Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-01-15
Letter from California.
FRIEND BISHOP:

have just been reading the HERALD,
which comes to me weekly, reminding
me of dear old Vermont acquaintance
friends and familiar scenes. 1t is, indeed,
good news from far country from
which one likes often to hear. 1t also
brings to mind a promise that my friends
should hear from me in the Golden
State" through your columns.
The trip to California has been SO often
written up that there is but little new to
write that would be interesting to your
readers. This was my third trip to
California, making FIVE times in all from
and to Vermont, twice by water and
three times by rail- There is but little
difference i'll the land route; each has its
advocates, its advantages and dsadvan-
tages, but for grand scenery, comfort
and courteous attention by conductors
and employees, none surpass the Chicago,
Alton & Rio Grande r. X. My ticket
from Newport, VT, to Montague, North
ern California, on ludson Co. S Excursion
Tourists Car cost $71.00, including
berth; from there to Fort Jones, %
miles, So 25, meals in cars 75c, at hotels
from 15c to SOC. One sees but little of
cities and towns on a railroad journey
unles he stops over. Even the prairies
have a sameness which soon becomes
monotonous by being repeated SO often ;
we realize there is change, but when or
where it took place we cannot tell. There
is long up grade to the summit of the
Rocky Mountains, which is over 1000
feet above sea level, and then a down
grade, in one place of 2lO feet to the
mile. In crossing the Sierra Nevada
there are forty miles of sheds to protect
the road from snow and drifts. There is
some wonderful scenery among these
mountains which is beyond description.
Blue Canyon is a sight, once seen, never
to be forgotten, and many other things,
which to appreciate one must see and
realize for themselves.
| was seven days on the road from
Newport, to Fort Jones, twenty miles by
stage from Yreka here. | received a cor,
dial welcome from expectant friends. |
stood the journey first-rate for man rs
years old, but was tired enough to enjoy
a few days rest. Fort Jones is in Scott
Valley, which is about thirty miles long
and from one to six miles wide, all ex-
cellent farming land, and nearly all is i'm
proved. The principal products are
wheat, oats, potatoes and hay. Alfalfa
is the favorite crop, many farmers put
ting up from two to five hundred tons a
year. Considerable stock is kept, pas
tured on the mountains in summer and
taken back for the winter. Drovers also
bring in many cattle to tatten for mar
ket, buying the hay and feeding it, the
price ranging from So to SIS per ton. l
never saw latter stall fed cattle at the
east than have seen here. fed on alfalfa
without grain. This is beautiful Val
ley, surrounded BY lofty mountains,
among which there is considerable min
ing, making good home market for all
that the farmers can raise, except some
surplus stock which goes to San Franss-
co, about 400 miles below. There is a
butter factory here doing a good bust
ness. There are three towns in the Val
ley, mo villages in California the prin-
cipal two being Mt. Etna and Fort
Jones. The latter takes it's name from
the old U. S. fort built here in the early
fifties to protect the early settlers and
miners from the indians. A few of the
old barracks are still standing. Fort
Jones contains about 400 inhabitants.
1t has Touring mill, three hotels, three
churches, five or six stores, a machine
shop, bank. graded school, mechanics,
etc. The day came here there was
foot of snow, followed bv few cold
days, the mercury going down TO 3 be-
low zero, the coolest weather that the