The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-05-05
oUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
sAcRAnrrro CITY. January q, 1854
Especial Correspopdcnce.l

OUR CAIuPOnNbA
sAmArrrro CRY. January q, 1854
Especial Correspoudcncel
california. the largest State in the Union
s$cept Texas. is 700 miles long with an
.veraee width Of $50 miles Ths Siarr1
Nevada and Coast Range OF mountains run
parallel. northeast and southwest, the Siei-
- having an altitude Of from S.OOo 70
IA 600 feet: the Coast Range from zoVv
IN 600 feet. and they are divided ~ =
humber of valleys and rivers, the pr1ncipal
80 hs,ro the Sacramento valley. 200
rilea IN length and As miles average
,,idth through which runs the Sacramen-
20 river. q nayigable stream for about 1oV
miles from its entrance into Suisun bay, q
emau bay at the head Of the bay OF SAM
Francisco a.
Sacramento valley proper includes ina
counties Of Sacramento, Yuba, butte.
hama. Colusa, Suffer, Yolo ana nolane.-
these being bordered by the moun'1ln
counties of Amador. Fl DORADO. riacer.
Nevada Sierra. Plumas, Shasta. lnys
Nendocino. Lake and Napa, snordinR =
great variety of soil and climate. oSinR "
the difference in elevation
The soil of the valley counties borderink
upon the Sacramento river Is principally 9
dark. rich adobe and ailuvial soil, and well
adapted TO the growth Of cereals Along
the foot hills varieties Of soil from BLACK
adobe to light sandy soil appearA Inc
lower slopes Of the mountains contain cif-
ferent soil. some being sands. Of light COLOR
others h0ht clay. and much Q deep red clay
The submits are more rocky and volcanic
and the soils vary, some being clay hills.
sandy ridges loamy meadows ana oeepS
rich valleys in the very tops OF the mount
aims, being the favor.te resort OF large
herds Of sheep and cattle during the sum
mer montha
stretching along the foothills and up the
mountain sides to tho altitude OF =, ouO Ieet
Is what il known as the thermal belt" It's
In this belt where the warm air fingers when
the sun goes down, and to which the warm
air rises when the first rays Of the morning
sun are thro xn upon the valley. Tender
plants and semi tropical fruits are grown
in profusion, rs was fully demonstrated az
the Citrus fair held in Oroviile. Butte Conn
~. in December last This thermal belt' Ia
also noted for itswonderful curative qualities
in lung and asthmatic complaints but very
little good Government or railroad land
near the railroads or rivers remain Land
Is worth from So to $500 per acre according
to location and improvements. In the foot
hill region land is selling from 50 to 800
per acre. In the valley bordering ON the
Sacramento river large ranches of from
1000 to 10000 acres have been the pre-
vaiiing feature As population comes In
these will be subdiyided and on their rch
al;uvial soil thousands of small farms, the
homes of thrifty families. will be estab-
lished. but this can not be accomplished
until the population increases and there ID
. demand The population Of this great
State il about /, 500. Co., but it is capable
of supporting 10. OOO. 600 people.
All this vast region Of soil watcr and
climate, unsurpassed by any other. now in
vites population-not lazy. shiftless, Inn
pecunious persons. such would soon starve
or be found begging but men with brain
and muscle, and enough money to give
them fair start. enough to sustain them
while improving the lands. to mako them
produce that for which nature intended
them-such men, II with families so much
the better, can ind abundant opportunities
to secure at moderate cost such . home AZ
viii be pleasant and profitable man
with . family willing to help him, If he has
from 81. 600 to S., 600 in hand, is safe to
make beginning which, il he Is 1udiOious.
should lead him to prosperity.
There are mineral springs in the foothiu
ranges upon 10th sides Of the Sacramento
valley that vie in their punitive qualities
with the faz-famed springs of Germany,
and are Tesorted to by tnvalids from every
section OF the United States
Two branches Of the Central Pacific rail-
road leaves Hacramento-one ON the east
Gde Of the wiley. via Marysville and Chico
and the intermediate towns, tho other on
the west side. via Woodland Willows and
Williams and intermediate towns uniting
at Tehama. the now head Of navigation ON
0o< Avnt<x v3x IL
b continued to Portland, Ore, this road
having been completed within the Ia
sixty days. opening up country wonderfully
rich In farming timber and mineral prod
uctA
Until the past I'VE years the raising Of
wheat and barley was the principal occu-
patton Of the farmers Of the Sacramento
valley, the grain being transported to
Europe on ships but the completion Of thrso
trans-continental railroads-tho Central
Pacific, Southern Pacic and thesH tchison-
Topeka 3 Santa Fe. with the pt6spect Of
other roads soon coming. affording In
creased facilities and reduced rates Of
transportation. has given wonderful Inn
petus toward raising fruit and Csfifornta
win soSp be conddered the garden spot oe'
the worA The Sacramento valley has sun
Piled nsne-tenths Of the fruit sent East. ana,
the /" Ffuit 0rowerS' Union an association
Of fsrlhsrA in the year 1887 sold their fruit
In New York and Boston ON the auction,
plan md with gratifying succesa It VIII
be tried IN other citiss this coming season
with reduced rates Of transportation, 20
that sixty million OF people in the United
States can afford to purchase these Califo
mia fruits. and the progress and deyelop-
mentof the fruit business will be something
wonderful
The largest grstn-gzowen in the valleys
DO their blowing with gang plows and
their harvesting with the latest improved
machinery. Consequently farm hands in
the past had employment only dudng .