The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-13

From every mountain gorge add can.
on where it has been idling for ages,
It is being gathered up and piped and
ditched in every direction, literally
making the desert to blossom ~ the
rose. In many places, too, artesian
wells are being successfully sunk. OF
course irrigation 10 not necessary al
the year, but only to tide over the dry
season. And in some parts, even Of
Southern California, IL 10 not necessary
ct all.
But I was speaking of the appear
ance Of the face Of the country. Nat.
urally 1t looks like desert. It 10 GOV.
cred with stunted kind Of vegetation
suggestive of Arizona. Being 90, 1t is
likely to impress one from the beaati.
full prairies of Kansas rather unfavor-
ably. To reverse the old Latin saw.
it is made, not born. That il, it is
artific ial. Naturally 1t 10 almost re-
pulsive. With water, and the pillow,
it changes to the most beautiful land
scape under the sun. The limit to it,
developm ent is bounded only by the
supply Of water. And tits my opinion
that a. exigency requires water will be
forthcoming. In future letters rhope
to explain this:more fully. It must be
borne in mind that five or at least ten
acres, of valley lands here, furnishes
as good living - one bundled and
sixty in the central States. But then
it costs about az much. The best
farming land-that is orange and gen.
eral fruit land-convenient to towns
land Heaven knows, 1t ts hard to find
land that is not convenient to at least
q paper town. IL worth from two hun
dred to five hundred dollars an acre.
It Is not hard to see that this is no
place for poor man to come With the
intention Of farming.
But I meantin this letter to confine
myself to the condition of affairs and
the general outlook in SanDiego.
There seems to be an organized effort
through the east to ''down" SanDiego
But she will not down. A very few
figures will show that If her boom is
declining, great many other cities
would be more than glad to 20 into q
similar decline.
Real estate transfers the past year
have amounted to $4O.O0O,0OO. The
population has increased from 1900
since Jan. 1, 1887 to $4,000. During
the year 1,O04 business concerns of
sufficient magnitude to be rated by the
commercial agencies, with an aggre-
gate capital of 81, LIS, 900, have been
started, besides lO6 chartered institu-
tions with an aggregate capital Of $751;
4ls. 900. 5000, 600 have been expend-
ed in buildings during the past year,
and 100000 in municipal improv-
ments, and in both theee lines it Ia
claimed that greater activity exists
just now than at any previous time.
Local transportation facilities have
grown from five miles of horse
car track year ago to thirty-six miles
of track, consisting of horse-car, cleo
trio and steam motor roads. The num-
Der of passengers arriving in the city
during the year past was $4,000, the
average each month being nearly
I, 900. as against ESQ the year before.
And each month up to and including
December just passed haswitnessed an
increase over the preceding. Indeed
Sc, 600 of the 81, 500 came in during the
past six months. Passing over gener-
al freight receipts, in the one matter
of lumber, Isl, 200, 600 feet were receiv-
ed during the year 1887, as against 15,-
OOO, 900 in 1885, and Sc, 900, 600 in 1885.
The Custom House receipts for the
year ending June 30, we're $50, 600, and
for the one month, of November
last they were $685. 900. In the two
principal banks here the deposits have
swelled from 81, 100000 a year ago to
81. 1881, $40, and this in the face Of the
fact that four new banks, two of which
are National have started during the
year. Nearly every day brings some
new steamer or sailing vessel into the
magnificent harbor. And so Oh.
But is the end night do not hesitate
to say very decidedly, no.. The.real e.
tate craze may end and doubtless will,
sooner or later, although it seems to be
in full flower now. But on the coast
even at rival towns, there is hardly a
dissenting voice in the chorus
that declares that San Diego
will be large if not great city. 1
can not stop now-or 60 on, rather
to analyze the unprecedented awaken
ing and growth. When the real estate
boom dies away, unless property reach
es much more fanciful and absurd
prices than now obtains, there
can be no collapse or panic. Mann
moth build ings are going up in all
directions, and it is not uncommon to
hear the hammer and saw after night,
by the light of lanterns. So far as I
can learn. carpenters and all other ar
tisans and laborers are still able to get
work at good prices. Carpenters get
from s. to S. per day, laborers 81 to
So, Q man with q team So.
Rllf I do mt SRiah To b..