New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-04-28
From Southern California.

| FROM OOJGEy4GTN VUEIIOT7LIU.
San Diego, April 18th, 1886.
Editor Having promised a
number of our friends to let them hear
from us through the columns of the
Review, herewith send you the first
letter, Just four weeks after our arrival
here, and after having permanently set
tied, by renting house, purchasing the
necessary articles for housekeeping and
having commenced putting up a build
ing of our own, which we expect to fin
ish in from two to three months. am
contemplating to build double store
of brick, 50x70, the second floor divid-
ed into fourteen dwelling and Office
rooms. From these preparations you
will see that we have decided to stay.
! We made the trip from New Ulm to
San Diego, Cal, in about six days, hav-
ing lost nearly days time on the way
on account Of the heavy train, crowded
by passengers taking advantage of the
low rates.
Our daughter Clara commenced to
/, improve as soon as a warmer climate
was reached, and has now recovered so
far that she assists in doing light house
work, and is able to take a walk Of a
mile. The rest Of Tug are enjoying ex-
cellent health, and all are so far we'll
pleased with our new home. With the
exception of about two days with show
ers of rain, there has been very little
change in the weather for the past
month, the thermometer varying but
little below so in the morning and not
above IS at noon.
The regular and pleasant climate of
San Diego is its greatest but not the on.
ly attraction. Its location on the beau
tiful, safe and tranquil bay of San
Diego, with minimum depth of chan
mel of twenty three feet at low tide, and
the romantic scenery back of it gives
it a commercial value as well, as it
lends enchantment to the lover of the
beauties of nature, and gives health
and comfort to the invalid and those
whose constitution is not strong enough
to endure a cold and varying climate.
If climate and natural beauty were
all that southern California possesses,
besides its abundance of fresh semi
tropical fruits, its advantages could on.
ly be enjoyed by the rich, who could
come here and spend money, without
being obliged to earn it here. But
bountiful nature in her generosity, has
endowed this part of the United States
also with much Of the substantial. Be-
sides high mountains full of valuable
minerals, there are many valleys hav-
ing as rich soil,in which almost any
thing from 4 turnip and potato, to inn
mense fields of grain and all the semi
tropical fruits can be successfully rails
ed, as can be found anywhere in the
world. In ordinary seasons most field
crops and fruit trees, as we'll as grapes,
do we'll without irrigation, after The
trees are once started.
Much of the farming land and land
suitable for raising fruit, can be irrigat-
ed, and on such land the crop sown, or
planted, succeeds nearly always with
out fail, since there are so few disturb.
ing elements here that endanger it.
Having been here so short time,
and even during that, busy with pre-
parations for building, ! can not at
present give a detailed account of farm
lands and farming operations in the vi
cinity of the city Of San Diego, Or San
Diego county, but am informed from
reliable sources, and judging from the
amount of farming implements sold
here, that already considerable grain,
such as wheat and barley, and fruit,
grapes and vegetables of every descrip
ton, is grown here. Stock raising is
simply immense,a single ranch Garm)
that of Flood, consists of over one hun
dred thousand acres, and is we'll stock
ed. There are many others Of less de.
mansions. A number Of these farms
are now cut up and sold to small pur
chasers, in quantities to suit, from one
acre upwards, at prices, as advertised
j fronl five to one hundred dollars anG
even more per acre, according to loca
J, ton and improvements. AS San Diego
: county is something like one hundred
j by three hundred miles large, there j.
5 Iyet room for many, bat the emigration
fromsan the other States, east nortl
g and south has been very great the pas,
: winter and still continues; the choices
lands are being: taken up and the pric,