•^2>:r>i> ??>:^> 2>S?> t> :5) • -^ X:> LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. %p ©xip^rigi^ :f tt Shelf. .C2l^3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 3T 3> o>;i2>^I> ">3-:>-':533'^ j> ; .-^ >^ z:> . >. ^ y^-^ 3 J> ^-! 2) 2> 3> 3 :^ > > '>3 3> :>3-s^ 3r_ 1> . '2> J'-'ZU >33> TX>_^ 2> ::>2> 2> >^_^ >^> ^^L. :3^ >:^ SO* ^^ 1*^ i ^ ' Z> >^i:> x> -»::2>'::3> >. i^j 3> > :>> > u CALIFORNIA AS IT IS." WRirXEN BY SEVENTY OF THE i LEADIiN^G EDITORS A ]S^ D AUTHORS or THE GOLDElSr STATE FOR THE WEEKLY CALL. FOURTH EDITION. Published by the SAN FRA.NCISCO CALL COMPANY, 525 Montgomeey Stkeet, San Francisco, Califoenia. 1883. IlsTIDEX:. County. Namk. Page Alameda M. W. Curtis 133 Alpine G. E. Lukens 108 Amador W. D. Haley 23 Butte S. S. Boynton 69 Calaveras L. M. Schraik 65 Colusa W. S.Green 6 ContraCosta J.P.Abbott 38 Del Norte W. H.Woodbury 40 El Dorado B. F. Davis 10 Fresno 113 Humboldt Marshall Full, Jr 32 Inyo Hon. S. P. Moffat 67 Kern 36 W. Crump 21 M. Barstow 92 Lake R. Lassen H. Los Angeles (north- ern part) Richard Melrose .^4-197 Los Angeles George E. Knox 105 Marin W. L Clark 19 Mariposa Angevine Reynolds 49 Mendocino 131 Merced Robert J. Steele 5 118 Mono. 194 Modoc Prof. G. K. Godfrey Monterey J. Merritt 8 Napa. ..'. Chas. A. Gardner 52 Nevada Leonard S. Calkins 17 CouNTT. Nahb. Placer W. B. Lardner . . . Plumas Sacramento J. N. Bingay . . . . San Bernardino San Benito L. T. Baldwin ... San Diego San Francisco San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo H' N. Nutting. . . Santa Barbara M. C. F. Woods . . Santa Clara E. M. Isaacs Santa Cruz W. W. Browning. Shasta Jas. E. Isaacs. ... Sierra E. K. Downer . . . Siskiyou • Solano Alex. Dunn Sonoma R. A. Thompson. Stanislaus L. C. Branch Sutter Tehama Trinitv I. E. Jones Tulare Will. H. Fisher..., Tuolumne H. Wolfe Ventura Thomas J. Newby . Yolo Yuba Henry L. Wells. . . Sub-Index of Subjects. Page. Artesian Wells 6 Bees 15, 58, 116 Cattle and Stock 10, f 8, 61, 74, 90, 121 Climate. 5, 16, 19, 22, 28, 30, 38, 41, 46, 53, 59, 60, 61, 69, 75, 78, 84, 87, 110, 122, 123, 125, 128, 130, 131, 166 Colonies 15, 114 Counties of California — Population and Valuation . . 202 Dairies, notes on 11, 19, 83, 173 Fruit 11, 12, 16, 22, 29, 35, 74, 82, 91. 100, 157, 150 Fisheries 19, 32, 89 Grain (where raised, etc.).. 12, 23, ?8, 30, 63, 90, 95, 149 Grapes ^nd Vineyards 24, 29, 144, 147, 152 Histories, County 28, 67, 111, 119, 120, 133, 137 Irrigation 9,28,113,121, 149 Land, value of 6, 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, 29, 35, 37, 39, 42, 49, 52, 59, 77, 78, 84, 87, 90, 93, 121. 131, 148 Mining, notes on 7, 11, 16, 17, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 35, 37, 39, 42, 49, 50, 51, 65, 68, 69, 74, 75, 78, 164 Mineral Springs 8, 9, 14, 22, 44, 80, 83, 100, 110, Manufacturing and Shipping 40, 64, 66, 73, 77, Oil Olive 116, Orange 6, Pomegranate Postotiices in California Statistics, County and Agricultural 7, 31, 32, 33, 41, 17, 49, 51, 53, 58, 62, 73, 74, 77, 79, 84, 88, 95, 1G9, 112, 114, 117, 119, 122, 126, 128, 130, Scenery 36, 69, SO, 94, 102, Soils 5, 29, 31, 34, 53, 58, 60, 69, 90, 115, Steamer Ports — Distances and Fares Timber 18, 29, 35, 57, 59, 65, Water Courses 5, 7, 18, 30, 35, 53, 65, 91, 113, 125, 127, Wine , 15, Miscellaneous Subjects. Page. Bee-Keeping Scrutator 185 Choice Lands, etc Scrutator 171 Climate of California 166 Dairying 173 Fares, Work and Wages Joseph Carroll 198 Fruit Raising W. E. Macintire 157 Orange, the W. S. Chapman 141 Olive, the 155 Our Cereals 162 Pomegranate, the. . . .Ex-Gov. J no. G. Downey 151 Practical Talk about Lumber John Lucas 181 Produce Commissions Public Lands, etc G. Fitzgerald Quartz Mining Resources of Mendocino Observer Kaisins, Grapes and Currants Sheep Industrj' Robt. Duncan Milne. Small Farming Stock Raising Robert Lyon Towns in California Tulare Valley Stephen Barton. .. Vine, the MERCED COUNTY. MERCED COUNTY. By EOBEBT Editor and Proprietor of the aierc«d County Is situated in the lie«rt of the great ui Joaquin Valley, embracing a territory extending •om the foothilla of the Sierra Nevada range of lountains on the east, to the summit of the Cen- •al or Coast Range on the -west. It is bounded on 16 north by Stanislaus County, east by Mariposa, ,)uth by M:esno, and west by Stanislaus, Santa lara and San Benito counties. Its greatest length isterly and westerly is about ninety miles, and its rerage width is about forty miles. With the ex- jptlou of that portion lying upon the eastern slope f the Coast Range, a strip not exceeding twelve liles in width, the land is generally level prairie, ith occasional lines of timber slsirting the various :reams running through it. ' THE CLIMATE IS MILD AND EQUABLE, pe and frost being rare even in the coldest Winters, 3d the heat in Summer never being excessive— vrely too hot for men to work throughout the day I the open harvest fields without inconvenience or iffering from heat- the seasons being most proper- > denominated "wet or rainy" and "dry season," istead of Winter and Summer. The grass and erbage shoot forth with the fall of the first rains |-generally in November — and continue green and rowing until maturity or the dry season sets in — 3nerally in May or June — when the wild grasses fecome dry, affording nutritious feed for stock until je next rainy season comes on and green feed prings forth again. '" THE BOIL p generally rich and produces heavy crops of /heat and other cereals, without irrigation, save a exceptionally dry seasons, when there is almost j total lack of rainfall daring the Winter months. iVith the exception of the sandy district extending ';om the Stanislaus County line, on the east side of 'le San Joaquin river, south to within a few miles If the county seat, Merced, the soil is heavy — some sstricts being black adobe, and othets beiog yellow ^ay or mulatto soils, easily cultivated after once jeing broken by the plough. The sandy and other ght soil sections are easily cultivated and produce pmunerative crops of small grain. j THE PBINOIPAL PRODUCTS Ire wheat, rye, barley, Indian corn, sheep, cattle, prses, mules, hogs, goats, cotton, vegetables, wine, jistilled liquors, poultry, and almost every variety f fruits — the orange, lime, lemon, and many other jarieties of tropical and semi-tropical fruits, grow- ng to perfection and paying wejl for the labor be- ^owed upon their cultivation. THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS Merced, the county seat, 1-10 miles from San ancieco, Athloue, Snelling, Hopeton, Merced Is,,' Livingstone, Los Baflos and Central Point. e town of Merced, situated on the line of the Jouthern Pacific Railroad, contains a population of jbout 2,000. Has five churches, seven hotels, six Jvery stables, one planing mill, two large lumber lards, two large warehouses, each capable of stor- pg 12,000 tons of grain, one district school building, apable of accommodating 600 pupils, and the lar- jest and finest court house and jail in the San oaquin Valley. There are three dry goods stores, iWo drug stores, three tin and hardware stores, two wok and stationery stores.four large watch and jew- iby vtoreiaone iron foundry, five blacksmith shops. J. STEELE, San Joaq0in Valley Aegus. Ave wheelwrigiitstiops, three butcherabops, three printliig offices publlsiilnff pHpera, fourteen sa- loons and seven general merchandise stores, two tntllltier and t«o meiclumt tailor esiabllshinents; twolartce furniture stores and an uDOenalJer'a sboD. anil one brewery. Merced is llghrea by gas, and supplied with pure water troin tue water works of oilman & Stevenson. Buildings are be- ing constauiiy erected, and a number or elegant stores and residences have been recently built. The other towns are small, couialulufr from one to turee stores eacu, besides hotels, stables, suops, etc., requisite to supply the wnnts of the country surrouuding each. MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS. At Merced Falls Is situated the Merced Woolen Mills, aijd the flouring uilUs ot William Nelson & Son. The former turns out large quantities of blankets, flannels, llnseys, casslmeres, broadcloths aLd other woolen goods; and the latter ruis on full time, having a capacity ot about fltty barrels of flour per dity. The otiier mills of tue county are Murray's flourlut^ ujllls, two '> ues below Mer- ced Falls, and the Merced city Mills at Sneliiug, the lormer with a capacity ot 3U and the latter T5 barrels ot flour per day. Corn and rye uie also ground la large quantlllea. WATEKOOUBSES. The San Joaquin and Merced river and the Chow- chilla, Deadman's, Mariposa, and Bear Creeks, and their tributaries, flow through the county from the Sierra Nevadas; and the Los Bancs, San Luis, Cotton- wood, Sycamore and numerous others, flow into the San Joaquin from the Coast Range on the west side of the valley. The San Joaquin and Merced rivers and Salt Slough, a tributary of the San Joaquin , are navigable, affording means of transporting the cropa of tho west Bide and the country contiguous on the east side, steamers plying between Stockton and the Upper San Joaquin river landings generally from December to August, about which time the season closes by reason of low water. CANALS AND IBEIGATINO DITCHES. The San Joaquin and King's River Canal extends from Firebaugh's Ferry, in Fresno county, along the base of the Coast Range to Orestimba Creek, in Stanislaus county, a distance of nearly seventy miles, nearly sixty miles of the line of which is in Merced county, affording irrigating facilities to a large scope of country west of the San Joaquin river. This canal has been in operation as far down as Los Baiios since the Spring of 1873, and In ls78 was extended to Orestimba Creek, a dis. tance of thirty miles down the valley. Its source of supply at present is the San Joaquin, and when an immense supply of water is required the com- pany will tap Lower King's River, which has been ascertained to be available at a comparatively small expense. On the east side of the San Joaquin rivei is the FABMEBS' CANAL, Which taps the Merced river on the south side at a point about four miles above the town of Snelling, and is now available for irrigation upon the dis- trict of country west of the road leading from Mer- ced to Snelling, lying between Bear Creek and the Merced river as far west as the San Joaquin, em- bracing Livingstone (Crestey's Station) and the Merced colony, some 25,000 or 30,0u0 acres of which will be irrigated this year. This canal has just been completed through the ridge dividing the Merced river from Dry Creek (Canal CroekJ. by MERCED— COLUSA COUNTIES. •which the water is conveyed through a tunnel i»to the latter, ■whence it ia conveyed down tho channel of Dry, or Canal Creek, to a point about oij^ht miles east of Ijivingstono, where it is bcint; taken out in distributing ditclics and conveyed upon tho lands in tho district above mentioned. It is tho calcula- tion of tho laiidliolders along tho line of ditch thus far completed to irrigate this season about 25,000 acres, which will bo cultivated principally in wheat, tho ground being sandy and peculiarly suited to ir- rigation. In addition to tho above canals, there are numerous local ditches owned and used by farmers mlong tlio Merced river, from Merced Falls to the ranches of Dr. Griffith and Mrs. Eorfield, a distance of sixteen or eighteen miles, supplying water for irrigating many thousand acres of rich bottom, laud. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. In addition to tho facilities afforded for the ship- ment of products by means of steamboats, spoken of elsewhere in this article, tho great Southern Pacific Railroad traverses the country in a north- westerly and southeasterly direction a distance of nearly forty miles, about midway between the San Joaquin river and the foothills of tho Sierra Nevada range, affording cheap, convenient and rapid trans- portation for the iiroducts of all that portion of the country lying east of tho San Joaquin, nt tho same time making Merced, Plainsburg, and other stations •long tho line, shipping points for tho rich mineral regions of Mariposa, lying farther to tho eastward, in which largo quantities of gold are being extract- ed, tho machinery for working the mines of which is hauled upon wagons from Merced to the mines and mills in the mountains. ARTESIAN OB FLOWING WELLS. By no means an insignificant industry in Merced county, is that of sinking artesian wells, flowing water being obtained at from 125 to 300 feet, and supplies being obtai>\")d for irrigation and stock purposes in some of tho dryest parts of the county, literally turning what was hitherto deserts into ihrltty garden spots. The number ot flowing welm at date (1882) is lOl, each Irrlgntlug irom 25 to 40 HCies; the deepest well Is 33S leet, the shal- lowest 112 feet, some of thesa wells are upon larue stock ranches, but the iuosi of theai supply water for IrrlgatinK small farms, and the possea- 8lon of them has rendered tneir owners Indepen- aent. Many new wells are being bored. The Bource of supply for these wells appears to be in- exhaustible, tho flow of water from the oldest wells increasing instead of dimiuishing, and none of them weakening because of other wells being sunk in closo )3roximity to them, as many predicted would be tho case. Among tho water resources of tho county it may not bo improper to remark that almost everywhere in the valley good water, in in- oxhaufitiblo quantities, can be obtained by boring from four to six-inch holes to a depth of from fit- teen to forty feet, the water rising in them in most instances within from eight to ten feet of the sur- face, and furnishing a suflicient stream to keep an ordinary pump running, propelled by windmill or horse-power, even in tho dryest seasons. In the past few years it has not been an uncommon thing for large ranches, with their thousands of sheep, horses, cattle and other live stock to be supplied entirely with water from two or three of these shallow-bored wells, the pumps being run by horse or windmill power, according to circum- stances. VALUE OP LANDS. Lands in large tracts may be purchased at from $2.50 to $15 per acre, according to quality, situation, etc., but small farms are held higher in proportion, being generally better Improved. Unimproved lands, however, of good quality, in small quanti- ties, can be bought at prices ranging from $4 to $10 per acre. Of course, lands lying contiguous to towns, railroad stations steamer landings and upoo public thoroughfares, are held at higher figures, even though unimproved. ORANGE OULTUEE. The developments of the past few years have proved conclusively that the soil and climate of Merced county are well adapted to the production of the orange and various other tropical and semi- tropical fruits. In Merced, during the Christmas holidays, ripe oranges were to be seen hanging upon the trees in many of the gardens, and in two or three years more this luscious fruit, grown at home, will be as plentiful in its season as are peaches, apples or any of the common fruits of tho country in their seasons. The cultivation of oranges and kindred fruits in future years is destined to become an Important Industry in Merced county. COTTON CULTURE Was Introduced in this county in 1869 toy the late Col. d. M. Strong, and the crop of ISSl amounted to 95,000 pounds of clean lint, available for manu- ture, the most ot which was used by tHe Merced. Falls Mills. COLUSA COUNTY. By W. S. green, Editor of the Colusa Sun. Colusa Cotuity comprises a very large portion of the great Sacramento Valley. It is bounded on the north by Tehama, on the east by Butte and Sutter, on the south by Yolo, and on the west by Lake and Mendocino, The southern boundary corresponds very nearly with the 39th degi-ee of north latitude. It is eighty miles north of San Francisco.and a north line from that citv would run tbrough the county about twenty-five iuiles west of Colusa, the county seat. The county is just sixty miles from north to Bouth, and between forty-five and fifty from east to west, and consequently contains between 2,800 and 3,000 square miles. The northern and southern boundaries run on tho lines of the Government surveys. The Sacramento river forms its eastern boundary for eighteen miles from the northeast corner, and then the line run sands of visitors. SPRINGS. In addition to the Tassajara Springs, about forty miles souib of Monterey, whlcb are becoming more popular every year, there are Chalybeate Springs, near the mouth of the Carmel River, and near soledad, the present terminus of the South- ern Pacllic Railroad, the far-famed Paralso Springs. At the last mentioned very comfortable accommodations have already been provided and the tide of visitors Is constantly ou the Increase. A new road over the mountains to Tassajara has assisted travel to those springs, and we frequently bear of the wonderful sanitary virtue of the wateis. The climate, both at Tassajara and Paraiso, Is Incomparable. THE SALINAS VALLEY, Lying between the Gabllan Range of mountains on the east and the Santa Lucia Mountains on the west, opens upon Monterey Bay at the north, ex- tending south from Moss Landing over 100 miles, and having a mean width of about ten miles. Its area, thereiore, is about 1,000 square miles, or 640,000 acres of land. Through the valley runs the Salinas River, whlcli bas a quicksand bottom, and carries in wet sea- sons a large volume of water. The principal tributaries of the Salinas are the San Lorenzo and Estrella from the east, and the Arroyo Seco, San Antonio and Nacimiento from the west. The lands of the valley are divided into three classes : First — The heavy, lich bottom lands, good lor the growth of almost anything. This soil is mostly black abobe, and frequently contains just enough sand to maice it worlc easily. These lands sometimes produce over 100 bushels of barley to the acre, and of wheat, to the acre, over 65 bushels. Average crop of wheat on these lands, 35 bushels ; barley, 60 bushels. Second— The table la nds, particularly well adapted to growing wheat and barley, of which grain the average yield per acre Is 30 and 50 bushels respectively. These lands stand dry weather or a scant supply of rain better than any others In the vallay. Third— The uplands, good for the production of wheat, barley, oats and rye. These lands lie close aloner the base of the moun- tains In the lower parts of the canons and among the lower hills, and differ very much In quality in different localities. Some of this land is the best fruit land in the State, and will produce oranges, limes, lemons, peaches, apricots, almonds, flgs, and the other fruits common to this section. THE AREA OF LAND Cultivated In this valley at present Is about 150,- 000 acres, and in average seasons about balf a ton of grain (taking the whole acreage under cultiva- tion) Is expected to the acre. The rate of freight Irom Moss Landing Is $3 25 per ton, and storage for the season, fifty cents. From the nearest rail- road station, Castro ville, the freight rate Is the same, but increases at eacb station up the valley. There Is no doubt that the Salinas Valley, In fertility and diversity of soil, bas no superior in the State, and when we add to this a mild and healthful climate. Its great area of tillable land, and its proximity to 8an Francisco, the commercial centre of Califor- nia, easy transportation and cheap freights, it may truthfully be said that there is no more In- viting region on this coast. Several of the large ranches liave been and are being cut up and sold off, enabling men of moderate means to buy bomes and improve them. THE GABILAN MOUNTAINS Extend from the Pajaro River, at the northern boundary of ths county, through the entire length Of the county. From the Pajaro River, going south, the first eighteen miles of the range are a system of low mountains, covered almost every- where with grass and an abundance of timber. This part of the mountains is now nearly entirely occupied. The next thirty miles of the range 13 composed ot high, rough mountains, which ex- tend as far south as th© San Lorenzo. From the San Lorenzo to the southerly boundary of the county these mountains are low, rolling hills, forming the foot-hills ot the Coast Range, and are about 20 or 30 miles In width. In this section are several beautiful little valleys, among which are Peach Tree Valley, Cholame Valley, Indian Val- ley, Long Valley, Priest Valley and several others, nearly all of which possess a rich soli. These valleys have a delightful climate, peculiarly adapted to the growth of semi-tropical fruits. The land is nearly all unsurveyed Government land, and at present is used chleily in the stock business. The Gabilan MountLiins, in their climate and adaptability, closely resemble the Santa Lucia, and contaiii Immense deposits of limestone, as well as some quicksilver. THE PAJABO VALLEY Is located along the northern line ot Monterey County, and extends across the Pajaro River Into Santa Cruz County. This valley has one of the most productive soils in the State, and the land here is, fo"" the most part, owned by those who till it. ThePajaroRlver runs westerly through this valley, and finds an outlet in Monterey Bay. This section is separated from the Salinas Valley by a low range of hills that extend from the Gabilan Mountains to Monterey Bay, the climate being similar to that of the Salinas Valley. PRICE OP LAND. Farming lands In this county range In price from $5 to $150 per acre, according to quality and location. Bottom lands In the Pajaro Valley are worth from $80 to $150 per acre, while rolling and bill lands sell from $15 to $40 per acre. The low hill lands Intersperedwlth small valleys, between the Pajaro and Salinas Valleys, vary In price from $6 to $25 per acre with improvements, there being of these lands 15,000 or 20,000 acres. The table lands of the Salinas sell at $30 to $60 per acre, while some sell as low as $15 ; heavy bottom lands, $50 to $150 per acre. The uplands sell from $5 to $25 per acre. There Is a vast quantity ot unsur- veyed Government land In tne billy and moun- tainous parts of the county now held by posses- sion, and these tracts are frequently offered at low figures for the right ot possession and Im- provements. This possession gives no fee to the land, but gives to the purchaser the right of occu- Eancy until surveyed and then the first right to uy at Government prices. The seemingly higli prices of some of the lands above mentioned 13 easily accounted for when one considersthat they are unsurpassed In productiveness, that the facil- ities for transportation are ot the first and that we have a healthful and delightful climate. In 1874 there was sold in this county $300,000 wortb of land to men who had been renting and farming the lands they bought, and most of whom made the purchase-money from the land Itself. RENTING LAND A great deal of land is rented for farming pur- poses at $2 50 to $10 per acre, and many renters pay one-third or one-fourth the crop delivered. Much has been said and written concerning the renting system, but when one sees thousands on thousands of acres advertised for sale and no offers made, and this as to good land, well located and with a perfect title, it might be well to in- ^ quire what will the land-owner do with his land if he does not rent It— farm all his land bimself or give It away ? IRRIGATION. Until very recently this subject has attracted but little attention, because, as a rule, Irrigatioa has not been needed. However, the means for ir- rigating large bodies or land In the Salinas Valley and other parts ot the county are abundant and win gradually be availed of. Some of tbe Sallnaa 10 MONTEREY — EL DORADO COUNTY. R^l%Y^? ^^^ ^^^^ diverted so as to run throus-li dro nth n? i^'^i'?^V°'^^''^^'^ '!■' ^^<^ ''"^Ject, Since tlie aroutn of I8i6-T, lias beeu increasing. STOCK-EAISINO Is still a prominent Interest In tills county, es- pecially In the mountainous and hilly portions The raising of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep is found profltable, and the breeding of Ano-ora goats has been successfully pursue;!. The d°lrv business receives much attention in this county a single establishment producing, but a few yea?s |fo?6oo '°'"' ^"""""^^ ""^ ^''"^'' Which yielded SALINAS CITY, The county seat of the county. Is located on the Southern PaclQc Railroad, about lis miles from San Francisco, ten miles from tide water at Moss LanaiDg, and eighteen miles from the harbor or Monterey. The town is lourteen years old. and has a population of 2,600; is supplied with gas and water at low figures, and has a well orgars- ized and equipped Are depart u en t. There are seven church organizations, a good public school employing seven teachers, and lodges of Odd Pel- lows, Free and Accepted Masons, and of tne An- cient Order of United Workmen. Tt has a flouring mill, a foundry, aud two weekly newspapers, the Index and Democrat. The new Court House here, costing about $60,ooo, has been completed, and Is a very handso.ne structure. In the vicinity or Ihe town are located the grounds or the Agricul- tural Association, la which the ralrs ot the So- clety are held rroin time to tine, yallnas City la a prosperous town, and Its business men are noted for their enterprise and business shrewd- ness. OASTEOTILLE Is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad, two and a half miles from Moss LancUng, flfteen miles northeast of Monterey and eight miles north of Salinas City. It has a population of about 500 possesses pood school facilities, three teachers be- !^f° %'rl^^°-^^l}' ^^'^ ^^^ t^^o churches ; also, lodges ot Oda Fellows, Masons and Good Temnlars f ^ mfii° wMn*;^'^^^^^^'^'^^"*^ ^^'^ ^°^^ lias a flourl I g mill whlon dues., n excellent huslness. Tne town l^i immediately surrounded by Bne agrlcul- P '2 y^'?/'^' T^^ watered, while to the east of Castroviile about three or four miles distant, there are large tracts of grazing and timberert vf^lruV^''%r''"^ ^° the^rowfng of fJmts and ^n?pnV t^^.^'^^-'^^^''^S'^ y'eld of the lands aa- jacent to town is, of wheat, SO bushels prr acre I'lvlcv np'iT'i'^'''^^',^: one hundred bSshels of The?en f, nf^'th.H''™ '^''^" ^"^'^^^ I'l 'some cases. ri!« OH :.V^ °^-f V° ^"^^'i IS exceptionally good ana the climate mild and healthful. •' fa "" *"^ OTHER TOWNS. Santa Elta Is situated about three miles north of Salmas City ; at this place Is located the County Hospital. Natividad Is situated at the foot of tho PHv nhn°'i'°'^^-''^^' ^i-^-i^lIes northeast of Salinas city, Chiuilar is a new town, located on the iili v.^'^Vu^^'^V^^"'"?''^^' '^'^ '""^3 southeast Of Salinas City. Gonzalez, on the same railroad seventeen n.lles southeast of the county seat and Soledad, the present terminus of the railroad Is twenty-flve miles from Salinas City, and iVI miles from San Francisco. '^ Note.— In 1 he preparation of this article Butler'a ' Kesourcea ot Monterey County." and Walton &r,fi5 aDio^Oiks, have been freely drawn from in thn nr^ sentation of statements appearing in th^e work! ^^ known by the writer to be accurate. worsa, ana EL DORADO COUNTY. By B. F. DAVIS, Mitor of the Placeeville Eepuelican. This county Is situated about one hundred and ten mlles-that is, Its western boundary-east by northeast from San Francisco, and about thirty mUes east from Sacramento-by rail trom San irancisco, about one hundred and twenty-flve miles. It Is bounded on the east by the State of Nevada and Alpine County, on the west by Sacra- mento, on the north by Placer, and on the south by Amador County. Its county seat Is Placervllle once one of the most prosperous and largest mln- J^fif^^f ^° ^^"^ ^*'''^®' ^^'^ y^^ o^e Of the most thilfty, If not the largest, mountain town In the same, which Is situated at about an equal dis- tance from Its western, northern and southern limits, say from twenty to twenty-flve miles, while its eastern boundary stretches some sev- enty miles away. Placervllle Is situated In lati- tude 3S° 43' west, and longitude 120' 47' north at an altitude Of eighteen hundred feet above the sea and now contains about three thousand Inhabl- ta,nts. It has as fine stores, and Its merchants carry as heavy stoclcs, as are usually found In towns of twice Its size. Nearly every climate to be found in any State In the L jlon may be found within the borders of El Dorado County, as we have altitudes ranging from 800 to 10,000 feet. The western, or foot-hill belt S the county, from some ten or twelve miles east of Placervllle to the western boundary, compSino wuh^n^tt,f °"' f f ' ""''''' ^ sood-sized count; within itsef, contains nearly all of the good agr cultural and most of the good minin"- ernnmi in the county, m this belt thel-efs fery nlt!e land that cannot profitably be put to use elthflt fnf n-mt agricultural or grazing purposes much of t^e >^e«t mining groifnd, wherworked^ut and abandoned making the best of fruit clover aSa ttl3 wm aisomose exceWjit larSlSs aM tniit laoils, especlaily mat Celow an aiutSdo St i ora county Is also liberally Interspered with nvi^^ and these lands, for either hayorS^are fn'' surpassed by any uplands in any^State in toe Union. In this section floods are unknown Is la or^w.'^'"^''-^^' ^^ ^'^^' IQ Its Infancy In this countv. The dairy interest here is a large one, and In tha EL DOEADO COUNTY. 11 main most proQtaWe. Tliose engagea in it are iTTrovicled wftti two ranges, one in tlie lower foot- SlTls for Winter use, and another on the eastern borders of the county, lor Summer use, the latter tein- at an altitude of several thousand, feet, ^here stock Is driven after the feed driesupintiie Sorlnl on the lower range. The upper ranges are covered with snow usually until April or May,and when this disappears the most luxuriant feed S)rin-g forth, and lieeps green all Summer. Here is where the 'dairy product is chiefly produced, m^t of which finds a ready andproutabe marine t Sose at hand, in the State of Nevaaa, which draws UDon California for most of us supplies. With judicious management,smail dairies could be made profltableTiu connection with general farming, In tlie foot hills, without removing the stock. We believe that the Eastern metnodot dairying could be adonted here to good advantage, and that even better iDronts could be realized here, with the sSaC, thaninanyot the Mississippi Valley ^ The^ountry about PlacerviUe-about the divid- ing line of snow and raln-and at about the same altitude throughout the county, seems to be especially adapted to fruit ana vine growing, and both are prodilcedin great abundance and variety, and UDlversaUy acknowledged to be supenor to that produced in any other part ol the btate, and command better prices la all the markets o£ the coast The display of fruit at the last county Fair was a wonder to behold, and was, perhaps, never excelled at any exhibition anywhere. It wasthe'prideof all residents of the county, and the wonder and admiration of strangers. 