Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-31
ON THE GOLDEN SLOPE.
IhS Resource Climate, Etc, Of The
Humboldt CjUNlTy.
An Uuinviting Region-Nothing but
Lumber, Rain and Fogs.

knowing that many OF your readers or,
interested In any facts which they ma,
be able to gain, regarding the Pacific
slope, | venture to volunteer what infor
nation l have been able to obtain from
observation and otherwise, during a so
journ of several months on this coast
As 1 expect to spend the remainder Of
my days in California / think l can speak
without prejudice, and, on the Other
hand, 1 shall endcavor not to portray the
glories of California In the gaudy colors
In which SO mSny correspondents have
seen fit to illuminate them. l may pre-
mise my remarks by saying that Cslifor.
MIA is truly q great state, possessed of great
natural resources, and q climate which
on an average Is far superior to that of
the Mississippi valley. But the reader
should realize that California is great 10
extent, beirg 40 miles In length by
nearly 800 miles In width; that 1t Is trav-
erSed by mountains from end to end;
that a large area in the southern portion
of the state is an absolute desert, 80 that
my remarks regarding the climate can
only be taken as general, and not appli.
cable to all portions of the state. TO
the traveller who is familiar with the
scenes of the Mississippi valley, and who
drops down suddenly from the summit of
the Sierrss into the sub-tropical region
which borders them on the west, the tran.
sitlon Ia sudden and impressive. The
graceful eucalyptus, the Australian grass
tree, the accacias, the red woods, pines,
spruces, maganitas, madronas, aud an
endless variety of other strange shrubs
and trees, contrast strangely with the
scenery to which he has been accustomed,
and lend a charm to his surroundings
which, however, Is but q "tlsetlng show. y
ALI these things soon become common
place, and cease to attract attention n
more than do the wild flowers and grass
on the plains of Kansas and Missouri.
The mountain scenery, too, becomes ex-
ceedingly monetonous. Clothed in ever
lasting green and covered with gray
g'anite rocks, they present no change of
scenery throughout the year, and one
finds himself wishing that they would
shift their positions, or change their
vendure for the sombre hues of autumn,
or do sometbing to break the monotopy.
Since coming to this coast l have ira
verSed California from east to west, have
traversed the entire length of the Napa
valley, and have traversed the coast of
north of San Francisco as far as Hum
boldt bay, which is 225 miles by water
from this city. l will speak of these re-
glons in detail, and first of
THE UITNnOJnT cprNrpy
Before leaving the east l was informed
that the Humboldt country was rich In
natural resources, prosperous beyond
comprehension and possessed of a climate
which was charming In the highest de-
gree. AS a matter of fact, l found that
region to be almost exclusively a lumber.
Ing country, where lumbermen can OBJ.
tain work at good wages from four to six
months In the year, provided they can
get work at all. The agricultural, horti- |
cultu.nl and grazing interests are mere
ciphers, and comparatively speaking, are |
unworthy of mention. Fromthe vicinity |
of Cape Mendocina northward, the foot
hills of the coast range hug the coast
closely, and the few little valleys to be |
found here ara mere garden spots com.
pared with the area of mountains and
foothills. The little valleys are fertile, |
but there Is nothing of them Were ev-
cry foot of tillable land under cultivation
1t would not produce o%ne.fourth of what
is consumed in the country. Everything
Is
SHIPPED INTO THAT COUNTRY
from San Francisco, and consequently is
high-priced. Even the so-called hay that
is consumed by the work animals, Is
shipped from ''below" as the saying is.
The so.cslled hay is unthrss shed oats, |
the market price of which is 1926 per ton.
Imme diately along the coast, and in the
valleys In close proximity to it, neither
gain nor fruit will ripen. owing to the
extreme GOODNESS and dampness of the
climate. In short, 1t is no agricultural
country at all.
AS TO GRAZING INTERESTS
| regard it as but little better. Compare
lively few cattle ara raised, owing to the
scarcity of food, and whilo sheep are
raised In conhide rable numbers in the
mountains and foothills, they are of In
ferior quality and the annual clip per
head is very light. The market price of
the wool is also very low compared with
that of the eastern states. My eyes may
he blinded by prejudice, but looking at
the country In as fair a light as l am ca.
pable of doing, l can see no great and
prosperous future for 1t. Tho
TIMBER IS IMMENSE,
stsnding thickly on the ground, and
many of the trees of immense proper.
lions. A description of the manner of
telling them and getting them to the
mills would make an interesting chapter,
but ! must forego the pleasure of giving
it, as brevity is the spice of life. When
the timber is removed the land Is worth
less. Redwood stumps never rot, and
further. the soil is absolutely worthless
for the raising of either grain or vegeta-
bles until bounteously manured.
For several months past the lumber
interest has been tagging. Many of the
mills have shut dowp, and others are only
running a light force. When the lumber
business flags, times are hard in earnest.
Most of the employees soon spend their
wages in the saloons and gambling dens,
and then seek a livelihood in other por.
tions of the state.
EUREKA,
q city of about 5000 inhabitants, Is the
principal town on Humboldt bay, or on
the northern coast of California. Were