The San Francisco call., 1908-03-29

peninsula OF Lower California,
between the twenty-fourth and
twenty-xixth degrees OF north
latitude, In a wide ana regular curve.
TIA waters spread well into the heart
OF the Iowlands and stretch through
slow lagoons and by sluggish auehra-
das for many lonely miles TO the north
wa ID. southwark and eastward. The
bay furnishes fine snchorages, indeed
the best of any in all the 5000 and odd
miles run between Panama and San
Fr&ncisco. At all seasons it offers
safe haven Tor vessels of every class,
and many souadrons, whether seeking
q place OF rest and recruitment after
long sea voyages or a rendezvous of
approved strategic value. may be hsr-
bored within its easily defended en-
tr1noez-
Tns back country IS sparseIy settled
anA. prehfbitivs in appearance. because
ef stsrsiity attributable to a lack OF
rain and Of artificial irrigation. Re
mots ranches. separated by long areas
q deaolats plains; a few camps in the
psiEhborhood OF the mines. quaint
hactsndas. distant stations where the
Oznh1lia-a dye moss-is gathered. and
IN alnost inaccessible valleys a church
ana q monastery built by the Francis
o4ns-thess are the Characteristic de-
v61epnsnts Of the country. Many years
bridge the period OF the monks with
ouS own days, but the natives still 1--we
nasatonA and With q simplicity that ia
net without IT'S charm. than by the
lawS e5 under the fostering care Of
thetT own government
Even the immediate shores OF Mag
dalsra bay have little 20 attract the
stranger sxospt . landing place for the
hunter bound for the shooting on the
great plains to the eastward, OF for the
Prospeotor wandering toward the foot
hills of tbe eierras which skirt the
gulf side Of the peninsula almost TO
the sandy cape OF ST. Lucas. The usual
and most convenient anchorage is in and
about Man-o'-war cove, on the west
ward side, north Of the entrance
Facing this is the group of buildings
owned by the concession company and
occupied in normal seasons by a popu-
iation that numbers less than 80. For
the great cities Of Cortez and Pizarro.
promised nearly 20 years ago in the
most noted OF the American COLOMBIA
tion schemes, exist only as airy fabrics
OF dead and gone imaginatlons
The climate of the region is mild and
) equable, blessed as its sea frontier is by
the moderate breezes and temperate in
fluences Of the California current and
the drift Of the Mexican monsoon Two
areas are almost rainless. due to the
Interference Of the coast range OF the
Sie1ras with the southeasteriy winds,
but TO the northward, where irrigation
has been introduced and rain falls, the
changes In the country are fully as
marvellous as those effected in the lower
California situated within our own
boundaries. Near the Ensenada of
Todos Santos. close to the frontier,
there Is a fruitful region owned and
settled mainly by EngEshmen-even
farther south the development is creep
ing and so some day the whole PENN
Euia may become a productive and
prosperous territory, inviting colonizers
OF thrift Intelligence and energy
It is, OF course. unnecessary TO say
that the possibilities OF these southern
and middle regions Of Lower California
early attracted the speouIative-or was
Il the enefcent7-attention Of pro-
rnotert, although in the days OF the
civil war these were known less
ENTHUSIASTICALLY Finally, q reputable
and financially sound company, whose
intentfons were better than their
knowledge OF the country, took up the
exploitation and colonization. But even
this, the most conservative of those
earlier years. proclaimed the Magda-
lena bay region as Iotos land. Not a
place" Il complacently and naively de-
CARED. where a man could grow rich
R.thout work, but one where he could
lise more comfortably with less labor,
p .acc more repaying crops from
81 I'd number OF acres and enjoy more
ease and luxury for less money than In
any other part OF the world" It's agents
pointed out that the heat was never
excessive nor the cold severer than in
the Octobers OF the Atlantic states, and
that this equable temperature. the alb
sence Of fog-nothing was said about
fne rsinfall-the steadfsst breeze blow
Ing from sea TO gulf and the possible
open afr life throughout the year made
THE country the healthiest on the con-
tinent. Local diseases" they added
were unknown" Now. there is-In the
phrase Of Ar. squeers-richness fol
you. And yet a large measure Of the
fdyIl is honest prose and many of the
aIlurements exist.
The most serious and systematic o.
these earlier projects was the one con.
csived and engineered BY a syndicat'
known IS the Lower California com
pany. The list OF its ofhcers, directors
counsel and stock holders reads like Al
extract from the Golden Book OF Amer