The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-10
A GLIMPSE AT CALIFORNIA.
The Wonders of Her Climate, Her Soil,
and Her Mountains.


and Her Mountains.
Correspondence of THE SUNDAY HERALD.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 1.-If you were here
in the early SOS and not since you would see
no sold landmarks SO great has been the
change. The great thoroughfares, like Mar
ket Battery, Kearney, California, Sacramento,
and Geary, are marvels of enterprise and
wealth. The city is we'll and compactly built.
1t has q touch of the fogs Of Old London, with
bit of the hot designations of that great me-
tropolis. the gaiety of Paris, the color Of New
York, the solidity of Boston, the beauty of
Washington, and the ''rush'' of Chicago. And
such bay! ''See Naples and die!' may be
all right for those who desire it, but here is
something better-see the Bay of San Fran
cisco and live! San Pablo and Suisun Bays
. form part of this "inland sea'' Into the
bay empty the great rivers of Sacramento,
American, and San Joaquin; Around this
bay the counties of Marin, Sonoma, Napa,
Solano, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Alameda,
San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara
form themselves, with San Francisco, a
circle of population, wealth, beauty
OF scenery and. and possibilities that no
wharves and the offing can be seen
ships from all nations The commerce of San
Francisco is surely increasing. Vessels of all
sizes and rigs are constantly sailing for the
4
couver, British Columbia, and the southern
ports of Southern California, Lower Cali
fornia Mexico, Central America, South
America, the islands of the sea, and far away
lands of Japan, China, Australia, and India.
Within few hours ride are the great fruit
and wheat valleys of San Ramon, Sonoma,
Napa and Santa Clara. In San Joaquin val
ley are wheat-fiedS as large as counties in
Eastern States The great 'wheat barons'
live as '1ords of the manor" having incomes
f-o, c.
wheat area is lessening each year, because it
pays more to raise fruits. For this reason
thousands of acres of wheat lands are coming
into the market. California is to be the fruit
and wine State of the country; on fruit and
wine she must rely for her prosperity. The
great fruit and wine valleys of this part of
the State are Sonoma, San Ramon, Napa,
Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara
For beauty, wealth, enterprise, improvements.
and future prospects it is generally conceded
that Santa Clara Valley excells. In it is To-
Gated the now famous Leland Stanford,
Jr., University the gift to the State of Cali
fornia of the senior Senator from this State
q noble gift, vast mine of inexhaustible
knowledge, destined to widely influence the
mind, conscience, and heart of the coming
generations.
The climate of California is as changeable
as a woman's bonnet. One needs to study its
varying moods to secure the best results. The
mountains, valleys, foothills, low-land, and
from the cold and frost of the former to the
balmy air of the latter. Many invalids go to
Southern California. There is very little dif-
ference In the climate of the two sections; 1t
is all good. For strictly frst-class marine
climate there are two noted places, Redondo
Beach and Coronado Beach, both in Southern
California. There are no better places in the
world for the cure of insomnia and nervous
prostration than the climate at those places.
In the counties of San Diego and San Bernar-
dino are the mountains of San Antonio, ("Old
Baldy,n) San Bernardino, and San Jacinto,
covered with snow. The contrast between
them and the semi-tropical verdure at their
bases-cahons, foothills, valleys, and low
lands-is something SO beautiful, strange, and
fascinating that one is held spell-bound with
admiration. They are the first to be seen
from the sea and last In leaving the land.
There is romance about the old mission
churches, established on this coast by Spanish
priests when the Republic was young and In
knickerbockers, that never ceases to be fruit
full OF discussion, investigation, and wonder.
They did a noble work in spreading
the influences of the Christian religion,
which shows good results to this day The
old churches are in ruins, the priests peace
fully sleep in the arms of mother earth near
the scenes of their spiritual victories, and the
descendants of their converts are here to tes-
tify to their fidelity.
Having lived in many and visited all the
principal cities of the United States and Can
ada do not hesitate to say that Washington,
after all, as a place of residence, is without
rival, and when her great historical
boulevard is finished, connecting the Sol
diers Home, Arlington, and Mount Vernon
by union bridge across the Potomac, uniting
the North and the South, with an enlarged
and improved White House and National
Park that shall be credit to the people, she
will have additional claims as the most beau
tiful and artistic capital in the world.