The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-02-26
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA
ElsALIA, CAL, !
Feb. Is. 1890. (
EDITOR DEMOCRAT

interest 10 the readers OF the DEMO
GRAFT, | send you a second letter. II
my former communication | attempte,
some description of the country. Ful
justice to the subject, of course, coul,
never be done in an occasional letter
hnt each can add something to tia
which preceded.
There is great deal to talk an,
write abont in California, and particu
larry iii this vicinity. The differenc,
in soil and climate alone, from one
end Of the State to the other equals
nearly all that is contained on tlt
whole of the Atlantic that washes on,
shores to the East.
Situated as we are in about the cen
trail portion of the State, our count,
partakcs Of many of the characters
tics that distinguish the country a,
large. We have the mineral bearing
mountains to the East, distant abonI
fifteen miles; the coast range to the
West, eighty miles; and a level plain
stretching from San Francisco on the
North to the Tchachepi range at the
South, about four hundred miles. All
this country is known as the great San
joaquin valley.
Since the advent Of the Santa Fee
Railroad into the southern part of the
State the whole coast has received a
boom thGt has struck our section with
all the rest, hence the influx of immi-
grafton has been very considerable.
And more of late are from the North
than formerIy Y. What is the matter
with the South? Are all you folks
so well satisfied than no one wants to
move-or are yon prejudiced par1icu-
larly against California T? AS | said
in my last, | will repeat that | would
not advise any one that is doing well
to move to any point. But in as much
as many will move occasionally, to
that class l would say, come to Cali
fornla, aad to Tulare county, where
you can get the best land in the world
for the least money.
But while nature is so bountiful and
prolific, it must mt be supposed that
anything can he accomplished without
a great deal OF pluck and hard labor.
In every cline and under every sky
the more marked results only follow
in the train OF industry, and California
is no exception to the general rule, but
there is little question that more can
be accomplished here with the same
effort than could be done in less favor
ed chimes.
Our schools, too, are good and offer
every facility and advantage the sys-
TEN affords. | myself never had the
advantage of a public or any other
school system, agd what / have &C
CURED i'll mental stores has been dug
out bA my own uraided efforts, in the
sanctum, at the Preside and in the
whirl of business-but all this only
sharpens my interest in the matter
Born in Louisiana in the dark days of
political agititation and deprived OF
the advantages of a system so henii-
cent, the promises it presents to the
rising generation perhaps emphasize
themselves moro to me than they 9th
erwise would. Hence my Interest in
the subject.
But as the fairest flowers are gener-
ally surrounded with thorns, so seems
this great boon to be surrounding it.
self here. A late decision of our SUI
preme Court on the race question is
causing the trouble. Our county is
democratic and our judges and people
are true to the doctrines, but the be-
nighted are trying TO force the colored
children into the schools with the
whites. All of which makes me as
mad as a wet hen. We have built
them separate school house; howev-
er, and as they are not very numerous
| think we can hold them level. But
notwithstanding all this it was decided
in the Supreme Court in a case ap-
pealed from our Superior Court that if
the colored children insisted, that ac-
cording to the doctrines of the Thlr-
teenth and Fourteenth amendments
they were entitled to all the privileges
of the whites, but as there are very few
colored people here, the matter is not
calculated to cause much trouble. Our
Supreme Court, however, is very plia-
bic and reverses itself and upsets for
mer doctrines with an ease that would
startle the more soher-sided Courts of
the East and Sonth; hence, we look
for a reversal of the whole matter in
the near future. We want more dem
ocrats on the bench, that is all tue
trouble, aud / know of none that
would look better than Louisiana
boys; so | would say, come out and
give us lift. Don't move if you do
not want to, but if you will, why come
to Tnlare county, California.
The county is democratic, is larger
than many of the New England States,
and is capable Of producing anything
that ever sprung from the ground.
the county seat, contains
about five thousand inhabitants, and
is very beautiful place. 1t is not on
The main line of the Southern Pacific
Railroad but is distant about seven
niles to the East. We are connect
I'd, however, by two lines, one run
hing to Tulare and one to Goshen,