The Republican journal., 1904-06-23
CONCERNING CALIFORNIA.
OBSERVATIONS AFTER FIFTY YEARS.
RESIDENCE IN THE GOLDEN STATE.


Your reporter wished me to give him
an interview as a representative from
California. l am very sorry that my
time is so limited cannot do so, but |
have been so warmly received by the
old friends of fifty years ago and their
descendants, that cannot refrain from
sending you this communication, hop
ing it may be of some interest to your
numerous readers. California has an
extent of nearly ten degrees from north
to south, and as it extends from n. w.
to 5. E. its length is about 800 miles,
with an average width of 225 miles. Its
productions, climate and scenery are
more varied than on the Atlantic side
of the continent. You will notice in
the very heart of this great State the
Sacramento Valley, drained by the Sac
ramento river from the north and the
San Joaquin river from the south. This
valley is more than 400 miles long and
fifty miles wide, and comprises $780,
000 acres. 1t is enclosed on the north
oy the Siskiyou mountains, on the east
by the Sierra Nevada mountains and on
the west by the Coast Range. Four
gateways enter this valley: from the
north by way of the Oregon railroad
through the Sacramento Canon at Red
ding, the county seat of Shasta county,
a distributing point for the northern
timber and mining counties of Del
Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity and Shasta,
also of the grazing counties OF NJ odoc
and Lassen; from the east by Central
Pacific railroad by Auburn, the county
seat of Placer county; from the south
by the Southern Pacific railroad at
Tehachapi Pass; from the west by the
Golden Gate San Francisco, Oakland
and Benicia. The climate is the same
throughout the whole extent from
north to south. The counties of Te-
hama, Butte, Glen and Calusa have the
same climate as Fresno, King, Tulare
and Kern in the south. While the eli
mate is nearly the same and the pro-
auctions the same, the soil differs very
much and the various soils are adapted
to varied crops; but the homes at any
place in this valley may be surrounded
by all kinds of flowers, deciduous and
citrous fruits, berries, vegetables, nut
trees, and any other groWt that can be
produced within the State. Along the
base of the mountains the earliest
oranges grow to perfection. 1t is the
home of the grape the olive and the fig.
The largest shipping point for fruits
is Sacramento, which in the season
from June to November ships from so
to 30 car loads day. This by no means
represents the amount of fruit shipped
from this valley, but it will give some
idea of this industry. Wheat, barley
and oats are raised in large quantities.
Enough vegetables are raised for home
consumption and for shipment in large
quantities to other States. Potatoes
are abundant and the asparagus is the
first in the Chicago market. The
salmon from the rivers are both canned
and shipped fresh to eastern markets
III large quantities. Dairying is carried
on extensively. the cows MIXED num-
bering from 20 to $50 in herd. Large
quantities of hogs are raised. They
CLEAN the grain fields after the harvest
and need no other fattening. Beef is
raised to some extent. Wool and hops
are important articles of export. EX-
tensive granite quarrles are operated.
Electric power is brought from the
rivers, as they come down from the
mountains to the large cities, for driv-
ing the machinery, moving the street
The surrounding mountains afford
many places of pleasure and amuse-
ment Fishing and hunting are good
Mineral springs abound, whose health
giving properties are proclaimed to be
of the best and the best hotel accom-
modations are afforded.
Dul lllt Dedutll III iSdCIduleutO Ndlley
with the grandeur Of its surrounding
mountains, big trees, the largest yet
discovered, forty feet in diameter, the
wonderful Yosemite Valley, and much
more that it would take book to
describe, are not all of CALIFORNIA; at
fractions. Pass over the Tehachapi
Pass into the South land and view the
beautiful show window of the State.
You may not find the two thousand
acre vineyard and the great wheat fields
you left in the great valley, or the 700
acre asparagus fields, the $4,000 acre
stock farm diaries of $50 COWS, and
many other big things, but you will
find everything here, much in little, all
that grows in California set out in most
beautiful surroundings: Mount Low,
Long Beach, Santa Catalina Island,
and many beautiful spots the visitor
will never forget. Still you have not
seen all the State. If you meet one who
has lived in California fifty years with
his eyes open and ask him to tell you
of the State, he knows not when to
stop. | have not time to tell you of
the coast COMMITTEES with their dajrvinp