The Green Forest tribune., 1910-12-02
Letter from California.
Colton, Cal, Nov. 13, 1910.

Editor of Green Forest Tribane:-It has been some time since 1 tried to drop line to my old time friends through the columns of your valuable paper. When I say valuable that IS what 1 mean. When we read one copy we wait and wonder what news the next viii bring.
 Better than three years has passed since we left old Arkansas. Since that time many changes have taken place in that old state We have read from The Tribune the deaths of many whom we knew and loved, besides the changes in the surrounding country which we can imagine We have been in California long enough now If we were well enough posted) to make quite a Wrice- i up on 50 great state as CalIf6inia. i am sorry to say it mostly belongs to the monopolists. The many thousands of acres of orange groves valued at from one to three thousand dollars per acre is too much for poor people. While some make great profits on orange groves, 1 believe there IS better profit on alfalfa lands which sell at from $75 to $500 per acre on which you can cut from 3 to IA tons per acre each year. There are many other things that take less money to do than either of these, fer this is a tropical climate and will grow anything that grows in the United States. We have nice yards, lawns and flowers all the year.
 This state has most any climate you wish. l was recently up in the tsoun- tains 30 miles from Cotton and 50G9 feet higher, where there is a very fine jim- mer resort but where it snows ana gets exceedingly cold in winter. Here saw some of the large trees, but guess had better not give any dimen- sions of these great trees, as some of our old-time friends stood on their heads and tried to believe some of them in my former letters to The Tribune.
 While the most of the southern part Gin which we i;se) is dry, there is lots of ''booze" drank in California. ! see in the newspapers that there were $131, 900, ,000 spent in this state for drink during the year i909 Colton is dry as are all the towns around for 50 miles with the exception of San Der nardino.
 Ostrich raising is a great industry in this country. The birds are fed on al falfa and it takes one acre for four birds per year. The chicks at six months old sell for $l00 and at four years old sell for $400. 4 good fat one at four years will weigh 450 pounds. They mature at three and one-half years. The nest is round hole in the sand which the mail bird digs with his feet. The ''old hen" may not l2y her first three or four eggs in the nest but the rooster" will keep rolling them until he gets them there. After this the female will lay in the nest. In thirty days she will lay from twelve to sixteen eggs when she begins to set and 1t takes forty-two days to hatch. The male takes an active part in setting. He goes on the nest about , o'clock in the afternoon and stays until the next morning about 8:30. Then the female takes the nest the remainder of the day. The male usually begins setting three or four days before the female quits laying. Usually there are three or four days difference in the matching of the eggs and while the female takes care of the chicks the male sets and matches the remainder. The eggs are usually matched in incubators and the chicks are never fed until they are three or four days old.
 My old friend and neighbor A. E. Graham is living very fast life now. hls business being so rushing he had to get motorcycle to ride, but he was out in a crowded street car the other day and someone lifted just $136 from his hip pocket
 l have this advice to give to the good people of Arkansas. Those who have homes and good health had as well be content, but should any come this way l would be pleased to have you call on us at any time We are on the main line of the Santa Fe. s. P. and $. l.. railroads in about six miles of Los Angeles.
 Yours very truly,