1 his is a business that it is impossible to overdo, especial- ly where choice fruits are made a specialty, as «iere is really no limit to tne demand for it, either in a gre^n dried or preserved state. There ls,asyet,butone canning and drjiug factory in siiocessfiil operation in the county, and that is lo- catecl in mcerviUe. This establishment has made for Itself a wide reputation tor the excel- lence of its productions, and, had It the capacity, could easily dispose of ten times the Iruit that it is camble of putting up, at remunerative prices. During the past season this establishment has worked up la the neighborhood of 600 tons of ^"^Th^ roughness of some of the country in this Drlncipal fruit-growifig section, and where all kinds of cereals and root crops are also extensive- ly grown, must look quite uninviting to a man lust from lUlnols or Iowa, but there Is very little of it that cannot be made more P/oj-luctlve, acre lor acre, than any land in cither of those States, and can be converted into pleasant, proh table and beautiful homes by men enured to toil. Upon even the rougher hills an Industrious, economical family can soon create a comfortable home by tllUngafew acres and raising turkeys and chick- ens, which are alwaysln demand at good prices. In the vicinity of Placerville, the miniug lute- rest is still the chief dependence, btit is being rapidly overshadowed by that of agriculture, to the manifest benefit of the whole county. We nave throughout the county a number of good- paying mines, with a large number in course of aevelopment, the prospects being highly encour- ftgjng lor tHeir f uW yleia of gold, while consid- erable placer or surface mining is still engaged in, mostly by Chinamen, and ranchers who have leisure for such occupations during the rainy sea- son Our mines are very desirable, but without agriculture and manufactures, they create little permanent wealth where located in any country ; while with those elements combined, this ought to and must soon, become one of the most pros- ne'rous counties in the State. The miner exchanges his gold for the products of the farmer and manu- facturer.' thus making a good home market for them to a great extent, while at the same time the money is retained at home and reinvested m permanent improvements or other taxable prop- ^^a^iis is one of the most inviting fields for the in- dustrious, frugal emigrant, with moderate means, to be found in the State, or on the i'aciflc Coast. Land is yet cheap, though constantly increasing in value, and there is much that may be had by pre-emption or homestead, while the climate Is as healthful, and in every way as desirable,a3 that of the most favored lands in either the new or old world Partly improved lands, m localities easy of access, and near a public school, can be bought for from $6 to $12 per acre, and unimproved lands at from $2 50 to $5 per acre, and occasionally a nice place, containing from 25 to 160 acres, can be had tor less than the cost of improvements. There are numerous tracts occupied by men who have mistaken their calling, having neither a knowledge or taste for farming, and many of Uiese would be "lad to sell at a sacriflce, in order to enable them to enter some pursuit more congenial to their na- tures, and it would be a blessing to the county to have skilled and industrious men take tneir ^ The 'Sacramento Valley Eallroad now runs to within eleven miles of Placerville, its terminus being Shingle Springs, and will, almost beyond a doubt, be extended to Placerville during the next year, it being understood that the ties and iroa for this extension have already been provided, and eventually continued on into the timber re- gions above, thus makiug shipping facilities more complete than at present. The school system of the county Is unsurpassed, and most especially Is Placerville favored in this respect; it has a most excellent graded public school, employing four teachers, and one of the best conducted academies in the State. Itschurch facilities are also most excellent, comprising Pres- byterian, Methodist, EpiscouaUan and Catholic societies, with church edldces of a character that would do credit to any town of twice its popula- Though possessed of almost unlimited water power, but little manufacturing is carried on, being confined chiefiy to lumber, though there are at PlacerYlUe a foundry and grist mill, both doing a good business. The system of canals, to supply water for both mining and irrigation, is unsurpassed by that of any other county in the State. There are a number of small towns throughout the county, in the vicinity of most any of which farming can be made remunerative, and the kind of immigration most desirable, and that which can do best for themselves, at present at least, la the farmer element. 12 TULARE COUNTY. TULARE COUNTY. tseeaisoP^ge 18T.] Tulare County Is situated In the heart of the fomi nTn,.^'''^^"^'' ^''"^'^ or California, a little south Of tho centre of the state. It Is bounded KPrn?°!.'? by Fresno County, on the south by ten.y'Si;^r.v^^o","^ "^^^ by Fresno and Mon- Ti u'o ■?,?! tV,^^*^''V ^^^ only county between cent in4 fi rm, c/'"'''^'^ "^^^^'^^ '^'^'l^ro County abonr 7^ nnM^n''^"''™ '^'^'^a ^^ land, of which anout 75,ouo acres aro under cultlvaflon ti,o populntio,, is 22,000. About one-ntth the count V Kul^H^Sc;;^^!.^^'^ a>e ti;^hl^t^SlcufS nS^i iv h Irv .St?. 1 .n f^ quantlUes aro an- Sna^°^T>d'''^'f^irfn?''^^°r^'"-" '''^'"'^ '^«^^^^ tvnri li ^J^ ' barley, about 5,ooo,ooo pounds SundsllMnJ'\h''i''Tn*'-^'^"''^'^^y' "early 3,M0 00^ f^l'i "<-i\}i; the annual product cirtin nnri Logs aro a so extensively nUsed Tho fruit mo ffrees Tho n^n.fn t .^''" temperature Is 65 to SO de- ?„., , ^"0 mountain resorts, onlvfortv nr Affv toJ'fi m°'i'n*^'' '^^^"^'■'^ Of the coSK ifford du^ togr tho Summer. aellKhtful escanes from i-iia taTuHroronnf.T°''iP'^^^^^'''s'^^^^^^^^^ iall.^^^rin'^r„"bl\' ^"^^^^ \^K« ,f^j4 round, there aro thousands of acres or ri»h l^n wmtlug for the sower and the lAer ^ ^"^ iho gold and silver mines of the countv nro bo toeen discovered, and it Is expec ed thu'when Hie -i'w?.V''^.',' '"^^•'^ ^'01' t-^^ Shipment Of stamnmflN Xu ^fauh tl^?"t',\^- 7""% ^'^Vle Of tS hive i^m 1 - ''"at the development Of these minp^ l^c e^sln-Mt'.'h^f \'^ advan ago to tho coumy fn increasin;,' Its business wlthlu the nresent vp-n- «old mines on White and Tule rivers I,i\h,= fs°ac io'n'of tlf.^ir*^?,'"- citrelopea'to the griat sa - ties. "^ ^'"'''''"^ ^""^ a" interested pai-- wh.rh f°..^°"°*^ contains a erove of bi? trees Br WILL H. FISHER, Editor of the Tulake Times. is t termi ?n's nf""? ^f '-^eedingly fertile reglon,and catte°\^oo'?,oo"'''ii ''^^ ^°""^«= ^"2,8 o'ooo^ pers— the jDc/^rt and ym(?s— a tinnrinn- r^.ui^F, piiiPli in such a manner as to snhr iM'n^i)^'"' ^^''^ss It Neahy one-half Of ti?ornnnf?Te'"°"S' However. ments have been made. From aiv"iv?''^')°F- county, a lono- rano-A riV ti.i T",^ ^ Part of the cappei'peaksrarrvlslbt,'andm'"?l'vonHnf°^'- ■SIS Its resources aro great • it^ oiimntA frf.r ;2 "^® '°' SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. 13 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. By W. W. Santa Cruz County, although one of the smallest counties In the State, Is more celebrated for Its manu actures than for Us agricultural products, even though It emhraces some of the richest land la the state, helng the second in importance-San Francisco being first. It is the second coast county south from San Francisco, San Maieo County lying between it and the city and distant therefrom seventy miles by steamer-fare to Santa Cruz, $3 ; freight, from 50 cents to $1 50 per hundred nounds. It comprises an area of 320,000 acres, of which 236 826 561-100 are on the Assessor's books as taxa- ble' property, outside of the towns. Present popu- lation, about 14,000. It is a narrow strip of land of some forty miles In extreme length from north- west to southeast, by some fifteen miles In ex- tre 'le width from the bay of Monterey, on the north side of which It lays, to the summit of the Santa Cruz range of mountains that separates It from Santa CMra County on the north. San Benito and Monterey counties join it on the cast. Forty thousand acres are the richest bottom lands along the various streams (occupied princl- Tially as dairy farms), of which tue principal are ?he Seas, waddle's, S'^n Lorenzo Soqvie, Aiitos Valencia and Pajaro rivers. Pitty thou- sand acres of agricultural land that forms ter- raced plateaus, 03 the lan.l rises from the Bay In iipnciieror steps as it were, back to the summit of the iaouDt ins: LomaPrle'ta, also called Mount Baclie by tirst surveyors, lying northeast from the county seat, belu^^ acoiispicuous land-mark some elo-hteen or twenty miles distant, its highest) olnt M-' about three thousand feet above the level of tl7e sea. Snow Is occasionally seen on its sum- mit for a day or two In the rainy season. The country is heavily timl>ered along the gulches and uplands, that sells readily from the Rfuinni'^oatsa and $i 50 per thousand. Itcon- taSreofu'e famous ••bi-trce" resorts that 13 noted in the historical rennnisceQcesof the county as being the place where General Fremont pitched his ca;np in 1S4G-T, when engaged in the conciuesLOt caiuornia irom the bpaiUbii-Mexitan rule-his old tan vats, cut out of a giant sequol be In-- vet well preserved. In them ho tanned the hideSof the Mission cattle, whose pasture ground wasthe plat now occupied by the comity seatot i^-inti r -117 where thcv roamed at wai by the t^'housands ' ^^e old Mission «anta Cruz and town Br uiclforte. being one of tne oldest established ^fuo country, was also one of the wealthiest in tiocks and herds, their pasture lands remaining erceu and fi-esh throughout the entire year. On fheupLinds, although the grasses wi her n the Sumuier season, they lose none of their nutri- ment, and cattle thrive equally as well as on the *' So^.\e 20,500 acres are la cultivation, that aver- aees of wheat, 2T bushels to the acre; barley, 38, corn 4S- potatoes, s,'^ tons, and sugar bee s, 9 tons': 2l5,oio acres or nlouutuinous land produce fibu ous trrowths of redwood, oak, nr, and the S'qualuyor all varieties of Shapes. Ihrough this mountainous region runs a thermal belt wi^Uili whlL;ii irost is seldom seen, even in the ?St seasor-s. As a consequence of the miid climate within the limit mentioned, straw hemes bM and ripen In large quantities in the open air at all seasons of the year ; orange tree^ w ear a nernetual livery of golden fruit «nd blossoais, L^lSedeUcLte almond dons Its, I'-^gr^'^t dress of blossoms in February, when other sections of the country are hibernating, waiting lor the ^•^f Ife^raxable property of the county aggregates $15,000,000, appearing on the Assessor's books only at *6,309.7M. Tax levy lor 1678-9, $136,281. BEOWNING. INTERKAL IMPROVEMENTS. TWO rallroada have been DuUt to the county Beat one, the S. P. c. K. R. narrow gauge, runa north through the Feltoo redwoods, and via ban Jose to us teruilnus inOaklanl. distance 80 miles connecting at Alameda PolDt with boat ^or San Francisco, making tne trip from Sauta ^^uz w To me CUV ^ 121 .nlles! which is made Dv the ex- ^rMstraU.s in 4 hours and the other passeni^er ?eTwooS8.'at" s^me'mre day, will douotless be ^u he San Lorenzo Flume, with a capacity for transDortlng 60,000,000 fe«t of lumber per season, connects the upper San Lorenzo mills and "tie" camps with the Helton Railroad, whence their proXctions are brought to tide water There are tive shipping POlnts within the county limi^^ eleven Baw uillls, with a capacity of 36,000,000 leec of lumber annually ; Ave lime kilns, employing, when running, over two hundred men, producing the nnest qui ity of lUne in the country, supply- In^ Beveu-tenths^ of the demand theretor andca. pabfe of unlimited exlensimi ; f our lar^^e anneries turn out immense quantities of leathei ; the Cal- ifornia Powder Works, located one and a half mnes abo?e SantaCruz on tli.« San Lore. izo River with side track connecting with the Felto i itall- road, man'Ttactures 12,000 kegs of POWder per inonih • a Klue and chair factory are located within the county, as well as a fuse factory ; also l^ur lar-e flour mills, all of which are co..stantly employed; also a large beet sugar manutactory, "^^ffiH°Se^root1o"S^&tactures, sucf is 'I gS'Jd'paper mill, tons on tons of straw beino- annually burnt to get rid of It, while paper ra-3 have no market and are thrown away. A woollen mill and cloth manufactory would also nnd a fal held, as also wood-turnlng-possessiug some Of the liuest grained woods lu the world for cabinet or veneerecL work. The raisin and wine cuture has grown to be a large iuaustry while S are a^ew large ranchesyet unoccupied in the lootnllls, the owners of "hich wot^ld begud to disnose Of In small farms, or leasj at a nominal rental Va ue of land from fio to $300 per acre. TIP titles to land throughout the county have been fenerauy settled, so there Is not so much Scf lor endless litigation as in other parts o£ the state. TOWNS AND HEALTH RESORTS. The county seat, Santa Cruz, stands first and foremost, having a population of some 5,500 of as mteUin-ent and enterprising people as any in the State situated at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River The business portion of the town lies in a basin completely shut In by the nlufls and sur- rounding hills, so as to be completely sheltered from the cold ocean breezes and the " Northers that are so trying in other portions of the State, while the bluffs give ample space for those who Ike the invigorating breezes and magnificent pan- oranialaido°utbelore them. Here tne tired deul- zens of the crowded city, or the fugitives from lever-stricken districts, can come and build their evr!e to enjoy our eenial climate, or camp on the bluffs and bathe li the grand Pacmc's bottle- e een waters to their heart's content, while a inanlard Itahan, or a Chinaman, will present vEu w[t% the lin'est rock cod, salmon, herrln?, flounders codfish, or any of the fancy frys so SopSfar 'imong the uPPcr-tenaoin if y ou a.^ too istless to cast a line yourself. I^^g^c^t average temperature throughout the year, 83°, lowest^l above zero. Santa Cruz has a municipal govern- 14 SANTA. ClUJZ — LOS ANGELES COUNTIES. ment, nre department, and all the various secrot and benevolent Insiiiiuions or other places graded bcIiooIs and as line school edillces as any other town in Calirornla. Supports three new^ papers, the Sentinel, Item and Courier, all weekly three ^ ^"^ ^'"'^^ '""^^ ^'"^"^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ MINERAL SPKINGS, Whose waters have secured a wide celebrity for their medicinal properties. One of them, the Aptos, iron and magnesia spring, being a specific for all bladder and kidney diseases, has a power- ful cathartic and tonic effect combined, that makes It valuable where dlaplaoretlc effects are required. Tlao others are magnetic In their prop- erties, and tonic principally. The attractions for bealth and pleasure-seekers in Santa Cruz and ^n.lFit''" ""f^quallcd many other part Of he world. Its Chaotic gorges, lovely valleys tower ingglgantic redwood redolent of resinous balsmns and the fragrant world renowned bay tree whose l^nH.^^°"=''^^""-^ ^'s""l "^l^etr cam i)hora ted aro- matic fragrn-ce, stretches of voluntuous land scape that Invites one to repose, sand and pebbly beaches on which tho swelling surf chants ItsE petual and mighty refi'ain, Incomparable men c groves furnish the tourist continua plSre and amusement, whlie Interesting historic, leoends nil each vacant hour with uullagging interest '1 1^^ bathing season lasts from May°lst to September^ but did our Eastern tou.lsts \n ho hie away to llie I7\ff.':i'{^^}r:}'^'' ""^ ^^'^^t mcnes b^utknnw ?n^^,Z}^;i'^n'^?^i;!^^:-^[,-,;vin^ Waisonvllle, tlie next larger town of theronntv hp' rA^'"'',,'!:' "'? I'^J^'™ Klver, at me unction of the Corrallltos, five miles from the bay in the Lean of the agricultural section of the^county! i^J";;,, , . ^ population of some 2,500, is a lovely, level, enterprising town, having two weekly newspapers, they"ajaro,nanand Tramcript, ^P^}\f?^lt\,?'^ municipal ofMcers, fire depart^ S^finfP-' !^'l^ churches, secret and benevolent Bocleties, ana Junction of tne Santa Cruz Railroad with the Southern Paclflc Railroad, that, durln? thebainlng season, run extra trains to and from San rranclsco dally. Value of town lots, same as Sar.ca c;ruz, nearly. Soquel and Aptos each have their admirers as bathing and health resorts, being provided with facllliies therefor, and a magnlticent stretch of sandy beach for either walking or driving. Value of lots, $10 to $250. Felton, on the San Lorenzo River, seven miles north of Santa Cruz, Is the central point and de- '^?}, °.V ^^^ extensive lime works In its immediate vlcr Ity. and Is an Important ana valuable statloa on tU« Southern Piclflc Coast Railroad. This road traverses six tunnels Iti a distance of twelve miles from the Syanta Creek to the Los Gates. In Santa Clara County. Tunnels Nos. 3 and 4 are together over twelve thousand feet In length and are splendid specimens of engineering abll-' Felton has free water. A magnificent mountain spring has been generously donated to the town, on condition that they erect and maintain their own reservoir and mains. It Is also the terminus of the San Lorenzo Flume, that brings down the lumber from the mills above. Value of town lots from $5 to $300. Lorenzo, some eight miles above Felton, near the summit of the mountains and the head waters of tho river, is a delightful mountain town and great Summer resort; hundreds of camps belno- established amid tlie redwoods, whose white tents present a picturesque and weird aspect amia the balsamic evergreens, while the jocund laugh and merry prattle of lovely w omen and happy child- hood mingles with the music of the dancing rills transforn.iiig the mountain sohtude into a very Eden ef happiness and enjoyment. Turn then, je anchorites, who are soured by the follies and vexations of life, tie uncertainty and exasperation of stocks; lay jour cares aside and recuperate in our Genial clime. Santa Cruz County presents moreinaucemeutstoeastern and foreign maiiuiaciurers to locate within its limits than any other part of the West, with its cheap lumber, cheap fuel, unlimited water-power run- ning to waste, cheap and convenient transporta- tion, and proximity to the markets of the coast. LOS ANGELES COUNTY. Anaheim, February 6.— Ten years ago Southern California was a terra incognita to all, other than residents of the PaclQc Coast, and the writer has met many persons of more than ordinary intelli- gence who frankly confessed that, previous to their coming here, Southern and Lower California had been to them synonymous terms, and that they had pictured to us an American Sahara, de- void of all agricultural possibilities. And not- withstanding the avalanche of newspaper cor- respondence, pamphlets, etc., which have been showered upon the Eastern people the past few years, descriptive of this part of the state, there are yet many who have but a faint perception of the true situation of this country, and are still athirst for every item of information written con- cerning it. The southern portion of Los Angeles County Which I shall attempt to describe as fully as pos- sible in the soaco allotted to me, contains an area of about six thousand square miles. InliheLe'^- islature of ISCO-TO, a bill was introduce 1 to create the County of Orange out of this are« It passed By KICHARD MELEOSE, Editor of the Anaheim Gazette, the Assembly but was defeated In the Senate, and although t early every subsequent Legisla- ture has been importuued on the subject the bill has never succeeded in getting beyond the Com- mlttee to whom it was referred. The matter will probably be dropped for some years, but that fnn ,t ?hnr.H'' '^ segregation of this county in the future there is no room for doubt t)iti^«^,?'lhf°Vf-^''"^'^^ I^'° present condition of things m this section, and the stale of affairs ten years ago, presents a record of wonderful growth and progress. InlSG9the population in the area of Which we write was 4,uoo; now it is li ooo Ihcre were then four school districts and soo census childreu ; now there are twenty-two schnol districts and 2,215 census children. Then, the trade of almost this entire section centred In Anaheim. Now, there are half a dozen nourishing towns, each itidlspensable to the communities surrounding them. Then, one could rl e on thi plains for Lours without descrj-ing a human hab- tat on, or seeing aught bub vast herds of semll Wild cattle. Now, these herds have disappeared the rich so 1 pays tribute to the husba dn^an. and substantial, cosey homes dot the plains In this area there are five millions of taxable prooertv— one-third Of the enUre county. And when it to LOS ANGELES COUNTY, 15 considered that there Is very little w.i3te land In this section— that nearly the entire area is suscep- tible 01 cultivation— one can get an idea ot the greatness awaltln? us In futurity, when the plains are peopled by a thrirty and industrious class ot Immigrants. The colony of Anaheim is one ot the most noted In the history ot the state, and its founding and subsequent career are themes upon which a score or more ot writers have exercised their pens. But it is a story which cannot too often be told, as it is a record of a successful struggle against adverse circumstances and discouraging obstacles, and contains many a useful lesson for future colonial experiments. There are bodies of land contiguous to Anaheim In every way suited for colonics, and it is not without the hope of en- courasring a cooperative settlement of these lauds that f briefly sketch the origin and progress of the colony of Anaheim. In 1S57 a number of German residents ot San Francisco purchased a tract of 1,165 acres, twenty- seven miles southeast of Los Angeles, for which they paid $2 per acre. Tne tract was divided into fifty twenty-acre lotsandllfty house lots, UOxlSli^ feet. A superintendent was engaged, and under his supervision eight acres of each lot was planted In vines, the lots were fenced with willow trees and an Irrigating canal made from the Santa Ana River to the colony. While all this was being done, the stockholders pursued their usual avoca- tions In San Francisco, and the distribution of the lots was not made until 1S59. Each stockholder Had at that time paid assessments to the amount ot $1,400. Tlie lots were viewed and assessed at prices varying from $1,840 to $475— the location, quality of soil and relative growth of vines deter- mining the value of each particular lot. The av- erage cost of the lots was $1,300. It was, then, In 1S5D that the Drst colonial ex- periment in the State was fairly inaugurated, " Campo Aleman " ((ierman camp) it was called by the native population— au appellation It re- tains to the present day. Alter providing them- selves with suitable residences, the first work ot the colonists was to plant the balance of their lots In vines. About two acres surrounalng their liouses were planted In fruit trees and In garden truck and fiowers. A history of the trials and difficulties which be- set the colonists in these pioneer days would make an Interesting chanter by Itself. The obstacles which they encountered and overcome will never present themselves to any colony which may be hereafter organized ; and it Is sufficient to note the results of these struggles against adverse cir- cumstances. Nordhoff, In the chapter which he devotes to Anaheim In his book on Calliornla, turns up these results quite fully and truthfully. He says In substance: Only one of the original settlers has moved away ; the property which cost $1,300 is now worth from $5,000 to $10,000; there are no poor in Anaheim ; there is little Intem- perance. And he might have added that all these pioneers— at least those who have romalned on their vineyards and embarked In outside busi- ness—are possefsed of a competence, and In some nstances may be classed as wealthy. The wine product of Anaheim, in 1872, was 800,- •000 gallons, and li Is estimated that in a good sea- son the yield will fall little short of one minion gallons. There are vineyards here which have produced over oue thousand gallons per acre, although I suppose that five hundred gallons per acre would be a big average. Under the stimulus ot an lucreased and presumedly permanent de- mand for cialifornla wines, the area devoted to vines is being Increased steadily. Anaheim wine has long been favorably known, not only In this State but In the East. The grapes grown here are Incomparable for the manufacture ot sweet wines and brandy, and a leading vine- yardlst Informs me that the gravelly lands ot Orange, six uilles from here, produce a grape from which a dry wine has been made superior to any he had ever seen In Napa or Sonoma Counties. Anaheim Is an incorporated town and a thriv- ing business centre. The by-streets, bordered with willow and sycamore, form, according to one writer, " green lanes that cannot be exceUed even la Merry England, for picturesque and rural beauty." There are numerous substantial brick buildings in the business quarter, two large hotels, planing and grist mills, ti^nnery, two bjaks, a sanatorium, of which a dlstiuguislied English physician is proprietor, and in fact every business is well represented. The public buildings com- prise a school house, completed last month at a cost ot $10.000 ; an Odd Fellows' Ilall, costing $9,000; a Masonic Hidl, costing $4,000 ; and an Episcopal and a Presbyterian Church, wnich cost respectively $3,000 and $^,500. The railroad build- ings at the depot are the largest in tho county, excepting, ot course, those at tho county seat, and an immense amount ot exports and Imports are handled there, uotwitlistaudlng that tho bulk ot the grain is shipped via Aaahelna Landing, a road- stead twelve miles from town, operiiXed by an in- corporation known as the Anaheim Lighter Com- pany. In the Spring of 1368, a company ot S in Fran- cisco capitalists purchased 200,000 acres of land, known as tho Stearns Kanclios— 140,000 acres iu Los Angeles County and 60,000 acres in San Ber- nardino County— for wuicu they paid $1 00 per acre. It is on the principal of these ranches— the San Juan Cajou do Santa Ana— that Anaheim is located. Pievious to tlieii purchase by tho com- pany, these lands were used solely for grazlns purposes, and, as before remarked, vast herds ot seml-wlld cattle roamed over them undisturbed. m 1869 the company J^egau selling tho land in small farms, and thei's now remain in their pos- session only 80,000 acres in this county, and 50,000 acres in San Bernardino County. I venture to say that there is not another tract of land In the world that can compare with this In agricultural posslblillles. On tho greater por- tion ot it grain ca^ be grown and fruit raised in almost entire independence ot the season. The great Cajon Ditch, which was completed a few months ago, at a cost ot about $oo,000, can dis- tribute tho waters ot the Santa Ana Kiver over 10,000 acres ot fertile land in this immediate neighborhood. Artesian wells furnish au iaex- hausiible and inexpensive supply ot water for irrigation. In short, I do not believe that there Is any other section in the whole State la which a man of moderate means and abundant energy can do as well, or get himself as comfortable and cosey a home in a lew years. It Is really aston- ishing to see what a few years of well-directed energy will accomplish In this wonderful country. There are places here In which are orange trees bending beneath the weight of tho golden fruit, bearing vines and every variety ot northern frulc trees, tall evergreen trees and shrubs, and myriads of fiowers— all growing on land which, five years ago, was barren plain, and as devoid ot vegetation as a barn Uoor. It would take fliteen years ot unremllLlng toll to accomplish in the older States what can be done hero in five, in the way of surrounding one's home with trees and flowers. For the cultivation of the orange, lemon and lime the land about here Is unsurpassed. There are many young orchards here ot exceeding thrift, Showing the adaptability of the soil lor the growth ot semi-tropical fruits. Not only that, but this is one of the few places iu the county where the heavy frosts of January did not injure the young orange trees ; tho shelter given by a range of low hills east of here is tho cause of our Immunity from tho unwelcome visitation. All kinds of Northern and semi-tropical fruit, do well here. The agricultural products are: Corn, barley, rye, potatoes, beans, onions, hops, fiax, castor beans, etc. Oats are raised to some extent, and wheat also. Odessa wheat is receiv- ing an extensive trial this year, and it Is believed that it will successfully withstand the " rust," which has heretofore made wheat growing a risky experiment. Tho price of good farming land in this valley- varies from $25 to $100 per acre, according to loca- tion. There are many thousands of acres which can be purchased at the first-named figure, upon which can be grown any of the crops mentioned Iu the preceding paragraph. On a great deal of this land artesian wells can be had at a depth ol from 100 to 200 feet. The other towns in the southern portion ot the county are Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Tuatln City, Orange, San Juan Caplstrano 16 LOS ANGELES COUNTY. in^^J?'^^"^-. Westminster Is six miles west of ^i^^,^^™,' ^'"^ i^ °°* of ^^^ i^ost tlirirty and de- Pr^PhrfP^f^^^^ tliecouuty. It was started as a Presbi terluQ a emperance Colony In 1870 by Revt L. P. Webber (since deceased), and Its success is another strong' argument In favor of the colony hT,^t fi"^\ ^"^ ^'"^ retains Its temperance features, tout is no longer exclusively Presbyterian. There are three fine church edldces-Presby terlan. Con- greg-atlonal and Methodist. A more orderly law- abiding, sociable and Intelligent community does ?.?o,^^i^^f ^^'^ ^^^^'^ prosperity Is as much due to w^i^rv*?"'!^'^''^ ^^ '^ t'^® aavantage of location Westminster 13 especially noted fo? the numDer and volume of its artesian wells, of which there are nearly 400 in the colony. There Is scarcely a farm on which there are not one or more or these wells spouting forth their caving waters. In the dryest years, the farmer who' has an artesian wen on his place can raise a good crop, as a well acres "^^^'"^ volume can be made to inlgate forty Much attention has been paid in Westminster to the raising of Northern fruits, and it is generally conceded that they win take the palm in this re- spect. At the last exhibition of the Southern Cal- Uornla Horticultural Society, the display of au- ples from Westminster took the first premium, al- tliough the competition was brisk and embraced displays from 8an Buenaventura and other coun- Kf^^V,./ '^'^''^. ''^™. ^^ i'*^"^ '5^"^ *^^\^ bearing trees in the colony, but in a couple of years there will be a lai-iie amount for export. Garden Grove is about three miles from West- minster, and Is suiTouudcd by laud tuat produces Immense crops of corn. It is also in the artesian belt, and there are a great number of flowing M'oi?- , ^^f PplJuiatiou is analogous to that of \V estmlnster, being steady, temperate, iijdustrious anci prosperous. A handsome cnurch building has just been completed, and, something remarkable It is all paid for. ' Santa Ana is seven miles southeast of Anaheim and is tlie terminus of the San Diego branch of the Southern Pacitic Kaiiroad. It is the centre of as rich aa agricultural country as there is oa the face of the globe, and it is an undisputed fact that Its pi-ospect,:! for some day becoming an Interior city of great commercial Importance are assured It already enjoys the trade of a thickly-settled country, but, as in nearly all other California towns, the busi.icss Is divided up among a pleth- ora of inercuauts. The famous corn-Droduciu'i- section. Gospel Swamp, is only a few fuiies from banta Ana. That is the place ^rhcre fro. a 80 to 120 bushels of corn is rai.ed to ihe acre, and a Swamper who tells you that he has raised a pump- kin which weighed iioo pounds 13 nut required to malcc an affidavit in support of his statement, bach instances are by no means rare. Tustmcity is two miles east from Santa Ana and IS a charming place. It is thickly settled, a nd there are numerous young orange plantations scattered about. The laud is much the same as at Santa Ana, being rich, easily worked and very pr.imc. Tustin's latest achievement was the production or a sweet potato which Aveio-hed twenty-two jjouuds. ° Just beyond Tustin City lies the famous San Joaqiuii Kancho, oa whose broad acres are pas- tured ihousanua of sheep. The rancho has a large amount of valuablo farming land, which will flud a ready sale when the owners see fit to place it on the market. Orango is very aptly named. Orange groves cluster t hickly all around the settlement, and the trees growAvlih surorising thriit and vigor. Many of tho orchards are bearingfor the first time this year, and it is estimated 50,000 oranges will be shlii- pcd this season. In a year or two the production wm be immense. liaisins of a very superior quaUty are also made here ; Indeed, the soil la adapted in a high degree to the culture of grapes. Wlne-mak- ing is not carried on to any extent, most of tha grapes grown being of a variety adapted for ral- sins. Besides, it is a temperance settlement, and the attempt to establish a saloon there some years ago was resisted so vigorously that there Is little danger of a renewal of iho attempt. Qr.a^ "^^'^^ Capistrano, thirty-three miles from South of Anaheim, is famous chiefly for its nos- session of a picturesque old Mission, built In 1T76 and partially destroyed by an earthquake In 1812* r„ f/S *^ ^P'?