Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-07-15
LETTER FROM EURAL RACE
Oxnard, California, July 4th., 1915.
~ Frank o. Parker,
Alma, Mich.


Alma, Mich.
Dear Frank and the Bunch
This finds us in Oxnard, settled and
house keeping. Had fine trip
through, the weather was fine and we
enjoyed it very much. Took a sleeper
from Chicago to San Francisco, and
arrived m Frisco, Wednesday night,
MT nine o'clock. Thursday and Friday
We spent on the Exposition grounds.
0h Yes, at Ogden we got off the train
and wandered into the depot and Geo.
Winget from Ithaca, came up and
slapped me on the back. He left Alma
y week before we did but had been
stopping off enroute. Our train ran
in two sections from Ogden to Frisco
and he was in the first and we in the
second section. We saw each other
FIVE or six times during the next day.
The three of us did Frisco together.
| understand Joe Page is coming out
here in about a month, then George
and Joe are coming to see us. We left
Frisco Saturday morning at eight o.
clock and reached here at nine in the
evening-light through the mountains
and along the coast all the way.
Now as to Oxnard.,s% both like it
very much. This town is to this coun-
~ what Merrill is there, it being the
only wet town in the county and thirty
eight miles from another wet spot
During the past week | have not seen
drunken man upon the streets as
understand they run them off as soon
We have eleven saloons for popula-
ton of between four and five thousand.
The business section of the city is
around the plaza and on the side
streets near by, there being no one
main street-a good many more bust
ness places here than at Alma. Only
we factory here, this being owned by
the, American Beet Sugar Co., it being
the largest factory in capacity in the
United States. If | remember right
it cuts better than 1000 tons a day
while the one at Alma cuts about 1900
tons. 1t starts operation in about ten
days and runs a little over four
months. This brings in about 800 men
from outside of town. The most of
the expert help comes from New Or
leans.
The route here is a cinch if there
ever was one. What | have to cover
IS Just about like my first trip there
around the hospital, this | cover three
times day leaving the postoffice three
times on each trip. Report at seven
and leave at eight and get back about
nine. Then | clean up the parcel post,
report at ten thirty and leave at eleven
taking Oh this trip only first class stuff
and daily papers, winding up at about
eleven forty five. Report at one and
leave at one thirty and get back at two
fifteen. Then | take out two streets
on number two this being all residenc-
es which takes me four blocks from
the office. He cases the mail and ties
At up for me. Takes about thirty min
utes to cover, then / clean up the re-
naming parcel post and get off for the
day about three. First class matter
is heavy but very few papers except
In the Jap and Chinese section, they
all get a paper once day either from
Frisco or Los Angeles. Each paper
comes in a single wrapper and is
marked with the street and number.
This colony is about two blocks long
with the Japs on one side of the street
and the Chinks on the other. All are
business places which average about
ten feet apart from each other They
all have mail boxes on the outside of
the door so their mail is worked out
real fast. Never have to enter their
places except for registered letters,
AT which | have about FIVE a day. If
IN doubt as to where their mail goes,
leave at the Boss of the Japs or the
Boss of the Chinks which ever the case
may be and he looks after it, 1t never
comes back to the postoffice except
that it have forwarding address upon
IL If their mail is left at the wrong
place they will deliver it but never I'M
der any circumstances will they give it
back to me or send it to the office.
When they leave town they leave their
forwarding order with the Boss and
not at the Office, so as far as we are
concerned when they once get in the
colony they are always there A fine
bunch to get along with; several of
them speak good English. l under
stand there are six Chinese women in
the colony and the Japs are nearly
>vnnlv dividad Just havopd tha Cb;,