Year: 1877

DEAR SIR.-lJ Is now IN OTueT
for me to write you something about
my experience and observations af-
ter sojourn here in California of
some seven months. Ny state
ments will be facts, as have found
them, and my opinions, based upon
impressions, may be more of a spec
ulative character, and you are at
liberty to discount ad hbitum. 1t
is qnite difficult to see a country for
another person, for there are so
many eXtraneous circumstances
that influence opinions. A good
hotel with a square meal, a good sa
loon with the exact drink a fellow
likes, and congenial company, have
a considerable influence. The play
may be all the same, but it makes
great difference whether seen fiom
the dress circle with agreeable sur
roundings, or from the pit among
the roughs.


The first influence upon the visi-
tor is the scenery of this western
world. The ever present mountains
and the far reaching, treeless plains,
are nearly the same all over the
State. A feeling of admiration,
mingled with reverential awe takes
possession of the beholder, and fan
cies are lively about the time when
earthquakes and volcanoes were
giving shape and geographical po-
sition to a region that was deep
down beneath the waves of the sea.
The outlook has an unfinished ap
pearance to one accustomed to the
rank vegetation and dense wood
lands of Tennessee, and there may
be a strong suspicion that folks
could not live in a country where
there seems such an appearance of
desolation. There is such an i'm
mensity of space, such "a grand
panorama of misty mountains and
glimmering plains that one is forci-
bly, impressed with the might and
majesty of the Great Creator.


Our climate is extremely pleasant
all the year, and is neither too cold
in winter nor too warm in summer
to make one uncomfortable. 1t
might sometimes be considered too
hot were it not for the refreshing
and invigorating sea breeze which
comes on regularly every day about
noon, and lasts until ordinary bed
time or later. The atmosphere is
thus cooled to a most delightful de-
gree for sound, healthful sleep.
There is no discount on the sleep
ing enjoyment one gets in Califor-
ma. There is no question about
the great fertility of the soil, but a
good supply of water is absolutely
necessary. Anything and every
thing without much regard to sea-
son can be produced when water Is
plentiful, but without it all the fair
lying land-the thousands and hun
dred thousands of acres would be a
desert. Water for irrigating pur-
poses is the grand consideration,
for the material prosperity of this
whole country will be in proportion
to this one thing needful.


This valley of San Bernardino, in
which Cotton is nearly centrally
situated, is said to be the best wa
tered locality in this State, and
there is no doubt in my mind if 1t
was fully developed and fairly dis
tributed we would have q sufficient
supply to irrigate all the mesas
from the foothills to the Santa
Anna. The surrounding mountains
from ten to twenty miles off are the
great reservoirs of water which en-
terprise and capital will conduct to
every part of the valley. l have
more hopefulness, and l might add,
enthusiasm, about the future of this
region than l dare express. l am
| .-o,.- ,rolI eof;sGo1 18th mn sur
roundings, and look forward to a
more prosperous time than l could
reasonably expect in Giles. l be-
lieve am in the coming city of this
portion of California, and the mark
ed improvement that has taken
place since | came here justifies me
in this opinion. / feel satisfied that
this is a very healthy place when
one can enjoy almost entire immu
nifty from chills and fevers and pull
monary diseases. l do not know
of any serious drawbacks or objec
tions to this country. l think that
in many instances the price of
farming land is too high, but no one
is obliged to buy it, since there are
many thousand acres just as good
which can be bought at from two
and a half to ten dollars per acre.
Artesian wells seven inches in di-
ameter, or surface wells with pump
and windmill will not cost more
than from three to FIVE hundred
dollars. One good artesian well
will furnish enough water 70 irri-
gate 40 ocres. Irrigation is quite a
simple process, for this country and
soil is by nature most admirably
adapted to that purpose. Our sur
faces are not levels, but inclined
plains that in most instances have
a fall of one foot in a hundred, but
it is difficult for the eye to tell
which way the descent is.


/ can candidly say to you and
other friends who desire to take q
start ina new, beautiful, healthy
and fertile country that South Cali
/ - .-.,s-a oHxopto,-os ,,-aeo-.