Year: 1871




From the San Francisco Alta, June 10


This year IS one Of the most disas-
trous IN the history of our State-per-
haps the most disastrous, so far. The
drouth of 1864 was more severe than
that of 1871, but our agriculture was
less developed and the farmers had less
to lose; besides, our condition other
wise was more elastic; our mines were
more productive our population was
increasing more rapidly; there was q
better demand for labor, and San Fran
cisco, which reacts upon the whole
coast, was more prosperous A steady
stream OF emigration is now pouring
from California by land and sea into
Oregon. The farmers of the William
cite Valley have never known what it
was to lose a crop by drouth, and now
they are taking from us a valuable class
OF farmers who are unwilling to run the
risk of other years without rain. If our
irrigation schemes should prove success
ful, we may reasonably hope to bring
many of them back, for they will never
be contented under cloudy sky, after
having lived III the clear sunlight of
California. Those going by sea are
generally emigrants from the East, while
most OF those going by land through
Slsklyon county, have been residents of
our valleys. The loss for the COM
merce of this State is very slight, and
perhaps their migration will be bene-
fit to the coast, on the whole, for their
departure will be an additional reason
for vigorous prosecution of those
NJ asures which must protect us from
drouth in the future; and. on the 9th
er hand, it will develop the resources
of rich district, dependent for it's for
e1gn communications upon our metro
polls. The prosperity Of California
will be greatly advanced by the settle
ment OF dense population on the
coast north of us.


year at drouth in California is al
ways year of migrations The farm
ers and grazlers must move to find
more favorable situations. There is
general drift now toward Sonoma, Men
docino, Humboldt and Lake counties,
which have not only more than the
average amount of ram, but also a pros
pect OF receiving considerable more
than an average share of the benefit
from the construction of railroads. Por-
tlons of the Gulilucos and Collayomi
ranchos have lately been sold in small
tracts, and several other ranchos are to
be cut up soon The construction of
the connecting road from Adetante to
Petaluma will place Russian Valley in
connection with the general railroad
system of the State, and will greatly
facilitate access and increase travel
The redwood forests beyond Bodeea.
are, IN many respects, superior to those
to me southward. The trees not only
grow larger and straighter, but they
are In more extensive forests, reaching
further back from the ocean, and on
account of covering the valleys as well
as the hills; they can bereacf1etl at less
expense by rail. In State 50 scantily
supplied with timber as ours, these
forests are of immense prospective
value and plans are now under con-
slderatlon for running the ears to
them, and opening up the timber re-
sources of the north. The wood is of
a kind found only in California. andin
demand both at home and abroad
Much of the timber Is too far from the
coast to be hauled to the landings, and
there are extensive stretches of coast
with no safe anchorage for ships; so
that rail communication is indespens'
able to the development of the natural
wealth.


The graziers are driving their cattle
and sheep from the Interior valleys gen
orally to the mountains and the north
ern coast. The pasture in Humboldt
county is said to be very abundant,
many of the herds of the southern coast
haze been driven to Lower California,
where the grass has not been clipped
so closely. Some of the cattle from
Los Angeles have been driven to the
eastern slope of the San Bernardino
range. From the San Joaquin and
Sacramento Valleys many herds have
been sent up into the Sierra, at various
points from 1880 to 5000 feet above
the sea. Yosemite was used for a sum-
mer sheep-pasturage before the Federal
Government reserved 1T for tourists
and Hetchhetchy is now occupied for
the same purpose Usually, however,
the best mountain grass is found not in
canons but onridges or flats.