The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-11-28
FROM CALIFORNIA
Mrs. J. S. Chambers Spicy Letter
to the Ladies.

received your letter last even
ing by the hand of Miss Turrell,
my first thought was, what can
I write that will be of interest
to your readers?
Many things came to mind,
but to put them in shape and
make readable article, cay!
there's the rub" However
since you have done me the
honor to seek a communication
from me, 1 will not hesitate to
tell you in a very plain and
limited way of this part of Cal
ifornia in which we reside. l
am not unmindful of the fact
that all | say must necessarily
be limited. First: because my
entire residence in California
with the exception of one year,
spent in Oakland, has been in
Santa Clara valley, and seven
years of that time in Los Gatos;
furthermore limited to the con-
fines of my own home; where 1
am relegated to the getting of
three meals a day and the care
of the training of two boys,
aged respectively fourteen and
ten years. But in this occupa-
ton I must make the exception
1 am not limited though when
nearly ten years ago the great
sorrow of my life came to me and
it seemed all the world had
gone from me and [ had picked
up a cent, now | see in faith
fully discharging this trust and
responsibility an ever widen
ing horizon. Do I crave more
power and broader influence?
Surely not, for who shall esti-
mate or set the bounds to a
mothers power or influence?
, But to come back to my
starting point. Los Gatos is
situated in foot hills of the
Santa Cruz Mountains on the
Southern Pacific Railroad,
sixty miles from San Fransico
and eight miles from San Jose.
Directly south of the town is
a canyon or natural pass, open
ing to the Pacific a distance of
thirty miles. Through this
opening we get the salt water
air which is both refreshing
and healthful.: Along it's
whole extent on either side and
throughout the entire noun
tain range the scenery is WON
derfnlly beautiful. Many love
ly homes are found on noun
tain side and summit, some
using them as summer and
health resorts from the cooler
and damper climate of San
Francisco, Oakland, Alemeda
and other coast cities. The
light and warm air being es-
pecially congenial to asthnat-
les and consumptives. Then
many have permenant homes
finding it quite profitable to
take summer boarders and cul-
tivate the soil. The land is
heavily timbered with redwood
and all kinds of forest trees,
The wood of course pays for
the clearing and the soil is fer
tile, producing all the. lovely
fruits and vegetables for which
this region of country is cele-
brated. | speak of these in
habitants of the mountains for
they form an important fea-
ture of Los, Gatos interests
and are virtually connected
with it's growth and prosperity,
this being their principal
trading point. We have in the
town some twenty-five hundred
people, but in the immediate
vicinity two thousand more,
for small fruit ranches are the
rule, ten, fifteen and twenty
acre tracts. Our educational
advantages are good. A pub
lie school, where twelve teach
ers are employed ranks No. !
in the county. That is saying
a good deal, for this valley is
celebrated for it's schools.
It is a very noticeable fact
that the farmers here are
not generally the sons of far
mers- neither have their grand
fathers been farmers. More
often they are retired sea-cap-
tians, bankers, lawyers, mer-
chants, doctors, who have come
here to rest from their former
labors and enjoy the delights
of the justly renowned state
and to my mind they fluid the
summit Of earthly comfort anc
leisure on ten acre ranch II