Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-03-29
FACTS FROM FRESNO.
An Interesting Epistle From the
sunny Hlope.r
Correspondence Of the Ledger.

EE8
March 16.--Here We are in this
sunny land-the Golden Eldorado
of the West. We are in the midst
of summer glories; old summer
here in March What will Pike
county, Mo-, think of this? Those
who are shivering with the cold
should have a little of our sunshine
to thaw them out. The earth il al
ready weaving her rich carpet of
green, and wild flowers of every
tint imaginable are springing up all
around us. This, together with
the merry warbling Of a thousand
birds, make it, indeed, a little
paradise in this far off land of
California.
The town of Fresno is growing
very rapidly, as there is a regular
boom here. Lots that sold a few
years ago for $1,000 or Sc, 900 will
now bring from $40, 900 to $50, 900.
Many from the Eastern States are
settling here. / might say that
every nation in the world has its
representatives here-all colors,
all shades, from a new clay Irish
pipe up to a well colored meers-
chaum. There is q multitude of
Cinnamon in nearly every town in
the State take the metropolis of
this coast and they number about
75,0O0-nearly one-fourth the
population of the City. Here in a
Christian land with its many
churches and church members
can be see the heather bowling down
to gods of their own. 1t is not
necessary now to send money to
China to convert the heather ; we
have them here. AS | am writing
/ can look out and see the Sierra
Nevada mountains; the highest
peaks are always covered with snow
the entire year, and even the
warmest day we have in midsum-
mer, it is a kind of relief to gaze
upon those mountains and see the
snow. The farms here, are, as a
general thing, large, and a man
who has less than a half section
$500 acres is considered farming
on a small scale.
must speak of the many vine
yards inthis county-it may indeed
be said that tits a county of grapes,
the largest containing GAO acres
down to a small 90 acre tract. To
visit some of them it is quite a
sight. In the, way of nuts we have
the black walnut, English walnut
and almond. Among the many
varieties of shade trees I noticed the
umbrella. 1t makes a beautiful
shade, branching out in imitation
of that useful article so much
needed at certain seasons of the
year. There is n very great ad.
vantage we have in the summer
season, no matter how warm the
day is, tits always cool and pleasant
al night. You can seek tired ma.
lures sweet restorer, halmy sleep,
and get up in the morning feeling
refreshed. We have two tribes OF
Indians here, the Digger ano
Piute, and they have less regard
for cleanliness than any other il
existence. They live principally
on acorn and roots, but 1 presume
would not object to a nice porter
house steak with a little roast bee
; on the side. They are all fond OF
fire water, which frequently gets
them / II a sea OF trouble and
heavy fine is imposed on those sci
ling them whisky. "Sueh is life
in the far West" Take it for grant
ed that California is, in many re
spects, a wonderful State; it is only
in its infancy yet and many more
f developments viii be made. Placer
mining has almost given away t.
quartz. There are many valuable
mines here and plenty of gold We
!, hidden away in the dark recesses o
the earth, which takes a vas
amount of capital and labor t.
, bring to the surface. | am goin!
| to Bakersfield, Kern county.
E. L. BAKER,
p RppwN