^ very good farming and grazing land In the vicinity of the town. " & e There 13 one thing in which the people of this section feel a great pride, and that is the salubrl- ty and healthfuluess of the climate. In fact Anaheim is known far and wide as a health resort second to none on the coast. The first writer to ^J: ff, 'y°^? "°"*^^ ^^ this respect was Charles NoidhofT, who devoted several pages of his book to giving tnermometrical comparisons between Ana- heim and other noted health resorts in this coun- try and la Europe, 'ihat consumptive and asth- jnatlc persons find this climate highly beneficial s attested by the fact that there are a large num- per or residents here, who came to this country a few ye.rs ago suffering from the aOments al- luded to, who are now st.ohg and hearty men and WOIHGU. One very peculiar feature of this county is that there are half a dozen diiferent climates within U3 borders, each beneflcial to some class of com- plaint. For Instance, there are some persons with asthmatic or consumptive tendencies who And the climate of Westminster best suited to them: others, again, find that the dryer climate of Aua-! heim gives ihem the needed relief; while others prefer tiie still dryer atmosphere of the moun- tains east of Anaheim, and so oa I give below the average temperature of Ana- eter •' '^^ ^^'^°™^'^ ^^ ^ self-registering thermom- WP;!t , J877. 51^1 July 72>j S2;!a Auy-ast 7()J^ 54 ISepiember 69 66 jUctober 62 603o November 5^3^ 64 iDecember 54>i 1877. January 5ij^ I'ebruary 56 March 68 Aprd 57^ Y-^y 6il June 70 1878. «7X 61JI S6 fiOM ™H.'i"",^'^ ?"®^^ ^^^^'^^ to the mining interest Which last year sprung into existence in the ^win''^"'^' t«euty-three n lies east of Anaheim! JJuiing last Summer, about 800 locations were re- corded; several mining districts were estabiished. and there is a well-grounded beliel hereamon? miners of experience that the conJug Sumrn^ }yin witness developmeijts beyond the exoert'i tlons Of the most Banguino. 'J he discoveries am mostly silver ledges, but there are aiso goTd aM tin mines of great promise. ^ The celebrated Liack Star coalmine is twelve miles east of Anaheim. The coal from thisZlII IS in uso all over the county, and Is rapidly swer- Ifr-^i'^iu.poneacQal. It is sold in AnaheWtls per ton. a largo force of men are constantly em- emerprise. "^ Directors are men of capital Ind The bee-keeping business is an Industry which has of late years attracted a great many people The canons are crowded witu bee ranches and the honey .yield is immense. Notwithstandln- the JuZ \°n'f.?.''*°'' '""^ ''-^'^^^ ^'°''^y 1'^ stood for lome time, the business is reasonably profltable, as the natural advantages of the country do away witll the necessity of any groat expense lu concluding my letter, it must not be sun- posed that I have done ailght but touch briefly ■ upon facts mostly sought after by those who co^ |arsS's'errectly delightful. Flours usually bloom all Winter, which 13 sufficient evidence ol mildness. From May until November, the weather is always flne. But little rain falls, and though the Surhmer daysare warm, they are not sultiy. A gentle breeze nearly always springs up ia the aiteriioon, and though the cveniogs are snfUcieutly pleasant lor even invalids to sit out of doors until bed time, tho nights are usually cool enough to make a light blanket or quilt comlorr- ablo as a bed-coveiiug. Fogs rarely ever visit, our county, and harsh sea breezes are absolutely unknown here. HEALTHFCLNESS. There is not a place on tliis coast or on this con- tinent more healthful than Lake County. Many persons are now living here who came with their lungs seriously affected, and who are now stout ana robust. For asthmatic complaints our county has no equal. There are dozens ot persons her© whohavesufferedior years with this distressing disease in other States and other portions of this State, who were at once relieved upo i coming to this county. We have never known a case where relief was not afforded almost immediately. Of course we have sickness, but it gen rally yields readily to treatment, and the old-fashioned chills and fever are unknown to our people, excent from hearsay or experience elsewhere. This liealthlul- nes3 and adaptability to arrest diseases ot the lungs are due to the altitude above the sea level, to the distance from tue ocean, and to the dry- ness and equability ot the climate. Clear Lake and the valleys are about 1,500 feet above the sea, and our mountains rise from 500 to 2,500 feet higher. This is about the altitude for consump- tives, and is far enough from the ocean— being forty to sixty miles— to be free from all its fogs or winds. The population of this county Is about 7,000, made up of people from nearly every State in the Union and many ot the European States. As a rule, they are clever'and hospitable, orderly and law abiding. Of course there are some turbulent characters and violations of the law occasionally occur, but the fact that our jail is often without a single occupant shows the general good charac- ter ot our citizens. In justice to Lakeport. I must say it is one of the most orderly and ciuiet towns of its size that can be found anywhere. It has plenty of saloons, and they all aopear to do a good business, but our liquors are either better than elsewhere, or our citizens know better how to gauge their drinks and when they have enough, than others. Certain it is that drunkenness is rare and broils are almost unknown. We have well conducted publio schools la every neighborhood, and churches are found in all parts ot tho county. Game is plentiful la the mountains. Bears ar© becoming somewhat scarce, but there are smart hunters who kill some every Winter. Deer ar© still plentiful, and quail can be found everywhere. The immense Jack Rabbit and the little Cotton Tail are very numerous. Besides the lake flsh already spoken of, our mountain streams abound with trout. So it will be seen that the lovers ot the rod and gun can And sport to their heart's content. We have thus given an imperfect sketch of some of the main features ot this little mountain-locked county. It is somewhat isolated and compara- tively unknown abroad, but its attractions are too great for it to remain so long. It has no exten- sive valleys like some other portions of the State, but it has enough flne laud, when all shall be cultivated, to support a population ot 20,ooo, and export a million and a quarter bushels ot grain, besides fruits and wines. It has no large rivers flowing through its borders, but it has bea.tirul and expansive lakes and hundreds of sparkling mountain brooks. It has no grand and imposing scenery lilce Yosemite, but its beautiful Clear Lake, nestled in its centre, surrounded by moun- tains and reflecting the image of the clouds as they flit across its nlacid bosom, is a picture of rare loveliness, and one sufiicient to fill the eye and heart ^vith beauty. To those who want health, a pleasant climate, and small farms of fertile and productive land, we know of no county that offers greater Inducements, and to all suctt we say "Come," and you Avill meet a people wli» will extend the cordial hand of welcome. AMADOR COUNTY. 25 AMADOR COUNTY. By W. D. HALEY, Editor of the Peculiarly sliaped, and wedgea la between ElDorado, Alpine, Calaveras, San Joaquin and Saoramento Counties, Amador possesses a re- markable diversity o£ wealth-producing resources, wWcli have made It already prosperous, and seem to Justiry the belief of its residents that it Is destiued to become one of the moit Important and among the richest counties In the State of Cali- fornia. This faith is based upon the following facts: The Immense timber resources of the upper part of the county ; the varieties of the soil, which are, In different localities, and sometimes united m one district, suited to the growth of the cereals, grasses, vegetables and fruits of the tem- perate and semi-tropical zones; a climate ex- ceptionally salubrious and healthy, even as com- pared with other portions of California; abundant I deposits of gold, copper and coal; nearness and accessibility to the markets of San Francisco and ' Sacramento, and a natural water-shed from an , altitude. In the northeastern corner of the county, . of over 8,000 feet above the sea level, gradually descending to 335 feet at loue City, the terminus of railroad communication. j Supposing a person in search of a desirable loca- . tlon lor setUement, or an invalid or lover of the ' picturesque seeking a lile-giving atmosphere and a region of marvellous beauty, to leave San Fran- I Cisco or .Sacramento on the morning train, he will, ion arriving at Gait, Qnd a train awaiting him at [the junction of the central Paciflc and the 1 Amador Branch, which will land him in lone City 'at four o'clock in the afternoon. Before reaching the terminus of the railroad, however, he will have passed through a rolling and gradually ascendijg country, and will have seen the evidence of the existence of the coal formation, which underlies the lone Valley, in the coalmines In active operation, a short distance below the statiun at lone City. Awaiting him are stas-es which will carry him directly to Jackson, Sutter Creek, Dryiown, Amador City, Plymouth, Volcano and the iMtermedlate points within the county, or to Mokelumne Hill, in the adjoining county of Calaveras, where conveyance can be obtained to San Andreas and the Calaveras grove of "Bia' Trees," But our traveller, whether Intent upon business or health and pleasure seeking, will do well to take a seat in the accommodation stage, which, at a cost of twenty-live cents and a lew minutes oftiuic, will deposit him at either of the well- kept hotels In lone City. He has now passed the developed coal belt of the county, and has arrived atab-itof gold-bearing gravel, which, when lie conanues his journev toward Jackson, the county seat, he will, at a distance of less than four miles from lone City, find intersected by the copper belt, upon the development of which the Newton Copper Mine is doing faithful and en- couraging work; beyond this are the quartz leads, of which more will be said hereafter. THE VICINITY OF lONE CITY. At lone City, 133 miles from San Francisco, the traveller enters the southwestern corner of Ama- dor County, and finds himself in a pleasant and thriving town of about COO white population, sit- uated ;u one of the most beautiful and fertile val- leys In the State, which would long ago have been settled by a dense and prosperous popula- tion but for the curse of a Spanlsu grant, which, In lSi4, robbed the settlers of their farms and liouae=i, and laid 40,000 acres of rich agricultural and mineral land u idcr the blight of a monopoly composed of speculators whose hisiory has been a counterpart of .(Esop's fable of the dog In the Amador Times. manger. Happily the people are beginning to leel a greater degree of energy, and those who lost their all have either secured a fresh title from the grant proorietors or have moved away and been succeeded ay those who, having pur- chased directly from the grant, have only paid once lor tlieir land, and consequently are on equal looting with settlers in other localities. A few days can be profitably spent in this part of the county, and the lone. Jackson, Dry Creek and Buckeye Valleys should be visited for the purpose of examining the unusual combination of lands rich in gold, copper and coal, surrounded by large tracts of exceeding fertility. MINEKALS. At Irish Hill, three and a half miles from lone City, large and profitable deposits of auriferous gravel are being worked by the hydraulic procesg; at Muletown, where much profitable placer dig- ging was done at an early day, there Is abund- ance of cement, awaiting the energy and capital to establish stamp mills and extract larger returns of gold than have ever yet been obtained. The surface of this region has been scratched over, but not a tithe of its gold has been obtained; and the same is true of the whole county, and Includes the quartz mining In the neighborhood of Jackson, Sutter Creek, Volcano. Amador and Plymouth. If Amador county was away off ill Arizona, or in some bleak, Inhospita^ ble and rugged region, like portions of Nevada, the rush or capital and labor to it would be one of the marvels of the age. But within easy railroad ride of San Francisco, It lies awaiting the open sesame of some far-seeing operators to "reveal and rifle Us Aladdin-like caves of wealth. Mark this prediction. Vi'ithin twenty-five years, possibly wiihlu ten, there will be develop- ed in tnia county auartz mines which will equal in extent and prouuctlveness any that have ever been developed in the same superficial area any- where in Caitfornia or Nevada. This prediction Is based upon the established fact that la various parts of the country, and especially upon the "Mother lode," quartz claims have been profit- ably worked by the windlass process and then abandoned for want of means to erect the neces- sary machinery for sinking them to a sufficient depth to striice the ilchest veins. In some in- stances tunnelling has been resorted to, and with rich results. Whenever practical miners and capitalists can be Induced to believe that untold bonanzas are lying here, right under their i:oses, the mineral developments of Amador County will be one of the sensations of this sensaUonal age and country. AGRICULTURE, FRUITS, ETC. Unlike many mining regions, Amador County has an extraordinarily productive soil. Increasing quantities of which are yearly being Improved. At present, out of 423,000 acres of land contained within the county limits, a mere fraction— be- tween 20,000 and 25,000 acres— are cultivated. Wheat and barley are the principal grains, and their yield Is largre; of potatoes, two crops is the rule; and of alfalfa, seven crops is not very un- usual. Tha foothills, and especially the valleys of the lower portion of the county, have proved very favorable localities for the growth of the semi-tropical fruits. The exceptionally severe Winter through which we have just passed has not seriously injured the orange and lemon trees. This article is written In the latter part of Febru- ary, and in lone Valley the almond, peach, pear and apple trees are in full bloosom; the atmos- phero 13 balmy and fragrant, and the hilisides are clothed with an emerald verdure. The possibili- ties of the soil and climate are as yet unknown, lor the reason that no fruits, grain, grass or 24 AMADOR COTJNTY. flower has been experimented with unsuccess- lully. Travelling from lone to the county-seat, at Jackson, twelve miles of a good toll-road passes through a region now covered In the chaparral, but almost every loot of It capable of becoming AN UNLIMITED TINETAKD. Grapes grow in profusion, and were last season sold for 120 a^ton, to be manufactured Into wine. The orange and peach axe perishable fruits, but It has been demonstrated that dried and pressed raisins can be raised in California at a good profit, and right here, where land suited to the culture of the raisin grape can be readily ob- tained, at a moderate price, there is abundant opportunity for practical grape-growers to de- velop an imsurpassed region of vineyards, on hillsides that are now profitless, except for graz- ing nurposes. THE MINING REGION. Although one can hardly put a shovel down In any part of the county without the possibility of unearthing gold, yet the quartz mining region, in which the largest developments have been made, surrounds the towns of Jackson, Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Amador and Volcano. Extensive and profitable quartz mines are in operation in the neighborhood of these places; but, as before stated, the search for the precious metal has so far been comparatively superficial. Enough, how- ever, has been done to warrant the investment of tenfold the capital now emploved— afactto which the attention of men of means and mining ex- perts cannot be too frequently or emphatically directed. MANUFACTURES. Very little has been done towards the creation of manufacturing interests, although the upper portion of the county has an almost Inexhaustible supply of timber. With water facilities from the mountains clear down to Sutter Creek, there ought to be more manufacturing, especially in the way of sash, door and planing mills, chair, pall, furniture and carriage factories, and a dozen other trades depending upou wood as the raw ma- terial. At present, a few saw mills and grist mills In various parts of the county, and an iron foundry at Sutter Creek, embrace about the whole of our manufactures. Local consumption and the facihty of shipment to market afforded by the railroad tenniuating at lone City will no doubt induce tho establishment of a variety of manufactures in the course of time. Thoso who are looking for suitable locations for manufac- turing enterprises will do well to visit and thor- oughly examine all parts of Amador County. THE TOWNS Are all growing with greater or less rapidity. During the past year there hus been a marked in- crease in the number of buildings lu Volcano and Amador. The latter is fairly outstripping all the other towns lu growth. A year ago there was only one store In Amador City, now there are six. Jackson, the county seat, 1-15 miles from San Francisco, has a jiopulation of probably 1,000 peo- ple; Sutter Creek, 1,200; Amador City, 6i)0; Ply- mouth, GOO; Volcano, 800; Drytown andOleta, 200 each, and lone City, ceo. These figures are mere estimates, and it ilio immediate neighborhoods of the towns were counted, would be largely In- creased— Jackson, for Instance, to 2.000, Sutter Creek 2,000, lone Cily to 1,000, and the others in like proportion. WHAT AMADOR NEEDS. Amador County needs and deserves an Increase of permanent settlers. Families from the East- cm States, with means enough to purchase farms or unimproved lands, and intending to set- tle down to a steady and patient life work for a moderate competency, can find here all reasona- ble Inducements. In the valleys of the lower part of the county competencies are awaiting en- •rjjetlc and Industrioua men who will devote themselves to the raisin grape culture, supple- mented by market gardening. For this industry, which has so far been neglected, comparatively small tracts of land are needed. On Long Island, the writer has known many comfortable fortunes made by the cultivation of vegetables for the New York market, distant forty or fifty miles from tnc producer ; and the poorest land in Ama^ < dor County will compare favorably with the best ( on Long Island ; to wfilch is to be added a climate ' in which gardening operations can be carried on r nearly throughout the whole year. From the ■' county line it is but little more than thirty miles to the city of Sacramento, over a good road, so [ tliat it would be quito practicable lor a farmer In ; that nortiou of tlio county to load up with fruit and vegetables in the alternoon, and dispose of his load in Sacramento the next morning. With the present arrangement of one train a day on the railroad, ine products of market gardens could be conveyed to San Francisco in good order; and should there be an influx of the right kind of peo- ple to take hold of this form of industry, an amount of traffic could soon be created to justify the running of a night train— like the peach and milk trains of the Eastern roads— which would take the garden and dairy produce from the farm on one alternoon and land it in San Francisco mar- ket early the next morning. I wish I could Im- press the agricultural reader who may be looking for a new home, with my own strong conviction of the adaptability of this region to the success- ful prosecution of market gardening— one of the most remunerative forms of agricultural labor. The soil, climate, and means of transportation are all here, and even where water is needed, it Is obtainable by a moderate outlay in connection with the natural streams or thenumerousditches. It is emphatically a region to demonstrate the value of small farms managed with intelligence and industry. There is no Inducement for the immigration of Idlers, speculators, or men who propoas to grow suddenly rich by the employment of the capital of other people. The professions, school teaching, store keeoiug and most of the mechanical trades arofully'supplled, but there are many induce- ments for tho establishment of manufactures and the settlement of a large, Industrious, agricul- tural population. SCHOOLS, CHtJRCHES, ETC. If the Intelligence and morality of a people Is to be judged by the existence of schools and churches, Amador has no reason to fear the test. In every town there are churches— lone City has four, three Protestant and one Catholic— and good school houses and competent and well-paid teach- ers are abundant enough to ensure a good educa- tion for every one of the 2,659 children of school ago which are now on the school census. Good roads extend in every direction. Taxes are not more burdensome than in other counties. County buildings are erected, the county Indebtedness is small, and the county officials are paid by salary and not by fees. NEWSPAPERS. There are three newspapers in the county ; two of them published at the county seat. The Ama- dor Ledger, published by llichard Webb, is a thor- ough-going Republican organ, vigorously edited and well printed. The Amador Dispatch Is the Democratic organ, uncompromising and zealous in the defence of its party, published by W. M. Penry. The claims and interests of their respec- tive parties are faithfully advocated by both these gentlemen. The third newsnaper, the Amador Times, Is published at lone city, and of it it Is proper for the writer only to say that it endeavors to live up to its motto of " Independent in Every- thing ; Neutral lu Nothing." VALUE OP LANDS. One of the points of inquiry to which Thb Call has directed the attention of the writers of this series of articles, relates to the value of lands la different parts of the State. So far as Amador 13 concerned, and I presume the same rule will ap- ply to other sections, it wouid be Impossible to AMADOR COUNTY. 25 approximate to any general average ot value. In mis county land ranges In value, according to quality, locatiOD, Improvements, etc., all the way froiuSL 23 to $100 per acre. There Is still some Government laud open tor entry at the lower price, and occasionally a piece of rich, alluvial lowluija is held at the higher flgtires. But Be- tween these extremes good land, with or without improvements, can he bought at reasonable prices. In this, as in many other respects, re- liable and full lorormatlon ca,n be gathered only by personal Investigation. nTDROGKAPHT OP AMADOR. In estimating the resources of Cahfornla lands, the average ralutall and the natural facilities for irrigation are important factors. On the first point, the rainfall, the county ot Amador is usually blest with sufficient rain to ensure good crops. Taking the record of the last and the present seasons, and selecting the county seat as a central point for observation, we get the follow- ing results: In the season of 1S77-8, which w. s noted for an extraordinary flood throughout the State, the rainfall was 33.C9 inches; for the pres- ent season, up to March l, it has been 13.54 inches. Usually there is a sufficient rainfall for agricul- tural purposes, unless a drouth prevails through- out the State. The hydrography of the county, as can be ascertained from au exammatlou ot a good map. Is peculiarly favorable to the thorough irrigation of almost every acre of land within its borders. In the northeast corner of the county, at an alti- tude of nearly ten thousand feet above the sea level, there are numerous laUes, which are as Important for their immense I'eservoii's of water as they are attractive by their wonderful beauty. From this point, the water-shed descends down through every part of the county, to its south- west and northwest corners. An almost periect outline of the principal water courses can be seen In the following simple way : Let the reader hold the palm of his hand toward him, the top of tlie tiiumb pointing toward his left shoulder, and he ■will have in the three larger lines of the hand, a map of the Cosumne liiver running along the whole northern boundary ot the county ; Sutter Creek, which drains a larger portion of tbe centr.', and the Mokelumne, which sweeps along the southern border, 'these are three main water arteries, into which a number ot tributaries are discharged. The minor, but still important, streams are: Bear Klver, Panther, Deer, Ti'^-er, ]\llll, Antelope, Dry, Jackson, stony and Indian Creeks, and other small streams, but these are enumerated to Indicate that there is a a water system which is capable of being made the basis of a complete system of irrigation. Already there are severalimportantdltclies traversing the whole length of the county, and supply water for miners at the lower end of the county. Noregloa is better adapted for iiTigation, and in lew can it be secured on a larger scale with less outlay of money. As the descriptions of the topoeraphy and re- sources of the state are intended"to furnish in- formation to intending immigrants, the writei", in concluding this hastily-written sketch, may be permitted to suggest that after a fuil examination of many countries, and being a native and long resident of the Atlantic States, he can conscien- tiously recommend this region as worthy of ex- amination by that class of hard-working farmers who have made Long Island and Connecticut fer- tile in spite of their barren soil. Wli h oue-lial( the labor and skill which is expended upon the s.uall farms of the East, equal amounts of land can here be made to yield double the Income derived from the former. Small farms, well cultivated- fruit- raising and drying— the cultivation of vege- tables for the city markets, as that Industry is pursued iu the neighborhood of Norfolk, Va., and within 100 miles of New York; dairy farms, the raising of sheep and hogs, are all profltably open to Eastern energy. Manufactures and the de- velopment of ciuartz, copper and coal mines will amply reward the investment of large capital. There is one tiling in favor of emigration to California which has not been stated. The new- comer finds himself at once on an equal footing with those who have preceded him. 'Jhere are no class, society or traditionary barriers to ex- clude him from society, as in all the Eastern and Southern States. Cahfornla has not been settled long enoucrh to give rise to a local exciuslveness on the ground of long residence. No man here can claim local distinction on the ground that ids gi-cat grandfather belonged to '-one ot the lead- ing families in the county ;" and wo all feel, being '■carpet-baggers"ourselves, on a footlngot social equality with the Inconuug strangers who join us In the work of developing the Inestimable riches and the potential civilization of the fairest cor- ner of the American Union. (F") pB !.co ndnes, and the party won^edwith preat success for a time. Some Oregonlaus, on tlieir -way to the mines by land, heard of the wncreibouts of Reading and his party, and coming to the place he was wgrlclug (since called Reaclln':;'3 Tar), objected to the Ma- jor's In 'ian help. Reading thereupon disbanded his company and returnPd''to the Sacramento Val- ley. 01 her prospectorri b-^g m now tocomeln, but it was not until the fallowincr year that Weaver Basin was discovered and sctilecl. As the gold miners were the cause of the first Bettlem'^nt of the county, so mining has con- tinued the chief Industry of th« population from that time until the pn>-ent. The earlier work- ings were confined mainly to the bods and bars of "the numerous streams, but with the Introduc- tion of hvdraulics. onerations were carried on upon a more extended scale. Two causes, in the meanwhile, combined to keep this county from advancing 10 population and consequent develop- ment to the same degree enjoyed by other counties whose natural le^onrres were no greater than ours. One was the distance which all kinds of mlDlnsr supplies had to be transported; another, the fact that the greater portion of the county lav away from any direct. Hue of travel, which prevented the Ingress and retention of chance population. Other'polnts much nearer a base of supplies and more accessible to the min- ing brotherhood, offered as Inviting a field of labor, and It thus followed that during those years when the mines were la the flush of sue- cess, counties of far less area possess three and four times the population. The result Is that at the present time there are openings for successful mining here that, had the country been more favorably and conveniently ' situated, would have been worked out years ago. One thing, however, Bhould be borne In mind— that to mine success- fully in the manner now In use requires organiza- tion. With each year that passes, the miner re- quires more water lor working as the deposits are followed back. It Is not now so easy a matter for three or four men to combiue together and, by putting a ditch on some place they have found, secure themselves In the possession of a claim which win furnish labor lor years, although even those opportunities are not entirely gone. There are mauy places to which the attention of capital could be directed for saf.^ and profitable lavest- jIieQt, though perhaps the best associatlca lor that purpose would be that of a number of men, each possessed of some means, who could com- bine their labor and money together In develop- ing a gravel range. Beginning with the southern portion of the county, we Una a broken, mountainous region, but highly adapted for grazing and paslui-ago ; i'Ud a great deal of land has been taken no within a few .years past for these purposes. Thesouth lino of the county Is In the fortieth parallel ct latitude, and this Is the narrowest partoflt, the width next to Mendocino County being about twenty- six miles. For the first fifteen years ntier the or- ganization oC the Slate Governiacnt, this ; cction was unsettled by whites, the Indians being nu- merous and hostile. They were finally brought to terms by the six coaipanles of mount ineers organized Iti 1SG3 for the purpose of subauiJg them, though detached bauds made occasional forays Into the settlements, bent on piUigoasd murder. The last of these bands killed a r.ian named Bur.e, who lived in the upiier part ot Uay Forli Valley. In the Fall of 1S68. Halt a dozen de- termined men took t.)eir trail at iho liouse of Burko (which was burned by the Indians), and followed It day after day until they cvertoolithe savages, killing or caiituring the e airo iiarty. This was the last ot our ladiaa troubles, and v.hen It became safe, It was not long la becoming bntier known, and rapid settlement followed. 'I'aoujh this was the last settled part ot the county, it has been nearly all brought under the (jovcru- ment Burrey, and mhny of the so! tiers bavo patents for their land. The local Land O.ice i3 at Kureka, Humboldt County. There are twopolicg places, but tiie vote cast is light, thoi haiita.its being scattered over a wide extent of territory, thinly peopled. Hay Fork Valley is of Importance as a faraiing- region, there being a lunnber of good farms in the valley, and on the smaller streams c.