Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-08
LETTER BAG.
Antelope vallev.

that you are ever willing to devote q
portion of your valuable space to mat
ters which pertain to the prosperity
and growth of Los Angeles county, / de-
sire to place my impressions of the Sec
tion known as Antelope valley in print,
in order that my eastern friends may
know something Of this favored spot in
California.
I arrived in the town of Lancaster, in
the dead of winter, and found that
place, which is about 1850 feet above
the sea level, entirely free from the ex-
treme heat of some portions of the state,
as well as the extreme cold of others.
The valley contains in the neighborhood
OF l 200, 900 acres of the most fertile soil
In the state, upon which can be raised
splendid fruits of all kinds, there being
sufficient frost to ensure that delicious
natural flavor which is 30 conspicuously
absent in fruits raised in valleys where
there is little or no frost. There is much
available government land, both In the
foothills and the valley, all of which
under cultivation will yield splendid re-
suits. That this is the case is proven
by the material advancement made by
locaters in the immediate vicinity of
this unclaimed government land.
The temperature throughout Antelope
valley ranges from 20 degrees in the
winter to 112 degrees in summer, the
apparent excessive heat of the warmest
days being pleasantly Offset by re-
freshing sea breeze and the dryness of
the atmosphere. Ny climatic surround
ings here made me wonder why people
spent their lives in the misery of an
eastern winter OF 30 degrees below zero,
when with slight outlay of time and
money they could become prosperous
Antelope valley farmers.
The soil OF this section is mostly a
dark sandy loan and contains large
quantities of lime, iron and alumina,
which fact will emphatically recommend
it to anyone desiring to cultivate any
variety of citrus fruit or raisin grapes.
Besides the excellent soil, the valley
can be irrigated at small expense with
the waters of the many rivers in this
vicinity, to say nothing of the abundant
flow to be obtained from artesian wells
at depths ranging from I75 TO zoo feet.
In the last few years many small set
Elements have sprung up in Antelope
valley, and its population has been
more than doubled. Its residents will
be found to be sober, industrious,
sociable and generous class, always busy,
and a stranger is ever welcomed in a
hospitable manner, and much interest
is manifested that he should be we'll
impressed with his surroundings.
Although grain has been the main
product OF the valley in the past, many
enterprising farmers, notwithstanding
the fact that wheat raised in this valley
always commands top prices, have of
late years devoted much time and land
to fruits. The ranches situated in Palm
dale colony have trees upon them which
at the age Of three years produced fruit
in as large quantity and of as good quail
ity as has ever been gathered in this or
any other state. Almond culture is also
engaged in to considerable degree, the
most extensive orchard being that of the
Fairmont Land & Water company the
Farming and Fruit Land company set
out an entire section to this fruit this
year, and the day is not far distant when
Antelope valley will supply a consider
able portion of the market with almonds
of the very best flavor and variety.
The principal town of the valley, from
which the immense shipments of cereals
are made, is Lancaster. There is more
business transacted in this place than
can be found in any town between Los
Angeles and Bakersfield, and much
credit is due to the indomitable energy
and enterprise of such men as J. P.
Ward, S. A. Drummond, Capt. ]. G.
Hannah, Jacob Scherer and others, who
have seen the town in all its advance
ment from infancy to thrifty and inn
portant commercial point. The mer-
chants are apparently well satisfied and
an air of "strictly business" pervades
the whole community. Among the re-
cent substantial improvements may be
mentioned the establishment of the An
telope Valley bank by the Andrews
brothers, two live, energetic young men
who have the confidence of the entire
people. George o. Grower is one of the
newest acquisitions to the mercantile
branch Of the town, and bis efficient
business attainments insure future sue
cess. There are several nice structures
in the town, notably the large brick
schoolhouse and the news brick
building recently erected BY Jacob
Scherer, one of the solid men of the
valley. have heard the business sa-
gacity OF the weaker sex scoffed at, but
Mrs. Alice j. Adams, recent arrival in
Lancaster, nobly vindicates her sex on
that score. She takes a lively interest
in the progress of the town, and to her
it is indebted for some of its best build
ings.
While this valley is in a prosperous
condition at present, containing excel
lent school, church and other facilities,
there is still much room for progress,
and the industrious man will find an
abundant harvest in any OF the settle
ments of the valley.
A crying need of this section, and one
which it is now certain of securing, is
an opposition railroad line. The Santa
Fe has lately sent surveyors into this
district, and they have obtained right
of way through the larger part of the
valley, and operations are expected to
commence at an early date. And when
this road is completed and freight rates
are reduced, Antelope valley, with it's
magnificent scenery and prosperous sur
roundings. will burst forth in all the
brilliancy of a full-blown rose, situated
as it is in one of the choicest spots of
the modern garden of Eden-Southern
California. B.
Likes the Library.
EDITORS HERALD: A stranger and 30
iourner in your beautiful city for the