Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-18
why we Uemounced she rake.

\
tempt to make the HERALD's common
sense objection to wild rush to the
Santa Clara placers in Lower California
seem like an attack upon San Diego.
This journal at no stage of its career has
done any office but good natured one,
not only as respects San Diego, but all
adjoining counties. We have always, as
in DUTY bound, given our utmost efforts
first, to the development of our own
county and, secondarily to that of all
portions of Southern California. Wei
early recognized the familiar features of
the Lower California fake" This
thimblerig proposition has been played
so often that not to know it on sight
would be to augur that one was hope
lessly blind. It has been played for
quite fifty years. Some of the most Illus
trious men who have figured in both the
Union and Confederate armies have
dropped their golden double eagles in
this metallic Slough of DesPond.
Again and again has the effort
been made to coerce shekels OF
silver from this hard and unfruitful re-
pion, and all without return. The me-
| teorolcgical conditions of the country
| which extends from the Sierras of Alta
California into those of Lower California
show steadily diminishing rainfall as
one goes south. Every twenty miles
south from Los Angeles exhibits a
steadily retrenched rainfall. When the
| line which separates Lower California
| from the United States is reached, even
| in good years, the rainfall becomes pure
] ly nominal. When two hundred miles
south of the American line is encoun-
4 tered, it sometimes does not rain for
4 wears at stretch. When that line is
| passed, the great Lower California Desert
| is reached-a region stretching for nearly
live hundred miles, in which rain is
j sometimes not recorded once in fifteen
i years.
i The HERALD bounced this whole in
i famous business because it knew from
II the past what would be encountered by
the misguided people who were in
duced to rush across the border. Within
a week, as it expected would be the case,
the placers, which do not exist, were re-
|, placed by quartz ledges which are as
J unreal as the Mrs. 'Arris. OF Sairey
II Camps nara tive. The so-called quartz
ledges of the upper end of the Lower
, California peninsula have been the mest
thoroughly prospected regions on the
J American continent. Two or three pock-
cts. like the ''La Trinidad" mine, have
! been discovered, and at depth of few
feet they have given out.
I Knowing the character of the '1fake''
: which was being played, and familiar
/ with the history of this fifty times ex-
! plotted country, we denounced the fraud,
as was our right and duty.
In what way does this initiate against
J San Diego? What benefit does San
Diego derive, or could San Diego derive,
: from allowing multitudes of people to
rush into Lower California, returning
with curses hurled both loud and deep
. upon those who had practiced a gross
, deception upon them? As it is, San
. Diego county will be long in recovering
} from this unprincipled business. The
''fake" mines will compromise and
, belittle her own good mines. Her
Julian, Banner and Stonewall mines
, will suffer in the estimation of the out
side world from the foolish and injurious
course of the San Diego press.
The fact is that San Diego just now
1 | "
policy to stand well with the outside
t world. The many gauzy and unsub
, stantial schemes which have been
launched in that section have seriously
damaged the prestige of the whole of
] Southern California. To the people of
t the East and of Europe all Southern
) California is alike. They do not know
that Los Angeles county, in an average
) of ten years, has little more than the
rainfall of the Sacramento valley. Mr..
' Hittell, who has written number oi
' books about California, places the
Q rainfall of Los Angeles county
g at about fifteen per cent. higher
8 than that of San Diego county
r AS matter of fact, the rainfall of oUl
8 neighbor, outside of the San Jacinto and
& Santa Margarita valleys, is not forty pes
q cent. of ours. We have had here tc
s undergo the drawback involved in this
r unjust classification, and to pile mining
!, flakes upon it, without any foundation
q whatsoever, is little more than we Can
s stand. The reaction is tremendous
s against San Diego, and the HERALD doei
0 not propose that its own people, city
!. and county, shall be included in the
o just and righteous indignation which viii
i follow the attempt to float humbui
placers and humbug quartz ledges upor
g deceived and disgruntled prospectors.
No one who knows black from white
e will construe our natural and rightful at
n titude into one of hostility to San Diego
9 We have simply told the truth, ant
is have no disposition to shirk any portion
of the responsibility which we have
l. assumed in the interest not only OF Los
@ Angeles, but of San Diego and of South
n ern California at large.
--
Raids Upon the Treasury.