-npiying iato the Hay Fork of Triaicy River. The cuie'f pro- ductions are hay and wheat, which find a re.'dy sale at home or at WeavervUle. The valley lias been settled and farmed to souiecxtentsiace IGjI. On Hay Fork.above the valley,are good laiics, the gold, however, not belag of so good a quality r.s that obtained in other parts of the county. Th-^re are two precincts, polling generally from seveaty to e!ghty votes. Indian Creek is a fining camp and precinct, polling from thirty-five to fiity votes. It has p id very richly In former years, and t'aere ire silU some good claims worked. On the dividing ridje at the head ot Indian Creek, near the b ju-ulary line between Shasta and Trmitv, excellct quartz prospects have been found and a luill erected. The company owning the Bullvchoop and tha Occidental ledges have takea ouo considerable rich rock, and last week contracted to have a 1 un- nel run into the mountain to tap t'ae leJgoat a greater depth. The mine i3 la the haads ot en- terprising men and will doubtless prove a source ot wealth to Its owners. Other parties have also struck quartz prospects both oa the Shasta and Trinity Bide ot the mountala. There is a store, hotel and blacksmith shop at Indian Creek ana several fine far. as in the precinct. Douglas City Is oa Trinity River, at the crossing of the wagon road from Uay Fork to Weavcrviile, and is the central point cf a good mlniug rcion. It has a store, and the other adjuncts of a lainiag camp, the precinct polUug irom sixty to ninety votes. Lewiston is also on Trinity River, eleven miles above Douglas City. There are about ninety voters in this precinct, the majority ot v. hom are miners, though there are several good far ai3 cul- tivated. Two bridges, one at Lewiston, n do e at Grass Valley, span Trinity River on the two roads leading from Weaverviile out of the county. The Deadwood Quartz District is in Lewiston Pre- cinct. Some very rich quartz has been found TRINITY COUNTY. 27 there, aad mills erected. If the ledges prove per- manent, They will be good property. Mii:ersvlliei3amiiui);? camp oa tUe East Fork of Srewart'3 Forlc ot Trinity. The B'olci 1b coarse and oC vorv lino quality. The precinct polls rrom lorty to ttfty votes. Trinity centre is on the road from Shasta to Trel^a.nnd Is the second place ot Importiuceln the county. The valley has a number of good farms, Iho produce of ■wlilch linds read / sale right at homoto teamsters and travellers, while there are excellent mlur3l:i the hillsllulng the valley. Ttiis Is the only place In the county wnich has telegraphic communication with other places. The town Is thiriy-twoiulles from Weavervlllp, and forty miles from Shasta, with which last named place it has daily staire line coaimunlca- tioa. There is a Lodjje ot Ocid Fellows, Comet No. 84, at this place. The precinct polls froin eighty to ninety votes. Cinnabar, or Altoona, is the most northern set- tlement, and owes its lite to the Altoona Qulck- Bllver mines. It is a small place at presetic, the company having bi-it few hands In Their employ. We shall Bpeak more of the quicksilver interest in another place. Junction City Is west and south of Weavervllle, nine miles distant. The vicinity offers one ot the test fields for the prospector of anyla the county. The claims now worked are la the bars and banks of the river, and pay well in the working eeasou. A scarcity ot water for hydnullc mining is tUe worst thing the miners have to contend with. There are also several good ranches lu the vi- cinity. 1 he town has two stores, a hotel. Post Oflice, and other conveniences, and the precinct polls from ei;^hty to one huadred votes. North Fork, eljht miles below Junction, Is at the junction of themaln river wlthitsNorih Fork. It is now a Bmall place, but t lie mlnoslu the vicin- ity have been very rich. The JIcGilllvray Jliulng Compa' y own Eome good gronnd and water rights In this precinct, and I uiu told intend brlnglug on a ditch 200 feet hlc;her than their present one. The precinct polls from tweaty to thirty votes. Cox's Bar la ten miles below Nori U Fork, and Is almost exclusively peopled by miners. '1 acre are BOme very rich clalnia ii mis section, and I believe San Francisco cajjital is being used to some ex- tent to develop others. The precinct polls about thirty votes. MartlnvlUe precinct Is the most westerly of the county joining Humboldt. There are only iwen- ty-flve or thirty rneu there, who araeu}:caged in farming. This I regard as one ot the most prom- ising sections ot the country for lulnin.u'', though very llitle has been done thus far. 'I'hera are deep gravel bars and banks which prospect well for sluicing, and when worked with good advan- tage cannot fall to pay well. To put on waiter will, howevei', require an outlay ot capital which will be followed with good results. New River and Rattlesnake are small settle- ments, only accessible by pack trains. They are difficult of access, and lu the Winter season com- paratively shut out from the world. The people are mostly miners. Canon City U on Canon Creek, and Is a mining camp ot some importance. It is nine miles from Junction City and rlguteea from Weavervllle. Canon Creek is one ot the best water rights la the county, and by taking a ditca outot it high up, it could be made to cover a great extent ot mining ground. The precinct polls forty to 6ixfy votes. Weavervllle, the county seat, is one of the pret- tiest little tow!)3 la the mines. The business houses are mostly built ot brick, while tho resi- denceaof the citizens are surrounded with tasteful grounds and orchards. The town and vllnlty con- tains about 'too Inhabitants, exclusive of Chinese. It has the Court House, catholio Church, a fine BChool-house, erected last .Summer at an expense of aboutf 7,000, which are tbeonly bulldlogsof Im- portance. There Js also a Masonic Lodge, Trinity, No. 2T; a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, North Star Lodge, No. 61; Stella Eucampment, No. 12, I. O. O. F., and Beacon Lodge, No. 800, 1. O. G. T. The Masonic Lodge has a membership of seventy, the Odd Fellows' and Good Templars' Lodges a membershlD of about sixty each. Five grocery and general merchandise and three clothing stores are maintained here, and do a good business, drawing a good deal of trade from other portions of the county. Iho town is built on good minlHg ground ; some of the lots were worked to the bed- rock beloro the buildings were erected. Before the Invention of "giants" the mines in the im- mediate viciraty were generally worked by the oldpianof "gouging" and sltUcing, there nut be- ing enough pressure la the basin to work with the hydraulic. IMostof the companies now use large pipe and the largest size of "giants," and clear a great deal more bedrock in the course of a scaEOu than formerly, and at much less expense lor la- bor. The lovi'n is situated in a circular basin ot four or live miles diameter, the gold deposits be- ing found upontUe "false" bedrock. The true bedrock lies at a sreat depth below the workings, and has only been found once. In 1S51 a shatt was sunk, by subscription, to find the bedrock, which passed through several layers of false rock, and reached true bedrock only at a depth ot more than six hundred l eet. Gold was found whenever the sliaft passed through gravel, hut not enough to justify working, or even further prospecting. Theheavy debris deposited in Weaver Creek has filled 1 hat stream so deep as to ruin a great deal ot rich ground. The Weaver Creek Flumlng company have a flume in at the outlet ot the basin, commencing tnree miles below town, a Hno piece of work, each box being twenty feet wldo by ten feet deep, set at a grade ot two inches to twelve feet. The company have laid about a mile ot llume, the head ot which is in bed-rock, and it carries off a large amount of debris, but in a season of floods the flume is some- times clogged by the logs and brush set free by t'ae washing away of piles ot tailings. It is an enterprise which should pay its projectors. Westi of Weavervllle the W. D. and II. M. Company have conveyed water on to Oregon Mountain, andoreopeulng a magniflcent claim. This was the first company to open this character of mines, findoa thesiiccess which snail attend Us efforts doubi less rests the prosecution ot other enter- prises ot a similar character. Trinity County is about one hundred miles in length north and south, and from twenty-six to seventy miles in width. The published maps do not give a correct delineation of i's boundaries. It contains over 3, COO square miles ot territory» aud only about 2,800 inhabitants, excluaing the Cnlnese, who prohaoly number two-thirds as many more. Gold mining Is, as we have said, the chief In- dt strj' ot our people, and It is followed to some extent in all the places we have named with the exception ot that part ot the county next Mendo- cino. Tue presence ot cinnabar was noticed by the miners of Trinity River at an early cay, but there was no search made for the mines ot tnat mineral until ISTl. Miners working upon one ot the upper branches ot the river noticed the pres- ence ot cinnabar In such quantities as indicated the close proximity of the place from which it came. T. e lead was followed up and the mines ot Al- toona discovered. At the time quicksilver was worth more tnan a dollar a pound, and prepara- tiona were at once made to turn the discovery to account. The flrst ore was packed out in sacks aud retorted near the road to Yreka, and when the character aud permanency of the mine was demonstrated a wagon road to the ralue was built and machinery lor reducing the ore carried oa to ttie ground. There aro otner locations r.ear the Altoona, but being la the hands ot private In- dividuals have cot been so fully developed. From indications found it is thought that there are mines of cinnabar la the southern and western part of the county, in that portion of the Coast Range near the Uuinboldt line, but no organized efloro lias yet been made to test the truth of this belief. The price ot farming land varies according to location. Small improved places near a market are higlier pronortlonally than largo farms. Aside from the two*valleya Pork NomiuaL 234 pkg8.'cleer Bkms 14,040 3,08880 43l>xl.ham8 12,900 1,67200 S.764 hf. bWa. Bahnon ,2'6,ajO '"■5x^11' 55bx8. es?g8 LboOdz. ,^^;^"" 15bx8.fur3 ^^^.^^^ IMP 00 77_795 10,170,870 $572,240 19 The Important towns of numholdt County are Eureka, Areata, Ferndale, KohnervlUe. Trinidad, Hydesvllle, Table BluQ, Petrolla, sprinsvllle, Biocksburg and Garberviile. The first six In a descenalDg scale are the largest. Eureka, the county seat and seaport, Is the principal town or city. It is situated on the east- ern shore of Uumboldt Bay, on an eligible site, and has plenty ot room lor expansion. The popu- lation is about 5,0U0. The city is regularly laid off: Us inhabitants are noted lor looking a long time before thev leap. There are two good hotels and several not so high-priced, a library and pub- lic readiug-rooiii, seven public scbools, IlumboldC Young Ladles' Seminary (Protestant), St. Joseph's Institute (Catholic), live churches, aud secret Or- ders ol various kinds are well represented. The Times, Hignal and Standard are published dally and weekly. There are some commodious husiness houses, whlch.with the schools, churches, halls, ttc, display some architectural design. The material used is mainly wood, but bnck is begin- ning to be usea in building to some extent, con- siderable mercantile business is done, but the main resource of the city is in manufacturing lumber, shingles, etc., there being seven steam sawmills and several shingle mills within the city limits. Quito a number of scbooners have been built on tae bay, which are engaged in carrying lumber to southern ports and the Paclilc Islands. Humboldt Bay has as line a location for ship- yards as can be found on the coast, while the tim- ber in the vicinity of the bay is well adapted tor Bh'p-buUding purposes, ranking next to oak, and superior to Oregon pine. Two steamers make weekly trips to San Francisco, placing her within twenty hours ot the Capital. Telegraphic com- muulcatlou is also had to all points ot the county end the world. Areata is situated at the northern end of the bay, seven miles by water and twelve by land from Eureka. Areata Is the second town In size, having over 1,000 population. It enjoys a large trade irom a large farming community in the vi- cinity of the town, and is the depot of supplies for the gold diggings on Klamath and Trinity rivers. Among other estabUshments Areata has a tannery, two steam saw-mills, a flouring mill, and a shingle mill. There are three churches, three public schools, a public reading-room and circu- lating library.' The people of Areata are enter- prising and evince a lively Interest in progress and advancement. Ferndale and Rohnervlllo rank as third and fourth towns In Importance. Ferndale has a weekly paper titled the Enterprise. Rohnerville has recently started a small sheet ycleped the iVews. These are both thriving llttlfi towns, have good locations, are supplied with water by w.ater works, and each has a goodly number ot stores, first- class schools, churches, etc. St. Joseph's College, in the suburbs of llohnervllle, stands on a high bluff overlooking Eel lUver Valley. Port Kenyon, near Ferndale, and Hookton, near Table Bluff, are the principal shipping points for pro- duce, etc. In tills necessarily condensed article we have but given the outlines or Humboldt County and her resources, but It will sulhce to exhibit her great natural advantages for small and profitable farming, dairying aud stock-raising. The climate Is equable aud genial, with sufficient tog near the coast to prolong tha green pasture; further in- land, among the mountains, fogs are infrequent, the air Is lighter, and tho temperature hlgner In Summer and lower In Winter. Apples, pears, plums and chcrrlcsgrow to remarkable size and perfection througuout the valleys a few miles from tho coast. Peaches ana melons of good flavor are raised at Camp Grant, about fifty miles from the sea. AH small fruits and berries do well anywhere in the county. The vine is not planted, although It would thrive, we think, if placed In warm and sbeltered situations in the mountains and foot- hills. Corn Is raised In Mattole Valley and in the mountain valleys as a crop. Vegetables of all classes grow to a wonderful size In all portions ot the county, but come to market later than in the southern counties. Well improved farms can be purchased for $50 and less an acre, stock and dairy ranges at very low figures. Large tracts of unsurvcyed land still remain open, but about all eligible Government lands, ex- cept timber claims, have been entered. The prin- cipal farming lands are in the vicinity ot Eureka, Areata, Fernd le, Kohoervllle and Hydesvllle, em- bracing Eel River Valley and tho "Island"— a term appled to a portion of land surrounded by Eel and Salt Rivers, adjacent to the coast. Mat- tolo Valley and Bear River Ridge constitute the dairying region mainly, the Bald Hills In the east- ern part ot the country being almost exclusively devoted to cattle and sbeep. In conclusion, without being enthusiastic, for the limited capitalist; Humboldt County offers a home lu proportion to his means and taste, w here from the least land she will assure him tho great- est range of products and a larger yield without Irrigation than any other in the btate. Placer mining is followed with some degree of success on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers, but gold digging is of nominal importance lu Califor- nia now. and they keep the noiseless tenor of their way. 34 TUOLUMNE COUNTT. TUOLUMNE COUNTY. By H. WOLFE. Tuolumne county l3 situated on tlie western Blooe of tlio Sierra Nevada range of mountains, between the parallels ol 37' 40' and 3S° 20'. A line drawn due east from San Francisco would cross the soutliernmost limit of tliat county, and Is dis- tant from tliat city 150 miles ; means cf convey- ance, three miles by steamer, 119 by rail, and 23 by stage. Tuolumne, strictly speaking:, Is a mountain county. It is bounded on the north by Alpine, east by Mono County, south by Mariposa County, and west by Stanislaus and Calaveras counties. Its established boundary lines are of such varied angles and so great a divergence from the four cardinal points that the territory it embraces takes the term of an Irregular polygon. Tracing Us boundary lines, commencing with the eastern, at Mt. Lydell, it traverses tue crest of the Sierra Mountains to Casile Peak, a distance of 40 miles ; thence the northern boundary line, west 45 miles, to the north tributary of the Stan- islaus Elver; thence its western line, 60 miles south, following the course of that stream to its junction with the main, and the main to a point flveJiilles above Knight's Ferry; thence south- erly 20 miles, to the Tuolumne Kiver. Leaving this point its southern boundary corresponds nearly with the STth parallel a distance of 60 miles" east, though very irregular ; thence in a 80uthe;isierly direction, 25 miles, to the place of beginning, which forms an arm extending south 20 miles, varying in width from eight to ten miles. The county has an area of about 2,000 square miles. The character of the soil may be understood to be hilly and mountainous on the whole, which renders a variety or scenery the plcturesqueness of which opons up a broad Held for the admirers of the grand and sublime. The soil on the hill- Bides, mountain slopes, and the parallel chains of email valleys aloug the many water-courses throughout the county, is very productive; the valleys particularly produce a luxuriant growth of nutritious native grasses, and, together with the rich verdure of the gentle slopes and table lands, furnishes pasturage during the Summer and Fall months for 150,000 head of migratory stock— horned cattle, sheep and horses— which are driven from the lower or val.ey counties. This advantage, with many equally as promis- ing, and the salubriousness of the climate, ren- ders ever}' condition favorable to those who seek permanent homes In the interior. The tempera- ture la quite equable, conslderlns the geographical bearings of the county, never falling below 20% excepting in the more elevated portions, or rising above 95" Fahr., unless in exceptional seasons. Mining may be said to be the predominating In- terest, though many other enterprises are gradu- ally springing up, a number of which bid fair at no distant day to assume gigantic proportions, 6uch as the timbering, fruit and marble interests. rOrCLATION— PKINXIPAL TOWNS; THEIB MANUFAC- TOIUES, ETC. According to United States census of ISSO, Tuol- umne County comprised a population of 7,S4S. This showed a falling off of a heavy percentage of tue population from 1S60. The leading Interest telng that of mining, the cause of so great a de- crease in population during so short a period needs no explanation when it is known the min- ing class make up the rank and flle of what is termed the floating population of the state. The principal towns are Sonora, Colvmibla and Chinese camp.' Sonora, the county seat. Is situ- ated on the left bank of Woods Creek, in the southwestern part or the county, eight miles from the W'Cst boundary lino and twenty miles from the south line, and is a thriving town of 1,400 inhabit- ants. It has one foundry, in which boilers, en- gines and machinery for quartz and saw-mills of a lirst-class grade are manufactured, supplying, to a great extent, the local demand ; also, two planUig-mllls, one large fruit- preserving and can- ning establishment in connection with an " Alden Drier," and two llouring-mllls. In a commercial point of view it is making rapid strides towards be- coming a mountain city of considerable import- ance. Its mines, so far as relates to placers, may bo classed with things of the eventful past, though Sonora mining district was one of the richest aiid most prosperous mining camps of the southern mines. There are a number ot quartz mines in the vicinity in succtsstul operation which yield large- ly, paying good dividends to the stockholders, and promising greater permanency as developments made from time to time prove. Kextln size and commercial importance is the town of Columbia, four miles north of the county seat, which is a prosperous town of 1,250 Inhabit- ants. The town site embraces what was origin- ally the richest mining camp ot all the southern mines. Though placers are rapidly being ex- hausted. It still maintains place in the list of thrlvinsr mining camps. The yearly product of the mines in the district Is of no inconsiderable amount. It forms the principle source of revenue, though not entirely dependent on Us mines. A3 It may here be remarked that many of the Indus- trious miners in later years having turne.l their attention to the opening out of new enterprises, add greatly thereby to the maintenance of a floating cash capital necessary to all the require- ments of local trade. The manufactories are meager, literally speaUng, yet gradually assuming shape. There is one planing mill and box factory, a flouring mill, a marble mill, and also one fruit-drying establishment. These may be said to comprise all the Industries under the head of manufacturing. The undeveloped natural resources In the immediate vicinity ot the town are immense. Marble, limestone, soapstone, plumbago, and other valuable minerals and stones, abound in inexhaustible quantities. With in- creased facilities for transportation, its produc- tions would in time place it in the front rank as a commercial point with the leading mountain towns. Chinese Camp, eight miles southeasterly from the county seat, is a thrifty place ot about 40e inhabitants, and is centrally located, relative to the placers embraced within the county. Its mining Interest, in a local sense, is of but little importance at this late day, though in the earher period its mines were quite extensive and extremely rich, and contributed much to the wealth and prosperity of the county, Chinese camp, like oil the large mining towns, has been compelled to seek other channels as a source of revenue other than its mines, which are in greater part or wholly exhausted ot their wealth; conse- quently its people are engaged in a diversified system of farming, fruit raising, and the produc- tion of live stock, hogs, cattle, etc., to which every surrounding condition of climate, soil and other advantages necessary to the success of such en- terprises, is admirably adapted. Easterly of Chinese Camp, and fifteen miles from the county seat, is Big Oak Flat and the Garote districts, whli'h embraced in their limits rich and extensive mines, which yielded immensely in early days. Farming has become the predomlaating interest of the people of that section of the county. As the principal towns within the county have been reviewed in the loregoing, all of whicli are TUOLUMNE COUNTY. 35 situated m the western part, tliroughout the min- ing districts, which districts embrace la the ag- gregate ahoui one-fourth Its area, and comprise nearly or quite the total population, I will pass to a general review of its principal Interests In farm- ing, horticulture, etc., Its natural resources and the grandeur of Its landscape sceneries, and many other attractions. ITS LANDS CLASSIFIED. To more fully describe, and also that the reader may be guided in comprehending the character of the land surface In general, It Is proposed to divide the county Into three grand divisions- mineral, agricultural and waste lands ; yet the land throughout the county, strictly speaking, may be said to be more or less mineral In charac- ter. Letlt be understood in this classifying that the vast forest lands which extend the entire breadth of the county Is included in that classed as agricultural. MINES AND MINING. Its principal Interest in mining is that branch of mining termed quartz mining. Of quartz there are a great number of valuable mines throughout the county, many of which have been continuous- ly worked for the past twenty years, and continue to pay well— also indicate permanency. Of these we win name the principal mines, commencing with the celebrated mines at Sulsbyville— the Contidence mine, the Excelsior mine, the River- side mine, the Uuchanan mine, tho Golden Gate mine, and Santa Monica mine. With these tnere are many valuable mines more recently discov- ered, which are being successfully worked, the product of which, on the whole, add greatly to the revenue of the county. A network of quartz veins tiiread the granite and slate ranges, hundreds of which remain to be prospected. And among those ihat are being worked, but few, if any, are fully developed ; therefore, auartz mining In Tuolumne Is yet In its infancy. There are ten quartz mills in the county which may be said to be la contin- uous operation. PLACEKS AND PL ACER MINING. What is termed by the miners surface or shal- low diggings, those which were formed by surface work of a more recent period, wherein the gold- bearing sand and gravel were deposited In the bed of gulches, ravines, flats and small valleys, are quite exhausted. In consequence of which atten- tion Is directed to the development of the more extensive gravel deposits In the hill and along the water courses, called deep diggings. Also the ex- ploration and develonment of the ancient river beds, the channels of' which were filled up with volcanic deposits to the depth of 200 to 400 feet, during the period of volcanic disturbances. Of these ancient river beds, which lie beneath the basaltiTe rocks, there are a number of parallel chains which traverses the county from northeast to southwest. In their aggregate a nundred miles In length. In all there has not been more than ten miles of these channels worked, Including In this estimate that which has or is being prospect- ed. Some parts of these channels, which have already been opened out, have proved extremely rich. The great drawback to the rapid develop- ment of these extensive gold-bearing sands and gravel is, and always nas been, a lack of capital, as the opening out of these mines necessitates a greatoutlay before reallziog any returns therefrom. As evidence of the great importance the mining Interest is to the county as its principal source of revenue, the following exhibit of the product of the mines for the year ending January 1, 18T0, shows— which statement is derived from the aggregate amount from all the reliable sources— $1,019,361 84. SLATE, LIMESTONE, MARBLE. There abounds an Inexhaustible quantity of marble, the character of which is found superior to the Imported for monumental and building purposes. Limestone of a superior quality abounds /iR many locaUties In the western part of the county. Slate exists In unlimited quantities," which Is quite extensively used for building pur- poses, flagstones, etc. There are a number o£ plumbago mines In process of developmenti. FRUIT AND FARMING. Fruit raising, to which the soil Is admirably adapted, Is one of the growing interests of the county. Semi-tropical fruits of every variety and vines are cultivated, which yield abundance of highly flavored fruit. The almond and walnut are quite extensively cultivated, and with en- couraging results. Among the vines the muscat or raisin grape is coming into favor with our vlnl- culturists. They yield largely, and the fruit Is of an extraordinary size. This branch of Industry, the raising of fruit, will at no distant day stand first of the productions of the soil. There Is a dlversifled system of farming carried on, which in every particular proves profltable. There being but a small part of the arable lands under culti- vation, the farm products, therefore, are equal' only to the demand for home consumption. FORESTS AND LUMBERING INTEREST. The timber belt of the Sierras U about cen- trally located with reference to the east and west- ern boundary lines of the county, and extends the entire breadth— is consequently fifty miles in length and twenty-five miles wide, of the most valuable piae, fur and cedar timber, all of wnich can be made available through the V flume sys- tem of transporting lumber over an uneven coun- try. In the western outskirts of this forest region there are four sawmills in operation during the Summer months, manufacturing in the aggregate 5.000,000 feet or merchantable lumber. The lum- bering Interest may bo said to not have a com- mencement, comparatively speaking. In considera- tion of the enormity and almost uuflmlted extent of the great natural resource, which Is within the reach of enterprising capitalists. The exports of the county are fruiu, lumber, and marble. LANDS OPEN TO SETTLEMENT. There are over 500,000 acres of land which re- main open to settlement, valuable lor its timber and agricultural purposes. This does not Include the many rich alluval valleys along the water-courses, containing 100 and upward of 1,000 acres each, which lands are comprised in that division classed as waste lauds. Yet these wastelands are utfllzed In greater part lor grazing purposes, furnishing Summer range for thousands or cattle, sheep and horses. It is but a few years back that people com- menced to make permanent settlement, and now elegant mansions and more substantial dwellings are last taking the place of the rude structures of early days. RIVERS AND CANALS. Its rivers are the Stanislaus and Tuolumne, which form tributaries of the San Joaquin. The Tuolumne has its source entirely within the lim- its of the county, and may be justly termed the river of a thousand lakelets, although a number of which strictly come under the head of lakes, the larger being from one-half to two miles In length. The main or principal branch of the river flows through the Hatch Hatchee Valley, which la situated fifty miles east of the county seat. This branch, with Its many tributaries, commands about three-fourths of the entire water-shed of the county, though its main sources are in the eastern part of the county, which the many lakes in that locality give rise to. The Stanislaus Kiver flows through the north- western part of the county, and with one of Its trlDutarles forming the west boundary line. From the south fork of this stream the Tuolumne County Water company's canal receives its supply of water, which Is conducted through a system of ditches, flumes ana iron pipes a distance of twenty miles, and Thence through the distributing ditches and flumes to all the Important points la the county, lor miniug, manufacturing and Irri- gating purposes. This Is one of the most import- ant enterpiises in the county, and la the crowning 36 TUOLUMNE — KERN COUNTY. results of perseverance, energy and capital com- bined. The construction of this aqueduct cost, in all its details, close to half a million of dollars; yet, notwithstanding this great outlay, it has proved in every in-tance a success. The benefits the county derives from this source is beyond com- putation. Its perpetual maintenance, therefore, is indispensable to the material interest and future prosperity of the country. Lake Elnor, the largest of the group of lates pre- viously mentioned, and "which forms one of the principal sources of the Tuolumne Iliver,is situated in a valley four mUes long and averaging one and a half miles in width. The land bordering on the lake is of a rich, sandy loam, producing a luxurious growth of native grasses. A portion of this valley is well wooded, and the gentle slopes and ridges on both sides are covered •with a giant growth of pines and firs. The valley, with its unequalled advantages, is rapidly gaining favor with the seekers of health and jDleasure; also, for its varied sceneries, climate, etc. The waters of the lake were stocked, through private enterprise, ■with speckled trout, three years ago, and now it abounds with this excellent variety of fish— weigh- ing from one to sis pounds. The other lakes be- longing to the group are entirely destitute of every variety of fish whatever, although their every con- dition is favorable to trout culture. GRANDEUR OF ITS NATURAL SCENERY. Tuolumne presents more rare and interesting landscape scenery, and a greater variety of natural wonders and objects of curiosity, than any one county in this State. In fact, its scenery compares favorably with that met with in Switzerland, as de- scribed by many writers. There are a number of lakes, with their crystal waters and surroundings. presenting sceneries that are estremely grand and romantic. Pyramid-like mountains, which rear their lofty peaks far above the lakes; its rivers, with their cascades and catsiract, and their meander- ings through the picturesque gorges and the many little valleys, make up a panorama worthy the study of the artist. The grandest of all its many natural ■wonders is Hatch Hatchee Valley. This valley, in most every particular, equals the far-famed Yo S"mi- te Valley of Mariposa County. It stands at least second in point of importance in natural wonders of the Pacific States. Next, its