Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-06-17
CALIFORNIA TRUTHS.
Hints to Home-Seekers in the
Great Golden State.

noticed recently the following
paragraph, written by well-known
and somewhat eccentric physician.
who, several years ago, spent two or
three winters in this State:
Il saw. when in Southern Califor-
MIA, family of parents and five chill
dren living under a live-oak tree.
where they had stayed three years
with no other covering than the tree,
not even a tent. 1t was an intelligent
New England family; they left Massa-
chusetts wretched from scrofula.
When saw them they were in fine
health"
After nine years experience in this
State, 1t is my opinion that the good
doctor was wofully deceived by that
8 intelligent New England family"
During dry year tent would
not be lmpracticable, although it
would be found rather damp on a cool.
foggy morning. But it is the height
of folly to conclude that people can
live comfortably Cor Otucrwise) in our
ordinary winter storms with no other
shelter than that afforded by an oak
tree.
Such statements as this have done
California incaiculable injury. They
are generally made by travellers and
tourists who are here for few weeks
or months, visit some of the principal
cities. take the popular excursions and
90 back to their homes to be recog-
nized as 4 standard authority on Pa
cific Coast matters. If the season is
favorable and their surroundings pleas
ant. their descriptions abound in rose
color But if they chance to encounter
stormy weather. or are forced by the
press of travel into inferior accommo-
dations. or something occurs to inter-
ferc with their own individual comfort.
then every thing is seen through blue
spectac!es. The cities are mere mush-
rooms .that have seen their best DAYS,
the fruit is insipid and coarse, the
oranges sour. the climate humbug,
the scenery nothing to boast of-even
Yosemite hardly pays for the eXpendi-
ture of time and strength required for
the trip. Occasionally one of these
dolefui souls vents his private griev-
ance on the entire State. but the tlOrid
descriptions are IN large majority
1t is easy to see how people NAV be
led to make these eNtravagant express
sions. Every thing here is new and
strange to them. They drive over
green plains spangled with many-col-
ored flowers, in January as though it
were June. They ramble through the
orange groves. breathing the fragrant
air. and picking with their own hands
the golden globes. They see hot-house
plants poisoning freely in the open
air. They are delighted with the
climate. the scenery, with every thing,
and frequently make the widest state
ments without taking the trouble to
verify them. They take single en-
ceptional instance. and hold it up for
ah invariable rule. For example, |
picked a calla the other day that meas
ured six feet from the base of the flow
er-stalk 10 the tip of the spathc. 1t
came from free-growing variety |
which has been specially enriched, bu. |
this is the tallest flower it has pro-
dueed. Shall l, then. proclaim that
callaS reach the height of six feet i'm !
this favored land? Though this may |
be true in occasional instances, would
il give nonresident 4 correct idea of |
the ordinary growth of callas?
l was greatly pleased when read in
the Christian at Work last summer
Rev. John X. Aliens account of Santa
Barbara-i: presented our semi-trop-
zeal life so truthfully. But these hap
hazard statements that will not bear
investigation give Eastern people
particularly the poorer classcs-a
totally false conception of our State.
Many Of them seem to think that it is
little short Of Paradise; that if they can
only scrape together enough money
for the overland trip fortune awaits
their arrival that if they conclude to ac-
cept some position very large salary
will reward a correspondingly small
amount of labor: and various other fig
ments that will lead to disappoint-
ment.
Any person of small means who i'm
AGNES that he can live comfortably in
California without working is deluding
himself. l never saw people work
harder than they do here. And the
work lasts the year sound. To be
sure. nearly every one takes = play
spell sometime during the summer.
going either to the beach or the
mountains-but there is plenty of work
to be done at all seasons. 1t is some
times said that California is no place
for poor man. But that depends
greatly on what sort of a man he is.
a person in good health. able and will I
ing to do whatever honest work comes
to hand. will probably do as well here
as in any part of the country. But it ,
is far better for poor people who are {
sick and unable to work TO remain
where they are with their friends. The {
professions are crowded Southern s