Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-04-12
SIDE LIGHTS ON CALIFORNIA
Country is Greatly Overdone- Home
of Idle Rich and the Hobo
ALEXANDRIA, CAL, March 10. 19lt

ALEXANDRA, CAL, March 10, 1916.
FRIEND MUNSoN: After having spent
the winter in travelling over southern
California by auto, | thought / might
give you my opinion of the country anC
its people. The climate, with the ex.
eeption of about thirty days during
the rainy season, is as near perfection
as one will find. During the winter we
had two days that we did not go out,
and only two or three times were we
caught in the rain while we were rid
ing, as most OF the rain falls during the
| night. | believe there is no place in
America that can approach the climate
of southern California, near the sea
coast, but if you get back into the in
terror very far, the heat in summer is
one great draw back for the months of
August ard September. The land is
not as productive as that around Viro-
| qua, but with good care and fertilizing
| will grow large crops. All crops must
| have irrigation to do we'll The price
of land runs from $500 10 50, 600 per
acre, depending on location and how
near cities, improvements and street
cars. | can't see how anyone could
make profit with any crop when you
| figure the interest on money invested,
cost of water and help that it takes to
farm here. You would say that the
land is not worth that money, but the
fact remains that they hold it for that
price and it is selling every day and GO
ing higher. / figure the land worth
one fourth, and that the climate must
be the other three fourths. The work
in gardening. lawns and flower gardens
is done by the little Japs, and much
of the railway work, ditching and heavy
work is done by Mexicans. The white
men, am sorry to say, are very unre-
! liable Our rich men send their boys
and girls out here to spend their money.
and If were to estimate their value /
would put them in a class that Sam
Jones put the boys in Kentucky when
they wanted him to GO to one of their
horse races. Sam said he would like
TO 60 alright and that be loved to see
horse racing; he said: "You fellows
! have bred your horses up until they are
worth thousand dollars apiece your
boys aren't worth three for a dollar,
and when you get your boys up with
your horses will De delighted to go
with you" | am sorry for the boy.
and very sorry for the poor old fool of
father and mother, that they did not
teach them to do something to be of
some use to the world in service to
others, as that is all there is to life to
make it worth while. We all need q
vacation and change once in while,
but life of idIeness spent at cards, par
ties, golf. gambling and fast life looks
mighty small to me, and would rather
nv boys would go out into the world
without dollar than to take the place
of the most wealthy of them and take
the course that hundreds Of these young
men are taking.
The people are made up of all ma
tons, and you will find many of the
4 best among all nationalities, and also
all kinds of confidence men, so in com.
| ing out here | would say keep your
own counsel and be careful with whom
you deal :" | would not oasise any
| poor man, or one with sni4il cap. al, to
move out here to make a living OF
make money, rs there are four men for
every jcn. aud think that would hold
good with merchants, doctors. lawy ers,
I and in fact in all lines of eDGeavor, and
especially among the land agents. !
think one in ten would be great plen-
/ ty in that line, and then there would be
a surplus
| In closing viii say that in my judg.
ment Southern California is The italy
of America and a grand phase to spend
| he declining years Of ones life.
Yours very truly.
JOHN Z NUZUM.