The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-09
FROM CALIFORNIA.
Mr.. &. A. Wood Tells of His Trim to
the Coast Country.
Santa Cruz. Cal.
Nov % 1910

Nov. %, 1910.
Dear Mr.. Downie:
AS you suggested, will tell you
about our return trip to this pleasant
land
We left Minneapolis at 7:3O. Oct.
18th, over the N. w. Ry. to Omaha,
and at S:15 on the 18th we got aboard
the limited for Oakland Wednesday
we passed through Nebra ska, the
eastern half of which looked very
thrifty, with fine farm houses and
barns, large corn n-fields and good
looking stock. The western half of
the state is less inviting.
Thursday we passed through
Wyoming and Utah, crossing Salt
Lake, thirty y-three miles, just as the
sinking sun lighted up the mountains
in which the lake has its setting.
Friday we went through Nevada and
California, arriving at San Francisco
at $50 p, m. Having business in
San Francisco, we stayed there over
night, and left for home Saturday
afternoon, arriving at Santa Cruz at
half-past six, and finding an eager
group of young people awaiting US at
the depot.
The weather has been very delight
ful since our return. Flowers in full
bloom are in evidence everywhere,
every front yard is flower garden.
Grapes, strawberries, raspberries and
garden vegetables have been in
abundance upon the market: luscious
grapes, four cents pound, delicious
Strawberries, five cents a box. rasp-
berries, eight cents a box, fine apples,
fifty cents box of fifty pounds.
Green peas and string beans, with
other vegetables fresh from the gar
den are brought to the door at very
reasonable prices. This country
shipped some seven hundred cars of
berries this season.
While ! think neither in agriculture,
professions or business is there SO
good chance to make money in this
portion of California as in the middle
states, on account Of the competition
in professional business and the long
distances that fruits have to he ship
ped, yet there is no such beautiful
place in all the country in which to
live. The trip over the middle west
to California is SO easily taken in
these days that it is no wonder that SO
many people come here to enjoy the
latter years of their life. The Mil
and prospering
1t costs no more, if as much. to live
here as in the middle states. and the
opportunities for enjoying the bea uti-
fu weather, the delicious fruits and
fine fresh vegetables certainly make
it very inviting. In this section of
California there is the same rainfall
that we have in our part of South
Dakota. but the rainy season is not
SO long drawn out here as it is there.
The rains usually commence some
time after the fruits are gathered, and
continue until the crops and fruits are
far enough along to ripen. From
about the first of April to the last of
November, the weather is ideal. and
from November until April rainy
days alternate with delightful sun
shiny weather.
| am speaking of this part of Cali
fornia. The weather in Santa Clara
and Santa Cruz counties is probably
the most ideal in the state, and these
counties are not excelled in their pro-
duction. The finest prunes in the
world are raised in Santa Clara
county, while Santa Cruz county is
noted for it's berries and apples.
From a small region. the Pajaro Val
ley, twenty miles south of Santa Cruz,
already this year, there have been
shipped out three thousand cars of
apples. the orchardists expect to ship
out thousand more cars.
Yours truly.
u. A. v GOD.