Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-03-16
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAN DIEGO. CAL. March 4, 1898.

SAN DIEGO. CAL, March 4, 1898.
To the Editor of the Pleasantville Press !:
Ifyou were here might beg off from
writing this weeks letter as / think it
may not be as interesting as usual.
Perhaps l will see something of more
interest to write of in my next. Yester-
day people prophesied for rain, but the
clouds rolled by and to-day the sun
shines. There are many pretty homes
here, lust out of the business part of the
city. The lawns and shrubbery in
bloom are beautiful On several houses
vines filed with bloom are trailed to the
caves, and at one place the chimney is
entirely covered with f)were. Some
have flowers on the sidewalk between
the curb and walk.
Yesterday | went around to see an
old maids miss M. j. Trenouth'r)
rabbit farm. There are about 600
rabbits which she breeds for profit. She
values her stock at $1,000, and has
three kinds, and all sizes, and several
colors, blue, white and black. They are
ADgora, Black, French and Himalayan
mountain rabbits from Asia. The
Angora and Himalayan rabbits have
long glossy hair. Miss Trenouth says
the skins, when properly tanned, make
gloves finer than kid, and that the meat
is simply delicious. The skins are also
used for trimming and wraps. Some
samples which she showed we pro-
nouuced very fine. / thought if sheared,
the wool would make beautiful soft
rugs-a few little ones could be woven in
whole. Miss T. is going to Los Angeles
where she expects to expand her farm
and raise fur for John Wanamaker.
Yesterday morning a burrO donkey
with its young one was feeding on a
vacant lot across the street. The little
one looked so cunning / picked it up
and brought it in our yard. About all
our. people came out and passers-by
came in and we soon hadayard fnll. One
lady kissed it and if the little fellows
memory is good he will never forget the
caressing he got. l brought out a
chair and three of our ladies had their
pictures taken holding a baby donkey.
Then gentleman rOOmer carried it up
stairs for a sick woman to see. The
burro is the pack animal we read of and
is very useful for transporting merchan-
disc in mountainous countries. Although
much smaller than mule, he will travel
all day under weight of 200 pounds.
The pack saddle is constructed some
what like saw buck, it straddles his
back and is securely strapped. The
upper part is packed with the load and
the faithful little animal will travel up
and down mountain trails and by
precipices where man can hardly go.
When night comes he will pick his own
living. If there is no. grass he will
subsist on brush. A good donkey sells
here for eight or ten dollars.
Mr.. r. w. Hall, a missionary from
New Mexico and rOomer with us, says
Mexicans are very cruel to their animals,
and that he saw q M, xican unpack a
loaded donkey (whose back was q solid
mass of CALLED soree) and rub the sores
full of sand, repack and get on the load
and start on his journey. This horrible
cruelty has its equal only in the check
rein and clippers, which have become
fashionable all over the country. We
quote the little poem:
"a man of kindness to his beast is
kind,
But brutal actions show q brutal
mind.
Remember He who made the
brute
Who gave thee speech and reason,
formed him mute.
He can't complain, but Gods allseeing
Beholds thy cruelty, and hears his
cry"
had q talk with Mr.. Hillman, the
owner of the donkey. He is a very inter.
esting old gentleman and has lived many
years in southern and lower California.
He says lower California is useless to
man. 1t seldom rains and is nearly
barren.
The gulf of California might be the
most productive fishing ground on this
continent. Rights to fish for canning,
has by the Mexican government been
denied to American Companies. The
Colorado river, of which he gave some
interesting items, between Yuma and it's
mouth, is the most wonderful river in
the world. 1t is 1000 miles long drains
800, 900 square miles of territory, and
for over 200 miles runs through an i'm
miles in width, and midway is over
mile and one quarter deep, Compared
with this the grandeur of Niagara gorge
is but drop in the bucket. Scientists
declare that if made by the same process
as Niagara gorge, it has been millions of
years forming or if made from internal
forces perhaps instantaneous. Much of
the Colorado river water is absorbed on
the plains before it reaches the gulf. To
return to our conversation with Mr..
HiIman, On the part of the river Yuma.
Yuma is station where the Southern
Pacific crosses the river, the river there
runs through the desert and for several
miles on either side where it's waters
irrigate and enrich the soil. A reed-like
stalk 10 to IL feet high (ealled arrow
weed) grows so dense that man can
hardly penetrate it. Indians have settle
ments and clear patches, and raise corn
and watermelOns. Their huts are built
on stilts OF cotton wood logs set in the
ground, and IL to Ia feet high, and are
reached By ladders, July and August are
the freshet seasons when the waters
from the melted SHOWS in the canons
arrive and 0ver-f)w the swamps of
arrow weed, The Indian has his crop
of corn and melons gathered and is safe
in his suited home. His food consists of
fish, game, corn and watermelons. The
latter he keeps several months. New
River takes its source from the Colorado,
40 miles below Yuma, and perhaps may