The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-06-27
OUR CECIL FOUNTAINS
LETTER
HanfOrd And Its Fine Buildings---
Her School Houses And Liberal
Salaries To TeacherS---PeacheS
That Weigh A Pound "A 7S-Lb
Watermelon And 16S-lb Pump
kin--.9-Lb. Bunch Of Grapes


This letter on Kings County, must
of necessity he brief. rs the conditions
herein stated are the same us in Tullrc
County. and about which | want to writ"
more fully some time during the summer.
y few of the things deserving special
mention however will be touched upon.
Will" the general conditions will he fully
described under my Tulare letter.
Kings WAS Formally the southeast
corner of Tularc County hut Il few years
ago. the people. like our forrfathers, de
cidcf that taxation without representa-
ton WAS unjust. so by II popular vote,
succeeded in establishing county of
tneir own, and called it Kin@s in honor
of the river that flows through it.
Although one Of the smallest counties
in the State. it is rs large * Cecil and
Kent combined and is about halfway
between Frisco ard Los Angeles. and
has population of 10000. while its as
srSScd valuation is about T,IDUOIh. Han
ford. the county seat, has 4OOO p0Iula
tion and is the junction of the 5. +. X
Santa Fe Railroad. 1t is one of the
most prosperous towns | have seen III
tar State. 1t has II complete fire and
electric light and seWrrag" system. while
it, residents will compare favarahly With
Fresno or Los Angeles. The business
portion is built entirely of brick. while
its stores are almost equal To thoS" Of
Wilmington. Del. The Court House cost
SD coo. Opera House ANA building $50
500. while its schools are fine. One thing
which impr, sSrS the visitor to California,
Is her schools. The school house is gen
orally the best building in town, while
the teachers are paid living wages. con-
| Scuuently they get the best to be had.
The average salary paid is 500 to $40
per month. There i, only one school
thrt | can learn of where the salary is
$4,000 and that is in small country
district. In October | had the pleasure
of visiting farmer about eight miles
ont of town. and while there picked from
his trees. plumS. peaches. pruneS, soft
| Shrl. almonds and pears. At that time
| you no doubt were helping Mr.. Bouldcn
| along in the matter of canned goods,
| bat that * not necessary hut about three
| mouths in thc year in California. Our
| strawberries commence to come in April
| and last until about August, while water
| melons will II" ripe ii July. and will last
| until the ores from Elk Neck are gone
| ard forgotten. This whole section Of
country is fast settling up. ana its no
| wonder. for You can raise most anything
| under the sun. and on such Il grand
scale. Look ut the variety of the OK
| ports of Kings County, wheat corn. bar
| ley. alfalfa (hay). peaches. prunes apli-
cots. grapes. pears, figs oranges. al
| mOudS. and in short vegetables of all
kinds. The statistics of 1901 show that
| Kings County produced $4,000 pounds
Of dried fruits. 4.3OO.OOO pounds Of dried
peaches. grapes Gor wine only 3O.hoO,-
| eco pounds. butter 100000. which alone
brought Sli5 COO to the county. 2,0nO
| cars of live stock and tons Of cheese are
among the records. | saw II peaches
weighing 10 pounds. the largest weighing
| II ounces. \ watermelon weighing Is
pounds and pumpkin weighing les
| pounds lunches of grapes weighing >
| pounds are common. tn" largest ! saw
weighed somctnIng over . pounds.
have sort my Uncle Thomas McCrackcn.
Of North East. Il few cuttings from the
Muscat variety. and if they do us well
there US they do here, it will he worth
your while. Mr.. Editor. to take Il run
down and look ut them. They will prob
ably bear next year.
Ny next letter will be from Tulane
| County. of my adoption, and | will give
you the farming and labor side of life in
this. the greatest State in all our Union.
JAMES III. McCRACKEN.