Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-04-24
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
MADEIRA, CAL,

fOrnia | have been working lor tHe
John Brown Colony Company, stu
ated about 20 miles from the north
end of San Joaquin valley, and near
about midway between the sierra
Nevada and Coast Range mountains
as near as can describe. The iahu
looks about rs level as the river DOT
toms along the road leading from the
Cement Mill TO Hoffman NH, mere
and there little mounds from 10
feet high. and occasionally a rldge
VARYING about the same, some places
very SANDY and others what they can
dobv here. would cal! it black cay.
| wish il to be remembered that am
only speaking OF the country south
and west of the town OF MADEIRA,
distance Of from 10 to - mics. Ior !
weeks after got here | do no think
there WIS enough of wind 10 blow out
q lighted lamp; the sky was cloudless,
occasionally Slight frost, and after
that we had about 6 weeks OF cloudy
and focgv weather and occasionally
sliyht rain: occasionally we had
suushinv day and every time II wouiu
clear up | would see those VINO We're
Interested in farming or fruit raising
looking with anxious eyes toward tne
Sierra Nevada mountains turn with
a down-cast look and say that we
would have to have more rain, as
there was not enough of snow to lrri-
cate with: but on the 9th of February
we had a good rain and after II
cleared ND we could see plenty OF
snow on the mountains, aud since
then have had several good rains ana
i raining now and every body Is
wearing smile and saying we VIII
have good times for at least III months
more. Water seems to be the one
thing needful in this country Tor
crop, vet when | tell you that theH
have had only seven inches Oh ram iaii
here since the 15ln Of EAST April, ana
am told that if the! get one more
lipht shower in u or - days II VIII
insure O. crop, and the most OF !neui
say we are sure of crop even II we
do not get any more rain. Now WISH
TO state that people are u niue HIS
taken about this country III some par
ticulars. for | have often heard IL
stated that everything stays green All
winter but not so; all vines ana trees
drop their foliage and lay dormant
for a while. Hardy vegetables "'ieaI
and grass grow right along III lacV
! | saw volunteer wheat in head III De
cember and see lots Of barley out III
head ON the 18th of March, but there
is no wheat or barley in head thaI
was sown. as the farmers were rate
sowing on account of being so Dry
They could not plow until about the
97th of December, yet when they got
started they made up for lost time.
80 have = lcull Ol
mules to Il and gang ploW ana
seeder attached on the plo", h"l
row dragging after and OFTEN liiileS az
night would have s to III acres p!o"e u'
sowed and narrowed III ana an uolle
by one man. And now Mr.. Eu'tOI, We
have no billiards. here, but III TINS
place have seen three sanu STORMS
and |. would sooner face the slfa"
carrier of Il steam lhresher' "her
threshing dirty wheat, than one Oh
them, but fortunately tHeg uo NJ
come very often. | have been asNeu
for advice by some of my friends p"cN
there in regards to coming OUT weeV'
Here is something | would not IKE 20
give but will tell them the lacta' anu
they can decide for themselves y
man can get $50 a mouth ana poaIu'
and what work ! have seen since
have been here do not THINK Is as
laborious as it is back there. nave
had very good board since haNe
been here, most of tine places are iuI-
n:.hed with bunk house; eacii pei
son must furnish his own Oeu an"
bedding but occasionally YOU VIII
sent to the barn to sleep III lrollV Vi
the mules. Now, as for those mo
wish to invest, can only say lhlS,
that if the fruit crops do not IAN nor
the prices that | think an lhNtSt-
ment would be good even at the hiSil
price at which land is held; so uoi
lars is as low as | have heard o! an!
where near here for the naked lai'''
no fence required only where II Is pun
in fruit, and then they use what 'heE
call rabbit wire, like some use paoh
there for chickens; it Is only let'
high: each man must take care ol i'lS
own stock, for the law IS here II tne!
get on your neighbor : land anu II ne
is mind TO he can put them III !tiS
corral and YOU must come GOWN WIN
the hard cash before you can SeS
them out; and right here let me say l
believe il is the right way lor near
no fussing about bad stock ana nel9n.
bors all seem to live peaceaDly' heai
very little gossipinS-a seem 70 oc
going along mindims their own ahaIrS
and with very slight exception d..
have met with seem TO DE yer!
friendly. You meet almost ali nations
here. Now if you could induce The
amount of immigration III 10 oiu Jti
ferson that l have seen pass a!olS
this road it would give you Qulte d
boom, for | think on an average li!d'
about 10 day pass 10y mere asNInS
the road to the different colonies; IN
deed it seems to me as though tie
whole of Nebraska have turned thelh-
selves loose on this State, besides
some coming from almost every o'her
State in the Union. | do not see
posters up Of lots for sale III some
other town 50 or 100 miles away, Dut
at every turn and corner you can see
lots and land advertised Tor sale III
and around MADEIRA; neither DO see
married men sitting around with thelr
hands clasped on their pocket DOORS
waiting for some stranger 10 come
along with a fairy tale and take them
i'm for a few thousand, but each ana
every one trying their level best 10
make things 20 here: for il Cantor
ninn loses a thousand dollars o-day III
an enterprise he is ready to risk 81 GOO
more tomorrow if he has got that
amount left, so l say to the good PEG.
pie of Shepherdstown wake up, tor II
YOU do not MADEIRA will be city be.
fore you get the sleep rubbed out OF
your eyes. l have been toid Dy goUa
been over 400 buildings erected III the
last six months and l hear the ham
mer in every direction. Now Mr. Edl-
tor have made my letter more
lengthy than had intended. Please
say TO my friends to be patient ana
! will try TO give them all the partlcT
MARS of this country, and SO far
like the country, climate and the peo-
pie, but how | will like it when dust
gets . feet deep and the thermometer
gets to 10 in the shade, | will let you
hear from me later on that partlcu,