The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-08-12
COSBY LETTER.
Robert Roberts Writes Inter,
eStingly From California.
Some Inside Information That Will be
of Interest to MankatO
Readers.
SAN JOSE, Cal, Aug. 3, '9S.


in Mankato ere this, but cannot
start yet for few days, so L Will
write you, that you may know L am
all right AND have not forgotten you
or the rest OF the boys Of the Free
Press. We are all well and enjoying
California summer weather very
much. We have had two days quite
warm-97 in the shade. Otherwise 1T
has ranged from IS TO so IN the mid
die of the day with fresh cool sea
breeZes. The nights have been cool
and lovely With light mountain
breeZes nearly every night.
Ihave become pretty we'll acquainted
with the fruit growing business, which
is the leading industry OF this coun-
try. The peaches. plums and pears
are now getting ripe and the prunes
are nearly full grown but will not be
ripe for three or four weeks. 1t Is a
novel sight for a MinneSoUian to ride
for days and days, as have done,
over macadam roads sprinkled twice
a day. On either side nothing but
fruit trees loaded with delicious look
ing fruit. All the lower limbs are be
prOpped up so that the weight of the
fruit will not split the branches from
the trunk. This condition exists
where the trees have been irrigated.
Orchards which have not been irri-
gated, and especially those towards
the foothills, are IN very different
condition. This and next years crops
will be lost and thousands of trees
will die. The leaves are turning yell
low and with what little fruit there is
on are falling. 1rrigating plants have
many are putting them in now in
hopes of saving the trees. The cost
of we'll and pump is from 81, 300 for a
pump with capacity of 800 gallons a
minute to $1,000 for one with a
capacity of 1900 gallons a minute
ready for power. A threshing engine
of thirty horse power will run the
smaller pump at a cost for engine and
fuel Of about S1.OO an hour. The
larger plants have stationary engines,
mostly gasoline, which, after first
cost are more economical than WOOD
engines. The pump men and we'll
drillers have had bonanza this sum-
-mer, and they have two months more
before the season closes.
Between here and San Francisco
the grain and hay crops are good, i'm
mense yields, but south and east the
crop is almost total failure. All the
Touring mills are shipping wheat
from Oregon and Washington. 1t
makes lovely flour and is sold now
at 81. 20 per sack.
The report comes from Los Angeles
that the water supply in the orange
district is getting low and the pros
pect is that the oranges will all drop
before they are ripe.
1 have not paid any attention TO
politics in this state, but from read
ing the local news, both here and In
San Francisco find that the honesty
and integrity of the average ONCE
holder is far below that OF the same
officials in Minnesota. The actions or
the San Jose police force would not be
tolerated under any administration
that Mankato ever had. Since L have
been here an old drunken Mexican
while resisting arrest by two six-foot
was shot dead. The police
men were given a mock examination
and exonerated. A young man was
overtaken on road near the city by
drunken constable and his deputy
and accused of stealing a coat. The
boy denied having taken it and the
constable shot him dead. The boy
was we'll thought of by all who knew
him. His father came after the body
and became insane when he beheld the
ooy's corpse in the morgue. The con-
stable is held without bail to await
the action of the grand jury.
There have been several other
cases of official cowardice but not of
" actual murder. The school board,
with corrupt intentions and for poll.
- tical reasons refused to reflect their
pest high school teacher and this &C.
tion has resulted in an open rebellion
oy every one of the students in the
aigh school. Not one of them will
attend the school this fall but are
Ill going to the high school of Santa
Clara. a small city three miles from
aere. A public subscription has been
.aised to pay car fale for all those
who are not able to do so themselves.
The county school board has been un-
Ter investigation and some Of it's
members have been found guilty OF
mall misdemeanors that no member
If the Mankato school board would
Re small enough to think of doing.
There is large new high school
building here, just being finished,
three times as large as the Wankato
school, and cost $4,000 Not pupil
will enter it for the coming term.
There is an insane hospital three
niles from here. Its managers and
employees are now under investigation
~ the state board The employees
IRE charged with being unfit, morally
ind otherwise. They have been ap-
pointed by the managers on account
If relationship and by the governor
or political reasons. Two of the
managers will be forced to resign.
The actions of the others will be
rhitewashed. The appointment Of
he superintendent is charged to the
Governor. The superintendent's
nother-in-law charges him with
poisoning his, the superintendent's
wife, in Sacramento in order tC get
he insurance money on her life. An
lther charge is that he ruined a girl
n Fresno and paid $4,000 to hush up
he matter. The officers of the Cali.
ornia troops, especially those that
lave gone to Manila, are charged by
he Red Cross society with stealing
he furnished for the IISn 0f