The San Francisco call., 1898-01-10
Great Rejoicing Among Fruit-Growers and
 RancherS.
The Mountain Ranges in Many Warm Belts Are Clad
 in Snow.
This Is Regarded as a Good Omen and the Breakup of the Long
 Drought.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN JOSE, Jan. S.-The rainfall of the past week has had a very bene- nclal effect upon the. crops of this val ley. The long dry season had dried and hardened the ground and the grain soWn in December had not obtained start. Now 1t will sprout and grow ana IT the spring conditions should be favorable, everything will turn out well for the farmers. There is con- siderable blowing yet to be done in the valley and 1t will now be pushed rap- Idly forward. A few more showers will be sufficient for the early setting or the grain, but what is of the great est importance is the spring rains Should these be plentiful, there will be no crop failure in the Santa Clara Val ley. The fTIit trees are looking we'll as not muLh rain is needed for them until February or March The sum- mits of the mountains on either side Of the valley are now covered with snow, an indication that more rain will follow soon
 SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.-There was couple of hours rain here last even ing, followed by a northwest wind which rapidly evaporated that which nao not soaked into the ground as it 1eI While there was no serious com plaint in this vicinity of a lack of moisture, still the rain of last night must have been very welcome to the farmers of high ground. of which there IS much in this county. The bottom lands did not need it. The protracted cold weather, with severe frosts, has done more than anything else toward retarding growing crops, but there nave been no reports or injury thereby. Some grain is a couple of inches above ground already and with warmer weather and warm rains rapid growth will be made.
 PACIFIC GROVE, Jan. 9.-An un- expected drenching rain began falling here at noon to-day and has continued With slight intermiSSiOn ever since. Re ports from the surrounding country state that the downpour is general throughout this section. This is the first rain of any consequence since early in December an0 will be a great boon to farmers hereabouts. At D. m. the precipitation was 5 of an inch and present indications point to an all- night rainstorm.
 POMONA, Jan. 9-'rne most satis- factory rain in Pomona Valley and all this section this season has been falling since sundown last evening. The ranch men, fruitgrowers and all who live by agriculture directly or indirectly are rejoicing. For several weeks the roads in Pomona Valley have been almost as dusty as in the summer months and orange and lemon growers have been irrigating their properties the same as in the rainless period of the year. Near ly two inches has fallen during the present rain.
 BAKERSFIELD, Jan. 9.-The back bone of the drought, which has been causing the farmers and stockraiSers .,lz ...-,,. Rain started to fall about o'clock this morning. By the middle of the fore noon half an inch had fallen. and the indications are that about three times this amount will fall tonight. The mountains are covered with snow which extends low down on the foot hills.
 SANTA CRUZ, Jan. 9.-Rain and hail have been alternately falling all the afternoon. The Alerts came from Ala meda to play the Beachcombers. but owing to the rain the game could not be played.
 MODESTO, Jan 9.-Farmers living west of this place report a fall of snow along the San Joaquin River this after noon. The storm was from northwest to southwest, passing within three miles of Modesto. At Paradise Gar dens the proprietor, N. E. De Voc, re- ports the fall heavy enough to make nte SiounQ Wnlte.
 STOCKTON, Jan. 9.-A little rain fell this afternoon, but ceased inside of half an hour. There was no rainfall of any consequence last night which ended dry and cold. The crops have only been temporarily benefited by what rain has fallen. The sky remains cloudy and the farmers are anxious for a further pre- cipitation.
 MONTEREY, Jan. 9.-Except a slight downpour on Thursday night and a sprinkle last night, no rain has fallen here for over a month. The drought, coupled with the heavy frosts of the last three weeks, is likely to seriously damage cereals as we'll as fruit and garden truck.
 LOS ANGELES, Una. 9.-Nearly two inches of rain has fallen since Friday last, the storm extending over the greater part of Southern California, and doing great good to the agricultural and horticultural interests. The pre- diction of a dry season for Southern California seems to be a false one and the farmers and fruit growers are jubi- lant. The present downpour is suff1- cient to moisten the soil for winter blowing, thus insuring a crop of grain next season, the conditions being favor able. The rain has also augmented to sufficient degree the supplies of water for irrigation purposes and has made | | ous fruit trees unnecessary. The rain- 1 fall for the present season is but a | little short of the average up to this ! time. Trees are looking well and have suffered nothing this season from lack of rain. The rain continued during the greater part of to-day. but 1t is clear ! tonight a SAN DIEGO, Jan. 9.-Rain has fallen at intervals during the day, and it is cloudy, with frequent showers tonight. The precipitation up to D. m. was O.39, making 1.S9 for the season. Ad- vices from tHe interior indicate that the country has fared much better than the city. While the rain has been rather light. both north and south there Is broad belt to the eastward taking in Fl Cajon Valley. that has re ceived a good soaking. One inch ana forty five -hundredths at Morena Is the largest rainfall reported at any point but from half an inch to an inch has fallen at other places. Some of the most productive parts of the county are included in the area covered by the storm, and from such reports as have come in there seems no question that the downpour has been heavy enough