Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-17
California Letter.

thanking you IN advance for the
opportunity of thus addressing many
friends among your readers whom l
cannot write to personally.
Our long, hot summer is bcgining
to taper off'-or to promise to taper.
We shall have good many warm
days yet but we need them. AL
though aprIcots, peaches, nectarines,
pears and prunes are about all dried,
thousands of tons of grapes are lying
out in the sun, and the second crop
is yet to be picked. We need no
evaporators. Wooden trays made
of shakes are laid on the ground be-
tween the rows of vines, and after
seven or eight days another tray is
placed over them and they are turn
ed over that the underside may be
exposed. In about three warm days
they are ready to be put in the large
sweat boxes in which they arc taken
to the packing houses to be sorted
and arranged in small boxes, some
loose and others in layers, for cx-
port. We have not particle of fog,
and no dew at night so that they
do not need to be covered. The
packing houses pay from five to five
and a half cents per 10. We have
dried good many grapes, but our
vineyard is young yet. Wealso dried
a good quantity of apricots, necta-
rines and peaches. The latter we
pealed, rather a tedious job as we
did not get a machine, but the other
fruits we have only to split and
place on tray after open, dropping
out the seed which we keep for fuel,
since firewood is about fifteen to
twenty miles distant. 1t took
Ernest and me a day and night to
go to the Sau Joaquin river and get
our last load. In summer we cook
as little as possible, and use a gas
oline stove.
We have all stood the intense
heat much better than we expected.
1t is so dry and clear without sultri-
ness that we do not suffer. We
have had no trace of malaria, fever
nor loss of appetite. The nights are
always cool, though sometimes they
do not turn until ten o'clock or af-
ter. So pure and dry is the air we
can sleep right between an open
door and two open windows all
night, part of the time with or with
out a sheet over us. Towards morn
ing we need to pull on the extra
covering always off at the foot OF
the bed. So much sunshine, such
long days and long seasons keep
people working out doors good
many hours in the day. Work
seems never to be done. Often in
summer we do not eat supper till s
o'clock as we delay milking, feeding
and other labors till near sun down
and do not go to the house until we
have finished; then we find how
late it is, eat and sit an hour or so
on the p orch before retiring. Wife
and l are now at Ventura
on the sea coast, on our way to
Santa Barbara and Lompoc, our
old home; thence to San Francisco
and on to Ukiah, in Northern Cali
fornia, where our annual state meet
ing is to be held. CalifOrnians travel
great deal. 1t is a much needed
rest for both of us. Wife, though
so long used to the sea breeze and
fog of the coast, says she does not
know but she prefers Fresno eli
mate after all. We have the prom
ise of visits from some of our Salem
friends. Come and judge for your
selves.
My boy is intensly interested in
the ranch, is great worker and
has no taste for town except to at
tend prohibition meeting or
lecture occasionally. He would not
make success as city loafer or
idler. Horses, cattle, etc, take his
attention. He is still great reader.
Our little girl is AS free and
happy AS colt on the ranch. Liz
zie likes it more than she did when
she first left her young friends at
Salem. She is hard worker, shows
excellent Judgment about farm life.
Now that our rush Is over she will
go of visiting more, having horse
and buggy and a side-saddle for the
purpose. But l must quit or your
will cut out much of this
family gossip that will interest per-
sonal friends mere than the general
public.
Always glad to learn of the sue
cess and growth of Salem and the
CAPITAL JOURNAL. Truly,
j. w. WEBB.
In WON'T BAKE BREAp.-In other words
Hoods Sarsaparilla will not do impossi-