The San Francisco call., 1899-04-08
THE RAINFALL IN CALIFORNIA.

I TE directed the attention of our contemporaries
\H in Oregon and Washington short time ago
to the fact that their expressions of sorrow
over the drought in California were uncalled for and
that their frequent assertions of the failure OF our
orchard and farm crops unjustfied Since then
they have perceived the truth of words and now
the reputation OF California is no longer suffering
from overdone protestatons OF sympathy from that
source
new set Of sympathetic friends has arisen for u.s.
however in the Southern States and the people along
the Gulf coast are condoling with and consoling
themselves with the statement that the drought in
California is than the billiards that swept
them during the past winter, killing the orange
groves all through the South and spelling the Mardi
Gras celebration at New Orleans.
In editorial published March 2o the New Or
leans Times Democrat after asserting that lamenta-
tions going up in this State from stock-raisers,
grain growers and orchardsts and that the drought
has been especially oppressive and destructive be-
cause the previous year was also dry, says:
THE experience of the last two seasons gives rise
to the belief that California is becoming an arid
State like Western Nebraska and Kansas. When
the tide of emigration carried thousands of people
into those States they found fertile soil and eli
mate that while dry had sufficient rainfall to allow
the cultivation of crops. But grew arid from
year to year, drought succeeded drought and crop
after crop failed until the situation became unendur
able. 1t looks as if California were going through
much the experience
We give the date OF this editorial for the purpose
OF directing attention to the fact that it pub
liShed thirteen days after the bountiful rains of
March had put end to the drought and assured
good crops throughout the State 1t thus appears
that while any temporary evil in California is widely
and prospects is unnoted.
The circulation of these stories of drought and dis
aster OF importance since they are likely to
affect the judgments of home-seekers and of capital
lists who looking for investments The discredit
they cast upon the State affects in many ways, and
as it is not at all likely that Eastern contem-
poraries desire to njure California, we have right
to expect them to correct the injurious reports when
the falseness of them is pointed out
The Central Pacific Railroad Company has recently
published an elaborate chart showing the monthly
rainfall of San Francisco for fifty years. 1t shows
that during that long period the fluctuations in rain
fall have been remarkably slight. In the whole
course OF the fifty years there have been but two
seasons OF drought and these were fortyeght years
apart, the first being in 185o-5I and the second in
18o7-o8
The regularity of the rainfall for long periods of
from 18o5o to 18o6o7 are divided into four periods
of twelve years each get the following results:
From I84o to 1861 there fell 26o.3I inches Of rain;
from 1861 to 1873 the fall 3oI88; from 1873 to
1885 there fall OF 2823I; from 1885 1897 the
fall amounted to 287I4 inches The last group it will
be noted has IS inches rain than the first group
This chart prepared for San Francisco effectually
disposes of the Eastern theory that California is
about to become arid State, far at least as the
region north OF Tehachapi is concerned. An equally
good showing be made OF course for the average
rainfall in the south, and suggest to our contem-
porares in that section that they urge the preparation
OF such chart by Board OF Trade or some other
organization able to undertake the publication on a
comprehensive scale.
1t is time to put an end to these stories about Cali
fornia, and the best way to do is to publish the
facts and submit them to Eastern contemporaries
who have been msled into circulating the injurious
reports.