Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-12
LAKE COUNTY.
4 Brief Statement of It's Resources, Lo-
cality and Outlook.

LHkepOfL democrat.
Lake county is situated at the summit of
the Coast Range, surrounded by intervaling
mountains. Il is, to many of the inhabit-
ants of this State, a terra incognita; still
the tourist who has had the temerity TO
penetrate into its close, has perceived val
leys of surprising richness. What are sup
posed to be barren hills he has found to be
long, rolling ridges covered with a dense
growth of underbrush and possessing a soil
Of wonderful fertility. He will also per-
Ceive springs Of clear, cold water gushing
out from the hillsides on every hand, large
forests of yellow and sugar pine, cedar, fir,
black and white oak. Descending into the
valleys, the inquirer, perhaps to his sur
prise, will find them to be bottoms of
depth Of soil and Of power of production
never eXcelled, and rarely, if ever. equaled.
In the center of this remarkable district is
the beautiful sheet of water, Clear Lake.
a lake some twenty-four miles by six to
ten, stocked with the choicest of game and
fish and with a depth of water that affords
the best of facilities for navigation
Lake county has an area of about LOO
square miles. OF this 5000 acres is, ac-
cording TO the Assessors report, first-class
land; by that we wish to be understood as
meaning land that can grow any ordinary
crop, such as corn, wheat, and vegetables
of all descriptions. In fact, these bottom
lands of Lake have been proven 10 be
capable OF responding remuneratiye 10 any
crop the agriculturist may choose to devote
them too. But we are not to suppose the
remaining portion is useless. By far the
greater part of the rest might be considered
valuable lands, as it is on the hitherto
despised hills of Lake those indispensable
conditions of soil and temperature are
found that lately caused the Hon. Charles
Wetmore TO acknowledge that Lake county
was the true vine land of America /" that
its capabilities for clarets and light wines
were unsurpassed.
In 1872 there were cultivated in this
county only about ID, 900 acres of land, and
to-day probably not more than p, 600 acres
are really cultivated. The inhabitants of
this district number, according to the sta
tistics, about 5000, or three acres of cult
waited land TO the soul-perhaps as small a
ratio as can be found any place in the
Union. But without fear of contradiction
l challenge any person to find a commu-
nitv of as intelligent, well-to-do people
anywhere in the United States as here
True, there ere no very rich men in Lake
but there are no paupers. The point wish
to make is this if this section under dis
cussion, Isolated as it is, can and does
evince such prosperity as is evinced by the
well-housed, well-clothed, well-fed con-
dition of its people. What would be the
result if a ready and speedy means Of
communication by railroad with the val
leys below and San Francisco and other
cities were had Lake county is yet in
her swaddling clothes; given an oppor-
tunity her future must be glorious.
What lovely COW, Uncle James, ex-
claimed Boston girl, the morning after
her arrival, and how comicaliy she
shakes her head " Yes, but don't get too
near that cow" cautioned the uncle, he's
an ugly critter."