Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-08

Correspondence PosT isrEiLroEScER-
Rrvspstus Cal Feb. p 1884

Correspondence PosT iSrEiLToENcER-
RIVERSIDE. Cal. Feb. =. 1854.
Leaving San Diego. returned TO San
Bernardino. where have my hesdquar-
ters for the time being. A pleasant drive
NJ twelve miles from the last named
place brought ne TO this settlement,
v hich is twelve miles south OF Cotton.
nm the Southern Pacific Railroad. A
graded driveway is being made from the
depOt to town.
To use Common Expression, after 1
b ad interviewed this place, concluded
that | had reserved the Vest Of the /
wine for the last" Ii may be true that
corn,arisons are odious. but cannot re
fraln from making the statement that |
on comparing this place With other set
tIeuents ( visited. IN MANY respects II |
takes the lead Miles and miles OF Or
anRe groves are spread out IN An almost
unbroken area, that makes II truly
MAGNIFICENT oasis in the desert. drove
about Sax miles along one of the leading
avenues. lined on each side and through
the center with rows of evergreen trees,
such az the graceful pepper tree, stately
encaIvptns. and the everywhere lInpos-
inQ CT press. The sun WAS hot, but
drive along this shsdy and grand ave
nue.. over roadbed as smooth a. hoor.
was a pleasure long to be remembered.
The resident houses and surroundings
were equal to anything ! had seen In
the State: II seemed there had been no
spariag Of means to make all pleasant
and beautiful Edifices costing fifteen
thousand dollars each were by no means
scarce: fountains and statuary adorned
the verdAnt close shaver lawns, and on
either side orange trees bending with
their luscious golden fruit were like
:. plctures of gold III borders of silver.
As to the flowers, they capped the climax
of beauty and iadsd the air with fra
GRANGE invigoratin9 to the spirits Of the
CORPORAL man, while the incOrIoral felt
inspired with feelings Of JOY and happi-
ness while contemplating the marvellous
works of Him whose smiles were IN all
the refreshing surroundings, and the
imprint Of His love everywhere and over
all. The Sabbath day Is reverenced here
more than in most settlements on this
western coast. The churches, standing
here and there amid dark green foliage.
were we'll attended, and little or no bust
ness Of q secular nature was going on.
This WAS AZ IL should be, and We see no
lack of prosperity with the people; all
seen, happy and joyous to thus spend the
Sabbath III graceful remembrance OF the
Giver of all Good.
Coming to an inviting place, where the
| oranges hung In profusion on both sides
of the driveway that led to the house, l
WAS constrained to draw the reins and
turn in. Finding the owner, who, by the
way, WAS "a genial, whole souled New
Highlander, had quite talk with him.
lie informed me that many OF the set
tiers were of the old Puritan stock, and,
while they were diligent IN building up
pleasant homes, they were not Negligent
| of the advantages OF u oral and religious
surroundings; at least | gathered 10
much from his conversation. l asked
him whether Le preferred living here to
his old home in the East. With deci-
rive laugh he said: " would not give
nv homo here for all Massachusetts, II
had 10 hive there" While l found
many who talked the same way, those
who had longing desire to go back ia
their old hOml and friends were by no
means scarce. But 80 1t IL; ABerlcans
Are the most restless people on the face
of the earth.
Before | loft the grove above men
toned | WAS invited to lay hold and
gather n few dozen Of the yellow beau
ties. which | did With feelings akin.
imagine, to those of the hardy minel
who picks up the golden grains Of lucrs
More delicious oranges would be hard
to find than those that grow here, and
learn that their reputation Is getting To
be very high IN market. Over half oi
the land ia cultivation - oranges anC
lemons, the rest mostly III grapes. aprl
cots and peaches, with other declduou,
fruits.
This colony has about 600 acres OF
land III cultivation, and the lnhabitants
number about 1900. Here 1t has beer
demonstrated that there IL more money
in grapes to make them into rasins ol
sell them fresh from tho vines than e
make them into wine. Ii is rot unusua
To sell the crop on the vines at from 1 Ia
10 $50 per acre. One person, MIR. A. +
Johnson, sold his crop from vineyard
only three years old from the cuttings
for x2l5 per acre.
The raisins made at Riverside are be
ginning to have u first GLASS reputation
The yield for 1883 from Riverside wal
about 60,0Oo boxes, which sell readily al
~ to SIS per box. They expect tat
yield in 1884 To reach lOO.OOO boxes.
The last orange crop IL estimated Il
reach 5000 boxes, which, at the prices
now paid for them here, Wholesale, vii
bring Into the colony $4,000. IL Ii only
twelve years since the colony first Dom
men ,ed operations here upon u bArrel
desert.
The town proper has some fine build
ings. such AZ two large hotels, santa
rum, stores. livery stables, fruit pack
ing and canning establishments, rRisit
factories, fruit driers, two banks, nea
churches, (ths different denomination,
each having onel large pavilion To-
holding their fairs and for large assem-
blages, and number of other building
common To town Of Its size.
Taking into consideration the Who'll,
settlement, one comes To the conclusion
tn It the acme of success and excolieuc,
has been attained here. The beautiful
residences ensconsed in II wealth OF
flowers and forests Of ornamental nns
fruit laden lrees certainly denote refine
meut. culture, taste and luxurious com
fort; NOT, however, to any greater extent
than IL Is possible to attain In other 10
calities with like facilities.
One can form some idea OF the pro
cress being made In fruit culture anC
the development of the resources OF
Southern California in this respect, BY
turning 10 the statistics, which for lSS:
shows shipment by rail Of LILO. 1Ul
lbs, in 1888 IL shows the enormous sun
of b.9ls..s0 lbs, OF over 800 carloads OF
green fruit. In addition 10 this, iarg.
quantities are shipped bv steamers. e
say nothing of the large home oonsump
tioii, and then there il the item of neal
halt million pounds of canned and
dried fruits shipped out Of the countr,
during the year 1883. southern Califor