The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-11

for business,activity. If something does
not kick him very hard and very soon, to
stir him into . show of enterprise, he viii
have no business TO be active about, ex-
cept little tiddledewinktum local traffic.
The contrast of the Mexicanized Califor-
MAN with the busting Eastern individual
who has, on account OF altern-
alive broiling and freezing, lost more or
less lung, has been strikingly shown in
recent years in Southern California. The
land lay there for decades, with the occa-
sIonal California owner growing sparce
crops of wheat, barley and beans, and
lording it over the infrequent greasers
and Indians. Then the one-iunger came,
fleeing from the inclemencies of his home.
He coughed, hacked and spat great deal,
but he was up early and at work. As q
consequence orange and lemon orchards,
olive groves and vineyards have taken the
place of the wheat fields with their uncer-
tain crops; rumbling cities are on the
cites of adobe villages; the waters OF the
mountains are impounded and then doled
out TO make green the formerly arid
plains, and prosperity and thrift have
taken the place of easy and more or less
squalid Incidence.
But above the one-lung belt little change
has been wrought, except in an initiative.
reflective way. To the north the land
offers the same bonus to endeavor. In
fact Central and Northern California are
naturally more productive than the South
ern part of the state; but the large tracts
are generally held by the old Californian,
and he will go down to his grave growing
wheat, barley and beans, If LETT TO his own
efforts to work out his financial salvation.
Natural gas is known to exist IN many
parts OF the state. Reservoirs OF this IL
luminant have been tapped when the Cali
fornian was boring for something else:
The Taper has generally evinced mild
surprise, and has felt that he was stralning
all his resources if he introduced the gas
into his own house. Among more speedy
people such discoveries would mean ex-
element, hustle, manufactures and a
changed condition Of affairs all around.
To the old Californian they merely mean
occasions for exclaiming ''Ha" with an
expression of childish amaZement and
curiosity.
California still pegs along producing
more gold than any other state of the
Union. But people generally do not know
it. There is an idea prevalent among the
people of most of the states, and probably
in the greater part of the world, that Cali
fornia mines were worked out years ago.
Good mining properties are developed every
month, but little or no attention is paid 10
them. Ii the developments were made in
South Africa or Booraboola Cha. or In the
realms ruled by the Akoond of
Swat, they would be heralded
to the word and cause a rush
have been lazily pegging away on Lodges
or panning little on gravel deposits so
long, with the idea of catching some gull
ible Englishman who will pay four prices
for the prospect and take the chances of
development, needless that they might do
their own developing if they had little
more faith and energy, that the world
doesn't care fig whether they ever really
do anything or not, and is inclined to be
cynical when they talk about their dis
coveries.
Of course the foreign investor, seeing
local capital shy of investment in such
property, naturally gets somewhat skit-
fish himself, and when bitten once or
twice, concludes that all the prospect
holes of these old Californians are merely
pitfalls for the unwary. So although Cali
fornia mines turn out their immense pro-
ducts on account of their unusual richness
and the energy of few men, they are
really not worked one-tenth as much as
they should be, and have not one-twentieth
of the reputation which they deserve.
that climate and soil and environment are
working their effect, and that the Cali
fornian is slowly but surely approaching
the sluggish, indolent, Mexican type. At
the same time there is no land which offers
so many opportunities for the hustler and
energetic man of affairs as the country of
the gold hunters. To be sure. the hustler
will in time succumb to the soporiic
influences of the poppy and mandragora
in the climate. but he may make his
fortune fefore he dozes off into his dream
of the bolce far niente and this is the land
where that fortune can be best enjoyed.
ED III. HAMILTON.