big trees, "sequoia gigantia," of which it has two groves. The first, or larger, is situated on the Stanislaus Kiver, in the northwestern part of the county, the other on the Tuolumne Kivcr, near the southern boundai-y. The former contains a greater number of big trees, of the species above named, than any known grove — and in fact contains as many as aU the groves combined. Furthermore, are not excelled in respect to size and bight by those of any other grove. These, together with other great won- ders, and lastly the mammoth cave lately discovered, entilte Tuolumne to a place first in the list of count- ies of wondrous wonders. The reason these import- ant points of attraction have not become widely known, is because of their removed distances from the routes of travel, and so situated that they are not accessible through means of any conveyance, ex- cepting on horseback, over a rough, mountainous trail, consequently but few sight-seers visit them, and those few are, generally speaking, residents of the county. Notwithstanding the unevenness of the country lying between these important places, wagon roads could be made with easy grades, and without encountering any obstacles but could be readily surmounted . KERN COUNTY. Kern Is one of the largest counties In the State, and was formed In 1S66 from a portion of Tulare on the north and a part of Los Angeles County on the south. A large portion of this county Is adapt- ed to agriculture, and the remainder to stock- raising and mining. The Irrigating facilities are probably superior to any in the State, Kern Eiver furnishing a uever-falliug supply o£ water, which Is well distributed through the valley, and even In the dryest season there are no fears to be enter- tained. KERN TALLET, Through which the river flows. Is a large and ex- cellent body of agricultural land. Here all kinds of grain Is grown, and a great deal of attention Is paid to the cultivation of alfalfa, one of the most profitable crops that can be planted. From four to eight tons of alfalfa hay per year is cut from the acre, and is readily sold at from six to twelve dollars per ton. Alfalfa Is one of the greatest forage plants known. All kinds of stock and poultry teed on it, and bees are fond of the blos- som. One acre of alialla will support, during the Summer, three cows, or twelve sheep. In the Eastern States about three acres of pasturage are required for pasturing oue cow, but where alfalfa Is grown, as in Kern, nine head of cows can be supported on the same amount of land. Alfalfa gives no trouble, after planting, needs very little water, and never dies out. Wheat and barley are grown extensively In the valley, and futy bushels or grain to the acre is about an average. Corn, potatoes, etc., are also profitable crops. The valley has made a reputa- tion for products such as altali'a, corn, wheat, bar- ley, hops, apples, pears, peaches, grapes, figs, etc. Sweet potatoes grow to the largest size here. Dr. Stockton, who has a farm a lew miles south of Bakersfleld, often has specimens weighing fifteen pouiids, and only a short time ago lie had three "weighing, respectively, twentj^, twenty-two, and twenty-two and a half pounds. In one instance, 140 bushels of corn to the acre is said to have been produced. Experiments In artesian wells have proved very successful, as quite a number of them go to show. LARGE FARMS. The largest farm In the valley Is owned by Hag- gin & Carr, and the next In size is that of H. P. Livermore, of San Francisco. The Haggln & Carr property covers a large extent, of country, and Is highly Improved and thoroughly cultivated. The LIVEKMOKE FARM Was commenced about lour years ago,and contains about 7,200 acres of land, well fenced, and under a complete system of irrigation. It has about thirty- flve miles of fencing, and about 100 miles of irri- gating ditches. Two thousand five h undred acres are planted in alfalfa, fifty acres in orchard, about; 2,000 acres are annually sown in grain, and the balance in miscellaneous grain. There are two artesian «-ell3 on this farm. The semi-tropical fruits, including the orange, lemon, lloie, banana, etc., have been tested here, and with the most satisfaciorv results, though the unprecedented cold of the present Winter h" s materially damaged the young trees. Some Portuguese farmers who came Into this valley lafc-tSprlughave made an excellent showing. Most of them commenced with little or no capital, renting land from Haggiu and Carr. who furnished them with teams and feed. One of these men raised 3,400 sacks of grain, besides a large crop of corn and beans. He accomplished all by his own unaided exertions. CULTITATION. Every crop has its season. If planted the right time and properly cared for a full yield may be expected, not otherwise. The warm season is so long here that all ordinary crops mature pl.inted over a space of several months. As one lllustra- tratlon, Indian corn Is usually planted on ground from which a crop of barley or wheat has just KERN COUNTY. 37 ■been removed, but the average yield Is not more tnan sixty bushels to the acre. I£ planted In season, about the first of April, twice that may be loolved for. Poor results follow the too preva- lent practice of regulating the time of planting by the possibility of the ripening before the rainy season commences. The best part of the growing season is the early part. The sowings of wheat and barley should be complete by the first of De- cember. No more irrigation will be required, and the yield will not be far from sixty bushels to the acre, more or less. Wheat is a profitable crop, and the grower is given special rates of transpor- tation over the railroad to San Francisco. The best crop of barley raised last year was sown in November, fifteen pounds of seed used to the acre, and not Irrigated either before or after sowing. COLONIZATION. steps have been taken to colonize a tract of land south of Bakersfleld, and special inducements are offered to immigrants. The lands offered are as good as the valley boasts. Pamphlets have oeen published, and any person desirous of learning of the proposed colony can get information by ad- dressing O. Brower, Bakersfleld. THE MINING INTERESTS Throughout the mining regions are In a flourish- ing condition, and some fine mines are paying handsomely. Kern County has some excellent quartz-bearing mines, the most valuable of which are located at Kernvllie, and the Sumner mine at that place has a large mill, one of the most costly In the State. Hon. J. P. Jones, of Nevada, owns some claims at Havllah, which are said to be valu- able, but little or no work is being done by him at present. A tew placer mines are being worked in different portions of the county, and some parties are making money on placer mines. The most important towns of the county are Bakersfleld, Kernvllie, Tehachapl, Sumner and Havllah. BAKERSFIELD, The county seat, has a population of about 1,500, and is situated in Kern Valley, on the line of the S. P. E. R., and Is about one mile from Kern Klver. There are In Bakersfleld a beautiful Court House, which was built about two years ago, at a cost of about $40,000, and a school house, which was com- pleted during the last year at a cost of about $10,- OOO. There are two newspapers here, the Courier- Calif omian and the Gazette. There is talk of a nar- row-gauge railroad or a navigable canal being built from Bakersfleld to tide water, which would be a great convenience and assistance to the peo- ple who have produce to ship and freight to bring m. The railroad at present charges such rates for freight that there is very little margin for the farmer who sends grain to market. The following extracts, taken from the Courier- Californian, will be of Interest : THE LUMBER INTERESTS Of Kern County are not to be overlooked In this brief review of her resources. The Immense sugar pine forests of the Greenhorn Mountains and other spurs of the Sierra are or vast import- ance, and the question of cheap and adequate transportation from the pinery to the valley Is now engaging the thoughtful attention of cap- italists. The construction of a flume down Kern River is a project that has long been contem- Elated, and seems to be not only practicable ut easy, and certainly the Inducements of pecuniary adVcintages to be derived from such an enterprise appear almost irresistible. Rough lumber, per rail, delivered at Bakers- fleld depot, costs $25 per M, while it is probable that tlie superior sugar pine could be flumed down lor $18 to $20 per M, and a princely proflt reahzed at that. There are two mills now running on the Greenhorn Mountain, supplying Kernvllie and the mountain settlements generally witli lumber. These mills furnish nearly all the lumber lor the Darwin mines, in Inyo County, nearly a hundred miles east. Another, on the other side, supplies Linn's Valley, and a fourth, in the San Emldio Mountains, furnishes the southern part of the i&ounty with lumber. IMMIGRATION. A table compiled and published a short time since contains some interesting facts In connec- tion with the Immigration to this State during the past flve years. By that table it appears that the ratio of Increase in population has been greater In the San Joaquin Valley than in any other por- tion of the State, and that of the four southern counties through which the valley extends, namely, Merced, Fresno, Tulare and Kern, by far the largest percentage of Increase is apparent, in Kern County. Theincrease for th e half decade ending now Is represented as follows : Merced, 133; Fresno, 73; Tulare, lOT; and Kern, 151 per cent. Aside from these, the two coast counties, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, show gains re- spectively of 110 and 90 per cent. The remaining southern counties constituting the Fourth Con- gressional District, show an Increase ranging from 5 to 49 per cent. The tide of immigration has been steadily pouring into Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties during the wlaolo of that time, but has been on a diminished rather than an augmented scale for the last two years, while it la only during the latter period that it has ever reached Kern County at all. Virtually, then, the increase In Kern County for the last two years has been at the annual rate of 75 per ceht. Re- markable as this is, we confidently expect to see it surpassed In the succeeding years. It took a long time to flnd us out, and it took much hard- ship, expense and time to reach us afterward till the railroad came and opened the gates of the valley. The coast counties were easily reached by sea, but Kern County, locked la the interior, was the "ultima thule," rarely heard of and never sought. But the blockade Is raised and the Kern Valley Is a great reservoir Into which may roll the tide of population for years, and still there will be room. Ten thousand farms wait but lor the hand of Intelligent Industry to blossom Into as many charming homes. From the far and frozen North, from the depleted and fed-out East, from the devastated South, and from the locust-stricken plains of the West, they come to share our bless- ings and assist us in developing the richest of the inland empire which we call Kern County. And they will continue to come as long as we can sell them lands for $25 to $30 per acre superior in ev- ery point of view to those for which ttey must pay four times as much in the coast counties. A settler's experience. Three years ago Dr. J. Stockton, an Intelligent agriculturist, came to the valley, after losing $12,000 in farming In Sonoma County on account of drouth, and located on a piece of Government land near Kern Lake. But though bankrupt In purse he still had a large balance in his favor in energy and industry. He soon established him- self and made a home for his largo family, and la now the nossessor of three-quarters of section 30, township 27 south, range 21 east, as may be seen by consulting the map. He has some land in al- falfa which yields eight to nine tons of hay dur- ing the season besides pasturage. Wheat and barley gave him an average of forty bushels to the acre ; sweet potatoes yield ten to flf teen tons to the acre. Some of these potatoes grow to pro- digious size. A few specimens were brought to town a few days ago and may bo seen at this office. There are six or them, and they resemble in appearance pumpkins more than anything else. The smallest weighs eighteen pounds and largest twenty-two and a half pounds. These are not yams, but thoroughbred sweet potatoes of the Ocean Queen variety. A manufactory for the purpose of making sugar from the sweet potato nas been seriously contemplated, and there is no doubt it would prove a profitable investment. For fattening hogs also there is nothing that can excel the sweet potato. The doctor is lull of resources, and this year him- self possessed or an enormous quantity of water melons, he determined to reduce them to syrup. It look eight gallons of melon juice to make one gallon of syrup. He has made this year one hua- 38 KERN — CONTEA COSTA COUNTY. dred ird twcnty-fivp gallons of excellent Byrnp. He rcf.'ar.'« (hl-i t;ie best place to be found anywhere for raiBirii poultry rf nil kinds. Fowls are free from the ! s niilts ot animals, nud are not liable to dis- eases. rEMPKRAXmSK AND CLIMATE. A r fercncc to the Rposraphical position of Kern Count ,■ will Indicate at once to the thoughtful the gene r 1 ch'iractor of the climate Tlio temperature of til v:ll. y in Winter rarely reaches the freezing poi:;t ; i:i Summer the mercury not nnfroqucutly lur.r' K 1! hundred degrees. It is universally remark- ed, li )W. V. r, opecially by those recintly from the East r 1 St ites, that the heat does nut appear to be nearly so great here at a hundred as it does there at ri;;h v-tive degrees. This is susceptible of easy expl.;u;.ti n. One reason lies in the vast amount of cv pjr;.tion that is constantly going on here, and ano'hcr in the fact that a iievei'-failiug brcozs pre- vails throughout the Summer. This breeze tr.ivels »11 ilio Way up the valley from the sea, and no doubt tho great body of water lying partly within our n Tthern boundary, called Tulare Lake, and over which it directly passes, has much to do in equalizing its temperature by the time it reaches the lower and more central parts of the valley. Reference is here had especially to the valley of Eern River, as constituting the most flourishing and populous portion of the county. The nights, from the causes already cited, are deliciously cool and pleasant; no matter how great the heat of tho day has been, it will always be found comfortable ta sleep under one pair of blankets. In the foot-hills, at a Blight elevation above the plains, there is what is known as the warm belt. Here the air is warm and dry to a remarkable degree, and such is the purity of the atmosphere that fresh meat upon ei- poi-ure will dry up but will not putrefy. Being per- fectly screened by the Coast Range from the sea- fogs that i)revail along our sister coast counties, and also from harsh winds, the climate of Eern County is justly regarded as one of the finest in the world, especially for persons suffering from pulmo- nary and kindred affections. Numerous instances can bo cited of persons who have come hero in ap- parently the lust stages of consumption, who can to-day testify to the efficacy of the climate in re- storing them to the most robust and vigorous health. The air of the mountains is of course more bracing and invigorating, and is laden with tho rich balsamic odors of the pine and fir that clothe their rugged sides. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. Bt J. P. ABBOTT, Editor of the Antioch Ledgeb. Perhaps the capabilities, resources and proable lutiire clevclopmeuts of Contra Costa have been less written about, and are more imperfectly un- derstood than most ot thp llfty-two counties com- prlslnii the State of calil'ornia; certainly ot those iordo: lug on the liay, and so near San Francisco, the metropolis and great coniincrci U centre. Un- til 1SV3 there was no communication by rail with adjol inj^ counties. Tho traveller by rlversteamer cau^j.it 1,0 yllmpscsot our coscy valleys, teeming with the vine, the olive and the oraiise; our broad, fertile plains, rich with golden grain, or the we. 1th of coal imbedded la the foothills of old Diablo. Now hundreds of people daily pass over the seventy miles ot road within the count v limits. ITS LOCATION'. Contra Costa Is bounded on the north by San Joaquin Klver. Sulsun Bay, Straits ot Carquinez and San Pablo Pay ; o;;st by San Joaquin County; Bouih by Alameda County; west by Alameda County and San Francisco Pay. It will thus be observcvl tnat ourgeoy:raphlcal position is a most desirable o:.e, b Ing about midway of tho coast line ot the state, fronting tho Golden Gate, and •with a water Irontnse of seventy ndlosou tho ■western and nortliern border. 'JP.o county was oifiaul. eel la ISoO. It coniali'S i^even liuudtvd and flit v square miles ot territory, or 4-i4,-i91 acres, ot whlc 1 about two liundreii thousand are cultiva- ted, tlio reuainder being gra/.tuir an I wiste land. Aciots the county, extending ii usnuthensterly and northwesterly direction, parallel wlili the CO. St, the second great and distinct range ot niou.itnl 'S. forms a natural dividing lino between tto eabtern and we&t'M-u ^ecIlons. Tho distln- eul'-hl g features ot tiils r.uiiio is Mount Piublo, sta iil.i,'outbol ilys.sys feet 111 height, towering aoovo 11 U iho p.'.iks a d bel ig very near tho geoirap'itcul ce tro of tho county. Its promi- nent o cause I It 10 lie seloeted by tho Government astuolnlilaliioint of bason d nierldUn lines in tho survey for nearly iwo-tiiirds ot tho State area. Two waijon roads ot ea^^y grado le id tolts Buuiailt. vlsltedannually by thousands ot tourLsts. The panoramic view Is grand and sweeping. Vil- lages, towns, cities, bays, rivers and the bluff waters ot the Paclflc are seen for a distance oJ one hundred miles. The streets ot San Francis- co, with the hurrying to and fro ot Its ceaseless throng, are plainly visible, while to the north and cast, are seen the quiet valley-homes of the in- dustrial classes. CLIMATE. As in most counties of our State, so here, ono may find a diversity la climate. Generally speak- ing. It may be regarded as a happy medium be- tween the chilling fogs of San Francisco and the enervating heat ot the interior valleys. The after- noon westerly trade winds, blowing fresh from tlio ocean, are modulated by tho W'urmer inland air currents, reudeiing our cUnato delightful, subject neiilier to thee'xtremesot heat nor cold. In summer the mercury ranges from 75 to 90 de- grees; in Winter from 40 to 70, with a few excep- tional warmer or colder days. The season Is di- vided Into the wet and dry. From May to No- vember there iscons'antsunshlne; but the gentle ocean bree<;e stimulates the out-door laborer, and Invites tho invalid to prolong his rambles even to alaio evening hour. The hot, sultry nights of the Atlantic coast are unknown, and Caliiornlans can justly boast ot being me soundest sleepers on the globe. There is no healthier county in the State, contagious diseases audthe many ills ot childhood linll no abiding place here. A physi- cian ot thirty years' practice states, without fear of successful contradiction, that children born in this county are more vigorous, better developed physically, and freer from the pests of vermin,, scabies and eruptions ot babyhood than la any other part ot the State. FARMING LANDS. The central valley ot the county Is about fifteen miles in length and sl.\ miles in width, extending from Sulsuu Pay southward to the Diablo foot- hills. The various names of Pacheco, Ygnaclo,. Diablo and Walnut Creek are applied to this fer- tile section, which yields bounteously of cereals and fruits. Tho soil is rich, and farmers rarely fall to 1111 their granaries. The little valley of San Kamon. extending from Walnut Creek to the- Alameda line. Is about ten miles long and from one to two lolles wide. It contains some ot tb^ CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. 39 pleasaniest homes and wealtulesc farmers of the couiitv. Among the hills ia the western part of thecduuty are yaii Pablo, Pinole, Brlones, kodeo, Tajlar and Alhambra valleys, all dotted with happy homes surrounded with the vine and the orange, uenoting evidence of thrift and industry. The farming lauds in the eastern section of the county extend from Bay Point, a spur of Diablo, east, and between tlie foothills and San Jo.iquln Elver to the county line, being twenty-three miles In length by from thiee to six In width, and em- bracing about sixty thousand acres of anible land. In this tract are the well-Known Los Medanos and Los Meganos Spanish grants, the former owned by L. L. Robinson, the latter, betterkiown as the Marsh Grant, by the Clay Street Bank. This land Is a rich, alluvial soil, and produces large croDS of wheat and barley. To the north- ward, aiid between the upland and San Joaquin Klver, are some 50,0(10 acres of tule laud. Vast Bums of money have been expended In the work of reclamation, and corresponding benefits will be realized In coming years. This land Is marvel- lously productive, the soil Is practically inexliaust- Ible, and when made secure from the effects of floods and freshets, by substantial levees, will be- come the most valuable farming district In the county. Thousands of acres have been leased to Chinamen the present season tor a term ot years, they paying an annual rental ot from $12 to $20 Eer acre. Although yielding from thirty to eighty ushels of grain per acre, the Mongolian prefers to grow vegetables almost exclusively, and real- izes a handsome margin from his patient Industry over and above the extravagant price demanded lor rent. KESODRCES. With the exception of coal mining Contra Costa Is mainly an agricultural county. Her exports are wheat, barley, oats, rye, hay, vegetables, fruit and coal. All the valleys yield remunerative crops ot cereals, and as stated above, the reclaim- ed land is peculiarly adapted to raising vegeta- bles, especially potatoes, which grow .o great Bize and perfection. But little corn is grown, though some ot the smaller valleys in the western portion of the county produce average crops. OUR COAL MINES. The coal measures of the Diablo foothills are an Important source of wealth to the county. The towns of NortonvlUe, Somersvllle and Judsonvllle have been built up from and are entirely depen- dent upon this interest. Antloch has also been largely benefited by the development of this in- dustry. These mines were discovered in 1S59 by William C. Israel, Francis Somers and James T. Cruikshank, the two latter having discovered the ■well-known Black Diau)ond vein, which, for nearly twenty years, has yielded of Its treasure to the never-tiring pick of the miner, tilling the cof- fers of the fori unate owners with gold, affordrng enjploynjent and support to liuudreds of worthy citizens with their families, and addi.ig to wealth of the county and State. A railroad extends from the mines to Black Diamond Landing, at the head of Suisun Bay, a distance of six miles from trans- portation of coal to deep water. The Pittsburg and Uuiun mmes, at Somersvllle, one mile cast of NortonvlUe, also ship their coal products over a road ot six miles in length, extending from Som- ersvllle to Pittsburg Landing. Two miles eastward Is located the Central mine, profitably worked for several years, but which is at present idle. Next comes ttio E npire, owned by Judson, Belshan & Kouse. This mine was opened in 1ST6. A narrow gauge railroad was built in 18T8, from the mi m to the town of Antloch, tlve miles distant, and large quantities of coal are daily shipped to various parts ot the State. Besides thesi', are the Brent- wood, Corcoran, Teutonla anciothem.lnes, which have been only partially develop(;d, but which will doubtless prove to be equally valuable, and Will be opened to meet the demand for coal as the Slate engages inorecxtenHlvely in manufacturing enterprises. Tlie aggregate annual sliipmeuts of coal irom these mines Is about one hundred and fifty thousand tons. PKICE OF LAND. No definite information can be given under this head, as very much depends upon the location, character of the soil, accessibilliy to market, ex- tent of Improvements, etc. Generally speaking, good wheat land ranges from $20 to $60 per acre. In the vicinity of San Pablo, land Is nited at from $100 to $'200 per acre— this being ratlier at its pros- pective value for private residences, being only a lew tnllea irom the grow'lug city of Oakland, tliaa its actual worth for agricultural purposes. Good grazing, vineyard and orcharu land can be pur- chased from $3 to $10 per acre. One seeking a home must, in securing laud, as in all other business transactions, make personal investigation, as sur- rounding circumstances to a great extent govern his action. EDUCATION AND RELIGION. The educational and religious principles wui compare favorably with any county in the State. There are thirty-eleht school districts, in each of which a public school is maintained at least eight months during the year, and In most of the larger towns ten months. From tne early organization of the county Its public schools have been foster- ed and zealously cared for. Many of the school buildings are handsome, commodious structures, supplied with all the conveniences of modem Im- provements and tastefully arranged grounds. Opportunities for religious Instruction are not wanting. At Antloch, there are four churches- Congregational, Slethodist, Advent and Catholic, each holding weekly service. Somersvllle, Nor- tonvlUe, Clayton, Concord, Pacheco, Martinez, San Pablo, Walnut Creek and Danville, have each cue or more churches, besides a number la agricultural districts remote from towns. NEWSPAPERS. Thei'e are three weekly newspapers in the county. The Gazette, published by Bunker & Por- ter, at Martinez, has completed lis twentletn vol- ume. It is an ably edited, well conducted Journal, rella le in its statements, and ever has the best interests of tlie county in view. It is IteiuiDlican in politics. The Contra Costa xVcios, also published at fllartinez, by William R. crauna. coraplctcd its first volume. Its columns are devoted ciUeOy to local matters. In politics it professes to b: an ex- pounder of the principles ot Democracy. The Ledger, published at Antloch, has entered upon its tenth year and volume. It is Republican i i poli- tics, or its merits It would not be proper for the writer to speak. TOWNS. Danville, situated in San Ramon Valley, has the appearance of a quiet New England village. It contains two churches, of the Pres'oyterliu and Christian denominations, a Grangers' h ill, hotel, store, blacksmith shop and pretty cottages, em- bowered la moss and ornamental trees. There are few more Inviting spots In the county than Danville, especially in the Spring and e.irly Sum- mer. It is distant some sixteen inlles from Mar- tinez, the county seat. Alamo, also a small village, is situated on San Ramon Creek, two miles nortli from Danville. It has a hotel, store, school house .aid Presbyterian church. It is in the midst of a rich farming dis- trict, and most or the Inhabitants are in indepen- dent circumstances. Walnut creek is a thriving little village, situ- ated nearly in the centre of the valley at th,* junction of San Ramon Creek and tint winch bears the village name. It is a trade centre for surrounding districts, co > talus several stores, a good hotel. Metliodist church, and during the past year lius grown conslderalily. Lafayette is the oldest vilUige in the county. Its first settler being Elan Brown, who located there In 1846, and Is si ill a resident. It ikis a store, hotel, flouring mill, carriage shop and a few other business houses. Paclicco Is situated at the head of a slough bearing the same name. Owing to damage bj: 40 CONTRA COSTA — DEL NORTE COUNTY. floods the population h;is somewhat decreased durliiH: tlio past ilvo years, though it la a place o£ conslileralile uusliiesslLiiportance. It contains a population of about 000, has a number o£ stores ot general merchandise, a Congregational and Catholic Churcl), an Ddd Fellows' llall— a haud- Bomo edifice— Hour mill, plough tactory, etc. Cou- slderablo Krai a Is shipped from this point by way ot Pachcco .^louuh, it being only four miles dis- tant from Suisun Bay. A large scope ot rlcli ugrlcuimral laud is tributary to the town. San I'ablo is a small village in the southwestern portion of iho county, twelve miles distant from Oakland. It contains two churches, Catholic and Baptist, a number ot stores, hotels and business houses. It is pleasantly situated in the centre ot a productive valley. Martinez, situated on the Straits ot Carquinez, Is tho county seat. It contains a papulation ot about seven hundred and is one ot the prettiest villages in tho State. The overland railroad passes through the town, and tho commerce of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers passes la lull yiew. There is a Cathohc, congregational and Episcopal church, handsome school building, and a number ot elegant private resUeuces. The town contains a bank, several large grain ware- houses, a Hour-mill, four hotels, eight or ten stores. Court llouse. Hall ot Records, and nu- merous business houses. Concord is situate one and a halt miles east ot Pacheco. It is pleasantly located, contains a Ca- tholic church, two hotels, several stores and shops, and receives its support from adjoining farnuug districts. Clavtonisacosey, quiet village nestled at the foot ot Diablo, eight miles east ot Concord. It has an excellent school, a good hotel, Congregational church, several stores and business houses. NortouviUe, the most populous town in the county. Is four miles east ot Clayton. It is em- phatically a coal-mining town, situated in a deep cafion, hedged on all sides by high hills. The town contains several stores, one or two public halls, hotels and numerous shops and business houses. Somei-sville, also a mining town, is one mile east ot Nortonville. The mines are still being worked, though not so extensively as in former years. Here there arc two churches. Catholic and Metho- dist, a large iu\ll, owned by the Ked Men, a pood hotel and several stores. Antloch is situate at the outlet ot tho San Joaquin Valley, a short dis- tance above the contluenceot the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. It contains 700 Inhabitants. There are four churches, two hotels, ten stores, a fine hall, owned Jointly by the .Masons and Odd Fellows, a Grangers' Hall, distillery, the "Califor- nia," etc. The town Is pleasantly situated on the San Joaquin, is a shipping point for wheat, and commands the trade ol a large scope ot agricul- tural laud. JudsonvlUe Is a new mining town, five miles south ot Antloch, having sprung up since the opening ot the Empire Coal Wine. The growth ot the town will be commensurate with and de- pendent upon the extent to which the mines ar& worked. The same is true ot Somersville and Nor- tonville, which are dependent wholly upon the coal mining Interest. Tho little villages ot Pittsburg and Black Dia- mond are landings on the San Joaquin River, and termini respectively ot the railroads leading to Somersville audKortouvllle, alluded to above. MANUFACTtTRING AND SHIPPING. Contra Costa ought to be and will some day be- come the leading manufacturing county In tha State, and this for two reasons— first, on accounC. ot her cheap fuel for steam ; and second, because she enjoys remarkable facili'ies for transporta- tion, by rail or water, with every portion ot ther State. This is especially true ot the eastern sec- tlon otthecountv. Uuudredsot tonsot Diablo coaB are dallv brought by sail to the wharves at Blacf Diamond, Pittsburg and Autioch. It can here be> purchased by manutactin-crs for three dollars per ton, being I rom one to two dollars ner ton less than It now costs manufacturers at San Francisco, Vallejo, Stockton or Sacramento. As a shipping and manufacturing point, the^ town of Autioch possesses peculiar facilities. Lo- cated near the confluence of the two large navi- gable rivei-s of the State, the San Joaquin ex- tending in a southerly direction through thei fertile vallev which bears its name, a distance oC 250 miles, and whose products are annually senti to market by water carriage afforded by this stream; and the S;]crameuto,''runiiingiu an oppo- site direction a distance ot 150 miles through an equally rich and jiroductive country, whosa products also are chiefly brought down the rivers passing this point. Autioch is the head ot navl-i gation for sea-going vessels, and the only inland part ot the State surrounded by a fertile, agri- cultural country, where the schooner, the barge^ light-drauuht steamer and ship may meet. It Is here the river enters Suisun Bay, whose channeB at the shoalest point at low tide has a depth ol twenty-two feet of water, and which was pro- nounced by the late General B. S. Alexander to ben " free from all hidden dangers to navigation," It» has been estimated that three-fourths of the ex- port wheat products of the State are grown lit these two valleys. Autioch is the natural outlet. It is the shippiiig point nearest to these grain re- gions, and when capacious warehouses "are con- structed, will become a leading port lor the ship- ment ot wheat to foreliin markets. \Mth her coal supplies, conveniences for transportation, and surrounded by extensive, productive farming lands, there cannot be found a more desirable lo-' cation for manufacturing enterprises. DEL NORTE COUNTY. By W. H. WOODBURY, Esq. Del Norto Cotmty Is the most northerly county In the state ; is bounded north by the State ot Oregon, south bv Ilumboldt County, east by Sis- kiyou County, and west by the ocean. This county was settled in the year lSo3 as part of Klamath County ; in iroT it began its existence as Del Norte County. Crescent City, the county seat, is 2S0 miles from San Francisco, by water, and is situ- ated on a littlo bay, the beach forming a crescent, and affording a pleasant drive ot Ave miles. Black or gold-bearing sand is found here, and is worked now, and has been worked for several years with profit. Steamers and sail vessels run regularly between this place and San Francisco. Good wharfage can be obtained. A whart runs from Battery Point to Flat Kook, a distance of 1,300 feet. Interior merchants have their suppUes shipped to this point, to be forwarded by pack trains and wagons. The principal business of this place is lumbering and dairying. A fine belt ot limber surrounds the town. The varieties of timber •ere, spruce, flr, redwood, cedar, hem- lock and myrtle. Thei"e are two sawmills in ooer- atiou, which turn out lO.OJO.OM feet of lu.nber'per annum, tho most of which is shipped to ban Fran- cisco. The Ci-escent Courier is published here. There Is also one job printing office, two churches, DEL NORTE— SIERRA COUNTY. 