Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01
CALIFORNIA.
HER AGRI, ULTURAL, MINERAL,
AND OTHER RESOURCES.
A Land Whose History Antedates
that of the Pilgrim Fathers
The Golden Era.

A Land Whose History Antedate
that of the Pilgrim Fathers
The Golden Era.
by Prof. Henry G. Hanks, State Minera.ogist.
California lies between 800 As and 40
north latitude, and between the 3sth an,
4Sth meridian of longitude west of Wash
ington. 1t has a seacoast 1907 miles il
length, aid an average width of 200 miles
The area of the State approximates 1866
square miles. or in round numbers, 100 900,
600 of acres. OF this area 36,000,000 acre
are specially suited to agriculture, 10000,
900 are grazing lands, also adapted to fruit
raising; 20000,000 are .ountainous, Blu
contain minerals of great value and tim
Der; 100000 acres are swamp or tut
lands, which car, to ce tain extent, be re
claimed; and 100000 acres consists o
alkaline lands or deserts, portion only o
which can be utilized There are thre,
principal chains of mountains in the
State, nearly parallel to each other, an6
having the general trend of the coast. The
| Sierra Nevada is the backbone so to speak
! The rains falling on these mountains divide
their waters at the summit, one portion
! flowing to the Pacific ocean, the other find.
! ing its way eastward into the Great Basin
where it either sinks into the loose, sandy
| soil, or spreads out into alkaline lakes OF
| considerable magnitude. These bodies oil
| water are kept in a state of equilibrium
| by evaporation.
| The Coast Range is rather low range OF
! lxyino no
dicated by the name. Iii the southeastern
part of the State there is another elevation
which has been called the lnyo mountains.
This range differs from others mentioned,
in being highly argentiferous. Owens val
| ley, which separates it from the Sierra
Nevada, is remarkable for its uniform
width and great length, extending as it
| does for one hundred miles in direction
| somewhat west of north The mountain
| ridges lying both east and west of Owens
valley are the highest in the State. and
/ some of the peaks or submits are the
| highest in the United States. if not in
| North America. Mount Whitney rises to
an altitude of $1,000 feet, and the summit
may be reached without great difficulty.
| This celebrated mountain is surrounded by
at least hundred peaks, ALI of which are
over $4,000 feet in height above the sea-
| level. In the more southern portion of
| the State the mountains are broken into
spurs, short ranges and isolated buttes Ii
Is to this portion of California that we look
for large output of silver in the near fl-
ture. Other minerals aud metals also
abound in the irregular mountains men
toned.
The valleys of California vary from
alpine meadows, surrounded by snow-ciad
| inclines lying high up in the mountains.
IN wIdpsnraa6 Maine
allel mountain chains. All are fertile.
Some require irrigation, others do not.
while still Others are improved by artificial
watering.
There are several large lakes in the State.
| and numerous lakes of lesser magnitude.
Some contain pure and fresh water, while
others are alkaline or salt.
MOUNTAIN FORESTS
While some portions of California are
well wooded, others are but sparselv COW
cred with timber, while others still are en-
tirely bare. The Sierra, to an altitude of
! 5000 feet, and some portions of the Coast
Range, are clothed with magnificent for
ests of pine, fir. spruce and cedar. Oaks do
not appear at an altitude above 5000 feet.
The so-called big trees of California
the Washington cedar, or Segioia Gigal,tea
! of the botanist-live only at a great alti-
J tuue Nitoii o,ouO 10 o:ouo Ieet), ana not, as
generally supposed, in two or three iso-
lated spots. but in great abundance, ex-
! tending for many miles along the line of
altitude mentioned. They are too large to
| be conveniently handled, but the lumber
and timber would be usefnl if it were as
cessible, which it practically is not These
trees seldom fall from natural causes. and
when they do, they lie from 500 to 900
years without material decay, like the
granite or syenite obeliSks left unfinished
in ancient Egyptian quarries. These vege.
table columns sometimes rise to an altitude
OF 400 feet, and in some cases measure
forty feet in diameter at the base although
generally not more than thirty feet Along
the northern coasts grow the redwoods,
from which a large portion of the lumber
and timber i'll general use is obtained.
| These trees are also very large, some of
! them yielding from thirty to forty thousand
feet of lumber The wood is durable,
easily worked, and has a straight grain and
rich color 1t is extensively used in Cali
fornia for building and other purposes, and
is largely exported, latterly to London,
where it is in great demand and commands
fancy prices for ornamental purposes
Other useful and durable woods are found
| in abundance in the State.
GRANDEUR OF SCENERY.
Our State is noted for Its magnificent
scenery. In the California Alps, the region
surrounding Mt. Whitney, may possibly be
! found as superb landscapes and command
| ing views as at any locality on the face OF
| the earth. This region of the State sur
passes even the Yosemite and Hetch-
Hetchy valleys, celebrated the world over
for their exceptional beauty and grandeur
| Since visiting Mt. Whitney and the pict-
uresque country in its vicinity, it has re-
manned a mystery to me why tourists and
! lovers of nature in her grandest and wild
| est moods, do not flock to the locality and
revel in its beauties.
Rugged mountain peaks of granite,
partly covered with perpetual snow, noun
| tain streams filled with trout, splendid can
| yons, wild rocky gorges, mountain meadows
| lakes of purest water, cascades eataracts
waters that fall and pause and fall mu.
raj cliffs rising to dizzy hight, dense and
| almost impenetrable forests, an atmosphere
bracing and smelling of ozone, or redolent
with the odor of fir balsam and pine nee
dies, are a few of the attractions of the
| higher attitudes. Lower down are boiling
| springs, volcanic cones surrounded by ex-
tensive beds of ancient lava, and even a
miniature Sahara with accompaniment OF
shifting hot sands and moving whirlwinds,
alkaline lakes and scattered sagebrush.
| Silver and gold mines may also be visited
in the vicinity, the mountains are ribbed
with undiscovered mineral wealth, and all
of these attractions are within thirty miles
or so of well-appointed narrow-gauge
railroad. Why all these natural beauties
should go begging for appreciative observ-
ers, and not be eagerly sought by ubiqui-
! tous tourists, can only be accounted for by
their ignorance of the facts l have here
! stated.
A CLIMATE TO EVERY TASTE.
| So much has been said and written OF
| the climate of our State that it is quite I'M
necessary to dwell upon the subject. As
! to temperature, almost any degree may be
selected from large assortment 1t is only
necessary to consider well what would be
/ most agreeable, and then seek it IN the
varying chimes of Death valley, the arena
ceous plains of the Colorado or Mohave
deserts, among the SHOWS and pines of the
| high Sierras, in the mountain valleys, in
the fogs among the redwoods of the north
ern coast, or in the streets of Crescent City
San Francisco, Monterey, Los Angeles OF
San Diego.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES AND PRODUCTS
Thirty-five years ago agriculture was al
! most ,,ptpnup in California Now II is