The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-01-16
Letter From the Golden Gate.


The following extracts are copied from a
letter lately received by a friend from Joseph
Rhodes, Esq Of Dixon. Illinois, bat who il
a native and former resident Of Somerset
county. He still las many friends and ac-
quaintances in his native county who viii
be pleased to iearn that he IS enjoying him
self veFy well at p-esenti in Southern oilifoF-
MIA, where he has gone to spend the winter
and for the benefit OF his health. The letter
IS dated san ~Bacusventura, Ventura county,
California, December "a, lS3s. He says
= have reached the western coast % oar
country and have stood on the extreme point
Of land at ihe mouth of the Golden Gate. or
Bay of San Francisco. Itis a sight never to
be forgotten to sec the restless ocean con.
stantly rolling and lashing uie rocks. one
wave after another, about every twenty sec.
onds. have seen, when The THE
was out and a storm raging, thai the waves
came rolling in Ike mountains, AT other
times you eau walk or drive on the beach
where it was covered from four to twenty
feet ia a rough sea.
A*A' fAaNE NaNAA NtiAAiNf - = Tfii4lt
port where teamers aud barges lard to take
and leave freight. 1t is nota hasbor where
vessels can land when the ocean IS rough.
Ny journey west was rather tedious. triv-
cling without a single Acquaintance, but nay
health was good ami ! e%njogel the "Trip.
took a Pullman sleeper in which I got res.
and was always ready for my meals. After
leaving Oaaha The c3uatfv IS very level Tor
80 miles and most of Il is under cultivation.
with very little timber, Then The farms and
settlements become scattered. and ~ land
becomes sandy. nothing growing upon Il but
sage bushes. IN some places there IS no
sign of vegetation for miles. Next We en-
tered the mountains, bare Of timber or gra
the mos; forsakeu country ever seen-and
finally, we reached the Rocky Mountains,
more d~esolaie, if possible, than the sandy
plains.
There are small settlements at most Of the
railroad stations, where the ranchers and
cowboys congregate, with some Indians and
Cinnamon. There are places between the
mountains where there are ranches on which
are thousands Of cattle.
Going down the Pacific Slope there are
first a few cedar trees, or rather bushes, seen,
which increase in sizs aud number until the
foothills are reached. where the timber IS
larger and better. We saw some of the larg-
est snow sheds We passed within fifty or six
" miles Of Sacramento, but for Dearly a
thousand miles along the road snow-sheIs
can be seen At places to cover deep cuts to
prevent filing during n storms.
At this place we can see snow on the high
est peaks when the mercary is up to - de- /
grets. Yesterday we saw snow not ten miles
of that fell during The night befo1e. This is
s pleasant place TO spend the winter. The
weather appears IKE May in the east. aud
the nights are always cooi. bu. daring the
day the mercury rises 20 . AMI So degrees
for a fen hours. This IS the rainy season.
Since ] am here-about one week-it rainel
twice. It becomes cloudy AMI rains IN about
half an hour then clears Off in about the
same time.
This is not a good place for growing oran-
ges and lemons. II being too near iie ocean.
But figs, LINES, persimmons. olives. peaches.
aprieots, prpnes, pears and all kinds Of
plurns do well, as do also English waluuts
There is an orchard Of walnats here of sey
eral hundred trees for which the owner pets
fifteen dollars per tree for the nuts. TIE
olive is the most easily raised and said 10
pay best. They grow on large trees, aud are
used Tor pickles and for making the pure
sweet oil.
We have fresh peas, beans, lettuce. po;a-
tees, tomatoes and everything you have IN
the east in the summer, Tonatoss grow
from the same vine FOR year, aaH keep on
bearing until destroyed. People are nov
making garden and setting out cabbage
plants and everything usually grown in gar
dens.
This is truly the land Of flowers. r ,ses
and hundreds OF flowers. Of which We know
nothing. are now in bloom. The plazas, or
public parks, found ia mostcius and towns,
are covered with flowers and shrubs that
would astonish our eastern ladies.
This valley is very productive; line oats
and barley being raised. Il : the only place
where l saw corn raised to any extent They
claim to raise from 20 10 100 bushels OF she'll
ed corn per acre. Wheat cannot b. raised
near the ocean. Farmers are now piosing
and sowing oats and barley for hay Glover
and timothy don't do well here. Alfalfa clo-
yer makes four 10 five crops a year where
the ground is irrigated i is claimed il VII
eut from eight 10 ten tons per acre Oats aed
barley bay sells for the bighes price. AZ
Sacramento and for one hundred miles
around they raise wheat saw store houses
for grain 2,S0 feet by 80 feet in dimen-
sions. 3 Ny health has been fully