41 three schools; Masonic, Odd Fellows' and Good Templar Lodges, all vvltli good membersliip ; stores, barber shops, hotels, etc. There are sev- eral dallies within a few miles of this place, and a great deal ot laud that can be bought reasouably, that would maliC cither good farming or dairy farms. The climate is healthy. Very little sick- ness Is found here, and no paupers. Smith Kiver, the next town of Importance, Is situated twelve miles from Crescent City. Tho Drinclnal business of ibis place Is farming and dairying. There are several large dairies here, and room for more. The quality of the butter and cheese made Is said to be eq lal to that of Marin County, and sells readily in the San Fran- cisco market, where the most of it Is shipped. There was over loo tons of butter shioped during the last year, and dairying is In Its Infancy. Get- ting out and shipping railroad ties and fence posts is carried on to some extent here, tliere being flno forests ot timber along the banks of the river. Salmon tisliing is also carried on at the mouth of Smith Kiver. There were over 4,000 cases of canned salmon, and 400 barrels were shipped from this point the last season. Small steamers and sail vessels enter the river. There are three good schools, a church and three stores, and imurovements going on all the time, wliieh naturally shows prosperity. Land can be obtained from J2 to $30 per acre. Altaville lies east of Smith River about eight miles. Here is a good opportunity for capital, as copper, Iron, chrome and other minerals are found in large quantities. Grasquet is situated eighteen miles from Cres- cent city, and is a mining locality, and would furnish plenty of room for those who desire a good place for prospecting, with good chances ot success. Haynes Flat and Big Fiat are now be- ing mined extensively with good prospects, and plenty of room lor prospectors. Rcqua is situated at the mouth of the Klamath River. This place Is at present claimed by the Government tor a reservation, but why, it is hard to tell. A few settlers are located here, holding on in hopes that the Government will relinquish and throw it open tor settlement ; it such should be the case (and it ought to be), a tine farming country would furnisii homes for a large number of families. Tho coast road between Del Norte County and Ilumboidt runs through this section. Happy Camp, the last but notleastot the towns in this county, is a thriving little village, to reach which we cross the Siskiyou Mountains, a pleas- ant and healthy place, where people die only ot old age. Mining is the principal business done here. There are several largo mines worked and all are doing well. Men can make a living almost anywhere on the river and creeks, at the same time with a prospect of doing better. The total assessment of Del Norte County for the year 1ST8 was $695,950, and rate of 2»^ per cent State and county taxes. The uelluquent list will not foot up over $200. SIERRA COUNTY. By E. K. DOWNER, Junior Editor of the Mountain Messengeb. This county, most appropriately christened Sierra, Spanish term for mountainous, the lowest point within its jurisdiction being 2,000 feet above sea level, derives its name from the Sierra Nevada range ot mountains, that cross from north to south, and is bounded on the north by Plumas and Lassen, east by the State of Nevada, south by Nevada County, and west by Yuba and Plumas. Most of the mining camps are far above snow line, at an elevation of 4,500 feet or more. Many of the canons are 2,000 feet deep, through which flow, with the speed ot a mill-race, the North and Middle Yubas, coursing westerly, the latter form- ing the southern boundary of Sierra. This county extends east and west about sixty miles, toy thirty north and south, with an area of 830 square miles. Sierra is enriched with magnifl- cent coniferous forests of red spruce, white or balsam fir, cedar, sugar and yellow pine, toesldes vast natural orchards of wild plum, gathered lor preserving every year ; and her beautiful romantic scenery and delight- ful Climate is rarely equalled and unsurpassed m any part of the globe. There are a few Isolated peaks in this county— Table Rock, Saddle Baelc, Mt. Fillmore, Fir Cap, 6,500 feet altitude; Sierra Buttes, near 9,000— only 200 foct lower than Mt. Loia. Sierra Buttes la one of tho landmarks of the State, visible from a large area of tho valley of the Sacramento, and n)ost prominently con- spicuous by the sharply-detlned cone-shaped ser- rated basaltic lava in Its formation. From the topmost ridges are obtained some of the grandest and most beautiful panoramic views of the country, irom Mt. Shasta clear down to Diablo, and Including a part of the State of Nevada. Some years snow falls to the depth of twenty feet on tho high ridges, and people communicate with each other by means of tunnels. The abund- ance and long dui-atlon of the snow necessitate the use of snow shoes, and races with them are the popular amusement in Winter, which are " as good as a circus," especially, as is frequently the case, when much betting is therein indulged. The racing ground is usually on a long slope, down which tho racers sUde, sometimes at the fearful sueed of a mile a minute. The shoes (Norwegian skate) consist of thin plno boards, turned up at the toe, lour inches in width, twelve or sixteen feet long. Summer and Fall miners travel mule-baclc and afoot up and down tho nar- row, zigzag trails, as in the "auld lang syne," ex- cept in many places where good trails have been made. Tho chief industry of the county is min- ing, not one acre in filty being suitable for the plough. Hardly a year passes without some un- fortunate wanderer losing his way In the furious snow-storms in these mountains, many of whom never escape. During the warm season the tem- perature in the middle of the day is rather high, averaging from 80 degrees to 90 degrees in the shade; but nights arc always refreshingly cool- sometimes chilling. Thunder Is rarely heard at this altitude. Prcrient annual snow-fall is much less than In former years, due in a measure, as accounted for by our scientists, to the tliinniag out of our forests. Sierra's geological features, like those of tho central mining reaion of Califor- nia, are: Eastern border, granite, forming the summits of tho main range of the Sierra Nevadas ; westward, basaltic lavas and volcanic breccia, overlying the slates, followed by slates in various degrees of metaphorphism, and belts ot serpentine lower down toward the western side of the county. STATISTICAL. The following statistics for the fiscal year3 1878-9, collated by County Assessor G. W. Hughes, will enlighten inquiring minds in regard to Sier- ra's resources: Acres land Inclosed, 2,932; cultivated, 2,695; wheat but little raised; barley, acres, 1,000; bushels, 20,000; oats, acres, 2,000; bushels, 40,000; potatoes, acres, eo ; tons, 170 ; hay, acres, 12,600 ; 42 SIERRA COUNTY. tons, IS.OOO; pounds butter made, 153,000 ; value fruit cr.p, $5,000; breweries, 6- horses, 1,192; mules, GS; total Uornca cattle, ;t.452; sheep, 156; caslimero and Augora goats, 3.'0 ; bogs, SOS ; grist- mills, waterpowcr, 1; barrels flour made, 100; sawmills, steam, 10; water, 8; quartz mills, 22; mliilus,' ditches (cost, uear a mlUion dollars), 55 ; miles ui lougth. 22S; Irrigating ditches, 1; rail- roads, central PaclUc, 1; length, 2 15-100 miles; real estate, $T7S,T00; Improvemeiits, $330,560; perr Boiial property, ?o2o,905; total, $1,4S9,165; estima- ted population, 5.000; registered voters, l,S36; ballots polled last l>resldf uiial election, 1S76. l,42S. Value agricultural laud, Sierra Valley, $12 per acre. Below are assessed values ot the properties ol some or our richest mines : Sierra Buttes, quartz. $140,000; Bald Mouutaiu, drUt claim, $70,- WO; lilcliev & CO., hydraulic, $25,000; North America, do, $2^000: Arnott & Co., do., $7,500. statement ior March, 1S79, tiuances Sierra County. John Scott, Treasurer : Cash on hand February 2S, $26,209 05 ; received during the mouth, $3,515 05; disbursements. $6,803 93; balance In treasury, March 81. $23,010 77 ; outstanding Indebtedness (rodd bonds bearing interest ten per cent per an- Dum), $u,40o to be" cancelled lu two years, value county buildings. $11,250; tax levy per hundred, 167S, $2 60. To the able and economical admiuls- trailou ot our Supervisors the past lew years, is la a great measure due the credit ot this favora- ble outcome for Sierra, county oflicers— Sheriff, N. B. Fish; Deputy Sheriff, U. II. Squire: County Clerk, II. Strange; Treasurer, John Scott; Coun- ty and Probate Judge, A. J. Uowe; District At- torney, F. D. Soward; Assessor, G. W. Hughes; Surveyor, L O.Jones; Public Administrator and Coroner, A. Jump: Superintendent Schools, T. S. WlS80n ; Supervisors— D. T. Cole, George Wood, J. K. Walls. DRIFT AND HYDRAULIC MININO. Crossing Sierra In a northerly direction. Is a continuation ot the rich ancient river channels that pass through Nevada County. These have already yielded millions, but still insure profitable returns for centuries. At llrst the beds and shores of the Yuba and other streams were so rich in gold that fortunes easily came with the pan and rocker. But as these were soon exhausted, more costly modes of ^vorkiug had to be adopted to And "the secreted treasure. It was discovered that under the mountains ot volcanic lava existed channels of anciect rivers, lu many cases richer than those ot the present time. lu Southern Sier.a is the Golden star, valuable drift claim, which gives steady employment lo a large crew ot men. The black sand, hitherto deemed ot but liitle value, is being worked vith a new process, by Superiatcudeut Crane, yielding a tar higher percentage of gold. Then comes the North Fork Compauv, incorporated September 5, 1S70, since which iimo this mine has been continuously worked, completing thous;uids of feet of tunnel, gang\v..vs and air drifts. Over SOO leet ot two compartment shafts have been Bunk, and a lartre piece ot ground excavated for duuipl g purposes, at a cost of nearly $10,000. Thus far, $175,000 have beeu expended In the de- velopment of this mine. While drU lug the main 'unnel, a quartz leds:e (supposed to be a pocket) was struck that yielded over $35,000. Samples of ore assavcd $340,000 to the ton. The owuei-s con- fidently 'believe they are on the eve of bringing to light line ot the richest gravel leads ever dis- covered. The most successful company in tnis portion ot the couuty is the Bald Mouut.iin, whose luckv stockholders have realized, within the past seven veai-s, more than $600,000 lu dividends. Last year was netted $120,000. Channel steadily In- creases la richness. Main tunnel Is now in a little more than a mile, and the train of c:»rs, loaded with inecious gravel, drawn out by a novel mouse- shaped engine, specially constructed tor service here. In Massachusetts. The lead ru;;s l:i a north- easterly directlou. Some mining experts qiicstioa Its being the main blue lead eh.inuel. Usually cue hundred and iltty.or more, meu are employed during water season. TheB.ild Mountain Extension Company Is pushlnfi; In a tuuuel, 3,600 teet, to tap the supposed continuation of the channel,or whlcb over 600 are completed. A shaft was sunk at Gal- loway Ranch, three miles up the ridge, prospect- ing lor this gravel bed; but the great amount ot water encountered caused a cessation of work, after a depth ot 267 feet had been reached, through bowlders, pipe-clay and hard cement. The Plio- cene Company now talk ot running a tunnel to connect with the shaft for future operations. Five miles eastward Is the American Hill Hy- draulic Mine, that has been In process of deveiop- lUPiit for twenty-flve years, and the prosnects of which, at present, are very bright, it has exrel- lerit water privileges, and Is owned In Dowide- vllle. A few ndks distant Is the tsavage Mine. Beyond here gravel mining Is mainly prosecuied on a small scale, uuill we reach KORTHERN SIERRA, Where, commencing at the lower end of the gravel range, between Slate and Canon Creeks, and then following the channel northward or up stream, notably the first mine of consequence Is the Fair Play claim, owned by Boyce Bros., worked by hy- draulic process, with good water right. The bant Is loo to 400 feet In depth. Above the bedrock, forty to sixty feet, Is quartz gravel. Intermixed with large quartz and lava bowlders, where sec- tions of petrified trees, various sizes and lengths, are often found. From this gravel to the surface the composition Is lava, which breaks readily by bank blastlner. The mine has been In operatloa for twenty years, yielding Its fortunate owners a handsome competency, though the expenses have been large; and Its great extent Insures at least twenty-live or thirty years' princely revenues. Next above this location Is the Union Hill, Mc- Chcssney & Boyce, who also have acquired exclu- sive water privileges, and work by hydraulics. The mine is composed of a heavy gravel wash, thirty to eighty feet In depth, without overlying cement or lawi. The bank carries gold from top to bottom ; but the best pay, as In all gold mines, Isthe first twenty feet above bedrock. Petrifica- tions or trees turned to stone, clearly showing the knots, bark and grain of the wood, are ottea discovered. These diggings have been In operation since the da.\s of the "long turn," with all the varied changes and Im- provements to date, always yielding good returns, but paid far better Bince hydraulic mining has been'reduced to a science by Improved methods of handling the water with Little Giants, a id swinging tho bowlders out of the way vvlih w.iter derricks. Extent ot rich deposit u..kuown; enough In sight to hold out for a liietime. Adjoin- ing and third In rotation Is the Cleveland and Sierra, controlled by a corporation whose oflice and principal place of business is lu Cleveland. Ohio, where the stock is mainly owned. 'Ihla mine so far has bsen a failure, owing to poor management. No undertaking like this can be successfully prosecuted by a Board of Directors, separated by halt a continent from the field of operations, who, while sitting around coal stoves, smoking "club-house cigars," dictate Its working. If a competent, practical mining superintendent were clothed with ample powers to develop the ground, in accordance with his own judgment, larger returns would accrue from the 1q- vestment. There Is a good water right; deptu, 100 to SOO feet: best pav from bed- rock up, about forty feet, composed ot quartz gravel closely packed with massive lava and quartz bowldere. Above to the surface is fine quartz gravel and sand, containing but llC- tlogold. These rich gravel leads, already enu- merated, appear to be inexhaustible ; and when two or three" generations shall h ve passed away, the outcome may prove (as is the sincere behef ot many) that they have merely beeu prospected, Thenco by the old river bed, three miles, is an extensive tract, owned by parties unable to de- velop It. and who would sell for a reasonable su :n, commensarate with the merits of tho property, affording an excellent opportunity for men of capital to Invest and create fortunes. This brings us to the Iowa, where deep shafts have been sunk SIEREA COUNTY. 43 and vast amounts of arifting: been done, at an outlay, lu tlie aggresrate, oi; mints of coin. But now, atter years of tireless perseverance, divi- dends have taken the place of heavy assessments, and a lively and prosperous mining burg created In this quarter. For seven miles beyond lies un- prospected land, belouEjlng to "Uncle Sam," who Is willing to give a quit-claim to venturesome fortune hunters desirous of undertaking Its development; and also a -patenc by compliance with his regular forms of application. Port Wine Is next reached, where hundreds of thousands of dollars have been drifted from the toedrock, and still the yield continues unabated. This camp has furnished many lucky prospectors their "pile" (In mining Darlance), now scattered to the four-quarters of tile globe. Passing Grass Fiat, where much coin has been expended run- ning a bedrock tunnel, constructing ditches, etc., we arrive at Gardner's Point, where mmes have miraculously risen from lack of credit for a flfty- pound sack of flour to bo worth a " cool hundred thousand." Then follows Cedar Grove and Green- wood, where tunnel mining has been In operation Bince our earliest history. Average pay, three to Ave dollars per day, working short hours. Abund- ance of ground here unprospected for sale at low figures. Next on the roll comes St. Louis, or Sears' Dry Diggings, where Sears was accidenially du'ected when the Gold Lake excitement ended in a fiasco, and rocked out. In a few weeks, enough nuggets to load two mules, and then— started off In search of better diggings. This is now a hydraulic mining camp, with tfravel 60 to lOO feet deen, easy to wash, with no large bowlders or heavy deposits, and principally owned by Donahue, Mor- gan & Stahl, who have a good water privilege. It Is steadily yielding dividends, wit 1 sure prospect of lasting lor many years. Tiience, for one mile, the channel la worked out, where once stood the thriving little village of Chandlervllle, with well- fllied stores of merchandise, hotels and saloons, where all the alluring games of chance were played, and tempting piles of eight-square slugs lost and woo. So, within a quarter of a century. on the site that was built a prosperous town, novv nothing remains to tell where it stood. Pine Grove, one lime the most populous village of northern Sierra, by fires, removals, etc., has been reduced to a lew houses. Here Sears' Union Water Company are largely interested la hy- draulic mining, possess their own water right (best in the county), each season realizing fair profits (frequently thirty-five cents per cubic yard) on capital invested, wich pay-ground suf- ficient to last for years. At llowland Flat, where over two million dollars have been talcen out by lour companies the last lew years, Chittenden & Co. are engaged In hydraulic min- ing, who own and use a good water privilege. In most sections of this county hydraulic cialuia are of little value, unless with them is controlled the water necessary for their working. This com- pany obtain fair yields each season, and have a large body of ground, which will require years to wasii away. Now, still following up the channel, BOdeeply covered with lava as to render hydraul- Icklng Impossible, we find drift mining has been resorted to: First, Union; secono, Ilawkeye; third, Pittsburgh; fourth. Monumental; filth. Empire. All these have iiaid well, and the profits derived from them depended entirely upon the BClentlflc manner In which they were worked. Many of the owners wero enriched by their claims. As years progressed, tunnel mining' improved, un- til now dirt can be taken out at one-half the ex- pense per cubic yard that; it cost a few years ago. The Empire has divided amongst Its stockholders one-half a million dollars, with no assessments. Korth, or up-stream from tho Empire, is the Bo- nanza, now being opened, which promises divi- dends or minions. Beyond this point tne channel la capped wUh lava, and there are no surface In- dications to show where it runs. In the extreme northern part of Sierra, a large, gold-bearing, ancient river channel emerges from the vast lava bed, which at one time overflowed all the great blue lead rivers, enveloping their Bourcea in mystery. That the extensive quartz veins containing the gold, and from whence has come all the precious metal found in the chan- nels, as also the quartz bowlders, little to big, rounded and smoothed by the action of water, are covered by this lava-cap, is a question or no doubt ; and after such vast numbers of cold nug- gets, many ounces In weight, have been drlveo down the channels hundreds of miles, I leave to the imagination of the reader the large quanti- ties of heavy gold which will one day bo round nearest to and at the original source— this fabu- lous, subterranean treasure-vault. Gibsonville Is the first town of note below the deep lava flow, where gravel Is In sight from top to bottom. The channel here has been tapped by tunnels only in places, about three miles— North America to Bootjack. This lias been a prosperous mining camp lor over a quarter of a century. The mines have amassed fortunes to many, and competency for thousands, but been poorly man- aged, duo to a lack or knowledge, both or tunnel and hydraulic mining. The water supply, besides large bodies of valuable ground. Is owned by cox, Gourley and Lang. Numerous companies are working with profitable returns. Channel con- tinues southward ; is being located and lu progress of development. The old towns of Poker Flat, Morristown and Eureka contain some of the rich- est hydritullc and drift mines In the State, whicli still yield princely revenues. Near little Grizzly is Bunker lllll claim, 800 acres; length or pay channel, 7,000 feet; estimated width, 500 feet: gross yield, one year, $90,000; total to date, over $100,000; number acres washed, five. Volcanic eruptions seriously Interfere with the continuity of these ancient river channels. The greatest drawback to Sierra has been that most of those who realized fortunes heio emi- grated to the valleys and lower countled of Cali- fornia, or Oregon, or the Eastern States, draining this section or canltal; while others sunk their suddenly acqulred'riches In that maelstrom— the San Francisco stock Exchange, and In Savings Banks, with little better success, leaving the wlierewlthal financially to develop new mines most discouragi ugly scarce. Ouo peculiarity con- nected with drift mining is what is termed "swellinc: bedrock," a source of constant annoy- ance, running tunnels, frequenlly crushing heavy timbers and the cause ot much other damage. Average wages paid miners, three dollars a day; blacksmiths, four. This is a desirable county for immigrants, willing to put their shoulder to the wheel and assist in develooing some of the richest mineral land on any of the continents. QUARTZ MINING, A few years later, became one of our leading in- dustries. The richest and most permanent or© bodies are those of the Sierra Buttes, located la 185T, since which time stamps have been used la their working. Previously, gold was extracted with arastras. For the first twelve years after their discovery the gross yield was $1,700,000 ; not profits, $1,069,000, while 130,000 of tons ore were crushed, averaging $13 per ton. Insufflciency ot water for mill power then necessitated the con- struction ot a flame, at a cost of $40,000. Present average gross yield, $30,000 per month, milling 5,000 tons of oie ; expense or working, per ton, $4. There aro 90 stamps, three mills run by water- power, and 250 men employed. The mine Is oper- ated by mills and tunnels ; there are eight levels, the seventh being in over 2,000 reet. No siuKing or pumping is required. It is the oldest and most extensively worked mine ot the kind in this State. The ore now being or very low grade, it is neces- sary to put through a large quantity to make it remunerative. Four Knight's wheels aro use lat a pressure of 500 feet. Water Iscarrled in flumes from Sardine and other lakes, on the north side of the Sierra Buttes, altitude 6,200 feet— region of per- pecLual snow. Possession has recently been ac- quired of the noted Indeuendence ledges, and the water, lor years so troublesome there, drwlned through the sixth level, and good paying rock has been lound. The ravine below Is lavorable lot operating arastras, ot which there are thirty- 44 SIERRA COUNTY. eight tnat grind tlie tailings from tbe mills, pay- ino: montUly rental for the privilege. Sierra Buttes, Plumns-Eureka and other Pacific Coast mines are coutvollecl by English capitalists, whose hf^arl office Is in London. The Sierra Buttes ana Plumas-Eureka are connected by a telegraph line, and under the general supervision ot William Jolins, Esq., formerly of Amador County ; Thomas Preston, assistant superintendent; Wni. James, underground foreman ; J. E. Carney, head amal- gamator—one of the most successful in the State. Gross yield, 1S78. $312,000; net receipts, $97,000. Tlie mine was sold by Ferd. Rels, original owner, 1870, for $750,000, and our venturesome friends over the waters have never regretted their pur- chase. Altitude of Superintendent's office, 5,400 feet. A few miles down the Yuba, on the other side ot the stream, up near the old Emi- grant road, is located the famous Keystone Mine. The walls are of black slate, and the quartz is a yellow ribbon rock. The gold Is fine and evenly distributed through the pay chimney, except one streak in the middle— the richest. The quartz seams cross at an angle, instead of being parallel with the direction of the vein. This ledge has paid largely, but the vast body of water struck at the great depth ot the underground workings has rendered II. Scamman and his partners (some of your leading citizens) unwilling to venture the heavy outlay necessary for the further develop- ment ot this mine, believing that some of the leading magnates of California street should and will eventually seek therein a profitable invest- ment for their stn-plus cash. There are numerous other valuable quartz ledges throughout the county— Good Hope, Oro, Brush Creek, Oriental. Hope, Gold Bluff and Phoenix, be- sides many others. There is a good prospect that this lucrative branch of mining will be exten- sively prosecbited in the future, as the vast min- eral resources ot Sierra become more thoroughly developed. SIERRA VALLEY Is located In the eastern part ot the county, alti- tude of 5,000 feet, containing 43,897 acres of good farming land. Assessed value real estate, 1878, $103,485; improvements, $81,570; nersonal prop- erty. $118,274; total, $303,329. Tons of delicious marketable butter are annually churned (in places by water power), and shipped away, even as far as Virginia City. The hay, oats and barley croo Isusuallv good. INIany ot the farmers are well-to- do, owning handsome residences with beautiful gardens and orchards. The land is watered by numerous streams, alive with mountain trout. Stock-raising is one of tne leading industries. The waters of Webber Lake are now brought into the valley by means of ditches and flumes, miles in length, furnishing ample facilities for irrigation. In Winter snow falls to the depth of several feet, when there Is as good sleighing as in the New England States. One and a half miles east of Sierraville, are a group of hot springs, known as CAMPBELL'S StTLPHUE BATHS, Noted for their curative qualities for rheumatic and numerous other complaints. Their proprie- tor, John Campbell (our ex-Sheriff), has built a large hotel for visitors, which is crowded during the warm months every year. Nearby are a danc- ing hall and croquet ground. There are free towns In the valley— Randolph, Sierraville and Loyalton. C. C. Darhng's stage line affords easy and rapid communication with Truckee, and Q. Buxton's, Jamison and Plumas Eureka Mine. It Is intended to put up a tele- phone line this year between Sierraville and Truckee, which will. In time, be followed by a narrow-gauge railroad. This section is an excel- lent country for Immigrants ot limited capital. Far above in the clouds, 7,000 feet above the sea, lies a beautiful sheet of water— Independence Lake— three mlleslong by three-quarters of a mile In width— a lovely "pleasure resort, much fre- quented during the Summer, where tlie thermom- eter is only 73 degrees, while It is over 100 degrees In the footlillls and valleys. Three distinct echoes can be heard from the centre of the lake la the evening. The summit of Mount Lola, over 9,000 feet elevation. Is only three miles distant. There is good Ashing and abundance of game. Webber Lake, further north, is also much fre- quented, where eight echoes are clearly audible over the waters. 