Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-08
In LOWER CALIFORNIA.
WHAT THE AMERICANS ARE DOING
In THEIR NEW COLONY.
A Glowing Picture of the Bay of
Todos Santos-Cities in
Embyro.
SPECIAL Correspondence Of the REcoaD,UvIox.

lspecIal Correspondence OF the RECORD UNION
BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mex, 1889.
As straws show the way of the wind, so
the great number of letters have recently
received-concerning this peninsula, its
desirability as a place of residence and
the present status of the company who
are attempting to colonize it-indicate
that the attention of many is turned TO
this locality. Most of these queries I
purpose to answer ''in the lump 50 to
speak, through the columns of the REC
oRD-UNIoN, without prejudice or partial
ity, feeling assured that neither friend nor
foe will be so uncharitable as to accuse me
of having axes to grind or of being per-
sonally interested in any scheme whatso-
ever.
Baja California, as may be seen by re-
ferring to map, is but southwark ex-
| tension of the Coast Range of mountains,
having land connection with It's entire
breadth, separated from Mexico's main
land by the Gulf and the Colorado
river, thus forming peninsula seven hun
! dred and fifty miles long and from seventy
| to one hundred and fifty miles wide Up
to a recent period it had scarcely 10000 in
! habitants, and they were confined to the
! southern portion, around La Paz and in
! the neighborhOod Of the pearl-tsheries,
/ the Mexicans who owned it looking upon
! the almost Unoccupied northern half as Of
no value.
The international Company. which was
! originally incorporated in the State of
/ Connecticut, is now composed OF more
| Engiishmen than Americans, and repre-
! seuts capital of
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY MILLIONS.
They have purchased from the Mexican
/ Government princely tract, beginning at
/ the United States border and running
down to the twenty-eighth parallel, taking
! in coast line of 800 miles, covering all
| the territory from the Pacific to the Gulf
! of California, and comprising more than
| 100000 acres OF mountain, valley, table
land and canyon. Not only has the Mex
! lean Government sold the land outright to
/ the company (under certain conditions and
| restrictions, but has granted generous sub
/ sides for the building of wharves and rail
ways, the running of steamers and other
public improvements. \ gigantic scheme
Of colonization has been planned bat
whether it will ever be fully carried out
remains to be seen. The same company
! has other extensive grants IN other parts
OF Mexico thus giving it very wide field
! In the States Of Sonora, Sinaloa and Chi
apas it controls large grants, together
| with railroad charters in those States. 1t
! .lg
! the Mexican Government, the guauo
islands of the Pacific and Gulf coasts, es-
peclally in the Calf Of California, where
the valuable phosphate deposits keep two
/ steamers and several sailing vessels busy,
carrying to Europe and to San Francisco
| about 200 tons Of guano per month.
The present headquarters Of the COM
pany in Mexico are located at Todos Santos
bay. Their largest and most important
! town is
ENsENADA,
| Sixty-fve miles south of San Diego. and
an overland Journey of two days from the
United States border line. EnSenada
means ''harbor OF refuge" and there is
| another port Of the same name farther down
the coast, with the totally different style
of American architecture. Ensenada is
| the official residence of the Governor of
the peninsula, and has a barracks, garri-
soned by Mexican soldiers Being also a
| port of entry, it has a custom-house, over
which floats the red, white and green
stripes Of the Mexican flag The Mexican
| Government has also established a Post
office here. From the United States to
| Mexico the postage rate is only two cents,
while from Mexico to the United States it
| is five cents. However, that is an i'm
| provement on days not long past, when it
was two cents per half ounce on all letters
sent out of Mexico, and twenty-five cents
on those going from place to place within
her borders. The large square postal cards
are three cents, and each contains about as
much space for writing as a small page of
note-paper.
The Methodists have pretty church at
Ensenada and Baptists, Presbyterians and
| Catholics have each houses of worship.
There are schools both public and private,
and Bishop Fowler of the Methodist per-
suasion, has promised to found here a
million dollar college. Among the in
dustries Of the town may be mentioned an
/ extensive woolen mill, for the manufacture
of blankets, carpets and coarse flannel:
two breweries and watch factory; saw and
planning mill, and sash and door factory;
a canning establishment, to run on fruits
during this season, and at this time on
beef, fish and turtle; candle and soap
factory; cider, vinegar and pickle factory;
4 tannery, and manufactures of furniture,
boots and shoes, harness and saddles
MANUFACTURING POSSIBILITIES
Are very great here, since Mexico imposes
very heavy duties on all imports, and her
own manufacturing interests are extremely
! limited and crude
The international Company's hotel, the
| Iturbide, is most picturesquely situated
on a superb rise of land, overlooking town
and bay, almost overhanging the latter
and nearly two hundred feet above it. 1t
is reached by following a winding path
way up the mountain side, or from the
beach by long flights of terraced steps, all
| the in interstices of the rocks being
planted with trailing vines. As for views.
those Mission Fathers of hundred
shoulders when they christened Lower
perfect land !" Climb hill any,
where, and such a panorama of sea and
| bay, island, mountain and valley, is re-
vealed as would make the fortune of an
Atlantic watering Ranges of noun
tains soar to the sky, with foothills nesting
al their base, and over all is golden sun
shine, famed by cool breezes from the
wide Pacific. There can be no more
enchanting scene than that which may
any day be enjoyed while lolling in
any of the easy chairs on the wide
veranda of the Iturbide. Picture the
crescent-shaped bay, directly below, pale
blue in color and tranquil as an inland lake;
and just beyond the mountains, at first SEEM
ing to rise abruptly from the sea, so sombre
are they in tone, 50 startling distinct in