Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-06-10
Letter from Richard Maplesden.
Medford, Oregon, May Is, 1904.
Concluded from last week.
June 6, 1904.

MeulOTu, oreSon, May ~, Iout'
Concluded from last week.
FRIEND BIsHoP:-
There are rich valleys, and vast plains
of fertile land bounded only by the
mountain ranges but the soil is spotted,
much of it not worth cultivating, while |
in other places it is very rich. More
would be if it was irrigated. The great
lack of this place is water. Whoever
has good water right is well off, his
water will support him. People in the
East do not sufficiently appreciate the
blessings of good water and enough of
it. Well, paradise is never found until
after it is lost. We have had but one
slight shower in this locality for three
weeks. Fruit trees have blossomed well,
and growers are looking for good crops;
but the autumn will tell.
Things here are done on a large scale,
and often overdone. A few years ago
prunes were high, and then there was
large money in them. There was, of
course, general rush for that business.
Now the wholesale price is cents
pound. This has to pay for the use of
the land, care of the trees, and setting,
cultivating, spraying, picking, drying in
kilns, boxes, boxing, and drawing to
town, and selling. If there is money in
this it requires sharp eye to see it. An
Eastern farmer can make more raising
, potatoes at twenty cents bushel. Of
course there is other business that pays
0 better, but the better it pays the sooner
A it is overdone.
s Everyone here is looking forward to
good times the abundant snow on the
mountains, which will last nearly all
: summer give promise of plenty of water
/ for mining and irrigating, and tells "a
!, bout the whole story of Western pros
D perity.
S In this place grain and grass are look
e ing fine, haying-the first crop of al
+ falfa-will commence the first of June.
S In Southern California they have al
e ready harvested the first crop. One of
d the great comforts and blessings of this
e land is cool nights. No matter how
n hot the day may be, about four in the
: afternoon, cool putfs of air will be felt,
increasing until at the shade of evening
e you feel the need of extra clothing, and
before morning blankets are acceptable
: and it is near noon before it is too
: warm. In the evening if one is at peace
with himself his God, and his fellow
s men, he can lie down, and sleep the
5 sleep of the just, and rise in the morn
e ing refreshed man. The sun here sell
n dom sets; when he is tired and his DAVIS
Y work is done, he gets behind some
; mountain peak ard goes to roost.e
I'll A little incident occurred just after
" joined the excursion at Greenfield, Mass.
: in the evening, which | will relate.
!, went to the Mushroom to get drink O.
t. water there were three men in the aisle
e who seemed excited. pushed by, go
10 my drink, and was crowding back whel
| found my wrist caught by strange
hand. ! asked, "What is wanted p
The man answered, 'You have stolel
s. my pocket-book." replied that he wa
d mistaken, and asked him to release m,
y arm, but he only gripped the harder.
|" noticed he had another man with hi,
A other hand in the same way. The latte
III was young man and seemed to take il
n. cool, as though he were guilty, or hat
}: given up the effort to get free. triec
al my best to release my arm but did moi
!; succeed. l then tried to reason with
'e him, told him the train was going al
,e full speed so that | could not leave the
re car, and if he would allow me to take
u my seat would keep quiet and he could
Dr. call the manager and have me examined
N He would not consent. The affair was
TO growing laughable, if not serious. In
y, the mean time the mercury was rising
't in my veins, and would soon be up to