The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-11-02
FROM EAST TO WEST.
A TRIP FROM ASHEVHE-LE TO
CAI,IFORNzA AND RETURN.

Mr.. w. II. VVh.tsOM Tells a Citizen
Reporter of some Things he Saw
and the Impressions They Made
During His Recent Trip.
As was announced in THE CITIZEN of
Yesterday. Mr.. w. K. Whitson, who left
Asheville about month ago for a trip
to Arizona and California, has returned;
and supposng that some account of
what he saw and the impressions he
gained during his long journey would be
of interest to our readers, a reporter
sought him yesterday in his office in the
court house, and found him busy, but
genial, and in response to our request for
talk of his trip, he seemed at first rather
reticent heing modest man, but, find
ing that he really had many thoughts
concerning his journey, we prevailed
upon him to give us a small portion OF
his time, and the result will be found be
low:
You ask me about thing that i'll a
short way it is difficult for me to an
Swer have seen so much and had such
varied impressions made on my mimi
since | left home that it has been with
difficulty gained or retained anything
like an accurate knowledge of the coun-
try have passed through. will say,
however, in the outset, that considering
everything, don't believe have seen
more favored region than the people OF
old Buncombe are acquainted with. My
route to the Pacific States was from
Ashevile to Louisville, Louisville via the
Air Line to st. Louis, Chicago and Alton
to Kansas City, Santa Fe route to Cali
fornia. One in going from Asheville by the
through timbered region that he will
very naturally come to the conclusion
before he reaches it that sucb thing as
prairie country docs not exist, hut be
fore he reaches the Pacific coast his mind
will be so far changed that he will read
ilv conclude that much the largest part
of the American continent is a country
void of timber. Going the Santa Fe
route, from the time left Topeka, Kan
sas, until got almost in sight Of the Pa
ciic ocean | don't remember passing
through but one small timbered region.
would occasionally see some cotton
woods growing along the banks of some
small stream, but water being about as
scarce as timber, this sight was not, OF
cours, to be had everywhere. From the
time | left Las Vegas, New Mexico,
(crossed the Rio, Grande and Colorado in
the night until reached the plains OF
California, fifty or seventy-tive miles from
the coast, don't remember seeing a
stream of water larger than small
branch; crossed mighty rivers, but rivers
without water. | was told the Colo
RADIO had plenty of water but the Rio
Grande little or none. | was reliably i'll
formed that the Rio Grande, even as tar
down as FL Paso, at the time went out
had not drop of water in it. All the
water that would have naturally flowed
down that stream was being used for If.
rigation on the plains above. A very III
telligent gentleman with whom trav
eled, and who resides at Alberquerque
New Mexico, told me that the contest
over the water of the Rio Grande was
SO great that between the United States
and Mexico it was likely to become ar
International question.
The thing that impressed me most il
the western country was its great same
ness Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
Nevada, Utah and Il part Of California
and Kansas are in the main alike one
vast desert plain, dotted with high bar
rem mountains and an occasional greer
spot, made so by irrigation. With few
exceptions, where water happens to bC
plentiful, as in the region of Salt Lake
the oplv industry carried on between thu
western pert of Kansas and the western
yart of California is stock raising anc
mining,
What of California!
Well, the State of California on the Pa
cifc slope is certainly fine country. nat
urally, but very poor one tor farming
man to move to now. The price of farm
ing lands is so inflated that no poor maj
can afford to buy, and no rich one either
if he expects to make interest on hi
money. The idea Of paying from thre
to ten hundred dollars an acre for land
on which to grow wheat, grapes, pear
and the like is prcposterous. From wha
could learn say nearly all the farming
industries in California are being over
done. Everybody seems to understan
this, and in my opinion ten years tror
NOW the lands on which are grown tn
sweet grape, pears, oranges, etc., WI
mt command the money they now bring
Los Angeles, the first place | visited l
California, is beautiful city, but badI
damaged by the great boom they exp
rjenced there two years ago. Propert
IL now rated at double its worth, BIT
one third lower than during the boon
The boom made this city odious in tt
ewes Of all Pacific coast towns and cite
and wherever yougo you can hear tt
people deuouncing her. The whole on
side world now seems to be afraid OF he
not of her glory, but of her speculatr
prices.
San Fraucisco is certainly the mo