River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-12-28
CALIFORNIA LETTER.


is easiest answered will answer it first.
l like it here much better than expected.
The climate is even-nO sudden changes. no
storms when it rains there is no wind. July
and August was warm but not h0t, did not
reach loo only part of one day. and to-day
(Dec. s. it is 750 in the shade. The health OF
the country is more than good. it is remar<a-
bly, So The city Of Los Angeles with popu-
lation of over $4,000 had no deaths during the
month of August
In attempting TO describe the 'peculiarities"
OF the country 1t must not be expected that
can more than allude to few of them. for
almost every thing is different from that of
Wisconsin.
The topography of Southern California is a
subject matter for small book and would take
weeks of travel TO be able TO write il correctly.
Southern California proper lies south of the
Tehaehipa pass. This is where the Sierras and
the Coast Range unite. But the counties of
Santa Barbara. San Buenaventura Ventura
and part of Kern lying north of the Sierra
Madre mountains are not considered in the
Gurus belt. The counties of Los Angeles, san
Benardino, Riverside. Orange and Sat Diego
are the homes OF ti.0 orange. lemon, etc. ANA
yet all deeidnous fruits grow to perfection with
the exception Of apples-jhat fruit requiring
locality where the ground freezes. The north
boundary of the last named counties is the
Sierra Madre mountains. which begin near the
coast and run east TO the Cajon Pass The
monarch of this range Is san AntOnia, which is
covered with snow about nine months IN the
year. These mountains consist of several
ranges winch grow higher to the north. The
san Benardino mountains commence at the
Gallon Pass anG run south Of east to the MOhave
desert. San BernardinO mountain is the mon
arch of this range. The valley lying south Of
these ranges is about eighty miles long az
averages about fifteen miles wide is bound,
on the south by the Puentia and san Jose hills
and part of the San JacintO mountains. The
cities In the valley commencing at the east end
are Redlands, san BernardinO. Cotton Ontario
Pomona, Pasadena aud Los Angeles, besides
about dozen villages. This valley is watered
by streams from the mountains on the north
supplemented by over 100 artesian wells.
The Santa Fe r. r. runs from Los Angeles on
the north side OF the valley to San BemardinO
thence through the Cajon Pass north to Barsto
thence in an eastery direction. From Barsto
branch runs to San Francisco. The Southern
Pacific X. Il. runs from Los Angeles on che
south side of the valley to the head, where it
passes up narrow canyon between the San
DtthdiAtHV anu AiC Ddil JiCillo MOUNTAINS TO
Texas via San Diego and FL Paso.
While there is but little difference in the
climate in this great valley there is much diff
ference in the soil The eastern half is prinei-
pally red soil. much in color OF red brick, while
the upper onethird Of tile lower half is sandy
and II some places gr,.velly, and the lower
two-thirds of the lower half of the valley is
adobe with alkali in the soil, and has to be
dtched. This is the greatest corn and alfalfa
section in Southern California But little fruit
is raised in this part, except walnuts. Stock
raising is the principal industry. While the
red soil Will produce equally as good looking
frult Oh all kinds as the sandy sOil il is lacku4
in llayOr, and besides. the red soil III che valley
is more subject 10 frOsts than the sandy SOL.
The atitgde aud the distance from the sea may
have much 10 DO with it.
The san Jacint0 mountains are more OF a
group than range, and with the exception Oh
the one mountain OF that name they are not 50
ligh as the other TWO ranges. The OLD san
Jaciuto valley nOw called the Moreno ana
Alasdnaro valley is nearly surrounded with
THESE mountains much Ike horseshoe the
Opening To the southwest. There are tire,
separate short ranges oi MOUNTAINS ia the ysll-
ley, with large Vane3s between tnem.
The average altitude OF this valley Is between
400 ana 5UU IeeJ higher Than the head OF the one
nUith OF 1t, although tney are but 35s mites
apart. This yaIIey is IA Riverside Co. which
was organized last winter from parts OF SAL,
rieIuaiuInO ANA san Diego counties The cit,
OF riverside WAS made the county seat much
liAe the way Prescott was made the county
scat OF I1erc- cOunty-it had the votes IL is
situated IN the northwest corner Of the county
ANA OUTSIDE o1 tnis great valley winch COM
prlses the principal part OF the good lands Ia
the county.
nave not been to the lower end of the val
Yep Dut IL must be ABOUT l0J miles long ana 20
miles wide. IL put tour years since watel
was Brought into IL. but il has seven villages
ana Is dOtteu over with houses and orchards
AZ Is pidtteu In 4U-acre lots with st1eets ana
avenues. Win water pipes in every street ana
avenue, 50 that every lU acres Is a corner iOt
win water IL is the greatest water system Ia
southern California. The water is brought
dUOut % mics, over and through two ranges
OI mountains. IL is forced 200 Ieet up the las,
range till 1t reaches the level OF the vaney,
wnefe d tunnel 2,i00 feet long lands the water
GA the yailey ABOUT ~ rOds from where 1 am
writing. Inc water passes through IA tunnels
anu Inc rest Of the way it is passed through
steeI pressure pipes. There are now I,3Uv
minors inches or 1900 gallons per minute
passing, ana are develOpIng 20 Inches more
wnlch according 10 contract must be ON the
valley belore June next
Inc great objection To this valley is the high
Tax water. The lana Is bonded for so pea
acie aud II costs II cents per ncn for "A hours
use, whne Ia Nlneiand 40 miles east OF Los
Angeles where my home Isl the land Is bonded
lOr sl4 per acre and water cents per inca anu
n used after night is onIy NAN price. How
ever this is "a beautiful and romantic valley.
Inere are thousands OF acres OF orchards
Gems OI thousands UI acres IA gram. The Water
20. has 90 acres ia orange trees in one body.
Ine names OF the villages ia the valley :;
rlUrIda, san JaclntU. Moreno, Alexandra, Per
rs, MInaIer, ANA the Indian schoUl. Near the
cent.T OF the valley IS Lake EiSenore which Is
about three mics by seven, and a few miles
from 1t there are gold and coal mines. But
must not UyertdX your space nor the patience
Ut your readers. viii leave Orange and san
Diego counties for an indefinite future letter.
la sympathy with the general collapse oI
business, tue past year has not been a prohJl-
one Tor the producers here, as elsewhere,
set there Is nothing ike hard times. Improve
nients are going on bat not with a rush. anu
everything Is cheap. Improved reaches arr
WI 81 Aiolu Sbyt ~ q svoy pei acre aSSoi u4ti 20
tie Improvements. Iue cities are filling ut
WIN ambassadors and tOgrlsts.
our rainy season has not set IN yet, but We
mad a snow -Iall VI about L inches at this place
NOV 18th (while it raIned near the coast which
made the land in good condition for blowing /,
At Is now getting dry again. such snow storm
was never known here. 1t did not freeze.
am here on business anu at the Eden Hot
springs for sciatica which the grip left me with
two years ago. / expect 10 remain here fvr the
next year. JOHN MCMILLAN.
Moreno, Riverside Co., Cal.
Don't be talked into having an
operation as IL may cost you your life.
Japanes. Pile Cure Is guaranteed 10
cure you oy Youells s. Avery.
Go to Youells d Avery's for window
shades.