Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-09-24
INSCRIPTION ST. 5OA YEAR IN ADVANCE
A. DECKER ON TRIP
THROUGH CALIFORNIA

| have just returned from a trip
through California. where | found
much Of interest. The forest fires
are raging for 200 miles in the noun
tains between California and Oregon,
and the whole country is more or less
smoky. The Sacramento River is the
lowest that it has ever been known,
as it is at the level of the ocean at
Sacramento. yet a few boats are ply
ing on the lower river. | am much
surprised to find the progress being
made in San Francisco in rebuilding
tile city. 1t is beyond all comprehen-
sion, yet there are very many OF the
stores and Office rooms marked SFoT
Rent. | think it safe to say that
there are hundreds of such signs to be
seen. From San Francisco south
along the Coast road, one of the
attractive cities is San Jose, around
which the growing and drying of
pruneS forms the principle industry,
which are selling at present for 2 cts.
per pound, This whole country is
under high state Of cultivation, and
is very prosperous, yet the price of
fruit everywhere is very low. Santa
Barbara is one of the most attractive
cities on the coast, and the Potter
Hotel, with its pleasant surroundings,
is a little the contest stopping place |
ever have found in the form of a hotel.
There are thirty acres in the grO- ndS
adjoining this hotel, where S75, 900 has
been spent in plants, flowers, shrub
cry lawn, and every conceivable thing
TO make it effective. There are three
miles of geranium beds II feet wide.
Here is the largest Gala lily bed in
the world with 10000 plants, while
30, 600 rose bushes are in full bloom.
Also 40 varieties of caccias. 10000
pigeons are kept for furnishing squads
for the table, also 200 dairy cows to
furnish milk and butter. This hotel
accommodates 1900 guests, and en-
ployS 500 people, with a pay roll of
$4,000 per month.
The sugar beet industry is one OF
Importance, also the many oil wells in
this part of the state. Los Angeles is
busy, thrifty, hot city, with plenty
of tourists any time in the year, while
Pasadena for its size, is the queen OF
ed iE
especially a good season for fruit
grower, as the crop is so large, and ali
kinds of fruit in such abundance that
prices are very low. All through this
part of the state, and in the Sacremen-
TO and San joaquin valleys, Strawber.
rieS are selling at ! boxes for p it's,
tomatoes lbs. 10 cts, wine grapes
bring but ST per ton, and the growers
say they will not pick them at that
price. Nearly every variety of fruit
and vegetables are very cheap, while
butter brings 81 cts. for the best,
and milk 10 cts. a quart. Living ex-
peGses are cheap, except at hotels
where they have increased about one
half in the last two years. 1t is some
what embarrassing to buy cts.
worth OF choicest table grapes, as a
person receives from p to lbs. for
this amount. Fresno is headquarters
for the raisin industry of the state
The thermometer there registered lis
degrees in the shade. The price here
for fruit is the lowest ever known in
the state, and there is some complaint
Of close times, yet most laboring men
are finding employment. The land
through the southern part of Califor-
mia is unreaSonably high: in many
cases running from 5000 to $500 for
unimproyed land, and from $1,000 TO
$500 for improved The oldest
settlers in the vicinity of Mt. Shasta
declare that they never knew the
time when this mountain had so little
snow as at The present. This great
valley, from Bakersfield to Redding, is
440 miles long, without hill. One
gets tired of the heat, the brown fields
that can never be white with snow,
and the dust to be found everywhere.
Pink Pain TabletS-Dr. Shoop's-
stop Headache, womanly pains, any
pain, anywhere in 20 minutes sure.
Formula on the 25c. box Ask your
druggist or doctor about this formula
its fine. Sold by, Wood County
Drug Co.