Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-26
LIFE IN Al STRANGE LAM.
LIuexplored Wa.te and Populous
waters.
IN caIifomia---A Country That is the
Same Now as When First
Discovered.


/ of the western hemisphere is SO little known
as lower California. To reach it requires
| dangerous and difficult journey, to subsst
| af,er sne has arrived is still more difficult
/ task, and to explore the country thoroughly
| is impossible. Wild beasts and wilder
ssvases infest its desert sands aud path
less forests, and the stupenduons molu
tain chain throws up an lmpasSa
! bic wall from end to end along iis
center. To-Day lower California is sub
| stantially the same as when Cortez and his
| hardy crew sailed around its unknoSn
| short-the same trackless forests, unex-
plored mountains. aud uncultivated prsiries,
exec ut where here aud there solitary
ranchman has made the desert bloom by lr-
risatien. Lack of water is the bane OF the
peninsula, but whenever irrigation Is posi-
BILE the strong, virgin soil yields most luxu'
riantly. The few Insignificant rivers that
come tumbling down from the mountains,
are all short, shallow streams which are dry
through the long hot summers, but become
exceedingly dangerous torrents durlng the
annual season of rains. There are several
copious springs in the interior, but invaria-
DIV the streams flow along a rocky course
and are lost in subterreaneau channels. In
winter the rains are terrific, but Of short
duration, accompanied by tremendous tor
nados of wind which sweep every particle OF
soil from exposed positions into the sea
leaving the luckless rsnchmsu the alterna'
tive of seeking pastures new, or plying Ills
vocation on bed of bare rock.
The variety Of climate is great, for when
at the point Of the peninsula the thermoue
ter stands at 70 degrees above zero, 1t Is
frequently down to freezing at the head OF
the Gulf. For about eighty miles north OF
Cape San Lucas the air is always mild, TEN
pered by gentle breezes from the sea; from
that point northward the heat is excessive
especially at La Paz and Loreto, but cooler
at Mulege and toward the line Of the United
States. On the Pacific side the temperature
is uniformly delightful. never falling below
so degrees nor rising above 10 degrees. The
sky is like that of Naples the beautiful
deep, clOudless blue, except when gorgeous
sunsets flush the west with ruby, violet, and
gold.
In the fertile places amazing crops are
grown Of corn, sugar cane, wheat orchllls,
manioc, all manner of esculent roots; excel
lent grapes, from which wine is made SINH
lar to that of the Canaries; besides oranges,
lemons, citrons, dates, olives, pineaPples
and all other tropical fruits. On several
ranches horses mules, pigs, and black cattle
are reared, and the foothills feed few wild
sheep and goats. The mountain wall which
divides the peninsula from end to end rises
TO an average height of 5000 feet, its cul
minating peak, the hill of the Giantess,
having en- altitude of 5000 feet The
range has two extinct volcanoes, and num-
Der 'ess springs Of hot water and bltumen.
Earthquake shocks are frequent, aud among
the unknown heights nature seems TO have
located her secret laboratory. The too'-
bills are sprinkled with sage brush and
chaparral, and in the burning deserts at
their base cactus grows to an extraordinary
height. Coal has been found at Santiago
aud some petroleum on the Pacific side
There are gold placers at Santa Cruz, 10.
sario, San Rafael and the lately discovered
fields of Ssura Gertrudis. 1t is believed
that the mountaiUs are rich in precious
metal For the purpose OF making a
thorough survey Of its long-neglected terri
tory the Mexican governments has recently
sent out Commission OF expert engineers
to report upon the resources OF the PENN
sula.
For centuries. gold silver, pearls, aud pre-
cious stones have been the alluring phan-
toms which have beckoned fortune hunters
TO these coasts. A few years ago reports
we're heralded TO the world of some wonder
h,l placer mines said to have been discov-
cred in this remote district Of Mulege. II
vas asserted that shining nuggets lay all
around uron the surface, waiting only to be
picked ur. Mulege lies southwest from
| Guyamas, and can only be reached by joar
neying across the Gnlt in one of the poorly
provisioned craft that ply those stormy
! waters A crowd of eager adveuturers
poured down from Arizona, Sonora, Chi
hushua, and even from Colorado and Neva-
da. Their sufferings were intense be
fore they reached the eastern coast
OF the Peninsula, where they fond
a dreary desert stretching out before than
Halt dead from hunger and thirst they plod
ded on, with the gold lever burning in their
veins, till the impossible mountains cut Oh
! further progress And then it came out tina,
the story Of placer mining was ieluslon
| and snare, gotten up by certain shopkeep,
| ers Of Guyamas with view to reducing the
goods on their overstocked shelves By get.
ting up boom in immigration. The scheme
succeeded to TIE extent that Guysmas
| gained a considerable increase Of population
but not of character to benefit the town,
| for the immigrants who returned in rags
and poverty from M1lege proceeded to the
prisons;and almshouses and have mostly re-
maiv ed hare.
Poor rs Lower California il, and with a
total population Of less than 10000, she
supports eighty primary schools, norma
school, female seminary, the Peuinsulsr
| College, and the Academy of La Paz. The
administration Of the territory is under the
| immediate supervision Of The Federal gov
eminent, the chief executive being a Jefe
POlitico, who is appointed BY the President
La Paz, the capital and only city within its
! limits, boasts OF about $500 inhabitants.
The wonder is not that the population is
small but that any should have remained
in this dreary place. Government land
| sells for three cents an acre. but purchss
ers are like angels visits-few and far be,
/ tween.
The sea seems to be doing its best here
abouts to make up for the bsrrenness Of the
land. 1t is stored with an incredible mum
Der and variety of fish, including all those
to be found in southern waters and com
mon as well as pearl producing oysters
The most beautiful sponges abound in the
Gulf, no less 'thsn dozen different species
out of the fifty into which naturAlists have
clsssed them. Most numerous is the
sponge tomentosa, bright orange colored
and full Of gelstinous fish. When dry
it turns snow white, aud when broken
resembles bread. If rubbed on the
hand it will raise blisters, aud
when dried in an oven its stingiag proper
ties are increased. A common variety here
is the oculata, which grows to an extraor.
binary height Its delicate branches are
furnished with rows of small projecting
cells along the edges, and its intricate gal.
- u