The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-09-19
From California.
Former Citizen Writes to Non. George
W. Merry Of California Climate
and Conditions

ana Conditions
The following letter is from
Robert j. Hicks, who removed to
California from Big Stone during
the past year, and was written to
Hon. Geo. w. Merry of this city
in answer to a request that Mr..
Hicks send him his opinion as to
the coast country, knowing that
he would give him the facts as
he saw them and in a conserva-
tive manner, so Mr.. Merry be
lieves that the statements made
can be absolutely relied upon.
Mr.. Hicks is vice president of
the Los Angeles Finance Com
pany, of which, G. w. Goodman,
father of DR.. Goodman of this city
is president. The letter is as
follows:
Dear Mr.. Merry:
! received your splendid letter
some days ago, and in compli-
ance with your request to reply
about September 1st, | am now
writing you.
First, / would say | was
pleased to note you had enjoyed
your summer so well, that you
had been on the go considerable
and | know you travelled over a
beautiful country with every evil
dence Of prosperity on every
hand. 1t surely is a treat to 60
through the middle western
states during the summer season
and see the crops maturing, and
| do not blame you for being SO
enthusiastic over it. | have
many time felt the same way,
and always felt when | returned
to Grant County that | had got
to about as thrifty spot as could
be found in that, or any farming
com munity-it is hard to dupli-
cate Grant County. But refer
ring to the summer season in
California. | think most people
have a wrong impression about
the summers along the coast.
When the winters are SO mild
and fine all winter long it is not
to be wondered at that one gets
the impression that the summers
must be extremely hot-this,
however, is not the case; the
summers are more -deligh t :
full than the winters. You ex
perienced just about as much hot
weather here in March as we
have had since during the sum
mer. We have had three or four
days that were uncOmfOrtably
warm during the early part of
the day, but when the ocean
breeze comes up about noon
things cool off and one is gener-
ally comfortable from that time
on; the temperature reached SO
degrees one day, which lasted
for an hour, but | think the aver
age has been 7l.9 for the month
of August, which is considered a
hot month. From this you will
see that we have not suffered
from heat, and it is not an un-
common thing to see ladies out
in their furs almost any day.
Los Angeles seems to be situated
very nicely for summer climatic
conditions-about mid way be-
tween the ocean and the noun
tains with an ocean breeze com
ing ia each day. reaching us
about noon and controlling the
temperature for the rest of the
day. This means that the nights
are real cool and one needs wraps
to drive in the evening. As |
have said, we think the summer
climate is better than the winter
climate, Judging our winters
from the one we have just passed
through and which is the only
winter we have spent on the
coast. You asked how | liked
or how the long dry spell i'm
pressed me-the fact of the mat,
ter is seldom think oft. Every
day we know is going to be a
day in which We may 60 out, anc
we plan to do thinks with a Ger
tanity Of what the weather may
be. OF course things dry up
the gras, gets thoroughly brown
and dry and where water is not
used there is no evidence Of life
for some months. and where the
country is not cultivated it looks
bad: where it is cultivated, if it is
in grain, it is simply a dry stub.
BILE field, fit is alfalfa, of course
| if it has water it is green anC
thrifty. The orchards, of course
always look green, so driving
through the country one does
not get the impression that it il
a drought, as you will see fields
that look just as fine in the sum
mer time as they do in the winter
i