Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1890-12-19
BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA, FRIDAY DECEMBER 10, 1Sqo
A Letter From California.

We arrived here safely Nov. 26,
after q pleasant trip tired and dirty.
Came by the B. & NJ. to Denver and
via d. & r. G. to Ogden. The d. &
r. G. Is now broad gauge all the way
and passes through the wonderful
Glenwood canon down the Grand
river. This pass is grand beyond con.
ception and description in natural
scenery. If attempt to describe 1t,
shall make it the subject of q special
letter later on.
Here commercial matters seem to
be IN healthy state, but real estate
is very dull, all trying to sell with no
purchasers, but few for good inside
property. All are waiting for the
"Boom" angel to come and trouble
the waters.
Our first stop was at Sioux City,
which We found improving rapidly in
all directions. Called on city Editor
Williams, Of the Journal. and had q
pleasant visit. Our next stop was at
Omaha, where we met old friends.
The "boom" Is over at Omaha, and
there ls much valuable property
vacant and idle, which must be q
heavy loss to owners. 1t is wonder
ful to note the improvement of the
last twenty-six years. In '64 spent
the summer in Omaha, Nebraska City,
st. Joe and Kansas City, and was
familiar WITH these towns then, and
now Omaha Is the largest of the m all,
but like Kansas City she is suffering
from the effect OF the reaction after
undue initiation. At Lincoln we noted
good advancement. They claim that
property has not deprecated here so
much as they were not "boomed" so
high.
The little towns in Nebraska have
improved so much in the last ten
years that one would not know them
by appearances. The trees look large
and old, and it don't look so much
like a prairie country. The town We
used to live in (Fairmont), has grown
like a cows tall. One is surprised at
the net worK of railroads in Nebraska,
and almost every little town has
from one to three of these roads.
Ten years ago Hastings WAS not as
large as Brookings is now, yet it has
at present q population of $4,000,
Holdrige, 5000, and Oxford, 1000.
We spent one day riding over Denver,
Colorado, our old home, and the city
has about doubled in nine years. 1t
las had many tboons'' and is now
beginning to wane. Property at
Denver, Salt Lake and Ogden is very
dull, and instead of advancing there
Is q decline and parties VINO must sell
have to put prices down to meet the
views OF buyers. j. M. Berkry, the
largest real estate operator in Del yer,
told me that eastern cities had with
drawn over 100000 daily of monies
held for investments there since the
stock panic began in New York, which
will soon seriously effect the market
in all the country. But here in Los
Angeles they claim there is little or no
eastern capital to withdraw.
We spent q day at Salt Lake and
saw the Hauxhurst and Hamlin fami-
lies. Al and Elisha are hard at work.
Have more jobs than they can at
tend to. We had very pleasant
visit with the wives and children.
Visited the Norman temple, taber-
nacle, etc. Saw the great lake, but
didn't take q swim on account of
time. Wespent day at Sacramento
and saw everything OF interest on the
way down the coast to our place OF
destination. VIM. NJ. BROOKE.
Los ANGELES, CAL, Dec. 8, 1890.