'I'he Intention is to soon build a carriage-road up to the summit ot Mount Lola, which will, on completion, afford one of the grandest drives In the world. Downieville, county seat of Sierra, was first set- tled in 1849. The legal distance to San Francisco is 203 miles; State Capital, 119; MarysvUle, 65; Nevada City, 50. There is a f ri-weekly stage com- munication with the latter two places. Summer and Fall the trip to the metropolis can be made In twenty-four hours. Population, 1,000 (it num- bered over 5,000, with 1,500 voters, in 1S51) ; regis- tered voters, 250. The town was named after Major Wm. Downie, now a resident ot Nevada County, where he Is interested in valuable min- ing property. With an altitude of 3,000 feet, the climate is very similar to that of San Rafael, and flowers, almond and other fruit trees thrive. Downieville lies in a deep canon. Inclosed on all sides by mountainous ridges, fully 2,000 feet high, and was once the busy centre of tue richest gravel region of California. Near as can be estimated, $15,000,000 was the aggregate yield of the river beds, canons and flats. On Durgan Flat alone was extracted more than $3,000,000, and from Jer- sey Flat at least $2,000,000. One claim 60 feet square, located by Frank Anderson (now one of our practising attorneys), yielded In Ave months $30,000, and tour miners with their Long Tom, took out $12,900. One Sexton, nicknamed "Sykky" (a little Irishman), realized, with a rocker. In Ave months $15,000. Sixteen dollars an hour was paid for putting in a wing dam, January, 1850 ; average wages, an ounce per day. There being no coin, gold dust was the medium of exchange, meas- ured out with the top of a yeast powder can (Preston & Merrill's)— even full reckoned as wortli $100. The town was incorporated in 1863, but a disastrous tie in the election for Marshal bursted things generally in 1865. This place is memora- ble in history on account of the woman that waa hung (1851) by an Infuriated mob. About Ave miles of flumes and ditches supply the drinking and Irrigating water, sold by the month. Two Are companies, 500 feet of hose, and a reservoir containing 30,000 gallons ot water, at an ele- vation of 150 feet, up the side ot the moun- tain, and connecting pine and hydrants, afford ample protection against Are. The Odd Fellows' Lodge numbers T4 members; Masonic, 44. Total shipment gold dust (Wells, Fargo & Co.), 1878. $162,385. Average rate paid aC banking house of H. Scammon, for gold dust, $17 25 per ounce. Oro quartz ledge. Slug Canon, worked with arastras, has yielded $14,000. More desirable Ashing streams than those at and In the vicinity of Downieville cannot be found on the coast. Grouse, quail, deer, brown bears, wood- chucks, coons, Ashers and martens are abundant tbe year round. The natural scenery of the swift-Aowing streams, deep gorges, lofty peaks— besides the innumerable geological curiosities on all sides, render this one of the most desirable and favored resorts of the scientist and admirer of the grand and beautiful. Forbes & Taylor's foundry has a fair run of trade, principally from the out>- side mines. The ofhcial organ of Sierra, the j^fotintain Messenger (Republican), established in 1852, third oldest weekly in the State, Vaughn & Downer, proprietors, is pubhshed at the county seat. The new bridge, connecting Durgan Flat with the main poriion of the town, recently built by A. J. McGuire, one of our oldest and most re- spected citizens, is a substantial and enduring structure, and cost the county $4,000. Jersey Flat bridge, by the same party, cost three-fourths of that sum. A local telegraph line encircles the town, on which are twelve offices, where tele- phones are occasionally used. In years past snow has fallen as late as July and August. The Celestials have mined the river-bed with derricks for years. Below town, on the Yuba shore, are miniature pine trees, termed the "Two Sisters," eight feet In height, that have been growing SIEERA COUNTY. 45 there, In Vie centre of a massive bowlder, since 1S49. Suould the extensive ricU gravel cliannel oil tlie ridge, near Galloway Hill, now being pros- prcted for by tlie Pliocene and Extension coinpa- 1 13, be round, a fresh stimulus will be given to mi i g and all other business pursuits herea- liiiuis, a';ciDownievllle will then proudly resume her old iioaured position— toremost amongst Call- loioia lowus. FOREST CITY, III roruK-r days, was one of Sierra's liveliest min- liii; eaujps, but gradually dwindled to Ijslg- iiijc.uice, until awakened from her Rip Van Wln- Kie sleep by the rich gravel discoveries iu the Buld Mountain claim, heralding a, new era of prosperity. Every pay day, which occurs on the first Sunday of each month, while water lasts, fully $12,000 are disbursed amongst the employes, who, in their turo, circulate this large amount of coin equably with the hotel keepers, saloons and stores. There are three secret" societies here— Kulghts of Pythias, 39 members; Odd Fellows, cj ; Good Templars, 97. Four hotels, three dry Kooas aud two grocery stores, two butcher shops, six saloons, together with numerous other trade uKuts, are llbsrally patronized. Population, 8o0 ; I registered voters, 200. Total amount of gold dust (Shipped by Wells, Fargo & Co. to San Francisco, 1 18TS, $300,000. Altitude, 4,500 feet. Water In the springs ley cold all Summer. ' ALLEGHANY, : Two miles over the ridge, whose summit affords a Itoeautilul panoramic view of the valley and moun- , tains. Including a part of the snow-shed3 of the [Central Pacific, was located in 1852. It Is the I centre of a rich and promising gravel and quartz district— whose past yield runs high Into the Ithousands— with a bright future. Bralnerd's tri- weekly stages run to North San Juan, Nevada (County. There is a Masonic and an Odd Fellows' Lodge, with large memberships. Only a lew 'years ago, one could walk direct to Forest City, iby tunnel, through the centre of the mountain, ' SIERRA CITY, First populated In 1850, Is a lucrative mining cen- jtre. For miles abovaand below, the river Is lined ■with rich gravel claims, rapidly enriching their ilortunate owners. An extensive ditch is being (constructed, to afford abundant water supply, jlour miles of which has been completed at an out- 'lay of $15,000. Lumber camos abound in the sur- i rounding mountalns,and saw-mills on the streams, all flush with business. Population, 400; regis- tered voters, 100 ; Odd Fellows' Lodge, 32 mem- bers; Masonic, 40; Good Templars, T5; Wells, Fargo & Go's gold dust shipment, 1ST8, $288,880. A good wagon road passes though this town, from DownlevIUe to SlerravlUe. The close proximity 01 the Sierra Buttes Quartz Mine, three miles dis- tant by road, and taree-quarters of a mile by trail, materially benefits the trade. When capi- tal develops the promising quartz ledy:es here- abouts, this will be one of the liveliest mining camps of the Occident. I-ack of space prevents extended mention of Sierra's other nourishing towns— Minnesota, Chipps, Mt. House, Brandy City, Indian Hill, Goodyear, Monte Crlsto, Eureka, Scales, Poverty Hill, Mt. Pleasant Ranch, Morristown, Port Wine, br. Louis, Howland Plat, Poker Flat, Newark and Glbsoiiville, which have rolled their millions into the treasury of the world. GOLD LAKE, O; e of the loveliest sheets of water in Sierra, was the centre of a noted mining excitement in 1850, owing to the waves beating against an auriferous bin, leaving much gold mixed with the sand, rich in spots and shifted about under the influence of a heavy surf, A gentleman who, with some friends, owned a portion of the beach, wrote to his associates that eacn of them would receive $43,000,000, It the sand was only one-tenth as rich as what he bad examined. Subsequent events proved the richness to bo only surface deep. Dis- tance by trail to Downieville, lt> miles. The lake is lour miles long, two miles wide and of great depth. The middle fork of the Feather River has Its main source here. Eight echoes can be beard over the wa ers. Some of the trout weigh a quarter to half a Douud each, ice and snow in Winter freeze over tue water to the depth of twelve feet, through which the anglers, as at Independence, tish through deep holes. Tw nty feet, of solid snow has been seen here as late as April, affording the finest snow-shoeing In the country. The best time for tourists to visit this section is between the 20th of July and ihe n>id- dle of August. The Western Union line passes near the lake. The prospect Is that ere long there will be a good road from the lake to Sierra c ity, rendering tliis pleasure resort more accessible than it is now by the slow and tedious locomotion of mule-back riding up the steep-narrow trails. Of late years a few gravel mines have been worked in this district with a large gold yield — Haven & LIm prlsch (in which, was discovered a. 50-ounse slug); Yuba Camp; Hibberd, Smith, Darling & Co.; Wilson & Davis ; Foss & Wilbouru (who look out a 5S-ounc8 piece ; Woodchucli ; Wil- bourn consolidated: Steeilman, beside others. Much petrified wood and leaves are found. Au extensive quartz ledge is prospecting well, aud may ultimately prove a bonunza. On an elevation, near Gold Lake, Is one of Sierra's grandest observatories where is unrolled one ot Nature's most gorgeous panoramas— from the mountains to the sea— and near evening, ia Spring time, San Francisco harbor is clearly Uls- ceruable, as the golden sunlight flashes over the waters from Goat Island and Alcatraz to the Golden Gate and the wild, surging waves of the Paciflc. 46 SONOMA COUNTY. SONOMA COUNTY. By E. a. THOMPSON, Cotjnti Cleek. Sonoma County 13 situated twenty-flve miles Dortu ot yau Francisco, Just west or a due nortli line. It Is bounded on the south by the Bay of San Pablo and Marin County, on tuo uortli by WendocUio County, and on the oast by Mapa and Lake Counties. Its sea coast front, following the Hue ot the sea shore. Is about sixty miles. Its average length from north to south Is sixty miles ; average width, twouty-P.vo mllos. Ot thDhity-two counties ot this State, Sonoma ranks sixth In wealth and population. It Is sur- passed In this regard by San Francisco, Alameda, Sacrameuto, Santa Clara and San Joaquin. In variety and extent ot Its agricultural re- eources It has no superior. It ranks first as a grape- and wlne-produclLg county. In Its staple crop and stock products It stands in the front rank. It lias a givat extent of forest. The most conspicuous niid valuable of Us forest products Is the xvoll-known redwood, it is within bounds to say that this tree combines luore valuable iiuall- tlesnsa lumber-producUnr tree than any kuown to the llora ot this continent. It U.is a mining In- terest already productive and of great promise tor the future. THE QfANTlTT AND QUAUTT OF rre LANDS. The area ot Sonoma County in round numbers Is SOO.OOO acres. The land Is classified by the Assessor In four grades. The first and least valu- able grade — mountain, brushy and bare hill lauds— estimated at SW.OOO acres. Is valued at from $1 to 14 per acre. It Is utilized only for Summer Easturace. The second grade — timber lands and illslde pasturage— is estimated at 200,uoo acres, and Is valued at from $o to $10 per acre. The third grade is mainly rolling lar.ds denuded of timber, £vUjg alonsf or near the sea coast, used fordiUry purposes. It is estimated at -joo.ooo acres, and is valued at from $-20 to $oO per acre. The fourth grade rich bottom lands is estimated at about loO.ooo acres, and Is valued at from Qity to one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. Total assessed value of lands and improve- mants. $13,287,866 Tot*l assessed value of personal proverty.. S,172,SS9 Total assessed value of all proj-^rty $lj,4*.\TM The actual cash value of all property is perhaps one-fourth more than the above totaL It would not fall short ot twenty millions of dollars. TOrOORAFHICAL AND CLIMATIC FKATCKES. The prlnclp;U topographical feature of Sonoma County Is a series ot valleys, separated by ranges of mountains and hills which have a general trend from southeast to northwest. These val- leys are interlaced by the dividing nuiges, and rrithout reiereuce to a map it is difficult to de- ecribe their connection one with the other. They are various In extent, information and in climatic differences; are unitonnlj' watered by living streams and bold sprluira upon the boi-der- Insr hills. The difference In temperature be- tween the valley and hill lamis is oegiu- nlng to attr.ict the attention ot Intelligent farinere In this county, and may lead to impor- tant results in the direction ot se Jil-irotical iruit cultuiv. It has been demons; rated that there is a warm belt above the lc?vel of the ViUleys la which frost rarel.v falls. The temperatura at sun- rise wuluu this belt, which varies from two to eicht hu..dred fixn above the plaUis. Is proved by actual exi^>erlmeut to be at least tea degrees Falirenhcit higher than at the same hour In the v;.Uevs below. After sunset the cold air flows from the hills to the valleys and Is replaced by a warmer atmosphere from above. This Inter- change continues through the night, and Is an eflcciual shield aixainst irost. The singular fact that the thermometer within this belt olien marks a lower temperature t\Yo hiurs alter than 10 did at sunrise has also been proven by these cxperl- nents. It often hapueus here, as elsewhere la California, that there Is a good depth ot soil on the hills, and when not too steep for cultivation, they produce as well as the valleys. If they have, as seems now to be proven, a warmer tempera- ture that the bottom lands. It must add greatly to their value. The average rainfall In this county is about one-tourth greater than in San Francisco. The rains usual^v bCLrin a mouth sooner in the north- west coast couiulcs, and continue a month later, than In the interior ot the State. To this fact Is due the excellence of these counties as a field for dairy products. On the Immediate coast, where the great dairy farms ot Sonoma are located, there Is green grass the year roimd. and the In- terior valleys keep green until the loth of June. The mean average raluiall for twenty-flve years has been twenty-six Inches. The crops are some- times Injured by too much, rarely by insaificlent, rain. lu the notable drouth years ot 1S63-4 and 1S64-5 eiiormous crops were raised In Sonoma, la some Instances iarmere cleared in the two seaso; s more tliau the full value of tlielr land and Improvements. Sonoma County Is exempt from all malarial dls- ordei-3. The force of the northwest trade winds Is broken by the immediate coast range ot hills; they reach the valleys beyond shorn ot tht^lr harshness. To this moistuie-bearing breeze from the sea bonoma County is Indebted for many of Its great advantages In products as well as climate. The redwood tree, of which we have elsewhere spoken, owes much of its prodigious girth and extraordinary height (in some instances by actual measurement not less than 400 leet) to the influence ot the mists which gather on the coast hills and fall Into the valleys beyond during the Summer months. The redwood attains its maximum height and perfection within the tog belt. The sight ot the sea mist creeping through the towering crests ot a redwood forest once seen will never be forgotten. It appears first a thla, gray veil of vapor amid the foliage, soon forms a deiise canopy overhead, whrch these giants ot tfie forest seem to uphold, as the temperatuie equalizes the fog descends, and In a short time the whole forest Is shrouded la mist. The foUage condenses the mist to a surprising extent, and the tree by tills means is irrigated irom tne base to the extent of Its outermost foots, and this process repeated dally throihrh tne Sum- mer months accounts lor the creat size the red- wood attains In the rlcli and fertile bottom lands on the coasts ot Sonoma, ilendocino and Hum- boldt Counties. A central valley extends through the county from north to south, a distance ot fifty miles. In width It varies from three to fifteen miles. ThixHigh this valley the San Francisco and North Paclflc Kailway Is laid, from tide water to Clover- dale, a flourishing and beautiful villaire near the north boundary of the county. The lands In the great valley in tne main are of the finest qu^ility, producing all the staple ana fruit crops lu great abuiidance and variety. The country east ot this central vallev is moun- tainous, uiversiflcd by numerous small but beauti- ful and lertile valleys. The Geyser Serines, one ot the great natural curiosiUes of the Stable, axe situated m this u.ountaluous region, and not far south of the Geysers 13 the scarcely less wonder- ful petrified forest. Both places are visited an- nually by tourists from all parts of the world. SONOMA COUNTY. 47 To tbe -westward, between the central valley and tbe ocean, there are heavllj- timbered valleys and hill lands, and a wide extent ot pasturage, upon which are kept 20,000 cows, producing on this feed alone an average ol 175 pounds or butter per bead per annum. PETALtJMA AND VALLEJO TOWNSHIPS. There are thirteen townships la Sonoma County. Petaluma and Vallejo are the most southerly. They are bounded on the south by San Pablo Bay, and are separated from each other by a navigable estuary extending Inland about fifteen miles, at the head of which Is situated the prosperous and beautiful city of Petaluma. The great advantage of Its location at the head of navigation, within thlrty-flve miles ot San Fran- cisco, with a back country of great extent, and rlchiiCSS, gave Impulse to this place very early In the history of Sonoma County. It became a cen- tre for a large export and Import trade. Increased rapidly In population and wealth, and Is to this ■day one of the most promising of the Inland cities ot Calltornla. The citizens ot Petaluma, with much judgment and good tasie, have Im- proved and beautified, not only their city, but all Its anproaches. It has excellent drainage, and Its streets are well graded, and its business and private houses compare favorably with cities of greater population and pretension In Calltornla or even In the older settled Eastern states. It has long been noted for the excellence ot Us public schools, its churches and Its benevolent Institu- tions. Its population is about 5,000. The following table of the exports ot Petaluma will give an Idea of the extent and variety of the products ot Sonoma County and ot the exports ot its chief commercial city : Wool (pounds), 150,000; butter (pounds), 3,750,000; cheese (pounds), 800,000; bay (tons), 10,000; grain (tons), 4,000; potatoes (sacks), 250,000; egKS (dozen), 100,uoo; poultry (dozen), 8,000; quail (dozen), 12,000; flour (barrels), 7,000; cattle (head), 2,000; hogs (head), 23,000 ; sheep (head), 10,000; calves (head), 12,000 ; fruit 4, and Is an exception to many that, lu those early limes, were quite prosperous and filled with a golden promise oi a more lasting and brilliant future. Kotwithstandiug the gradual decav of business and "petering" out ot rich pockets ot gold that were so frequently found aurinii the early period ot mining in this section, and itie destructive conUagrations with which it has several times been sorely afflicted, nornitos still survives, and at t'ae present time is one of the most prosperous villages in the minlnsr region bordering upon the l^aciric Coast. It is located in tho midst ot 1 .exhavistible gold-bearing quartz veins, which, as a whole, is unequalled lu richness ftnd extent lu California. The earij- acquired nabit of the miners in this section, of picking up gold ly- ing about loose, and the easy mode ot extracting from the surface gold lu large quantities, essen- tially Uladnisned tue energy and enterprise of working the miaeswith any system or sinking upon tUem, as must cventu dly be done before a lasting success can be attained. The Washing- ton is about the only mine in this section that has really gone down upon the vein to a depth calcu- lated to give it a lair tost, and, with proper ma- cUincry and management, it has proved a suc- cess, llornltos, and the Immediaio vi.inity, contains about a tnousand inhabitants ot a mixed population, about equally divided with the American, English, Italian, Mexican, with quite a sprinkle of Chinamtn and scattering Mongo- lians. Tho neighborhood of nornitos Is d itted with quite a number ot ranches, farms and gardens, that raise a sulticiency of cattle, hogs, barley, hay, vegetables, etc., for home consumption. Goat-raising and improvement of the cashmere goal is fast uccoailng a prominent feature in this section. Messrs. Stockton & Buffum led oil in this enterprise about uiiteen years ago. and by perseverance and stc.idy application to the busi- ness, aro now being rewarded tor their industry. They commenced, as it were, only witii a goat or two, and now have several hundred of tue best improved Cashmere, trom wUich tney sheared in January last upwards ot four thousand pounds ot wool, wortu ility-iivtf cents per pound at the home ot tho producer. There are many others follow- ing the example of Stockton & BuQ'um, who will in a few years reach the climax tuey have attain- ed at this time in raising annually a line crop ot Cashmere wool. Considerable more might be said favorable to this section. WASHINGTON MINK. Washington Mine Is situated about two milea northerly from llornltos, on the road leading to Bear Valley, and is quite distinguished for its ex- tensive works, which give employment to about a hundred men, most ot whom have families. Tho twenty-stamp mill, whiv'h is run by steam, con- sumes annually a great amount of wood, and gives employment to cuoppers and haulers to no small extent. These works have created quite a mining village of about lifty houses, wnich in- cludes a store, ofhee ot tne company, saloo.i, and family residence. Mr. George L. ^\"ebDer, Jr., and Moses L. Eodgers are the superintendents and managers ot the whole works. They are dis- tinguished for tnelr ability and superior manage- ment of this extensive mine and works, which, to be remunerative, needs just such men. COrLTEBTILLB. Coultervllle Is likewise a mining town, situated about twenty-live miles from Mariposa, on ths Merced Klver. It contains about four or five hundred inhablfants, with one good hotel, owned and kept by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Wagner. The town ot Coultervllle, though surrounded by avast quartz region, is not without its advantages ot a tair proportion ot good agricultural l.r tne want of a little en- terprise, either public or private, to open a few miles of road, and which could be done at no great cost, a distance ot slxtj-flve miles via Ilor- nitos and Merced falls has to be traversed. Tnis would be a valuable franchise to auyoaewho would avail himself of this opportunitv and open this piece of road. This portLm of the country covers an area ot about titty miles long by about niteen wide, and is threaded with inuu- MAEIPOSxi COUNTY. 51 merable eold-bearlDg quartz veins, many of which have beeu successfully worked, and many others sulTlclently prospected to satisfy the clalmiiuta of their richness and the amount ot yield per ton, provided Ihey could conunaud capital and ma- chinery to sec them In motion. Bull Creek is a Kecilon ot mining country about eighteen miles above CoultervlUe, and includes qultoanumber of valuablo mines and Romo few ranches. This Is tho homo ot Mr. A. a. IJlack and lamlly, who settled there many years ago and started tho business ot merchandising and keep- ing a hotel, and for many years while placer min- ing was prosperous, ho accumulated wealth and was tho leading buhlnesa man ot thiit section. IBlr. Black is now the owner of Black's Hotel In tho Yosomite Valley, where he spends his sum- mers during tho travelling season. Tho principal mines In the vicinity of Coulter- vlUe are tho Maxwell's Creek Gold and Silver Min- ing Company, which Includes the Mary Harrison, Malvlua and Potosl mines, upon which Is a large fifty-stamp steam quartz mill, besides a vast amount of other machinery, which Is at present Idle from some cause. The Marble Spring, Marlln and Walling, Virginia, Penon Blanco and the Crown Lead mlnes,old and well-established mines, are likewise Idle, awaiting labor and capital to push them forward, 'i he Hasloe Is another valu- able mine, upon which there is a splendid ten- etamp mill, together with other necessary ma- chinery. The scanlon and Banderita mines are, we believe, the only two In operation at the pres- ent time, but with what result we are unin- formed. FERGUSON MINE. This mine Is situated on the main Merced River, about Ave miles west ot Hite's Cove, and is now in successful operation, running a ten-stamp mill by water-power. The proprietors are Mr. John Ferguson, Isaac Hall, Leachman and Sher- wood, under the style of "The Ferguson Mining Company." Mr. Robert Francis is the Superin- tendent, and Mr. Joseph the blacksmith. The to- tal number of men e nployed about the mine and mill is sixteen. Tko shaft, which is about 212 feet, and the hoisting works are about 1,000 feet from the mouth ot the main tunnel. The hoisting works consists of an undershot horso whlna of the latest improvement, capable of hoisting 1,000 pounds to "the bucket. Tho mill crushes about 12 tons of quartz in the 24 hours. The coinpany ob- tain their supplies principally from Sonora, Tu- olumne County. Our informant says the rock Is rich in free gold and the company is prospering. HITE'S COVE. This well-known locality and mine, known as the Hlte Mloe, Is too well known to require mucli comment. Mr. Hlte was the discoverer ot the mine many years ago, and is still tho principal owner. If the figures could be produced ot the enormous amount of gold taken from thla mine, it would no doubt astonish the world. OEOKQIA POINT. The Georgia Point Mine la located In EltCa Cove, owned and worked by the South Hlte Gold Mining Company, a corporation organized under the laws ot tho State ot Connecticut. Mr. W. E. Brown is tho Superintendent. The Company is principally engaged in opening up the mine by sinking shafts and running tunnels, etc. We have not visited this locality since the South mto Gold Mining Company has been in vogue. Re- ports from that quarter are exceedingly favora- ble. ASSESSOR'S REPORT. The last Assessor's report proves that Mariposa is, by no means, at a standstill. From It we learn that, in 187S, there were 22,9T8 acres of land enclosed, and 3,521 acres cultivated. The agricul- tural products are as follows: Acres in wheat, 9G^ ; ylela, 240 bushels. Acres In barley, C93 ; yield, 2,920 bushels. Acres in rye, 27; yield, 4o bushels. In corn, IS acres; yield, 335 bush- els. In potatoes, 36,1:^ acres; seventy- five tons. In onions, 120 acres ; 2,620 bushels. In hay, 2,C00 acres; 1,503 tons. Butter, 1,050 pounds. Wool, 376,000. The value of the fruit crop could not be exactly got at, but It is evident that it must have been considerable, since It was plucked from 4 lemon trees, cs orange trees, 1 ol- ive, 4,431 apple trees, 966 pear trees, 3,286 peach trees, 570 plum trees, 153 cherries, 78 nectarines, 141 quince, 163 apricot, (504 flgs, 80 acres of grape vines, averaging 750 vines per acre. The live stock numbers 1,700 horses; mules, 264; horned cattle, 5,007; sheep. Including 13,281 lambs, 65,517; Cashmere and Angora goats, 35; hogs, 6,289. The list or Improvements shows Ave sawmills (tour steam and one water power), which turned out 1,820,000 feet of lumber; twenty-six quartz mills, which crushed 23,381 tons of ore; twenty- six mining ditches, 93^,^; miles in length, and seven Irrigating ditches, valued at $375, used for gar- dens ana vineyards. The assessed value ot real estate In 1878 was $558,157; the assessed value ot Improvements, $321,670; the assessed value of personal property, ^15,921— making a total ot $1,205,748. Mariposa was organized in 1850. It contains 1,440 square miles, and has a population of about 7,000, of whom 1,185 are registered voters. Average value of land per acre, two dollars to two doUarg and a half. — C> i'l-O- 52 NAPA COUNTY. NAPA COUNTS. By CHAELE3 A. GAEDNER, Editoe St. Helena Stab. LOCATION. Napa County Is In tliat part of California lying between the Sacramento Klver and the sea, and just north of, though not quite adjoining, the bay of San Francisco. It Is Irregular In shape, being longest north and south, and Us southerly point reaches to within about five miles ot Vallejo, or iwenty-seven ot San Francisco, It Is boarded on tho north by Lako Countj', east by Yolo and So- lano, south by Solano, and west by Sonoma. EXTENT AND VALUATION. It Is about 50 miles In extreme length, by about 2<;iu breadth, and contains about SOO square miles. Of this area, only about 5,293 square miles, or 83S,1C9 acres, are represented on the assessment roll. Of thl^, In round numbers, C9,000 acres Is rated as first grade land, assessed at an average ■value ot $39 25 per acre ; 33,000 acres as second grade, assessed at $13 45 ; 46,000 acres as third grade, assessed at $G 90, and 1S4, ooo acres as lourth grade, assessed at $2 34. The low grade Is mountain land. Tho total assessed valuation cl all property In the county is about $s,000,ooo. TOPOGBAPHT. The county is a succession ot mountain ranges and valleys, with a general northwest and south- east direction. Beginning on the west, one con- tinuous range, from 2,000 feet down, in height, lies between it and Sonoma County. On the northeasterly side of this range, and extending nearly the whole length ot the county, lies Napa Valley, about thlrty-tlve miles In length by one to five miles wide. Next easterly is conn Valley, half a mile wide by six long. South of this is Wooden Valley, three miles long by one wide. East ot Conn Is Chiles Valley, ten miles long by half a mllo wide. North and east ot Chiles is Pope Valley, eight miles loug by one mile wide. South ot I'ope 13 Capelle Valley, two miles long and halt a mile wide. East of Pope is Berryessa Valley, seven miles long by one and a halt wide. East of BerryessA Is a hl;:rh range of mountains— ?robably 3,000 teet— that separates Napa from olo and Solano. Wo find thus an area In these valleys of. sa.v— Napa, 87>.j square miles; Conn, 3; Vvooden, 3; chiles, 5; Pooe, 8; Capella. 1; Berry- essa, lOi.i ; total. 113 square miles. Besides this, the southern point of the county exteuds into what is known as the Suscoi Valley, containing perhaps twenty-flve square miles, and enough other level land might perhaps be found to raise the total to 175. Thus It will be seen that less than one-quarter of the whole area is level land. Tho remainder is mountainous, ranging in height from the lowest foothill to Mount St. Helena, 4,343 feet. POPrLATION. The population of this county is estimated at I4,oao. (The census of isso gives ic at 13.235.) The veto at the Constitutional election was 2,163. Of this Napa cast 1,113 votes, St. Helena 336, Cal- Istoga 212, Yountvllle ISS, Suscoi 49, Kutherford S7, Chilis Valley 34, Montlcello 71, KnoxvUle 54, Pope Valley 70. Napa, Yountvllle, Rutherford, St. Helena and Callsioga are In Napa Valley, their combined vote— 1.835— showing that about seven- eights of the whole population of the county are lu the Napa Valley precincts. TOWKS. Tbe eountx seat and cMef town is Napa (form- erly known as Napa City), a thriving and beauti- ful little city in Napa Valley, at the head of navi- gation on Napa Klver, and distance only thirty- seven miles from San Francisco. Steamers run regularly between it and San Francisco, as also many sail vessels, affording very cheap freighting fioni San Francisco. The principal passenger trafllc— and nearly all the freight traffic for points above Napa— is done by the Napa branch ul tho Calitornla Paciflc Kallroad, which runs two pas- senger trains and one freight train each way dally— except Sundays— when one passenger train is run each way. 'ihese trains, connecting at Vall- ejo with steamer for San Francisco, make the time between Napa and that city In about two hours and ihree-quaners- tare, $1 50. Napa has a pop- ulation ot aliout $5,000. It is well built in its resi- dence part; the business part, with few excep- tions, not so well, its principal business street— Main— being the least attractive portion of the city. The prlQcipai feature is the magulilcent Napa State Asylum for the insane, one ot the very fluest buildings in the State, and costing, with all of its equipments, about $1,500,000. It can accom- modate 600 to 600 patients, but is already crowded with near 800. The new Court House, com pie tea 1S79, cost from $60,000 to$TO,000, and is a nne look- ing building. The Presbyteriah Church, built six years ago, cost over $30,000, and is a beauti- ful structure. The best business buildings are the new Odd Fellows' building and the Palace Hotel, costlDg about $20,000. Napa contains many elegant private residences, chlei among which are those of George N. Corn- well, of the EedlDgton Mining Company, and George E. Goodman, of the banking Arm ot James H. Goodman & Co. It contains three very fine private schools: the Napa Collegiate Institute, the Napa Ladies' Seminary, and Oak Mound school for Boys, each of which adds largely to the busi- ness of the city. It has three newspapers, the Jiegi! yielding so big a crop but making better wine. The business is .vet only in its infancy. There .nre probably not over sl.x square miles of grapes in the county. The total area well adapted to it— and better adapted to it than anything else— is not less than fifty limes that amount. Multiply our present product by 50 and the result is over a hundred million gallons, an amount of which we arc perfectly capable. Pope, Berryessa and the minor valleys arc principally devoted to grain; tho intervening mountains to grazing. The county afloids a largo number of pleasant Summer re- sorts, with most beneficial climate and waters tor invalids ; but a consideration of these would lead beyond the allowed limits of this article. The mining Is now confined to two or three mines (quicksilver), the Redington, the Manhattan ana the Phoenix. VENTURA COUNTY. By THOMAS J. NEWBY, Esq. Ventura County was organized by a special Act of tho Legislature of lsTi-2, aud created out of the eastern half ot Santa Barbara County. It is bounded on the north by Santa Barbara aud Kern counties, east by Los Angeles, aud south and southwest by tho Pacidc Ocean aud west by the Paclilo Ocean and Santa Barbara County, and In- cludes tho islands ot San ^Ticholas aud Anacapa. Area, 1,096,000 acres, 175,000 of which are arable and about 150,000 acres of grazing land. There are about 80,000 acres under cultivation. Assessed value of all property for 1S7S, $3,270,161. Average assessed value ot all lands, $i 50 per acre. Re- sources, agricultural and mineral. Population of the county. 