The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-09-03
SAN DIEGO, CAL, Aug. 10Th, 1886.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Aug. 10Th 1886.
Dear friends who read the OPINION
noticing an item in that paper of July
3Oth, saying that Charlie Flanders of
Post Mills had returned home from
California after short stay, declaring
she would rather have just Il living in
Vermont than fortune in California"
! thought would like to give my wit
ness in favor of California. Leaving
Vermont Feb. 10th, 1885, struck for
Salinas, Monterey Co. After spending
four weeks visiting places of impor-
lance, including the big trees and saw
mills of Santa Cruz Co., being delight
ed OH every hand with the sights and
wonders, but finding nothing, however,
that just suited me for business, labor
ers in the mills being plenty and wages
cheap, | went to San Francisco with
the intention of going to Eureka, Hum
bolt county, where the trees and mills
are larger than at Santa Cruz or to
Puget Sound in w. T., as the prospect
might best appear, l spent twenty-five
days enjoying the sights in and around
that magnificent city of one hundred
hills, but being too easily discouraged
with the prospect of the numbering
business up the coast, l thought best
to strike some new town and help build
it up with the hammer and saw. San
Diego was just then being opened to
the world by a new railway, and being
a county of oranges, figs, and climate
where the grapes are deliciously sweet
and the raisins the best in the world,
the olive tree flourishes, bananas are
grown in places, and no month in all
the twelve is without it's fruit of some
kind. | decided to GO south instead of
north and embarked Oh the splendid
steamship Santa Rosa, the goth of
April, 1885, and after delightful voy-
age, stopping at several places along
the coast, landed in San Diego at $50
a. m, April 23d. Having been here
nearly sixteen months have seen the
city double its population which was
about 1000, and also it's buildings. The
principle streets are being graded and
horse railways built thereon. Electric
light is difftsed from four iron masts,
each 1875 feet high and many business
houses are now light with it. The
evenings are very pleasant here and
when the moon is on this side of our
Terrestrial sphere from his solar majes-
ty, the electric masts are not lighted.
One can see to read common newspaper
print by "the sweet silver light of the
moon" and sailing on the bay is just
delightful. New houses are being
built in all parts of the town but are
rented long before they are finished.
New water companies are putting forth
many thousand dollars to supply the
city and surrounding country with
abundance Of water, then will come to
pass the saying ''the desert shall bios
som as the rose" A new college is
being founded by the M. e. church of
Southern California, and plans for the
construction of elaborate and magniti-
cent buildings are being made. Cali
fOrnia schools are not behind any in
U. S. A., in system or standard of ed
ucation. Plans are also being drawn
for new church and others are in con-
temptation. Within six months four
large hotels besides numerous residence
es and cottages were built within 1000
feet of my residence. Building lots
on 9Th ST., are selling for $500 front
foot by 100 feet deep, the same could
have been bought one year ago for $50.
San Diego is called the city of Bay
climate. IT'S said we have bay for
breakfast, climate for dinner and build
n hof
may be we are hale, hearty and healthy,
and if those who come to this equable
climate to get health would come SOON
er, Dame Nature would heal them and
give them a life lease of many more
years.
A grand reception has been given to
the G. A. r., hundreds of dollars be-
ing spent to make display of our
fruits and minerals, and every veteran
was entitled to all the fruit and ice
cold lemonade he could get outside.
Many of them came back from S. F.,
with colds and declare this to be
paradise found" and l don't disagree
with them. The town site is sloping
toward the south from an elevation of
about 200 feet to the shores of the
magnificent bay which is second to
none Oh the coast for safety of entrance
at any season and commodious ship
ping facilities. For climate, all the
year is summer day and December is
as pleasant as May.
For wages day laborees get 81,
wood butchers $3.50 to 81, plasterers
and brick masons $3.50. By Investing
my wages in cheap city lots on the
monthly installment plan have been
able to make $1,000 besides my living
since living in San Diego, having had
work most of the time at from 50 to
So day.