West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-03-07
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Interesting Items From the Golden
Shore.

ito'er sea or land L roam
Still I'll think of happy home,
And my friends among the w Va. hills
often sing this song in Califor :
mia, and this is the only way | have
OF talking with my Preston friends.
Your billiards. nearly all come
from the West, but | want to tell
you that they do not come from
this locality, for we have not had
lire III the school room this winter,
and at present the new crop Of
leaves, wherever there ia vegetation,
is putting out in fine style, al
though the old leaves are scarcely
of vet. There is no fruit grown
near here, for there is no water for
irrigation. The typical Californian
cannot get along here unless he irri-
gates cultivates and exaggerates.
One seems as necessary as the other.
1t takes so much labor and money
to irrigste few acres that the far
mer must exaggerate in order to
make goodly showing.
once asked man, who lived In
this State all his life, to tell me
honestly what California is most
noted for, and his answer was, "The
biggest liars and smallest matches. "
Now, there may be some reason for
the former, but for the life of me,
cannot conjecture why they make
the old fashioned little b ock
matches, which contain enough
birthstone to start little hades
with one block.
| have met few whole souled.
honest men since | have been in
California, but | must confess the
majority are so hollow that they
eau swallow their words, principle
and all. They are like bankers
they pay more attention TO interest
than to principal. Some do a good
deal Of praying and converting, too.
They pray for money for the In
dams and then convert it into
private use. But | have no kick
coming, for | was notified that nv
wages were raised twelve dollars on
the month, and the agent visited
me and told me lie would do all in
his power to make my position as
pleasant as possible.
The Indians are getting very
friendly with me, rather overdo it
about meal time, but they are still
quarrelIng some among themselves.
at present one of the Indian Cap
talns is tied up prisoner for fifteen
days for wanting to fight the Chief.
L had some fun with an Indian
to-day. A few days ago his team
ran off, throwing him out of the
wagon and bruising the old fellow
severely. Their remedy for all
pains is to burn with hot stone
until the pain of burning browns
the other. So they burned him in
dozen or more places-over his
back, shoulders and arms. The
scars were larger than silver dol
lar and seemed to be burned deep.
The old man came to get some llni-
ment for the burns. keep a sup
ply OF medicines and some very
strong liniment. 1 poured out a
handful, and as he had no clothing
on except overalls, l spread it over
his greasy back and shoulders. At
first the amonia in it almost knock
cd him down, and when it began to
get through his leathery skin he
danced a fair bornpipe. l wanted
to give him some more, but he
started home on a canter, saying,
Ugh ! Ugh
The Indian men are beginning to
shed their shirts during the day,
but the nights are still cool. There
IS much snow on the mountains yet.
This is the season for heavy
winds and sand storms here. They
are severe and dangerous to one
caught in them, as he cannot see
where to 90 and is smothered with
the sand. On last Saturday / bad
to stay indoors all day and keep the
doors and windows closed, and
then the sand got into the room
until everything was gay with it.
Sometimes it would be almost dark.
1t drifts 80 around the house and
fence that it has to be shoveled
away.
imagine that can hear the
sleigh bells jiBgling over the hills
Of Preston, and I wish myself one