The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-09-17

AS the little valleys for which Cali
fornia is noted are to be found at all
elevations up the mountains, there IS
a correspondingly varied climate,
and the person who likes California
climate in general will be sure to
find his own favorite variation. In
winter it is said snow may be seer
on the north slope of the San Ber-
nardino range and flowers on the
south
There are MANY remarkable things
in California, as there are IN every
state, but, perhaps, none is more re-
markable to the uninitiated traveller
than the love of the average Cali
fornian for exaggeration, and SO &C
customed is he to it that he may be
considered sincere enough in what
he says. You will read that "a six
teen or twenty foot corn stalk is &C
copied as a matter of course, and
three hundred pound squash or a
FIVE foot beet attracts little notice, ;"
that "hedges of Gala lilies, which are
solid mass of immense white bios
SONS, and fields with tens of thous-
ands of these snowy flowers waving
in the breeze the Californian regards
with scarcely more than a passing
glance" that THE mustard plant of
California shoots up dozen or
fifteen feet forming thicket in
which horseback rider is easily
lost" that "There are whole fields OF
corn in which six foot man was
just able by standing on tiptoe to
touch the lowest ears on the stalks
with the tip of an ordinary walking
cane
Individual instances of the extra
ordinary are quite possible in Cali
fornia, but in general this state is
much like others, in some respects
excelling, but in not few excelled.
Garden vegetables are very ordinary,
the corn seen could scarcely bear
comparison with the luxuriant fields
of the valley states, the wheat fields
are rivalled in the Dakotas, and al
most every fruit for which California
is famous is equalled or excelled in
other states in which each fruit is a
speciality.
Hardly an acre of Southern Cali
fornia could be occupied but for the
Transforming power of water, brought
where it never was before for miles
in pipes and cement-lined bitches.
AS far as the soil is concerned, the
desert is in nature much the same
as the San Gabriel valley. 1t is en-
tirely an artificial country, the only
natural resource being sunshine and
sand" 1t is true that almost every
thing can be grown here, but half the
expense and trouble in many of the
valley states in many cases would
give better results.
One who expects to find this
land of flowers in the season of
drouth will be disappointed There
is nothing here like the level black
acres of Dakota or the rolling green
prairies of Illinois, nothing like the
oak openings of Wisconsin. "More
than half is irredeemable after
water has done all that it can do.
Barren places abound in the richest
parts Patches pitilessly desolate lie
beside gardens Let US not sup
pose that the effects of a drouth are
less severe in California than else
where. The calamity which the
East laments California has learned
to endure. Nothing is green-not
square yard of lawn that is not daily
watered. There are the same clouds
of dust beaten fine as wheaton -four
dust ankle deep in the roads. The
MONDAY air is heated by the scorch-
ing sun no to 1I6 degrees, and the
night breeze chills you through the
| fannels and overcoat you never lay
aside. The exquisite freshness of
an eastern dewy morning is unknown,
for the thirsty air has not had a par
ticle of moisture for months, and the
dusty, withered foliage is unwashed.
Nor does Southern California know
in its heated period the publication
of air that follows generous shower
in midsummer. The heated season
is monotony. Unrelieved of its car
bon, the air is oppressive, producing
languor and WEAKNESS, and the devo-
tee of this GLORIOUS climate re-
lapses into state of 'chronic tired
ness The bracing, work-inspiring
air of the North is rarely felt, and
the thought will come that it takes a
winter to make a man. There are
already indications that the Gland
where it is always afternoon is pro-
ducing a race of lotus eaters. The
Californian to-day sits idly by while
the varied wealth of Mexico and
Peru, the nitrate of Chill and coffee
of Guatemala are handled by the
more energetic and virile Germany,
/ France and England. Even the tea