Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-24
uoILIsrFn. ootobar %. 1sss

-AThriviug Town and am En-.
ergetic People = Wayside Ke.
marks.
HoLLIsrEa, october 20, 1886.
DEAR Ii ERALD:-I came here by way o
San joaquin. at which lace good Demo
cratic meeting greeted yours truly. Th'
exercises at the meeting were interesting
sud instructive, and augured well for tht
success of the whole ticket In th at baili
wick, 1 found that General Yandever had
been there, and spoken to slim crowd.
cannot say that the old gentleman left .
good impression behiad him, that is, In
the party sense. His auditors complained
that his whole speech was an anqrchis m
back twenty years. But since that time the
country has been moving. Progress has
marked the order of national and state
march, and issues that were potent the
are relegated to the limbs of the musty and
dusty past We have a new generation to
deal with. New life and activities-press-
ing questions OF the hour-great and poten-
tial problems in the field of politics, and
actual industries to develop which will re
quire all the prescience and energy of our
wisest thinkers and statesmen to handle
successfully. What need, then, where there
is so much of present and prospective beue
fit to discuss aud direct and fost sr by legis
lation, and to be quickened into realization
int the musty data Of our great struggle and
project IL into campaign of oday? TO
show that this kind of discussion is out of
place, need only cite the fact that have
found Republicans both here and in San
Joaquin who are SO greatly disgruntled
with Uncle Vandever about his speech--for
1t is the same speec erywhere-that they
have made their minds up to vote for a
live man-one who thoroughly knows the
wants of his district-Joe Lynch. But let
us turn for a moment from politics and
take look at this
MAGNIFICENT VALLEY
And its possibilities. / took stage at Sar.
gents station yesterday for San Juan. The
driver, Mike Regan. a typical stageman. at
once formed my and in q jiffy
we were as Ii ''twinned at BIRTH" found
him Intelligent and well posted.as all genu-
inc stage. drivers arc. But his forte was to
talk up the beauties and possibilities OF
this really fine valley, On this subject he
was exhaustless, ana spoke of it with the
warmth of the Tyrolean Jaegher when he
spoke of his Alpine hills He comprehend.
ed the situation to nicely. and when /
asked him why these l0ag stretches OF fer
tile land-capable of unlimited production
were not sc tied up and under cultivation
he said that 1t was because they are chief
ly held in large tracts, and tn their own
ers either do not want to sell them or don't
know how to goab nut it in the way in which
your large proprietors in Los Angeles have
DONE" - hy," said he, lust look at that
soil see what a magnificent ampitheatre of
hills encloses this fertile valley, aud what a
grand fringe of vineyards and orchards
could be planted in these foothills. Why,
there is no end to the production that could
be had from such valley as this. 1t would
support thousands OF families aud dlffuse
prosperity throughout the whole coun ""
Indeed. Iagreed with him. 1 saw that the
bottom lands, which are very extensive, are
what are called surface moistened, and
need o irrigation Here and there small
field of twenty or thirty acres is covered
with pumpkins of the nam coth sort, aud
looks as If a recent volcano had shot pump
kius all over 1t. The few orchards aligning
the wsyside showed the adaptability of the
soil and climate to fruit-tree culture. Yet
here is valley embracing several hundred
square mics of excellent soil given over
to grazing and to time leases for wheat
growing. But the major portion OF it is
where nature had left it, uuacquainted with
the plow and the harrow. but it only needs
to be tick ed by the hand OF the husband
man to give forth its treasures in bountiful
profusion.
WHAT WILL COME.
But predict that in a very few years the
grand pi 'ture of possibilities my stage-driv-
ing friend drew for me Will be realized It
is impossible that these vast acres of rich
soil shall long be left 10 sheep and cattle, or
to be farmed out on occasional seasons to
Sheat-land leasers. 1t will become the site
OF great multitude of happy homes, sur
rounded by the luxury of rich fruits and
lush fields The home seekers of the east
who are now filling our extreme southern
counties Will spill over into this delects BILE
region. and the propretors of extensive
tracts will themselves realize that their in
terest is to be subserved by cutting up their
broad acres into small and prosperous hold
iBgs That day Is near at hand, for the
ftresm of California immigration is now on
the way, and it VIII only require one of the
large land owners to make a break Ia the
ice of the laisse- .tGire policy of the past for
all the rest to follow. Indeed, 1 hear that
one OF them-Dr Flint-who is now east, is
working up a colony scheme for his ranch.
and should he make success OF 1t this
great valley will soon become what n lture
has carved it out to be-the teeming home
of thousands of happy people
THE TOWN OF HoLLIsTER
Is delightfully."- located, in the very heart of
this fine valley. 1t has all the signs of
prosperity in its buildings and its thronged
streets Its stores will vie in the amplitude
cities There is an air OF thrift aud progress
pervading its business population, and Its
accessIb bility by rail to the pOpulous centers
assures its stability as the chief commercial
seat of this region. Its people are afiable,
stranger within their gates" with hospita-
BILE welcome. They are alive to the future
of their locality, and constitute the men
who will be on top when the great wave OF
prosperity, so sure TO come. strikes this val
ley.
And when that wave comes il will lift
San Juan ou. of the lethargy that has per-
vaded this glorious old town for a number
of years. San Juan is now six miles off the
railroad but when the good time comes the
railroad will come, perforce, with it. AL
though shall then regret the absence of
my appreciated friend, Mike Regan, from
the road, yet there will be this compensa
ton, shall have the satisfaction Of know
ing that he was a true prophet, aud that a
man of ais foresight and keen intelligence
must necessarily be one OF The many who
"rOse with the country" San Juan Is noted
for her grand old Mission Church, aud her
splendidly kept orphan asylum. l had not
time to visit either yesterday, but have q
very pleasant recollection of a visit paid
the reverend Padres cloistered abode three
years ago. / also at that time made a
thorough inspection OF the Asylum. and the
Lady Supervisoress took great pains TO show
me through It's neat dormitories and we'll
kept living rooms A large number OF emil
dren are receiving the home care of the
Sisters here, and the excellent training for
which their order is celebrated. Outside Of
these striking landmarks. there is very lit
tie of interest in the town. The old church
is a monument OF the old Missionary faith
ers, which attracts the attention of every
NlSltUI. IT'S nioLDIs pIluBCS tttt cru WACh
California was a wild and savage outpost
and the era when 1t represents the most ad
vanced civilization OF modern times. |
never see one of the old Mission churches
but am carried back to that chivalrous
and picturesque epoch when Junipero Sierra
and his brave compeers went through I'M
told sufferings to plant the cross in coun
try which was then to the rest of the world a
terra incoqnitd. All around is mutation and
change; but these old landmarks stand ut
in bold relief against the backwall of Time,
and in words as plain as If they were carved
in brass, repeat what Hugo said Tor Notre
Dame: "J'etais au commencement; 1e suls
a present; je serai dams lavenir." =,
There will be a rousing Democratic rally
here this evening, and preparations on
grand scale are being made for the demon
stratiou. Mr.. Tarpey and Mr.. Foote, candi.
dates for Lieutenant-Goyernora and Railroad
Commissioner, and Col. ]. j. Ayers are
billed as the speakers.
j. j.. A.
winning Numbers of Prize Tick.