The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-04-03
A MANKATO MANS IMPRESSION OF
THE CALIFORNIA REDWOOD
DISTICT.
EAST PORTLAND, March %, '91.

|
In my last letter | said l would con-
tinue my course up the coast. Per-
haps some of my friends would Ike to
know my.object in taking such trip.
| 1t was to get homestead in the red
wood forest.
left Eureka Feb. 3, by steamer
across Humboldt Bay to Arcadia, a
pretty place to live, but no business
done there; thence by stage to Trini-
dad, a once thriving lumber town,
now dead KILLED by an English syndi-
cate) Here [ found Mr.. Brown, who
keeps store fifteen miles further up
the coast. l got ride with him
when the roads were good, otherwise
one must walk. Stayed over night at
place called the Big Lagoon. This
would make fine resort if some en-
terprising parties would build hotel.
Here is fine body of fresh water
close to the ocean, and full of salmon
trout. Several small streams empty
into it full of mountain trout and
lots OF deer and bear are near. What
little good land there is here is worth
$50 an acre. Not many settlers are
here
Fep. 4th.-I now have got by all or
to the end of all wagon roads, and
path, or trail, as they call it here, for
fifty miles to Crescent City. To take
horse is out of the question, for |
never rode that way, so walk I must.
The first day l made Is miles, to Mrs.
Johnston's, who keeps a stopping
place. She is not a widow, but one
who rules her own households; claims
to be an own cousin to Phil Sheridan;
says her name was July Sheridan. She
is little, old Irish woman, but the
biggest liar | ever met. Told me so
many stories of recent murders by the
Digger Indians that l passed harm
less squaws with fear. This was s
miles from the mouth of the Klamath
River, which was to be the goal of my
expectations, the redwood claim.
Feb. 5th.-I got to the Klamath at
noon; had to be set across the river
by Digger Indian, whose reserva-
tion is here. / did not stop long to
look for claim-a sqUaw hallOed at
me, ''ha, hal" which hurried me on
my homeward course. l passed
through many miles of redwood forest
that won't be cut for 100 years to
come. For me to try to give any idea
of the immensely of this forest would
be as dlfhcult as TO describe the ocean
serf, which others have failed to give
any idea of.
/ now am going to hurry over the
rest Of my trip, for if continue as
have done the FREE PRESS would not
contain the half. l will try and de-
scribe the land resources.
The whole country, from the Kla-
math River to Grants Pass, is vast
wilderness, not one acre in a hundred
being occupied or ever will be. 1t is
the poorest kind of mountain land.
Sheep raising has been tried, but they
soon starve and die. There is occa-
sionally a small valley with settler,
who is glad to get two bits, as they
call it here, twenty-five cents, for
our dinner.
Now will sum the whole thing up
in this way: Lots of poor land: lots of
speculation; lots of doomed places
with no resources: lots of fools seek
ing climate. If they don't find it in
the air, they can climb onto some of
these hills to their satisfaction. As
for me, the big, soft spot in my heart
for Mankato is growing every day.
Jas. Hodgson and Henry Tidlin ar
rived here last week. James was quite
sick with lumbago. G. NJ. J.