The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-06
Tn BAJA CALIFORNIA.
Sights and Scenes at and Near
EnSenada.
on THE BAY OF T0DOS SANTOS.
The Cloth and Paper Palaces-A View to Charm
an Artist and Drive Away the
Blues.

Especial Correspondence Of The HERALD
As straws show the way of the wind, so
the great number Of letters l have recently
received concerning this peninsula, Its
desirability as place Of residence, and the
present status OF the company who are at
tempting to colonize indicate that the
attention of many is turned to this locality
Most Of these queries purpose TO answer,
''Ix TIE LUMP" SOTO sPEAk,
through the columns OF THE HERALD. with
out prejudice of partiaiity, feeling assured
that neither friend nor foe will be so un-
charitable as to accuse me of having axes
to grind, or OF being personally Interested
in any scheme whatsoever.
Baia California, as may be seen by re
ferring to a map, is buta southwark eX-
tension of the coast range Of mountains,
not having land connection withits entire
breadth. seperatcd from MeXico's main
land by the Gulf ana the Colorado river,
TINS forLni, o peninsula seven hundred
and fifty miles long and from seventy to
one hundred and fifty miles wide. Up to a
recent period il had scarcely twenty thou
sand inhabitl nts, and they were conhned
to the southern portion, around La az ana
i'm the ueighbOrhOOd Of the pearl fisheries,
the MeXicans who owned it looking upon
the almost unoccup.ed northern half as OF
no value. 49,,
The International company, which was
originally incorporated III the state OF Con
necticut. is now composed OF more English
men than Americans. and represents
capital of Sl3O,OOO,O0O. They have pur'
chased from the Mexican government
rrincely tract. beginning at the United
States border and running down the PENN
,ula to the twenty-eighth parallel taking
in coast line of 800 miles, covering al the
territory from the Pacific to the Gull oil
California and comprising more than elgh-
teen thousand acres of mountain, valley,
fabIeJand and canon. Not only has the
Mexican government sold the land out
rirht to the company (under certain con
ditions and restricuOns), but has granted
generous subsidies for the Lbulidlng OF
vharves and railways, the running OF
steamers, and other public improvements
A GIGANTIC SCHEME
of colonization has been planned-but
whether il will ever be fully carried out
remains to be seen. The same company
has other extensive grants in various parts
OF Mexico, thus giving very VIDE helu;
In the states of Sonora, Onatoa ana
Cbia2as it controls large grants, together
with railroad charters in those states. II
also operates, under special concession from
the Mexican government, the Guano islands
of the Pacific and Gulf coasts especially
in the Gulf of California, where the valu-
able phosphate deposits keep two ste ,mers
and several sailing VI S sells busy, carry ing tC
Europe and TO San Francisco about two
thousand tons of guanO per month.
The present Headquarters Of the com
panv in Mexico are located at TudOS Santos
bay. Their largest and most important
town is Ensenada, % miles south OF San
Diego by sea, and an overland journey OF
two days from the United States DCrdel
line. Ensenddd means "Harbor OF Refuge,
and as there is anot lei port Of the same
name farther down the coast. this IS gtner
ally written out in full, Ensenada de Todo'
Santos-''Refuge of all Saints" But al
, are by no means saints who nave lount
refuge here. -
A low table-land, rising gent!y from th'
beach, formed a natural site Tor TIE 3ull ers
recurring no grading, get with sufclen
raIi Tor perfect drainage. Wide su eet'
were laid out and some of them are alleadl
macadamized. Water IS forced TO a reser
voir on a nearby hill, whence Ii flows U
supply the town. At present tha boon
being over and the rush gone, the opula
ton approximates two thousand. Ihef
are some rather pretentlou' Cslles
blocks, including big brick banking house
and there are three hotels. several store
of general merchandise, a handsome parB
A chamber of commerce, two eNceAen
newspapers lone printed entirely l
Spanish, the other the wcll-hnown Lore
Californian, AID a number OF me res
dences. besides the usual CONF lemtnt
board and shingle,
CLOTH AND PAPER PALACES
which distinguish infant cities. III
houses of the Mexicans are generally ::
adobe, and their low whitewashed wall
contrast pleasantly with the totally oil
ferenJ style of American arcmtecUur'
Ensenada is the official residence of tn
lroyernor of the northern district of tn
neninsula and has barracks garrIsoned D
Mexican soldiers Being also port
entry il has custom house, over who
Hoats the red, white and green stripes
the Mexican flag. The Mexican goVernmeI
has also established postotfice here. Fro
the United States to Mexico, the post
,,ra iS only two cents, while from MeXl(
70 the United States it is hVe cent
However. that is an improvement on day
not long past. when it was ten cents PIT
rolf ounce on all letters sent out Of NleXlc
and % cents on those going from place
Mace within her borders. The large Squal
postal cards are three cents, and each co
fains about as much space lor WIRING DIS
small page of note paper.
Tho Methodist brethren have pret1
church at Ensenada, and Baptlsts, Preso
terisns and Catholics have each houses
yyoI-sulp. There are schools, both publ
md private; and Bishop Fowler, OF Il
Methodist persuasion, has promised
found here
MILLION DOLLAR COLLEGE,
Amonr the industries Of the town may
mentioned an extensive wooden mill, Tor U
manufacture of blankets, scar1s ana coar
flannel: two breweries: match factor
saw and planning mill, and SASH ana 90
factory: "A canning establishment, 10 run
fruits du NJ their season, ana at olh
times on beef. fish and turtle: 4 candle al
soap factory: cider, vinegar ana. Plch
fsctor.y. a tanuery. and manufacturers
FURNITURE. boots. Shoes, harness and saddle
Nanufacturingpossibii tieS axe very gre
here. since Mexico imposes very hea
duties on all imports, and her own man
featuring interests are eEtr m@i% limit
and crude. -, .
The international G.. GpanyS hGtel, I
Tturbide. is most picturcsqucIy situated
a superb rise of land, overlooking town
bay almost overhanging the latter a
nearly two hundred feet above IT. II
reached by following a Winding pathway
the mountain side, or from the tedch
long fiiphls OF terraced steps. all the mt
stices of the rocks being planted W
trailing vines. As or views, those Miss
Fathers of hundred years ago had ci'
heads on their shoulders when they en-
tened Lower California La / rra l'eIls Gu
zine Perfect Land Climb MI al
where. and such panorama OF sea Z
bav. island, mountain and valley Is reSea
nc would make the fortune OF any Atlah
watering place. Ranges OF mouhta
49,. m the clouds, with foothills nestl
oil IG