Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-11-13

EDITOR INTELLIGENCER: - Sunday,
June q, 1886, found us at our broth
er's delightful home in the beautiful
city of San Jose. 1t was bright, love-
ly morning, such as they have in Cali
fornia nearly the aoAole gear round, and
with a glad heart I sought out the
church of my choice to offer thanks
giving apd praise to God for his won
drous mercy toward us. l had long
desired to visit my brother and family
at his own home. Thirty-seven years
ago in April, when young man, he
had left our fathers home in Missouri,
and with hundreds of other young
men, and old ones too, started to cross
the mountains and plains that we had
just crossed He had four months of
hard toll and travel before he had &C
complished the journey we made in
less than five days. His was made in a
wagon drawn by mules that had to be
fed and watched and harnessed
daily and nightly too; we had the COM
forts of the Pullman sleeper and moth
lug TO do but exercise patience. San
Jose was not his objective point, as it
was ours, still it was there he wended
his way to find a home and resting
place, after his months of weary toll
and the scene of his life's work and
there he is to-day, happy old man,
surrounded by lovely family, waiting
the signal to emigrate to better coun-
try than even California.
San Jose then was small Spanish
town, having few people, but rich in
lands granted by the Spanish govern
ment. Nearly all these lands have been
gotten rid of in some way, and the city
is not much the richer OF their disposal.
San Jose is the countyseat of Santa
Clare county. 1t is situated about mid
way of Santa Clara valley, from east
to west, and about thirty miles from
the head OF the valley on the south, land
eight miles from the lower extremity
of the southern arm of San Francisco
bay. From Gilroy, which is near the
southern boundary of Santa Clara
valley, the ground slopes gradually
north to the bay, falling in the distance
OF near forty miles, only about, or less
than one hundred feet, and the land
also gradually slopes from the Coast
on the west and the Contra
Casta mountains on the east, toward |
The two rivers, Guadalupe and Cayote,
which run nearly parallel through the |
OF the valley from the south,
smptying into the bay near AlvisO. |
These two rivers from the eastern and |
western boundaries of San Jose prop
er They are about mile or mile and |
| quarter apart, the Guadalupe on the
west and the CayOte on the east. The
;ity proper is thus about mile or a mile
md quarter wide, and some three
niles long, and has now a population
If some 10000 within these limits.
There Is, hOwever,a ID large suburb south
'ast OF the Cayote, and also one on the
vest OF the Guadalupe whose popula.
:on sWells the aggregate of San Jose to
lear $4,000. To say that San Jose is a
beautiful city, Is to speak the truth
mildly. Its streets are nearly level and
ross each other at right angl les. Nearly
very street is bordered by rows of
maple or poplar or eucalyptus trees
nat make tnem each a beautiful avenue.
am sale in saying that there are in and
bout San Jose at least fifty miles ofI
lrlves as pretty as ever horse trotted
yer. While the city has not many
magnificent buildings, it does have a
reat number of very pretty ones. The
ourthouse is very fine building. The
formal school building is fine struc-
ure, and is surrounded by grounds that
re susceptible of the highest orna-
lent alton, and in time it will be a love-
y place for the training of teachers,
Dr Calitornians do nothing sparinely.
he Catholic church is also very large
nd fine building, attracting the atten-
ION of the stranger by its handsome
ppcarance from without and within it
very fine and beautiful; such as all
iod's temples should be. The four
orners where Santo Clara street is
rossed by First street are ornamented by
andsome bank buildings which make
he center of the city attractive. These
ulldlngs, like the institutions occupy.
ng them, are built on solid founda- {
Ions, and tower up two or three
tories i'll beautiful proportion. The
Oint where the street west of {
lrst street crosses Santa Clara street s
ornamented by an electric tower 2lO
eet high, built of iron, and from the
op OF this tower assisted by electric {
ghts in divers portions of the city, q
ne light is shed that lights the whole I
lty. Most of the houses are built of {
edwood, Calitornia's pride of the +
'rest, and are generally built IN mod
rn style. which gives the city its beau
full appearance. The residences are
rincipally built on large lots OF ground,
nd many of them are surrounded by
rass plats tastefully ornamented with 7
'ees and flowers and shrubs. Some. +
es most of these yards are supplied ,
nth water, which keeps them fresh :
nd green. Flowers grow to perfec- ,
on in this valley, IN fact all over the