Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-10-20

and then beat it around the block in
a walk, and that is in the matter Of
its pure and sparkling water. No
where on the coast have we found
what appears to us good drinking wa
ter, although the people here who day
and night proclaim the advantages of
the coast country as a place to live,
talk glOwingly of the pure mountain
water they have to drink. 1t comes
from the high attitudes it is true,
where the streams are fed from the
waters emanating from the snow-clad
SUBMITS, but by the time it reaches
the consumer it has lost a part of its
purity and lacks the GOODNESS, the
taste and sparkle which Wisconsin
and Michigan produce and are unri-
vailed in. People who have once be-
come accustomed to the waters of
KIondike spring in Lancaster, Wis
consin, may travel across the CONT
nent without finding other water that
can surpass it.
Business Depression on Coast
Much of the coast country is suf-
fering a business depression which is
very noticeable so in southern
California than was observed in Oak
land or San Francisco. This is due to
a certain extent, to conditions created
by the European war. In the San Joa-
quin and SOnOma valleys, through
both of which 1 have extensively trav-
eled this summer, business conditions
are unusually quiet. The peach crop
has been a heavy one and the fruit
of splendid quality, but prices have
been so low as to make it very I'M
profitable. In the vicinity of Fresno
we were told by growers that choice
peaches, which should bring $25 to
$50 a ton, were a slow sale at $500.
Some farmers me-ranchmen,
even refused to gather their peaches
and preferred to let them rot upon
the ground because they said the price
would not meet the expense of gath
ering and marketing. The same thing
is true of the wine grapes. Legisla-
ton pertaining to the tax upon forti-
fled wines has rendered the manu-
factuTe of wine Improbable and
brought down prices to a point that is
very discOuraging to growers who
have made heavy investments in
vineyards. In the vicinity of Ontario,
off to the east of Los Angeles, l was
on one lal ge tract of 1000 acres, en-
tireIy devoted to the raising of wine
grapes.
Business Chances Scarce.
For the man who has made his
pile" and looking for place where he
can live quietly and comfortably in a
climate that is about as near perfect
as can be found anywhere, should
say that this part of alifornia-par
ticularly San Diego, would be the
ideal place; but from a business point
of view I could find other places
more to my notion. 1t does not at
present offer much that is encourag-
ing to the man who is in search of a
job of any kind, and the same thing is
largely true of the entire coast, where
ever l had a chance to observe condi-
tiOns. Real estate values have shrunk-
en- very materially in the past two
years and one may see signs of For
Rent" and For Sale" in great prOfus-
ion everywhere, upon residences and
business property alike, and the num-
Der of vacant buildings is something
astonishing.
In Sunny San Diego.
San Diego is a very old city 1t is
situated in the southwest corner of
California, only few miles from the
Mexican border. 1t is built upon a
tract of land that was originally very
rough, its mesas separated by innum-
merable canyons and covered with
cactus and other semi-trorical veget-
ton. To-day it has poulation of S5,-
600, with streets and buildings which
are equal to those found in cities sew
eral times larges. 1t is the first port
OF call in the United States north of
the Panama canal, and occupies a COM
manding position overlooking what is
POLITICALLY termed 1.-THE Harbor of the
Sun" the most nearly landlocked, per-
haps, of any on the continent, the
waves from the broad Pacific being
entirely excluded from the harbor by
the abrupt headland of Point Lena.
extending for several miles in a mar
row and rugged strip reaching out in
to the ocean, and 1.-The Silver Strand"
another narrow neck of land, reaching
out from an almost opposite direc-
ton for nine miles up to the Coro-
nado Beach. upon the inner side of
which lies the peaceful protected har-
Dor. which is capable of holding the
entire naval fleet, and in which is
nearly always seen one or more of
Uncle Sans big warships.
Old Mission Ruins.
The Mission of San Diego was es-
tablished in 1863 by Father Junipero,
Franciscan priest, and following
many changes the new town" was
established in 1867. All of this coun-
try, as is well known, formerly be-
lOnged to Spain and was coded to the
Uncle Sam following the close of the
Mexican war The ruins Of tba old