San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-06-03
Southern California Letter.
Los ANorLrs, Cal, May l6, 1886.


readers will, as / have not had any
thing of very great Importance to tell
them. In q former letter mention
was made of some OF the drawbacks
to emigration, but / did not particu-
larize at that time. There is no coun-
try absolutely perfect, but while this
one spot of Southern California
comes nearer being the "land OF the
blest" than any other place on the
footstool, it, too, has some features
to which many might object, and L
will therefore mention some OF these
things briefly, The common tenden'
cy of writer's from here is to make
rather extravagant and exhilarating
statements. This inclination is par
donable, perhaps. because they find
Il climate so radically different from
anything they have ever known, and
are apt to forget or overlook many
things, which, if known, might deter
intending emigrants.
First, then: All kinds of real es-
tate are very high, especially such as
has water, or upon or near which
water can be developed. Owners or
purchasers of land in the East or
South regard the prices demanded
here as excessive, and when known
previous to coming here prevent
hundreds from seeking the Pacific
slope for home. People here, al,
though admitting the apparent alti-
tude of prices, contend that while
this may be SO in one sense, if it is
considered that the available land in
this favored section suitable for fruit
culture is so very limited compared
with the millions upon millions OBJ
tainable where the climate is lot 30
good, the chief reason for these high
prices is plain. No owner of q San
Marcos corner lot can be better
posted as to the value of his said lot
than are the owners of land in South
ern California, rs to its value. 1t is
useless to say that prices are too
high; supply and demand regulate
these things here as everywhere else.
When I tell you that raw lands ten
and twelve miles from the city are
now changing hands at 500 to $3.50
per acre, with noimprovements what
ever, but where water may be OBJ
tanned from irrjgating bitches or from
wells, you can form some idea what
improved lands are worth. g,
Whileparties ask such prices, there
is regular sale of hundreds and thou
sands of acres every month, and ii
an individual has sufficient means to
buy only few acres, there is no
doubt of future enhancement or n
comfortable and sure living in this
country, where there is more GER
tainty of q return for ones labor,
either in farming or in fruit culture,
with an incompatible "climate" in
addition than in any location L know
or have read anything about.
Another objection found by some
is the bad character of the water.
Nearly all of it is impregnated with
lime and alkalies; such a thing as
pure, soft water is seldom met with.
Even the water from the melting
SHOWS becomes saturated with these
substances in running through or
over the soil and mountains.
The water Of the Los Angeles river
which supplies our city is very hard,
and although it only runs a short
distance through the mountain val
leys and plains to reach us, yet it is
SO laden with mineral and vegetable
impurities as to be absolutely often
sive. Nearly every one has to boil
and filter the water to be able to use
it at all, and near the coast in many
places the mineral taste is often quite
suggestive of drugstore But with
all this, the water does not seem to
effect the general health of the peo-
pie, as they recuperate here when
coming from other States in ill-health,
and the resident population have as
fine health as you could expect to
see. So that, after all, it is main
tanned by some that the supposed
vicious water has real medicinal yir
tues. And why not, when the waters
of your Sour Lake and Wooten Wells
etc, are simply villainous
A third objection is found in the
difficulty of obtaining remunerative
employment, or, indeed, any at all in
many branches.
On the 9th of March the Evening
Express of this city published the
statement that there were then in
the city eight hundred white men
out Of employment, and within the
past month q San Francisco paper
announced that there were five thou
sand in that city who had nothing TO
do. These are straws which indicate
something of the condition Of the Ia
Dor market.
/ am told there is more chance TO
obtain employment on the farms and
ranches, but Of this / cannot state
much as to wages or localities where
work may be bad.
While this country is crowded
somewhat more than yours, there IL
in all professions or occupations
.'room on top, and a really meritorI-
Gus person who Jas = suficiency Of
q gall and snap can suoceed; but It