Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-27
Gossip From the Town of
CalabasaS.
Good Crops of Grain Now Being
Harvested.
How Many of the Farmers Are
Threshing Their Wheat.
Notes and Personals Gathered at Santa
Monica-Other Items of Interest
From the Sea Side.
aspondence of the HERALD

The grain fields have ripened, and are
teeming with the bright yellow hue that
gladdens the heart of the settler. On all
sides can be heard the hum of machinery
and the cheerful voice of the ranchman,
while the busy housewife can be seen
tending to her fiocks of poultry and do
mestic affairs. In fact, this part of the
valley at the present time has the ap-
pearance of regular hive of industry.
There is great dearth of farming i'm
plements among the settlers. AS stated
some time since, the end OF the long law
suit found most of the settlers financially
embarrassed, the Los Angeles lawyers
having scooped up most Of the surplus
cash among them. There are moving
machines, hay-presses, rakes, plows, etc,
among the settlers, but there is not a
threshing-machine on the grant, nor can
any be found to thresh the present grain
crop. The settlers are determined to
have threshing-machine for next sea-
son. Quite number have resorted to
the old-time method of threshing wheat
with fails. Mr.. Wilson threshed with
fails the first load of wheat which he
sold in the Los Angeles market. He
received fair price for his grain, but he
thought that the primitive method of
threshing grain is too slow in this age of
telegraphs and telephones, so he sold
his crop of growing grain to Mr.. Frank
lin.
Mr.. Grannis is tramping the wheat
out with his horses. Hand fan-mills
are used for separating the chaff from
the grain. Two men can fail out,
clean and sack from eight to ten bushels
per day.
Mr.. Gates is tunneling in a hill on
Mr.. Franklin's place for water. He has
contracted to develop large vein of
water, for which he is to receive $500,
and if he fails in getting the water then
he is not to get anything for his labor.
We have not much faith in this great
enterprise, but as Mr.. Gates is man of
perseverance and possessed with an in
domitable will, there is no telling what
he may find in that hill.
Mr.. Frazier has sold his claim for
800; also Chas. Kranter has sold his
ranch for $3.50 Claims containing one
quarter section are selling from 5000 to
81 1,000 Those who are selling out are
persons who have no means of working
a claim. When we were lawing the
grant company for this land we To-
Gated the tramp with his blankets on
his back, as we'll as the man OF means,
because we wished to make a strong
fight, as the company was using violence
towards the settlers. 1t is astonishing
to see quarter sections selling at such
low prices. Ranches that will grow
$1,000 worth of grain or 81 900 worth of
cattle per annum are being sold at 5000
to $500 each.
Mr.. Fletcher has sold his fine young
horse Tom to Mr.. Kutzner. This ami
NAL is said to have wonderful road
record, and Mr.. Kutzner is going to train
him on the Calabasas track as soon as
he can get a suitable driving rig and if
the animal develops speed enough he
will be entered in the fall races as a COM
petitor.
By the way, Mr.. Kutzner is getting
his name up as horse jockey. He has
a knack OF taking old lame horses and
superannuated beasts and giving them
much longer lease of service. His
method of treatment is as follows: He
first ties the animal in hole OF water
up to his belly and soaks all the lame
ness and stiffness out. Then he takes
the animal out and gives it thorough
@uOOihS Nlhil OlSNbllC ptNlS anu DluSllCc,
and winds up with a free application of
chemicals. He then bitches up the re-
cuperated beast, and the animal, feeling
all the vitality and activity OF youth
suddenly returned, becomes veritable
"high flyer" and Mr.. Kutzner, when
driving one of these animals, generally
throws the dust in the face OF everything
that he overtakes on the road
We think that it would be a regular
godsend if every grant in this county
was thrown open for settlement, as the
Las Virgines land grant has been opened
for actual settlers. Here a few years
ago monopolists held full sway on hill
and valley, grazing their gigantic herds
on land that they never had any title
to. Now what contrast. Monopoly
gone; families on each quarter section
q daily mail established; two new
school houses built, one costing $4,000;
two dry goods and grocery stores; re-
hgious services each Sabbath, and every
thing in thriving and prosperous con-
dition. Well, the settlers of Calabasas
have come to stay, and they are an en-
ergetic and progressive class of people.
FooTHILL SETTLER.
Caabasas, June 26, 1890.