Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-03-22
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SACRAMENTO CITY. January 81, 1888
Especial Correspondence.l

parallel, northeast and southwest the Sier-
ras having an altitude Of from 5000 to
$4,000 feet; the Coast Range from $500
to 1000 feet, and they are divided by
number of valleys and rivers the principal
one being the Sacramento valley, 200
miles in length and As miles average
width, through which runs the Sacrament
to river, n navigable stream for about $50
miles from its entrance into Suisun bay,
small bay at the head of the bay of San
Francisco.
Sacramento valley proper includes the
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, affording
great variety of soil and climate. owing to
the difference in elevation.
The soil of the valley counties bordering
upon the Sacramento river is principally a
dark, rich adobe and alluvial soil, and well
adapted to the growth of cereals Along
the foot hills varieties of soil from black
adobe to light sandy soil appears The
lower slopes of the mountains contain diff
ferent soil, some being sands, of light color,
others light clay, and much deep red clay
The submits are more rocky and volcanic,
and the soils vary, some being clay hills,
sandy ridges, loamy meadows and deep,
rich valleys in the very tops of the mount
aims, being the favor to resort of large
herds Of sheep and cattle during the sum
mer months
Stretching along the foothills and up the
mountain sides to the altitude of 2, 500 feet
| is what is known as the thermal belt" IL is
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 as was fully demonstrated at
the Citrus fair held in Orovllle, 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 80, 900 acres have been the pre-
vailing feature. AS population comes in
these will be subdivided and on their rich
alluvial 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 is
demand. The population OF this great
State is about /, 800, 900, but it is capable
of supporting TO- 600, 600 people.
All this vast region of soil, water and
climate, unsurpassed by any other, now in
vtes 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, il with families so much
the better, can find abundant opportunities
to secure ut moderate cost such a home as
will be pleasant and profitable. man
with family willing to help him, If he has
from g. 900 to $50, 900 in hand, is safe to
make beginning which, If he is judicious,
should lead him to prosperity
Two branches Of the Central Pacific rail
road leaves SGcramento--one on the easl
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
at 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 las
sixty days. opening up country wonderfully
rich i'll farming timber and mineral prod
ucts
Until the past five years the raising o.
wheat and barley was the principal occu
patton of the farmers of the Sacramento
valley, the grain being transported tt
= Europe on ships, but the completion of thre'
trans-contnental railroads-the Contra
Pacific, Southern Pacific and the Atchison
Topeka & Santa Fo, with the prospect o.
other roads soon coming. affording in
, creased facilities and reduced rates
transportation, has given wonderful i'm
petus toward raising fruit, and Californi;
will soon be considered the garden spot o
the world. The Sacramento valley has sup
. piled nine-tenths OF the fruit sent E1st, ant
the " Fruit Growers Union. y an association
, of farmers. in The year 1887 sold their fruit
in New York and Boston on the auction
plan, and with gratifying success 1t will
be tried in other cities this coming season
} with reduced rates of transportation, 81
Y that sixty million of people in the Unitet
States can afford to purchase these Califor
, MIA fruits, and the progress and develop
ment of the fruit business will be something
wonderful
The largest grain-growers in the valley
o do their blowing with gang plows an
their harvesting with the latest improves
i, machinery. Consequently farm hands i
L the past had employment only during
portion of the year, but since the fruit an
q vine business Is coming to the front, NOR
: and continuous labor is required, and /
some of the more advanced fruit district
during the fruit picking season the scho(
t vacations are extended in order to allo'
: the children to assist in securing the crop
o. Fruit canneries and driers are being es
: tablished and thousands Of tons of frui
are preserved in this manner. Good farl
4 hands get from $25 to $50 per month b
J, the year; harvest hands, 81. so to 80
5 per day; mechanics. from 50 to 81 pt
day; good house servants, from $15
$50 per month, and are scarce Chimes
l. are largely employed in house service, bl
d could be easily displaced by bright Amel
u lean or German girls who would be wiliin
), to go into the country The Celtic girl
| IL u rue, ulSilkt 10 ltuNc but ClUieS
Railroads now traverse the principal va
W leys, the rate of fare being three cents p,
IS mile on valley and four cents per mile Q
mountain routes.
Dry-goods, clothing, and, in fact, all Il
V lighter class Of goods can be purchased ,
1t cheaply as in the Western States Heav
1T goods, where freight is an important lite
- Of cost are more expensive.
Banks, both commercial and savings Al
10 plenty, the current rate Of interest at tn
y time beng seven to nine per cent per al
9 NUN. Hotel accommodation both goc
and reasonable, fair 90. I'd being obtained
twenty-five cents per meal and four dolla
y per week First-class hotels charge fro
d two to four dollars per day for room ar
ID board
IS There are plenty Of good newspaper
"A churches and schools The writer, IN
wanderings over the mountains and throul
II the valleys Of the central portion of tn
n wonderful state, could not help noticil
T. the cosmopolitan character, free and cas-
hcsp;tabie. kind-hearted character of &