we should have been
utterly cut of from the Pacific ocean and
the overland railroads might have been
held In allegiance for generatians to come.
THE STATE TO DAY.
California has $4,000 square miles, or
over 100000 acres OF territory. 1t ia
nearly seven times as large as the State Of
West Virginia. 1t resembles West Vir-
ginia in being State cut up into
mountains, foot hills and valleys. II
Is about 600 miles in length and 500 in
breadth. It extends from the Sad to the
42ad parallel Of latitude, and has greater
variety Of climate than any other part oi
the United States. It grows all the pro-
ducts OF the nerthern and most Of those oi
the southern portions Of the country. As
Mt the South vegetation and vegetable pro-
ducts are perennial. At this late day in
the fall the markets OF this city abound in
ali sorts OF fresh garden truck, such as
sweet ctrp, tomatoes, onions, cucumbeTs,
lettuce, melons, radishes, snap beans, peas,
celery, turnips, beets, cabbage, caulitiower,
watercresses, squashes, and everything else
that you ever saw in the Wheeling mtr
kets in the heighth Of the vegetable
season, and, In addition, there
are grapes in great variety, any
quantity Of plums, pears and apples,
and quite an amount OF fresh figs All this
results from ten degrees Of latitude and the
peculiar conformation OF the country. AS
there Is one glory Of the sun, another OF the
moon, and still another Of the stars, all IN
one armament, 30 there is one glory, Ole
mate in California Of the coast, an other q
the contiguous territory In the valleys, and
still others amid the foot t-hillsi tho noun
tains, The wind may be blowing hall a
gale here In San Francisco and yet over In
Oakland or Alameda, across tho bay, 1t may
be as calm as q May morning. The sun
ha1 one power on one ranch and modi-
fed or exaggerated power on an other
ranch half dozen miles away. Riding in
from the Cliff the other day, We struck q
very lively breeZe Just above the old Mis-
sion ranch, and yet after we had pas1ed on
dewn quarter Of mile there was nc
bretzs at all.
POPULATION AND TlLLADLE LAND.
There are close upon million Of people
| in this State, or only something over si1
persons to the square mile. In West Vir
ginia you have, sparsely as you are settled
about twenty-six to the square mile. The
average Of the whole country is about four
teen. How many times six California Il
capable Of sustaining to the square mile i