The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journals
In my article of the 26th incidentally men
toned few facts regarding southern California
for the benefit Of such of your readers as con-
template going TO that cline for health. wealth.
and wonders. Mr.. Marcy, of your city, has had
nerve enough to speak out in meeting. and his
example is worthy Of emulation. Isay nerve,
for nerve is the proper word. In proof OF this
simply call attention to the very sudden ana
emphatic manner in which Mr.. Marcy was
bounced upon for his temerty. It is a deadly
offense to say else than rosy things of tho land
Of the s'semitropics." The reason you
can readily discern. The s'rosy things"
are their stock in trade. and when
you assail a mans business you hit him in
tender spot The romantic things OF Calsfor-
MIA are easily worked up into most fantastic
forms. and the prosy, plodding Hoosier is
charmed to the verge of idiocy over the grand
prospect of an early habitaton among Sc
ductive groves-in sight of the great and rest
less ocean that washes the many miles OF coast.
And s'the health giving properties OF the mount
ain air" on the one hand, and the salt breeze"
the other. as demonstrated by some real
estate doctor WOO the invalid to hastily seek
the land Of promise. with all their worldly eff
fects converted into cash, ready for the slaugh-f
ter that follows There is nothing too valuable
to sacrafce in search of health. and when we
read Of the statements written by the health
officers of some of those counties, which are
weaving web for the great tide OF 1mmlgra-
ton soon to pour in upon them, we fail to see
the true, cold, calculating, mercenary motive
behind it all
The health in California is not SO good as in
Indiana. They have every disease there known
to this State and many we don't have. The
ague is far more common in the San Joaquin
valley than in the valley of the Wabash. Fe-
OF all kinds and types abound, and are far
more deadly in their ravages. Colds are con-
tracted there readily here, and it is not I'M
oil i0fIr
the victim is not one who left the deadly East"
too late to be saved, but consumption that takes
hold of a native to the manner born and quickly
lays him in his grave.
It is often stated by some over-zealous forty
miner. while talking to a listening, wondering
gaping Hoosier, Buckeye or Sucker generally
the latter, that they are compelled to kill man
to start graveyard in that section. This fact,
il true, is cha rming. but when you go amid the
city of the dead in that vicinity, you will find
Gods filed with those who have sought TO
regain health in that region-those who have
sickened and died from local causes, and those
who. in extreme disappointment and despair,
have gone to their death by their own hanc, I'M
wept and unknown.
And what makes the fact sadder still is that
the age carved upon the tombstone indicates
that so many young persons rest there. The
causes that make the climate of California
healthy are manifold. Irrigation is one of the
chief causes of sickness You can imagine the
result from flooding large scopes OF country
when the atmosphere marks 100 degrees in the
shade, and letting the water stand until It be-
comes stagnant and green. There is no way to
avoid this. You must have water Vegetation
could not live without it; and You have no way
but to let it remain until 1t is stale and finally
dries up.
prevalence in that country. Of course it is not
fatal the fever, but it makes life burden.
There are more crippes in California the result
of rheumatism than in any other State IN the
Union. do not want to be understood that ev-
cry man. woman and child in the State has the
rheumatism. but do want to be understood in
thAs1 .z~ g. hos
persons are drawn out of shape in consequence
of it, Many of your readers will. doubtless, say.
''Well, this is queer we never heard anything
like that before" No, certainly you did not
The things you heard and read you got from
some enthusiastic friend, who wanted without
intending to harm you'll to impress You with
what they had seen in the land of gold, you
read them in some real estate advertisement or
railroad circular.
You must remember that these things you
read in favor of that county have all been pre-
pared at great expense The finest writer's have
been employed to do the writing for that part of
the country. and those with vivid imagin ton
command fabulous prices for their work. They
assess their citizens for the purpose of raising
what is known putting fund, more heavily
than either political party ever assessed their
ofice-holders for campaign purposes. No or
ganized army was ever better equipped for
dress parade nor more thoroughly disciplined
IN presenting things in favorable light.
1t would put you out of humer to see how CO.
lossal their cheek appears to you when they are
telling you of their healthy locality, and how
appear iucredulous. It would also make You
warm to witness how Indiana invalid runs
the gauntlet Of the hungry sharks when
iesed na seal,h resorts Your invalid seeks
place of rest, and the sunny" room is launched
out before you. and costs you from $40 to $50
per week, The sunny room is not all that the
name implies. 1t is generally . small room
wherein some time in the day the rays of the
sun can find their way. This is all the warmth
you get in the winter months and on rainy |
days, when the sun is obscure and the weather |
is damp, you are compelled to shin around in |
your room with your wraps on TO keep warm. |
You can't build q fire, for there is NO fue in |
stove-wood about $40 per cord. and hence it is |
beyond the reach of those who rent their |
sunny rooms" to the sick Sometimes they |
can be persuaded to put gasoline stove in |
extra for it. the invalid soon discovers that he |
grows no better, and complains Then the sug- |
gestion is made that he should 60 NO higher. as |
it is most too damp where he now is for his |
and he is soon informed that the alt- |
tude presents too much "rarified air" for his par
ticular ailment and he il induced to trade ''sun-
ny rooms with the fellow in the valley. OF |
course neither one gets any better, ard they
begin to doubt the efficacy of the climate" and |
they soon send for money to come home with.
/ have written more than / intended upon the |
health of the Golden State Later L may I
say sora ething about how the confiding emigrant
is taken in when he lands the coast and |
what becomes of him in the end. Proc.
SULLIVAN, Dec 20.
A Tariff for Revenue Only.
TO the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
Cleveland, Carlisle & Co., aud other Demo-
.ratic disciples of Cobden favor tariff for rev.
,nue only. Now if this is the only object these
bile free-trade fnancisrs have in view, wish to