Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-05-16
ANOTHER OPINION
Herbert Montague Receives Letter
From California Friend
MICH GROWER CONGRaT ULATEO
Bright And Spicy Statements OF California
as Seen by Writer

Inc IOllOMlnH are GNlldClS from Il
letter received by Herbert Montague,
superintendent Of the Masonic Home
of this city, and convey a different
impression Of California than we have
furnished our readers from our cor
respondents i'm the past. The gentle
man who wrote this letter was former
ly a resident of Grand Traverse
county, where he acquired a com.
potency of this worlds goods and
where his word was never questioned
and his opinions highly sought Com
ing from man of this character and
one who has for five years made Cali
fornia his home, it will unquestionably
be appreciated by our readers.
After an exchange of personal rem.
iniscences, the gentleman says in
part Since | have now spent five
years in California, the claim can be
made that ! am a Californian and
Californians never write anything eX
cept that which alludes to the state.
for to them there is no other place
in the whole wide world, if we are &c
believe all that is put into print A
very brief history may not be amiss
First all men in California are liars
This is a gentle hint. They take pride
In it. 1t is virtue above all others
In fact it is now down in the great
celestial records that they are the big
gest liars on earth. Why shouldn't
they lie? They make their living by
it and he who cannot lie has but little
business in the state Within our
memory there came type of man with
gun, pick, and shovel peering over
the top of the Serras He. too. was
looking for the same Golden Calf.
Later on came the Southern Pacific
railroad and for the asking took a
quit-claim deed to the whole state and
mems souls. They, too, were racing
to catch that same old calf that Aaron
made. Then came one Hiram John
son, mighty fighter, and the people
arose in their strength and said. We
own the state The people won the
race and the S. p r. r. had to take
a back seat. The people of California
were for a time called from labor 10
refreshment. People may say what
they please for or against Hiram
Johnson. but he has given to Cali
fornians a moral boost and uplift from
its quagmires Of rottenness.
Our Creator left a climate in Cali
fornia little different from that in
any other state. 1t is suited to those
also to those who love to dress in
Arctic furs, for those who crave
fruit and vegetable diet and those who
desire a pure dog diet, but man in his
puny nothingness is trying to improve
the climate as left by our Creator
The formula of this is something like
this, original sunshine real estate
wind in large quantities, millionaires,
and many poor people, booze dope
tramps, convicts, crazy folks. and
affinities. They are talking about
using the ingredient morality. but It'll
has not yet been put into practice. =.
The principal crops raised in
Napa valley are prunes, wines, and
red noses. Since you spent
some five months in Los Angeles. you
must have gathered some ideas from
the persistent way of its boosters In
regard to the fruit industry take the
stories with a grain of salt. do not
hesitate to say that the average po
tato farmer of Michigan is in better
condition than the average fruit
farmer in this state When wine
grapes are down to Sc to SO per ton,
it spells disaster to the grower; when
up to SIS it means a good profit.
have stayed in San Diego fourteen
months. That is quite lemon coun
try. When one gets right down to
facts, | saw no one getting rich. but
I did see many that had been made
poor. There are few that have done
well, but they are an exception and it
is their case that the boosters hurled
abroad. The packers and the rail
roads seem to get the cream.
advice is always cheap. | will,
however, venture this much: Should
you ever come here to invest, come
and live in the state one year, first
May peace and plenty and
happiness be with you and yours, and
should you in your leisure hours
deem this worthy of reply, it will be
received with great pleasure by your
humble brother