River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-08-21
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SAN JOSE, Cat, Aug. 5, 1890.

| feature in our far away home life. anC
its pages are closely scanned for news
| of friends and neighbors and its ''gooC
news from home" is like "a cup OF
cold water to a thirsty soul"
Cold water! We can't help hoping
that all our friends will give us kind
ly thought as they quaff that cleal
cold beverage FIRE SHY drawn from
those deep wells. Don't infer from
| this that the water here is not clean
and deep drdWR-for it is both.
1t comes from the Santa Cruz Mts
twelve or fifteen miles away, and Is a:
clear as it is possible for 1t to be after
the Chinaman takes his last bath in it
for we have been told two have beer
| found drowned in the reservoir since
we came; but then one can't expect tC
have everything to their taste In this
life, aud we do have fine weather.
Just imagine. If you can cloudles:
/ days and nights ever since last May
and while you are sweltering and
melting. both day and night. and anx
iously watching the heavens for sign:
of those terrible cyclones, that worh
such dreadful disasters. We can al
any time find a cool place and rest
full breeze and at night we close oul
eyes, to rest, instead of passing the
hours in trying to get cool enough tC
sleep. The fruit crop is small in com
pariscn with other years, but the price
is doubled and what we eat is just as
COED. We can't help feeling of re-
greet that those River Falls people did
not stay long enough to enjoy the
plums, apricOts and peaches. We Of
ten speak of them when eating the
luscious peaches, and of what they
missed. We miss those friends sadly
and wonder who will come next.
Harry Rickett has become enamored
with the country. The dust annoyed
him at first, but he is getting used to
to that, for we often see him spinning
away out into the country on his BIZ
cycle. think | was to tell you some.
thing of how prohibition works here.
Last spring the new City Fathers
concluded that there was great need
of reform, especially in one portion OF
the city, and the word was passed
along the line, and one whole street
was cleared of disreputable houses,
and saloons were also closed. A good
work as far as it went, but it is re-
ported that they are scattered ali over
the city, and saloons that were closed
at the bidding of Star Chamber
meeting were opened by the decision
of the court that their closing was
illegal. 1t needs the power behind
the throne" here as elsewhere-for
restriction is not prohibition, neither
does it have like results.
The amount of wine drinking among
women is a sad state of affairs. Cali
fornia is wine cursed, and future gen.
erations will prove it, if any further
proof is needed. speak from my oi01l
observation and not others.
The w. O. L. U. are taking their
usual vacation during the heated term
but the enemy they are fighting is
awake and very active, needing no
rest, or at least, taking none. Who
ever heard of a w. @. L. U. before
that needed or took vacation! Not
Wis ionsin white ribboners most sure
ly. Mrs. Wells of Tennessee, Nation
al Organizer lectured before an audi
fence recently, that for size, would
have shamed a Wisconsin Union to
have greeted speaker with. Too bad,
for she is an excellent speaker and i
hope she may visit River Falls some
day. Nellie b. Eyster, name famil-
lar to all Union Signal readers has
been here for some time this spring
heard her deliver an address for the
Sopholicktian society of the Uuniver-
sity of the Pacific commencement
week. She is a bright cheerful body,
a pleasant speaker, loyal w. G. L. U.
woman, and resembles IN feature and
form our Mrs. G.. w. Farnsworth. l
sometimes think San Jose's VS.. do not
honor their National leaders as East.
ern Unions dol may be mistaken. ]
miss the little white badge, for it is
not universally worn.
The most stirring subject under dis
cussion at present is, not the Original
Package, Supreme court decisions, but
the trouble in one of the China towns.
The authorities are greatly exercised
over their gambling propensitles and
are determined to suppress them won
der if that means PrOhibitioR) and the
'high binders" are up in arms over it
and pistol shots at unwary white men
are becoming startling occurrences.
The Chinese question is puZZling
one, to the uninitiated at least, for
one can readily see that the restric-
ton law does not restrict and can but
wonder what is to be done with the
vast number that swarm over this
coast. There is Mission near us do
ing good work. and the interest they
manifest in their lessons would shame
some of our own pupils. We have a
young cousin who teaches every SUM-
day afternoon bright young man by
the name of Gee Wee. We send
money and missionaries to a heather
land to covert the heathen-what is
to be done with the heather in our
own landi For they are as class
still heather in everything.
1t was our happy lot to spend three
days, including the 4th at Pacific
Grove--seventy-five miles from here,
and although the trip was taken to
give Mr.. r. much needed rest, it was
rest only by being change, for
every nook and Granny on the coast
for twelve miles one way and six and
half the other was inspected by him
and sea urchins. Star fish, shells and
moss most hpautifuI wpra traaSurac