Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-10-26
SPLENDID LETTER
FROM CALIFORNIA

you, | will give 1t to you as see
it. California is the largest state
in the union except Texas. It's
coast line is a thousand miles
long and width about two humid
red miles. Its area is greater
than that of New York, New
Jersey, Ohio, Delaware, and all
New England states. The En-
pire of Japan with all its fifty
million people occupies but little
larger, while Great Britain and
Ireland with their forty million
could be dropped down within the
borders of California and room
for good sized state besides.
The surface of California varies
in elevation from 300 feet below
the level of the sea in its deserts
basins up to more than ii. 600 feet
above the sea level in its lofty
mountains, and its climate ranges
at the same time from torrid heat
to artic cold, and in its South
eastern corner the rainfall is
practically nothing, while in the
opposite Northwestern corner it
rises to more than 100 inches per
year. Its latitude reaches from
that of Boston away south to that
of Georgia. 1t is washed by the
greatest of oceans on the west
and is against the interior of a
vast continent on the east. A
bewildering complexlty of noun
tains and valleys cover its sur
face, each having an influence up
on the direction of the wind and
the distribution of the moisture
and the heat.
The valleys are of all sizes
from the tiny one that affords a
foot hold for only one family, up
to the great valley of California,
more than 400 miles long and
fifty miles wide, and is able to
support a population of millions.
South California is divided from
the rest of the state by the Te-
hachapi mountains, which is
covered with snow at this writ
ing, while in this valley every
thing is green and in full bloom.
So you see one can have winter
or summer just as he desires.
This makes this state the most
varied and wonderful of all. 1t
brings about strange differences
in surface, soil, crops, trees, ami
mails. minerals, and in the occu-
patton of men.
In this region the west winds
blow the most of the year. 1t
brings to the land the water
which it has picked up in passing
over the sea. So fog in summer
and rain in winter makes climate
moist and cool. This narrow
strip is the only region in the
whole of North America where
the weather is neither very cold
in winter nor very hot in summer.
This is due to the west winds
which take their mild tempera-
ture from the sea in passing over
it and then blow across the land,
keeping our coast warm in winter
and cool in summer.
Mineral springs of various sorts
are found in many parts Of the
coast range. At one place five
springs are found within a few
feet of eacn other and each Of a
different water; one is clear and
almost ice cold, one strong n iner-
al steaming hot, one Of soda wat
er: The people 90 to these
springs by the thousands and
spend from two to six weeks there
every summer.
TIE desert portion of South
California is very large, about
>ne sixth Of the " hole state. One
valley is called Death Valley. In
this valley nearly all the moisture
is cut off by the high mountains.
The summer weather is very hot.
sometimes 1870 degrees in the
Shade, and if a Traveller ventures