The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-11
A PASSIONATE PILGRIM.
He Went to California, Saw and is Conquered by
Homesickness.

Homesickness.
Ex-Assemblyman Walter G. Smith. of Tom
kins in the Ithaca n. Y. Journal
SAN DIEGO, January co. have
written the journal two letters from
Southern California containing first i'm
pressions. This will give the results of
sober second thought and longer ex-
perience. In it hope to convince my
readers that twenty-five cents saved,
York State is more to be desired than a
dollar earned in this country of sand,
alkali, drouth, land-sharks and desper-
ADDE'S. The winter days are usually
bright and cloudless, the air clear and
the breezes fragrant. But now and then
a long rain comes, turning the streets
into an unwholesome batter and making
everybody miserable. The nights are
very cold, with heavy frosts or Thin
contings of ice. People wear thick over
coats and sleep under two or three
blankets, sheet, spread and comfortable.
Those who pay $50 ton for
coal keep fire going besides. Colds,
catarrh and lung complaints are COM
mon. People who come here to escape
consumption are unwise. Rather should
they go to Labrador where thick-walled
houses, abundant fuel and furs will keep
them warm, and where bright, decep-
tive days do not lure them out of doors
in ordinary clothing. / want to empha-
size the fact that people in poor health
should shun San Diego as they would a
plague spot. Besides being what have
describe, it is a port of entry for yellow
fever and other maladies of the southern
coast. 1t might well be added in this
connection the doctors fees are five dol
lars for a night call and two dollars
and half for day prescription.
As rule California fruit is not so
good as that of the East. Like meat
and vegetables it is tasteless. The only
exception that / know of is the muscatel
grape the richness of which is that of
English plum pudding-you like little
of it, but can't eat great deal. Oranges
are poor and cost sixty cents to one dol
lar per dozen. Bananas are worthless
at five cents apiece. Mission grapes are
about as palatable as green gooseberries.
Pomgranites-the theme of sensuous
poets and shrewd real estate men--look
like bloOd-stained pumice stone, and
taste but a trifie better. Figs are frauds.
Oh, Geniussof Good Luck! Restore to
the Ithaca colony the melons and straw
berries of East hill, the King apples of
blessed memory, the russet cider of
| Free Hollow, water of the old oaken
bucket, and then the dead sea fruits and
corroding fluids of Southern California
may take the hindermost with that guide
| philosopher and friend of booming
| towns, the Deuil.
Food is cheap, and it ought to be con-
| sidering the quality. OF meat and veg
etables | have spoken elsewhere. Butter
| is strong this however, costs one dollar
a roll), eggs are fiat and stale, ham salt
and lean. 1 don't believe anv member
! of the Ithaca colony has enjoyed a meal
| since he left Gods country. If a man
likes this sort of landscape it is
| just this sort of landscape he would
| be apt to like. The hills, ranches and
mountains are bare of trees and the lat
ter seem to be big heaps of adobe mud
and gravel. Just now the grass is green
! NOT vivid, living Tompkins County
green, not even as green as the people
are who come out this way for pleasure
| and health, but weak. diluted, plan-
| tasmal green, which must soon disap-
| pear under an eight months coating of
alkaline dust.
Society. did / say society? Heaven
save the mark and set it ur on the con-
fines of Tompkins County as a warning
to every man and woman who would
| come here To ENJOY ITS Dement'S. The
upper stratum is made of the newly
rich-grammarless and over-dressed ar
rogant and rude. Below this is a sort
of Trenton formation in which one
might bore for natural gas-real
estate, professional boomers, rustlers
and townsite frauds. AT the bottom are
loafers, tramps, thieves and desperadoes
probably 5000 of them in all. The most
interesting people are the adventures
who figure mostly in the top and mid
die stratas of the social war. There il
General Agramonte for instance. He
was born in Cuba; served through oul
war on the Union side; helped the Gu
ban rebels, has been an officer in the
Mexican army. has fought Indians and
owned mines: has been around the
world; has been shot, stabbed and ciawet
by grizzly. Now he is captain of a steam
launch. My other friend Monturiant
was borne in Bucharest, ran away q
Constantinople at fourt en-: has beer
. around the world four times, saw tn,
, Prince Imperial dead in Zululand: own
diamond claims in South Africa; speak,
eight languages, and is just now one o
the !. ZOO idle men who walk the street
of San Diego. l should have said 4, ,999