The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-17
ouR cALlFoRMlA ETTEa
sAcnAiaEsro CITY. January 81. lisa
ISpecinl Corresuoudence-

Especial Correspondcnce.l
California. the largest State I'm the Union
except Texas il 100 miles long with IN
average width Of $50 milea The Sierra
Nevada and Coast Range Of mountains run
parallel. northeast and southwest the SieT.
ras having m altitude Of from 5000 to
Il. COO feet; the Coast Range from $500
to = 900 feet and they are divided BY .
number Of valleys and rivers. the principal
one being the Sacramento valley, 200
miles I'm length and As miles average
width. through which runs the Sacramen-
| to river, navigable stream for about $50
miles from its entrance into Suisun bay. q
small bay at the head Of the bay of SAN
Francisco
Sacramento valley proper includes thu
counties Of Sacramento, Yuba, Butte. Te-
hama Colusa. Suffer, Yolo and Solane.
these being bordered by the mountain
counties OF Amador, Ell Dorado Placer.
Nevada Sierra, Plumas, Shasta, Trinity.
MendocinO, Lake and Napa, affordinr =
great variety Of soil and climate, owing tn
the difference in elevation
She soil Of the valley counties bordering
upon the sacramento river is principally .
dark. rich adobe and alluviai soil, and well
adapted TO the growth of cereals. Along
the foot hills varieties of soil from blacx
adobe to light sandy soil appears The
lower slopes Of the mountains contain dif-
ferent soil, some being sands. of light color,
others light 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 and deen
rich valleys in the very tops Of the mount
aims, being the favor,te resort of large
nerds Of sheep and cattle during the sum-
mer month";
Along tie foothills there is more or less
dense growth Of fuel timber, principally
oak The mountain sides are covered
with growth of pine fir and oak
Astounding in game. The climate OF
the valley Is warm in summer. and
not cold. the thermometer rarely dropping
below 80 degrees above zero in winter.
In June. July and August the mercury fire.
quently rises to 100 and occasionally no
degrees, but owing to the peculiar dryness
of the air and constant circulation of tho
winds, which take of all perspratior and
cool the body. the heat is not oppressive,
and business in the towns and harvesting
in the fields go on as usual. a case of sum
stroke being very rare indeed. The mir eral
belt is in the foothills and mountains, the
gold once Astounding in the beds of all the
streams in ravines and guiches. on the
surface of gravelly plains in the clay hills.
on the tops of the mountains and in the
great veins Of the rocky ridges Much still
remains and thousands OF miners yet derive
remunerative employment digging it out,
but the old miners now caution the new
conner with the prOverb: Gold is where you
ind il"
Stretching along the foothills and mp the
mountain sides to tie altitude of 9, 500 fest
is what is known as the thermal belt" II is
in this Eelt where the warm air fingers when
the sun goes down, and to which tho warm
air rises when the first rays OF the morning
sun are throw upon the valley. Tender
plants and semi-trOpical fruits are grown
in profusion, as was fully demonstrated ut
the Citrus fair held in Oroville, Butte Coun-
ty, in December last This thermal belt is
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 So to $50
per acre. In the valley bordering ON the
Sacramento river large ranches of from
1000 to 10000 acres have been the pre-
vailing feature. As population comes in
these will be subdivided and on their r.ch
homes Of thrifty families, will be estab-
lished. but this can not be accomplished
until the population increases and there il
demand The population of this great
State Is about ], 500, 900, but it is capable
of supporting IL, DOC. 900 people.
Ali this vast region Of soil, water and
climate, unsurpassed by any other, now in
vites population-not lazy, shiftless. i'm
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 make 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 a home as
will be pleasant and profitable man
with family willing to help him, If he has
from 81 900 to So, 900 in hand, is safe to
make beginning which. If he Is judicious,
should lead him to prosperity.
There are mineral springs in the foot-hi;1
ranges upon 10th sides of the Sacramento
valley that vie in their curative qualities
with the far-famed springs of Germany,
and are resorted to by invalids from every
section of the United States
Two branches of the Central Pacific reil-
side Of the valley, via Marysville and Chico
and the intermediate towns, the other ON
the west side, via Woodland Willows and
Williams and intermediate towns uniting
ut Tehama, the now head of navigation on
Sacramento river. From thence the road
is continued to Portland, Ore, this road
having been completed within the last
3 xty days, opening up country wonderfully
rich in farming timber and mineral prod
ucta
Until the past five 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 three
rairoads-the Central
Pacific, Southern Pacific AMI the Atchison,
Topeka 4 Santa Fe, with the prospect OF
other roads soon coming. affording in
creased facilities and reduced rates Of
has given wonderful i'm
petus toward raising fruit, and California
will soon be considered the garden spot OF
the world The Sacramento valley has sup
piled nine-tenths Of the fruit sent East, and
The "a Fruit Growers Union" an association
Of farmers in the year 1887 sold their fruit
In New York and Boston on ths auction
plan. and with gratifying success It viii
be tried in other cities this coming season.
with reduced rates of transportation. so
that sixty million OF people in the United
States can affofd to purchase these Califor-
mia fruits. and the progress and develop
ment of the fruit business will be something
wonderful
Fruit canneries and driers are being es-
and thousands of tons OF fruits
are preserved in this manner Good farm
bands get from $25 to $50 per month by
the year; harvest hands. 81 80 to 81 30
per day; mechanics. from ~ to 81 per