Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-03-27
Letter From California.

Mr.. Towner Schley, of this place,
has received from Mr.. William Upde.
graft, who is now travelling through
the West, the following interesting
letter from California
SANTA BARBARA. CAL,
March 9th. 1891.
DEAR FRIEND-About three weeks
! back we landed in California Have
visited in San Bernardino, San Diego
and Los Angeles counties, aud are
now, as you see, in Santa Barbara
county. | have been TO see Judge
! Hall twice since here. | find he is a
very busy man. On both visits
| found from three TO four clients claim
/ ing his attention. | called at p. Ill.
/ to-day and found him bordering over
his law books, which he laid aside as
soon as we came in. In five minutes
! there were four parties wanting TO
talk to him on business. We had
a pleasant little chat, in which time
he made inquiries about many people
and many matters about Shepherds
town and Martinsburg. Finding some
of his clients urging their attention
upon him, | said: Attend TO your
patrons, we will be here this week
and come to see you again" In driv-
ing out through Mountain Valley we
passed his ranch, and should judge
he has a very pleasant home, and Is
we'll off and certainly has an extern
sive Office practice.
This is a wonderful country, espe-
calIv in the four lower counties
which | have named. In the three
first they have perpetual winter and
perpetual summer within distance
of forty five miles. In each one OF
these counties we stood in orange
groves loaded with golden fruit and
could see the snow-capped mountains
within a distance of 40 80 80 miles
The temperature here has been about
80 TO 90, and the weather, when clear,
perfectly charming. We struck their
winter rains. and while il does not
rain here for about eight or nine
months in the year, il never fails 10
make it up when ii does come. 1t Is
now two weeks since the rain storm
started to wash out the railroads. and
some of them have not been running
since, and some will never be built Oh
the same beds. We have seen for sew
eral miles running stream on road
bed with cars on il and sand up TO
within three feet Of the tops OF the
cars. Occasionally stream breaks
through the adjoining sand banks
and sweeps across the land, making
an entirely new channel. This is often
the case along the railroad and re-
quires the building OF another bed be-
youd the stream.
That this is a wonderful State no
one can doubt. | believe it produces
almost every article known i'll food
and commerce, except coal Fuel
seems to be the great drawback to
the successful pursuit of manufacture
ing. Coal sells for twenty TO twenty
five dollars per ton, aud wood is sold
for about twelve to fifteen dollars
cord but as Ned said well, wood
don't amount to much. ! have so far
ONLY bought twenty-five cents worth
to keep us warm thus far, and winter
is now over" There are few nights
that one needs any fire to keep them
warm, and they tell Us here that there
is not more than ten days In any sum
so. and that only about noon. All
through the summer months they
wear the same underclothes that they
do in the winter months, and need
blanket to sleep under the year
around OF course, AIN only writing
about the lower or southern counties
Of the State Northern Boundary is
on q line with Boston on the map,
and Southern Boundary ona line with |
Charleston, ). G.. The coast line of
California is 700 miles long, and San !
Bernardino county is larger than the |
State of Maryland. San Diego and /.
Los Angeles counties are something /.
like 200 by 80 miles in size. 1t Is the |
vast extent of country that gives the !
State such vast and varied resources. |
If had the time | would write you .
more about the products that would /
no doubt interest you, but this at /
tempt of seeing California is about /
the biggest job | ever undertook: | /
never worked harder nor more con |
stdntly than | have done since in this
State. irving to see into all the places |
of interest It's go, go, go, from the |
time we got up until dark, when we .
go to bed, TO rest and get at work .
the next morning. The fellow who |
thinks Sightseeing is soft job Will |
be sadly mistaken when he gets into |
this State, if he moves around to all
the various points.
Hope this will find you and yours |
all well. We are all well.
Your Devoted Friend,
WIN. UPDEGRAFF.