Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-02-24
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.


by a Pleasantville Citizen.
NUMBER SEVEN.
Los Angeles, Feb. 10th 1897.
We paid visit to San Pedro, 25 miles
by rail from Los Angeles through fer
tile country, gradually sloping to the
sea. We passed through truck farms,
orange, walnut and prune groves, and
grain fields. We saw wagon loads of
oranges rotting beneath the trees. San
Pedro has small harbor protected by
break water. 1t has been used from the
earliest days and is the leading port OF
Los Angeles County. Congress has ap-
propriated $3, 100000 for deep water
harbor, the surveys have been mad~,
and work will soon be commenced. 1t
will greatly stimulate foreign commerce
i'll this section, and may soon lead to
the establishment of lines of steamers to
Asia, Australia and Central America.
The Southern Pacific route from San
Pedro to Galveston IL 800 miles shorter
than other from ocean to ocean. Sur
veys are being made for a new road from
Salt Lake through Southern Utah to
Los Angeles, which will materially
shorten the distance to Chicago. These
improvements will benefit this thriving
city, and her people are ready tor the
"boOm."
At the head of the harbor, and about
a mile from the shipping, is the village
of ilmiDgton-composed of fishermen's
shanties 1t was low tide there being
no water only a channel through acres
of mud flats. The tide rises about 6
feet. Further down is the shipping. Six
or eight 3 and masted schOOners,
San Francisco freight and passenger
steamer, and q. S. Revenue cutter, and
many fishing crafts composed the fleet.
The fisherman are nearly all Italians
and Portuguese. They can speak but
little of our language. Their boats for
sea-going were sturdy looking crafts,
and their latteen sails gave them de-
cidedly foreign appearance. The rig
consists of three cOrnered sail bent to
a long pole, holsted to a mast that leans
somewhat forward over the bow. The
long pole serves for a gaff and ib-stay.
Lit is said these rigs require considerable
skill to manage them. The bay boats
were mostly clumsy bateaux. did not
see a boat that would compare with
neighbor Eliakam Conover's tiny clink-
ers.
1dliUut 10 tuO RIIuCipiC CdufSuO oO
this Point in the Winter months. They
are trapped in peculiar way. Two
seines are used, one with a very large
mesh, the other much smaller. They are
dyed brown, the color of sea-mOss or
keIp. The fish swim against the smaller
mesh carrying it through the larger
meshes forming a sack from which they |
are unable to get out. But little trouble |
is experienced in catching the halbert in |
this manner. Sharks and other large
fish keep the fisherman employed mend |
ing nets. | saw boat load of ha!ibut. |
They would average about 10 lbs. each,
and the fishermen seceive 1h cents per |
pound; many are shipped to San Fran
cisco.
A small clam, similar to our soft CLAIMS
s gathered on the fats aud marketed at |
Los Angeles. l do not thing much |
money could be made here by our Attain |
tic County baymeD; but with a few acres |
be could be independent and never suffer |
with the cold.
The schooners were unloading lumber. |
They are not as large as some OF our At |
antic coast vessels--One thousand tons |
being about the limit. Vessels trading |
to the State of Washington make six |
rouud trips year. The distance is 1900
N les. Their cargoes are pine lumber,
and the freight is $3.50 per thousand. |
Redwood comes from Upper California.
The freight is $3.50 per Thousand. They |
have steam rig to unload, and hoist |
about six hundred feet at q time.
This city needs a menagerie or musuem |
all the wild animals, reptiles, |
insects, birds, shell and other fishes that |
are found in the State and adjacent wa
ters. 1t would be well patronized by the
Eastern visitors. The city fathers do |
not do it, and private parties cannot for |
q high license is imposed where an ad- |
fee is charged. There are two
PLACES adiourning, East Park where a |
few wild animals are in captivity. The |
price of admission being gift or small |
purchase. | was well repaid for my |
visit. | had desired to see q wild cat. |
Here were two beautiful specimens.
They are about three times as large as a
common sized Tom-cat, Their legs are
rather stout. They resemble the domes-
tic cat very much. but have the fiercenes.
OF the tiger. 1t is said that the average |
lifetime of a common dog, when in bat
tie with one, is about one minute.
This town was among the first to |
adopt the electric lighting system.
They Experimental with very high poles,
they gave satisfaction and are still used,
in the business portion of the |
city. The poles consists Of mast and
in all $50 feet high. Wire |
stays are arranged to stop vibration. |
The lower mast is cleated. The lights |
lower to the mast head for trimming. |
Three arc lights are used, and by this |
means several squares are lighted 1t |
compares favorably with moon light. |
The lights being high are not binding,
and the insects attracted are not annoy
ing. A. LAKE.