The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-01-26
OUR CALIFORNIA LEIrER-


Another Interesting Communication
From Mr.. =. p. Rruner-Bad Weather
Crops Damaged Boom Busted. Etc.
From our Special Correspondent
RIVERSIDE, Gala, Jan. 10 have
been storm bound at San Bernadina |
and this place for twelve days. AS
strange as that may seem, considering
all that we have heard of the lovely /
climate of Southern California, and 1 |
arrived in this portion of the state |
after
THE GREAT SAND STORM
That swept for four days down all the
valleys leading to the ocean. That
was very destructive, as it crushed
many houses and tore up by the roots
and broke of orange trees six OF eight
inches in diameter, and beat off the
trees about twenty per cent cent of the
oranges. There came three or four
days of heavy cold rain that kept US
ali in the house, washed out the rail
road tracks, an made it very muddy.
Then a norther sprung up and
the next morning the mud was frozen
hard enough to bear team. For four
days now
THE FREEZE HAS CONTINUED.
with the thermometer ranging from
forty degrees down to twenty-five
above. The mercury was watched
with closer attention than have ever
seen paid to it in Kansas, even in a
blizzard, as the orange crop is the de-
pendence of the valley and is estimated
to be worth, when marketed, one
million dollars, and thirty degrees is
the danger line. It seems strange that
the crop was not destroyed(as it was
last winter) but it is only damaged, to
what extent is a matter of dispute.
But as near as can come at the facts
would say fifty per cent of the oranges
on the trees are ruined. To say that
3 THE PEOPLE ARE BLUE
q over the present state of affairs is put
y ting it mildly. One real estate dealer
told me that the orange lands had re
% ceived black eye; that it was an up
IS hill business to show orange grove:
% The rain has been of i'm
/ mense benefit to the country, and af
u ter the storms are all over it Will b.
e pleasant enough. But while they las
% a majority of tourists prefer the climatt
Z, that they had been accustomed to a
IS home.
II This is a beautiful place. The towI
~ or settlement consists of tifty-fou
10 square miles of territory, beautiful
t, laid out, with all the semi-tropical tree
T and plants growing in the greatest pro
u fusion. The orange leads, with apri
D. cot, English walnut. olive. lemon
peach and other fruits. For their OF
y chards they make wind-breaks of tn
II eucalyptus, cypress and lime trees, an
10 for hedge they use the cypress, tn
oI most beautiful that have ever seer
!n The soil is a sandy clay which, after
u rain packs in the roads and becomes a
OF hard and smooth as floor
l. THE PRICE OF LAND
ne Here is very high. Raw land is hel
IS at $500 to $1,000 per acre. bearin
u, groves at 81 500 to So 600 per acre
70 To take raw land and make a grove II
81 quireS patience. hard work and money
AT As to the profits of orange culture
~ there is room for argument. l al
Ve satisfied that they are noC near s
70 great as has been represented. Still
7, think that they pay better than an
20 other fruit that can be raised herr
az They talk a great deal about thei
OF vegetables. but the fruit men do NJ
~ raise any, even for their own famil
OF use, as they say that they can buy
the Cinnamon cheaper than they Cd
e raise them. So there is no inducemen
u for Kansas farmers to come here f.
?n that purpose.
Ia THE BOOM BUSTED.
n The feeling that the boom for Soutl
ys ern California IS at standstill, If NJ
ol- dropping back, is steadily gainin
q ground. and now many Californian
90 acknowledge the fact. Real estate
IL still held at high figures. but there
p not near so much changing hands, an
as many tourists who came here with tt
wv intention of investing are leaving tt
rs. state with their funds in their pocket
pr less the cost of a very expensive trip.
or One thing forgot to mention, an
re that is the price of fuel. Coal cannot
OF had at any price. The A, T. s. S. F. RI
40 are running their engines in this stat
Ior on coal borrowed of the Southern p
co CHIC. saw to-day on the streets he
us oak stove wood sold at the rate of 5;
IS ner cord and cottonwood at 1914 n
lily cord. and that is the reason that Il
ne guests at the hotels cannot have fire
%, their rooms, even while the blizZal
nd blows. E. p. BRUNER.