Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-02-04
FROM AN ESTEEMED FRIEND.

Kings City, CAL, Jan. II, 1895.
EDITORS PUBLIC OPINION:
] Iarrived here few days ago after
stopping at San Francisco for day or
two. It has been raining for two or
three days, and has been cloudy nearly
all the time since we arrived in the
state, but the people are all rejoicing
on account of the rain, as it has been
very dry and the rains are much later
than usual, but they claim that rains
coming at this time with later rain
in q month or two insure a good crop
this year. There seems to be q great
depression of business all over the
state, although crops were good last
year.
I told you would give you little
description of this country. The coun-
try is just settling up or rather the
land has formerly been in one big
ranch which has kept out all outsiders
as the land could not be bought at any
price, but it is now subdivided into
small tracts of from five to forty acres.
It is in a valley running down the
coast from M0ntery about 100 miles
aud from to 10 miles wide with q
high range of hills on either side. The
soil is very rich and productive and
this ranch turned out about 200, 900
bushels of wheat last year. The land
is now being divided up into small
tracts and fruit trees are being set out.
Peaches, pears, prunes and all kinds
of berries are in great abundance.
Sugar beets are raised very success
fully, producing from $50 to $40 per
acre, and anyone coming here at this
time of the year can set out his trees
and put in beets and raise crop each
year between the rows until the trees
come into bearing, thus securing a
good living while the trees are grow
ing, and 1 know of no other country
where you can 60 and do the same
thing. Fruit trees and small grain do
well here without irrigation, but an
irrigation company has been formed
in San Francisco to supply this coun-
try with water, 80 that all kinds of
crops may be raised every year. The
town contains about 800 inhabitants at
the present time, with two churches,
three hotels, q fine school house and
several fine stores. There is one gener-
al store here which last year did more
than $500, 900 worth of business taking
grain and all, and you can buy any
thing you want in it. There is one
other general store which does over
100000 worth Of business and they
come from large ranches IS miles dis
tant to do their trading here. There
are large gypsum beds 8 miles from
here, the product of which is brought
here for shipment on the s. p. r. r.,
both north and south. There is also a
quarry of q certain mineral of which
they make pavements and sidewalks,
which makes the finest kind Of walks.
It seems to me that the future of
this country is assured. All that Is
lacking now is people to come in and
take the land and make it Garden
of Eden. 1t is about 1876 miles south
of San Francisco on the coast line of
the s. p. II. r., which in short time
will be their main line between San
Francisco and Los Angeles, as there is
but short gap now to finish and the
work is being completed.
I was agreeably surprised as l went
to Sunday School and church here last
Sabbath to see the number of scholars
at Sunday School. In place one
third the size of our own town there
were twice as many scholars as We
have with q fine corps of teachers,
which made me feel as though l was
In christian land to say theleast, and
gave me very favorable impression OF
the place.
I don't know how long l shall stay
here but expect to put out trees on my
little place and get them growing
before leave to visit the other parts
of the state.
Your friend,
r. w. HAzELT0N