Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-02
IN CALIFORNIA.
orr "Boss" has 7oyztten as mere
about this 70oudey7M country.
FRESNO, CAL, MAY 10, 1892.

HdIu W DedT ny Tic uOItucTu dclcSdlCS
who are not accustomed to such climate
1t has averaged 100 and over in the sun,
with cool sea breezes coming on al
about o'clock p. NJ. Since writing you
from San Diego, we have been enter,
tanned at Riverside, Redland, Pasedino
and Los Angeles. While in the latter
city we gave our entire time to brother
Ernest and family who were delighted
to see US. In their company we were
shown the most attractive parts of this
city of 10000 people. While lower
California is rich and productive
country, Los Angeles is our favorite so
far seen in California. We may change
orr views when we reach San Francisco
but yet we have visited no city that left
80 favorable an impression as Los
Angeles. At Pasedino our coaches
were completely decorated with the
choicest variety of flowers giving the
cars the appearance of a fairyland.
The hospitality shown us in every city
we stop is SO cordial and complete that
we are fairly sick of entertainment
They insist on covering us with flowers
and filling us with all kinds of wine and
fruit. l often think of my Wisconsin
friends and wish they could enjoy the
pleasures of this wonderful country
with us. | wish could send the old
REPORTER office a boquet such as we
receive every morning, the perfume of
which would scent tie entire Gardner
Block. Gala lilies are so common we
often see them at the side of houses and
even in the driveway to barns. Peach,
lemon, orange, pear and apricot trees
are SO common to us now that it seems
we have always been familiar with
them. Olive, Cyprus, Pepper, Fig,
Banana, Palm and other trees and
plants are each peculiar to the stranger,
but common place to the native. This
climate is delightful but rather too
warm for a man who has been born and
reared in Wisconsin. The price of land
in rural districts all through Southern
California ranges from 500 to $500 per
to market and cultivation. Without
irrigation it would be utterly worthless
While in Los Angeles we were unable
to see Mrs. Babcock or Mrs. Allen, but
they were reported to us as being quite
we'll, though Mrs. Ivah Babcock has
been very sick with inflammation of the
bowels. They continue to love Los
Angeles and believe it has bright
future before it. Mr.. Allen is employed
in the Laundry business while Mr..
Babcock is farmer. Brother Ernest
is in the grocery and fruit business.
One pleasing feature worthy of note
while in Los Angeles was the tribute to
the Editors" from Santa Barbara, the
"Flower City," which sent whole
carload of the most beautiful flowers.
The lady compositors of the Santa
Barbara INDEPENDENT sent 100 pansy
boutonnieres.
We don't reach San Francisco until
Monday May 23rd There we spend
four days in seeing the sights and
transacting the necessary business of
the convention.
MONTEREY, CAL, MAY %.
AS we progress through the land of
milk and honey" we are truly con-
WINGED that California is a grand and
wonderful state, the home alike of the
precious metals, agricultural products,
The delicious citrus or semi-tropical
fruits and flowers and, in the beautiful
northern and central valleys, of the
cereals, vegetables and great varieties
of fruits known to the temperate zones,
and each days experience impresses us
more forcibly of that fact Magnif cent
orchards, gardens and fields of grain
greet the eye from one station to
another whether you travel east or west.
The liberal entertainment of this people
is unbounded and at every station we
pass the platforms are crowded with
people who are anxious to bid us "God
speed" on our journey. Some idea of
the extent of the state may be had by
placing the map of California so as to
have its eastern line rest on the eastern
line of the Atlantic states. The expert
ment will show that California would
cover all the territory embraced in tie
States of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, New York, PENNSYLVANIA,
Delaware. Maryland and more than
half of Virginia reaching down to the
northern line of North Carolina. This
great empire has 1850 miles of sea coast.
At every place, since we left Los
Angeles on Tuesday last until to-day
Sunday, the heat has been excessive,
one day it being 100 in the shade. This
was at Fresno. Imagine the condition
of the Wisconsin party during this time.
1t seems | never suffered so from heat
as | did these four days.
Our visit at Sacramento, the capital of
this great state, was made doubly
pleasant, from the fact that the Wiscon-
sin people were dined at the "Snitter
Club" by the Governor, Mr.. James
Markham, who was formerly resident
of our state. His entertainment was in
keeping with his high position and the
menu consisted of eight courses during
which white, port, sherry and cham
payne wines were served. At the close