Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1901-01-31
In San Diego.

JOY n typical southern California
weather, which is in marked CON
trast to what we had at the start.
Day after day glides by with warm
sunshine and the air at a tempera-
ture about equal to that of Camas
Prairie in early June. The grass
in our front lawn grows apace, so
that about once week it has to be
cut with the lawn mower. Like
wise the roses, palms and flowers
grow apace and climb over every
thing. The rose bushes, geraniums
and other flowers down here de-
velop into trees and vines which
overrun house and have to be cut
back to prevent them from taking
possession of the entire country.
In short, in settled weather, find
the winter climate OF this part OF
southern California is all that it is
cracked up to be, and for change
l imagine winters residence here
: should accomplish much. But l
do not notice in my travels around
here that the denizens of these
parts enjoy any better health than
the resident of a harsher climate.
AS matter of fact there seems to
be more doctors in San Diego than
in any other town Of its pOpula-
ton l have ever visited. The
: people, too, do not look at all
h husky. The men as general
thing do not look strong and they
seem to lack energy. The ladies
generally have poor compilations,
and the children seem to be much
!. like children elsewhere. For a
!, change | guess a winter here is a
d good tonic foi the system but a
< stea5y residence rs apt to be ener-
waiting.
As a business proposition San
Diego is about the deadest thing
R have seen, outside of a mining
camp which has seen its best days
e and has just begun to go down
Z hill. The town was enormously
overhuilt in the big boom of 1886
: and as result there are blocks o
vacant store- in the business CEN
h ter. All owe, town, wherever YOU
go, you are confronted with sign'
If of residence property for sale OF
J. rent. Handsome residences
J. plumbrd tn onghont, with elegan
n lawns show these signs as well a
humber places. For lack of ten
, ants M occupants some of thes,
y, lovely places are falling into deca,
- and neglect, and the lawns ant
shr0bbery are dead for want O
II water and care.
Z Everything must he watere
daily. The soil is a red grave
is and the lawns are laid out OF
~ art iicial soil which needs constan
:. fertilization with guano or othe
,e stimulant. Water for irrigatin
ID purposes costs eight cents per 100
of gallons, so that the honest farme
in these parts needs pretty goo
~ bank account to keep himse
n going and the privilege OF raisin
y. lemons and oranges is one whic
has to be paid for at high rat
:, The rca! e. tate men have thou
~ ands of places on their lists whie
" are offered for sale for one half G
49, even less) than what the imprOv
ments cost.
en- In order to size up the natul
re and amount of the products of tn
S. section, l have formed the habit
ne going down to the wharf whe
OF the steamers load for San Fra
er cisco and find that there are abs
"a. lutely no exports beyond fl
ew tons of oranges, lemons, lines al
such fruits, few hides and 9th
on miscellaneous products. Once
las a while a big steamer loads
I'VE Chinese ports but the freight h
re- all come from the Atlantic 81
of over the Santa Fe system and CO
ON slsts mainly of cotton, railro
,or- iron and beer. It is claimed tt
lrts the shortest land haul across
irie continent is from Galveston
ere San Diego, and the Santa Fe II
road people are making big eifo
=, to get good share of the Orien
'eo traffic upon that proposition 8
t OF the people here are stalking I'll
ele- hopes OF building up u big &C
'ok- mercial trade thereon, but in
ON absence of local products, ma
the featuring and fuel, l do not
d to anything in sight to justify
will belief. In fact have been
will by residents that the whole
line southern California is kept a
ugh by the annual crop of winter t.
mite lists. and that hundreds and hu
ates, reds of millions OF dollars /
D be been "dropped' by eastern pc
re- in unproductive investments
that this section with no possibility
ness. return. / have even been
from that the entire state of Calilo
con- is enormously overdone and
the her population is greater tt
with than it ever will be hereafter
thus long time to come. All
nnee- things, besides a thousand c'
lining eral facts in connection therey
n all the dear reader can reflect mp
tele- his leisure, and be thankful
he lives in Idaho.
A. +.