7,000. Ventura County, although one of the youngest In tho State, has, on account of Us delightful climate, the extent and fertility ct its soil, risen rapidly to a foremost rank In commercial import- ance. It is yet in its infancy, and a grand future awaits the development ot its marvellous re- sources. It is scarcely more than a dozen years since the begluning ot tho new civilization, the advent ot thoiuodcrn plough, tho telegraph, the school-book, and six years ago tho llrst printing press. Over thousandsupou thousands of as good land as the crow Hies over, tho song of tho steam corn-shcUer is heard la place of howling coyotes. Generous fields of wheat and barley bend their treasures before tho scythe of Improved benders and reapers, drawn by horses of good stock and driven by thrifty hands, where but recently tho vaquero, with whirl- ing lassoo, galloped his broncho gayly over tho untitled soil after bands ot horses and cattle, and the herder smoked his cigarette, laz.ily watching his Hook ot sheep and goats. E.\oelleut flouring and grist mills, drlvea by water, have supplanted tue old Mexican viatato (a stouo Blab and pestle, for grinding corn), and the more vigorous notes ot Weber, Chiokerlug and Alason >t llamllu arc somewhat subduing the seductive tones of the Spanish guitar. Bull tights sre modernized into political caucuses, and old 8crub stock In horses, cattle and sheep are stepping down and out to make room for blood animals. Lumber-laden schooners from the upivr coast ot CUlfornla and Oregon, returning to Sau Francl.«c;i with our grain aud oil, and the nervous shrieks from steamers at our wiiarves, at Capta'u Eobort'soU welis. and the locomotive of the Southern Pacitic Railroad, on our northeast- ern border, are but suggestions of what Is yet to come. It will be lemembered that It is a century since the Spanish padres established their missions along this coast, but In all this time there has been nothing done towards developlns Us 1 esourccs agriculturally. The native CaUfor- nians were not progressive. Their houses wer© made or aUobe. They raised small patches of frijoles ^beans), maize (corn) and some vegetables, but their main reliance was upon their flocks and herds. The mlsslou orchards usually supplied figs, olives, and a few other semi-tropical iruits. They cultivated tho Mission grape and made wine. Comparatively Isolated in this sunny clime, where Nature was so bountiful, they wor- shipped tho Cross devoutly, observed their reli- gious holidays faithfully, smoked cigarettes, thrummed tho guitar, danced, drank wiue, and lived a free and happy lite, with little care lor tho present or future. But all is changed, 'l he new civilization cut up their onco boundless pastures Into grain fields. Unable to cope wltli tlielr more industrious and crafty neighOors, they are gradually turning their faces to- ward Northern Mexico. The better classes ar© cultivated, courteous and polite in their Inter- course with Americans. Their children are handsome and many ot the senoritas moaels of beauty. They possess an artless charm— a natlre witchery ot giaco In manner and motion that would fire the heart of a Saratoga belle witli envy. Under the Mexican Government the principal part of California was cut up into large ranches, each of which comprised a number of leagues, or several thousands of acres of land. \V ith the ex- ceotlou ot a small portion of Government laud, Ventura County Is divided up into the foUon'ing named ranches, with the number of acres con- tained In each : La Colonia, 45,000 acres— 35.000 acres arable. This fine ranch lies soutn of the Santa Clara River. h;is been partitioned, and the greater portion of it sold to small owners. It 13 well populated, has several schools, is in the Val- ley ot Santa Clara, and contains some of the very best farming laud and the finest artesian wells ia the State. This is a great barley and hay-raising district. Ilueneme is its shipping port. For fur- ther iaformatiou, address Thomas R. Bard, nue- nome. Slifl AND LAS POSES These t^vo ranches are situated above La Col- onia, in the same valley and tributaries, and cott- talu togeth;"r 139,000 acres, of which about one- fourth is tillable, a great portion of It excelleat wheat and ilas Linda They contain also thoo* VENTURA COUNTY. 65 sands of acres of floe grazing land, large bodleg of Umber, a tine climate, and soil for tlie ralssliig of BciDl-troplcal fruits. This is an excellent oppor- tunity for a colsny. Address Tliomas K. Bard, Hueneme, or E. C. Hoar and A. W. Brovvue (lluc- ceme), wlio reside upon tue raucn. TDE CONEGO KANCHO Lies south and east, With its southern ooundary ten miles from the co.isc. I'hls mountain valley lies l,7uo feet above sea level, and Is a great wheut-giowliig section. 11 is protected irom the sea by high mountain ranges; has a large body of grazing land, and an luuiiense growth of tine White and live oak limber. The climate is delight- ful, especially lor pulmonary sullercrs, and the scenery grand and inipressive. Good schools, hotels, etc. II. W. Mills may be addressed at Kevvbury Pai'ic. A dally Hue of stages runs through, between Ventura and Los Angeles. The raucho contains 49,199 acres, about one-third of which Is aiable. GUADALASCA KANCHO Contains 31,000 acres, and Is situated In the south- eastern part of the county. It borders upon the sea, and Is piincipally mountainous. There are about lo,ouo acres of arable and large tracts of line grazing land. It Is devoted to barley, corn and block-raising. THE OALLEGNAS Lies east of LaColonla, contains 10,000 acres, of which about 4,000 acres can be cultivated, and 4,000 acres of good grazing lands. There are 3,000 uci'es u'jder cultivation ; also a small vineyard, producing excellent wine. Juan Cauaarillo, the owner, may be addressed at Ventura. THE TArO RANCHO Llea In the northeast corner of the Slml. This fine ranch belongs to the estate of Francisco de la Guerra, and has been established for sixty years. It contains 15,000 acres, about 1,500 ot which are arable, the balance grazing lands. It is well pro- tected by a wall of mountains; the climate and sou well adapted to growing semi-tropical fruits. Sublime scenery, a hue old mansion, fruits of evei'y description and a forty-year-old vineyard where the celebrated Tapo wine and brandies are made. SANTA CLARA DEL NORTE Lies six miles east of Ventura and along the Santa Clara Klver. It contains 13,983 acres, the greater portion being under cultivation. It was settled early and contains some large and Hne vineyards, where Immense quantities of wine are made. The wine sells reaally at 50 cents per gallon and the wine growers challenge the State to produce a better article. Thiiity and extensive orchards, fine lit- tle larms cut off and owned by dillei-ent parties, and a good neighborhood. The greater portion of the ranch is owned by the Scuiappietra Bros., who may bo addressed at Ventura. Besides the artesian wells,the ranch may be irrigated from the Santa Clara liiver. Amongst other products there acie 1,000 acres in flax the present season. Lying along the sea-shore between Ventura and the mouih of the Santa Clara Illver, a distance of six miles, are the well-cultivated ranclios of D. W. Tho.ijpson, containing 2,300, and diva's ranch, of 2,500 acres. The justly celebrated SANTA PADLA Y SALICOY RANCHO Lies Immediately east and northeast of the town or Ventura, extending along the Santa Clara Val- ley, between the river of that name and the foot- hills, some seventeen miles distant. On it are situated the villages of Satlcoy, nine miles, ana Santa Paula, fllteen miles distant Irom Ventura. It was purchased several years ago by the great orchardis , William Brlggs, with th;; view ot es- tabllshi. g Immense orchards. Being farther south he supposed his fruits would ripen earlier, enabll ^' him to get them Into the San Francisco markets aiicud ol his northern competitors. He set out 25,000 ;ruit trees, btit time proved this idea a fallacy. In the Fall of 1S6G Mr. E. B. illg- glns purchased the four leagues ot land of Georcra G. Brlggs, and had It surveyed and subdivldt'd. In IBGT, the liberal terms upon which he offered it lor sale iirudueud the lirst uprising lor farming lands, and tno general Immli^railon Into SuuLlicrn California. It has lor soa;e time been owned by small farmers, sustains a larjie population, with churches, schools, ideasant homes, and Is one of the most bwauiltul and Uouilshlng portions oC this coast. It has a warm exposure, sloping south and eastward, and affords a hue view of the sea and islands. It is pecullnrly well adapted to th© snceesbtul growing of all the semi-tropical Irults, as well as those or hardier climes. THE SESPE RANCnO Lies along the valley north and northeastward. It contains about 9,000 acres, nearly all excellent land for corn, wlieat, barley, flax, vegetables and semi-tropical fruits, ana mucii or It may be Irri- gated. There is hei'o a large strip of government land, which is settled up by a tnrlviug and indus- trious population. Here, too, are a great many apiaries, as the Hncst bee pasturage la the county abounds along the foothills. At tno head or the Santa Clara Valley, and where It dips into the San Fernando, is the SAN FRANCISCO RANCHO, Containing 11,500 acres of grazing, and 3,000 acrea of tillable land. It Is favorably :ocated and owned principally by U. M. Newhall, of San Francisco. A portion of this rancho lies in Los Angeles County. '1 he station called Ni^whall, oa the S. P. It. U., l3 located here. About ten miles down the Santa Clara Valley is located the famous COMUL''S RANCHO, Where the Justly-celebrated Comulos wine and brandies are produced. This place Is owned by Ignaclo del Valle, anc Is under a lilgh state of cultivation. In Is one ot the most beautiful places In all Southern Calitornla— large and thrliiy orchards, a hne residence, and sur- roundings In the old Hidalgo style, orange and lemon trees In bearing, and" extensive buildings for wine manufacture. 'Ihey have Just com- menced the manufacture of a fine grade of olive oil. This beautiful place Is but about thirteen years old. and Is an evidence ot what maybe dona In this county In the way of growing fruits ot all varieties. This flue place is on the San Francisco Kancho. EX MISSION RANCHO Derives Its name from the old Mission of San Buena Ventura. A part of the town Is situated within Its limits. It comprlsea 48,000 acres, of which about 3,500 acres are arable ; and there is also a gi'eat deal of grazing land. Along its northern boundary is a strip ot Govern- ment land In the oil belt, and south of the Ojat The tillable land is fertile, has a line southern ex- posure along the base of its toot-hills, overlooking the sea. It has been subdivided into small tracts, and is thickly settled. CANADA LANGA KANCHO Lies north of Ventura, along the river ot that name, and Is well protected by the foothills on either side. It contains 6,500 acres, of which over 1,000 are tillable and under a high state of cultiva- tion. Here are to be found some beautiful sub- urban homes — handsome vill is with hue or- chards—and well-planned grounds, adorned witli flowers and ornamental shrubbery. THE SAN MIGDELITO RANCHO, Containing over 8,000 acres, lies west ot the Ven- tura River, with the ocean for its southern bound- ary. There Is but little available land on It, be- ing used principally for grazing. Close to thla raiicho Is the vastileposlt ot kaolin or rock soap, wbicn has been mined, pressed and sold by the Ventura Pock Soap Company. The rancho be- longs to colonel G. B. 'J aylor. Following north- waruly up the beautiful Cafiada Lmga from the sea shoe at Ventura, a distance of twelve mllea» leads up Into the 66 VENTURA COUNTY. OJAI BANCnO, Containing one of the most beautiful valleys on the contluent. The OJal Ranclio contalos 1T,G00 acres, about 10,000 acres o£ which aro tillable and under good cultivation. It was long age cut up Into small farms, and Is the great wheat growing Bectlon. It coutaltis the village of Nordhotl, la ■which there Is a fine brick school house, where divine pervlce Is held. The valley Is covered wltn a luxuriant growth of live and whlto oali limber, ■with some cottonwood. It Is walled In by moun- tains, and Is about 1,000 feet above sea level. Here are some line farms, thrifty orchards, and well-stocked apiaries. The atr Is pure, and the scenery grand and romantic. There Is so.iie Gov- ernment land, which Is about all taken up and occupied. There aro a great many petroleum springs In the vicinity. Lying west of Ventura Klver— which Is the boundary— and inclosed with- in the same circle of mountains is the j SANTA ANA KANCHO, Containing 17,705 acres, of which about 4,000 acres are arable. It Is In most respects the same as the OJal, being covered with a One growth of timber, and well adapted to wheat-ralslug. It has a great number of well cultivated farms and a large body of grazing laud. Further particulars may be ob- tained by addressing A. D. Barnard, Ventura. The above list contains a brief description of the orlElual grants, and the number of acres they contain. They have been mostly cut up into email farms, and are still being sold off In lots to suit purchasers. These lands, embracing some of the most ferdlo on tho coast, and capable of pro- ducing, la abundance, about everything grown on the contluent, cither In fruits, cereals or vegeta- iDles, may be purchased at low prices and on good terms. It Is safe to say, briefly, that taking every- thing into consideration— dellshttul and nealthy climate, fertility of the soil, and r.ll other natural advantages, there Is not a spot on the globe that offers any better Inducements to the Industrious man who wishes to make himself and family a comfortable ami happy home. Almost every variety of soil and situation may be found to suit the grower of corn, barley, wheat, oats, flax, po- tatoes, beans and all classes of vegetables, 'ihe stock-raiser finds every condition favorable for raising hogs, horned cattle, horses, sheep and goats; the fruit-grower all that Is required to grow successfully every variety of fruit known to Beml-troplcal and north temperate climes, and the hillsides and caiions afford the Quest pastur- age In the world tor the bee-keeper. SAN BUENAVKNTCKA. The principal town and county seat Is beauti- fully situated on the seashore, about 311 miles southeast of San Francisco. The town Is hand- Bomely located ou a slightly elevated bench from 20 to 60 feet above high tide. The surf rolls along the foet of the streets running north and south. It Is an Incorporated town and contains a popula- tion of 2,000 souls. Perhaps no town on the coast has a more abundant supply of good pure water. It Is furnished by the Santa Ana Water Company, and brought at considerable f^xpense from the Ventura fiver, which is supplied from the cool mountain streams on the north. It Is conveyed down in a ditch to an Immense reservoir situated on an elevation of overloO feet, from whence It I9 conducted In ample pipes throughout the streets. There Is suiTiolent pressure to throw a natural stream over tho highest houses, and of sulliolent quaullty for housenold uses, Irrl raring and run- ning maclilnery for manufaerurlng purposes. There are are some ilrst-cliss stores, god hotels, and the usual luimbpr of shops, sUoois, andsmall places of bnslnsss. There are four churches— the Methodist, rresOyterlan, Coigregatlonal and Catholic. There Is also an Episcopal oruanlzation and agoodiy number of Liberals and Spiritualists. Tho most valuable Improvement Is tlio Public Li- brary and reading room, which Is owned by the town. It coataius about 1,000 volumes, Including history, poetry and miscellaneous literature. The reading room Is free to all, and on Its tables are tho leading magazines and pictorials of the day. I. o. o. F. Lodge No. 201, F. & A. M. Lodge No. 214, and Ventura Koyal Arch Chapter No. GO, hold regular meetings In their halls; also. Constancy Lodsxe, No. 209, 1. O. G. T., is flourishing. In the rear of ttic century-old olive trees of the old Mis- sion orehara,stand3aneat and substauilally built brick Court House, vnich cose $io,oco. crowning tliosuininltot a hill Is a large and well built brick public school house, costing a like sum. It Is built In the modern style, furnished with the latest improvements, and is always supplied with a corps of competent teachers. There are other school buildings, beside a number of private schools. The professions are well represented. Tho Monumental Hook and Ladder Company is well equipped, and has a building and bell-tower for Its apparatus. Bartleti's and the Ventura brass bands discourse excellent uuislc. The old Mission of San Buenaventura was founded by llie SpaulsU missionaries In 17S2. Its first centennial will shortly be cele- brated with becoming honors. The old Mis- sion Church, surmounted by its Moorish towers, still stands in an excellent state of preservation and is used as a place of worship. The same old bells brouu'ht over from Spain, that startled the rude ear of the Indian nearly 100 years ago, still ring out from the old tower, and have rang in and out many changes. There are but three or four old Indians left to heed ItscalUng. Standing near are two ancient palm trees, said to be the largest in the State. Their long slender foliage swing hither and thither In the wind, presenting a very beautiful appearance. The old buildings around tho church, with their tiled roofs, are falling Into decay, and the old orchard Is cut down. The new Civilization contrasts vividly here with the old. There aro two oil refineries where our crude oil is refined and sold in the markets, both il- luminating and lubricating. A good and sub- stantially built wharf, 1,200 feet long, extends into deep water, where steamers and schooners laud and lie In safety. Connected with the wharf aro warelioases (which will hold 20,000 centals of grain), which were built at a cost of $150,000. The Pacific Coast Steamship Go's steamers land here weekly from San Francisco, going south, and also on returning. There is also a weekly freight steamer, and another passenger steamer will shortly be put upon the Hue. A numoer of schooners ply betwixt our ports and tho upper coasts and Gregon, bringing down lumber and carrying back grain to San Francisco. The Tele- graph Mage Company's coaches make close con- nections daily with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Newhall (titty miles distant northeast), carrying passengers and the malls. The telegraph stages run northwest through Santa Barbara (distance thirty miles) and San Luis Obispo. There are private lines running between Ventura and Santa Barbara, carrying passengers. A tri-weekly stage runs from Ven- tura to Los Angeles to accommodate passengers who do not wish to take the cars at NewhalL 'I'here Isatrl-weekly mivil to riueneme and New- berry Park, ou the Conego. The Western Union Telegrapli Company have an office here, Thomas Gray, operator ; also. Wells, Fargo & Co.'s ex- press, John J. Sheridan, agent. W. S. McKeeruns a dally hack, carrying nialls and passencrers to Nordhoff, In the Ojal Valley, and for the accom- modation of McKee'3 Glen Cottage IIoteL II. F. Jewell runs a hack lor the accommodation of his hotel and cottages at the famous MatlUca Hot Sulphur Springs. Ventura has a daily mail— north, south and east. Colonel J. W. Goodwin is Post- master. There are two weekly newspapers here, the Free Press, publislK?d by McLean & McCoy, and the Vi-nttna aimal, by S'heridan Brothers. They are both honestly and ably conducted, and devoted to the interests and development of Ventura County in particular and Southern California in generaL TENTUKA Is a quiet, orderly town, and has never sought to outgrow the rich agricultural country behind VENTURA COUNTY. 57 It. A peculiar feature Is Its neat arid clean cot- tages aud well-kept llower gardens. Ventura ave- nue has some laandsome resldeuces and one or the ilnest drives on the coast. TUe scenery Is sublime. Eastward tlie eye sweens over tlie oroad Santa Clara Valley, resting ou tUe distant Guadalusea range of mount ilns. To tbe soutli and west the grand old Pacific witu the mountainous Islinds ot Anacapa and Santa crus, twenty-live miles dis- tant, where the mirage often creates fantastic visions, building caslles, domes and bridges. On the north serrated hills rise one aoovo another, ending in the 'I'opa To)3a Peal^-, 4,T44 feet above sea level and twenty miles distant. Almost every State iu the Union and many portions of the world are represented amongst her citizens, who are generally hospitable, intelligciit and pro- gressive. HUENEME, The only other seaport, aud the next largest town In the county, Is located twelve miles below Ven- tura. It Is In the heart of a rich agricultural region, aud Is the shipping point for a large sec- tion of country. It has an excellent wharf, ex- tending 800 feet, where steamers and sailing ves- sels lie In safety. Here are some of the Lirgest warehouses south of San Francisco for the storage of grain. Warehouse "A" is 5G feet long oy 3i5 feet wide, with a six-foot platform extending the entire length on the east. Warehouse '■B,"66 by 161 teet, with a twelve-foot plaiiorm on the west side. Warehouse '• C," 66 by 312 feet, with a twelve-foot platform extending along the west Bide. The wharf Is 40 feet wide at the outer, and 18 feet at the shore end. with car-traclc the entire length, enabling the company to handle grain very rapidly. There are twenty-four cars, each carrying one hundred sacks of grain, which are kept loaded for ready handling In loading a steamer or schooner. The Ilueneme Wharf and Lighter Company own these Improve- ments. Thos. R. Bard, who Is largely Interested, Is President, and A. B. Stovell, wharfinger and agent for the Paclflc Coast Steamship Company. Near the wharf, and within a few feet ot the surf, Is one of the best artesian wells on the coast, from which the town, as well as steamers, are supplied. The water Is slightly Impregnated with sulphur and iron. There Is a lighthouse on Point Ilue- neme. The town contains several stores, smith- shops, etc., and a fine school house, where wor- ehip Is held, and here, as in all other portions of the county, interesting Sunday Schools. R. G. Livingston Is Postmaster, and A. B. Stovell tele- graph operator. SANTA FAULA, The next town in size, Is delightfully situated on the Santa Clara River, In the centre of a choice region for all classes of farming, and especially adapted to the successful growing of semi-tropi- cal fruits. It occupies a plateau near the foot- hills, about sixteen miles northeast from Ventura, and contains a population of about 250 inhabi- tants. The town is amply supplied with water brought down from the Santa Paula Creek into a reservoir situated on an elevation of 85 feet, from whence it is distributed in pipes. Blanc hard & Bradley's flouring mills are situated at the mouth of the cafiou on the northern part of the town. They are run by water power obtained from the Santa Paula Creek, and manufacture an excellent grade of flour, which commands a large and ready sale. These gentlemen are also owners of the 100-acre orange orchard so attractive to the trav- eller entering the place from the west. It was planted In 18T4, and is in a flourishing condition, some of the trees (especially the sweet-rind lemoD) making a growth of from six to eight feet the past season. The orchard is i)rotected by lime hedges, Jtlonterey cypress and blue-trums, and will soon come into bearing. Nearly all this floe section Us under irrigating ditches, aud with its fertile soil - sloping exposure to the south and east, its protection from winds and logs, Its fine climate, ren- ders it a garden spot which it already closely resembles. There are many beautiful little farms with thrifty orchards in iho vicinity. It is also close to the great oil regions and the extensive apiaries of the Santa Paula and Sesno. The Farmer's Canal and Water Company's Ditch, carrying 400 Inches ot water, is tnken out of the Santa Clara River, two-and-a-half miles above, flows through the village and about six miles be- low, irrigating a number of choice farms. There are two other ditches In operation, and a third Ig In contemplation, sweeping around high upon the base of tue foothills, whicli will bring in and irrigate the very best portion tor fruit growing. There is a good school house with all the modern improvements in furniture, and a good school library, aud an average aiiendanco ot eighty pu- pils. The Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptlstsand Cliristiaris ail have organizations and ministers, but having no church edirices, worship in the school house. 1 lie Union Sunday School is In a nourishing condition and meets here. There are a uumberof stores of general mercliandise, shops, etc. Wells, Fargo &; Co's Express has an agency. A good hotel Is kept by C. N. Baker. A. II. Shep- pard Is Postmaster and telegraph operator. Dr. S. P. Guiberson, a gentleman of sclentiUo and lit- erary attainments, holds the scales ot justice and adds to his other duties a real estate office. Taken all in all, Santa Paula lias a promi Ing fu- ture. The Telegraph Stage Company's coaches pass throueh dally, connecting with the Southern Paclflc Railroad at Newhall. For further Infor- mation address Dr. S. P. Guiberson. SATICOY. This promising village is situated on the Santa Clara River, about eight miles nortneast ot Ven- tura. Here are the famous Satlcoy Springs, a great place in olden times for migratory Indiana and Mexicans, and around which many a bloody tradition clusters. It is now the centre of a pros- perous and thrifty settlement, and embraces some remarkably choice farms and young orchards. It commands a beautiful and uninterrupted view of the Broad Santa Clara Valley, with its mountain boundaries, the oceau and its Islands. There are one or two stores and smith-shops to supply the neighborhood. There is an excellent school house, where Sunday schools and divine services are held. This community is above the average In culture, exhibits considerable musical talent and has a good brass band of a dozen pieces. Jules Quesnel, postmaster. For further Information address E. B. Illgglns. the original owner of the grant. SPKtNGFIELD Is located on the old Conejo road, from Ventura to Los Angeles, twelve miles east of the former place, and three and a half northeast from Ilue- neme. It is in the centre of a prosperous agri- cultural region, and draws considerable trade from the back country. The soil hereabouts Is very fertile, and the farms under good cultivation. The Santa Clara Water and Irrigating Ditch Com- pany's ditch passes through tue village. It will carry 2,000 inches ot water, and irrigates a large number of farms. In the future, water will b3 taken from the Los Posas, and bybrluglna an- otlier ditch fi-om tlie Santa Clara River, around the base of the hill, the greater portion of the country may be Irrigated. The village contains two good stores, a hotel, blacksmith shop, and, near by, a good school-house, where religious ser- vices are held by aiflerent denominations. A. S. Clark, Postmaster. NORDHOI'^F Is situated fifteen miles north ot Ventura, in the beautiful Ojai Valley, the great health resort of the Southern coast. The valley lies 1,000 feet above sea level, is protected from logs and sea winds by a circular wall of mountains, alTordlDg one of the most perfect climates to he found ia the world. The village is pleasantly located in the midst of groves of live and white oak trees. These trees give a pleasant shade aud from their 58 VENTURA COUNTY. branches depend fringes of long moss whlcii add a plciuresnuo cUanii lo the laiidscupo. There are two lir&i-ciaBS country hotels lor the benelit o( lu- vallils, lounsta anil llio travelhiig public. A good hrlu!;; publio bohool house la luniisheU lu moderu style. Ci.urcu services are held hero by the riesbyteiiaiia ai.d Meihodlbts. There I3 also an lutercsiiiig- butitlay 8chool. A description ol the advaiitagfsionhiawouderrul valley as a health resort would renuiro a separate chapter. Near by are tlio uuuouj Alalillga llot Sulphur Springs, where ilKioisagood hotel and cottages tor the accoiiui.odatioa ot invalids. Thomas Gilbert, merchant and rostiiiastor at Norduoff may ha adiUcsscd lor particulars coucerulDg this desir- able region. Below w ill be louud a carefully pre- pareil table giving the acreage and the kinds of crops glowing ac the present time, which will convey 10 persons residing at a distance a concise Idea of what Is being done lu Ventura County : Barley, acres S6.('U0, Canary seed, acres 285 Corn, acres ly.uUOlliBctllancoi'.s crops, Wheat, acrcis 13,iiuul inchuiing vesretables, Beanf,aci'is 1,800 tobacco, peanuts, etc, Oats.acres 55t | acres 670 Potatoes, acro3 300| I'lax. acres 1,'J50 Total, acres 73,655 Alialfii, acres 9uo| llarvestingot Wheat and barley Is going on at this writing (June llth), und although the hot winds a short liuio ago did much damage, the yield bids fair to be very good. Cora is looking well. To the above may bo added the number of acres in orchaid and vineyard: CJeneral variety of fruits, 1,100 acres ; Eughsh walnuts, 1,500 acres ; oranges, 300 acres; leu. ons, 75 acres; vineyards, 210 at res. Total, 3, lb5 acres. The above list does not Include a lai go number of olives and almonds. Limes are so plentliul as to be used for hedges, and are not reckoned. The foUowlntj exhibit of last year's operations may servo as a^'basls, but owins to partial lallures the two preceding seasons, It is, perhaps, not up to the standard. The shipments made over the wharves at (Sau Buenaventura, from Way 1, 1S7S, to February 10, 1S70, und Uuenemo up to Decem- ber 1, 1S73: Barley, 241,179 sacks; wheat, 0,100 sacks; corn, 40,103 sacks; beans, 19,104 sacks; mustard seed, 1,701 sacks; canary seed, 2,203 sacks; potatoes, 710 sacks; rock-soap, 1,035 sacks; sea-shoUs, 200 sacks; sea moss, 30 bales; dried ash, 161 bales; wool, 1,399 ualcs; honey, 4,530 cases; miscellaneous merchandise, 250 tons; hogs, V1.022 head; oil, C49 barrels. Freight received during same period: General xnercnaud se, 5,000 tons; lumber, 2,033,230 feet. Last year's wheat crop was a failure, owing to rust, anil besides, wo manufacture a large share of the crop Into Hour. Owing to the low price of hogs, a light shipment was made. There were, at the beginning ot the pre^eiit season, about 25,000 head ot hogs on hand. During the dry year a large number ot sheep were driven Into Colorado ami Kew Mexico. Thcro were, at the beginning ot the present season, about 50,000 head, and over 1,000 head of hlgh-grado Angora goats. OIL. It is confidently believed by scientific men and *ood judges, that the oil Interests of this section MO paramount to all others, and It would not be Burpilsiug If the development ot the ell resources should yet produce an excitement second only to \hat of the discovery of gold on Suiter Creek In is^y. \s hat Is known as the oil belt comprises an area •)t tiny milt 3 la length (and probably twenty-five u width), extending tast ward through the county iudou through Los^Angeles County. OH crops out Oito the sea at Carpenterla, la Santa Barbara County, and the hillsides and canons are full of springs ilowliig out ot the ground. The Los ^ugelrs Oil company, onerating on the Sespe, In this countv, iweniy-seveu mih s from Ventura, struck a flew some timo ago ot 150 barrels per Jav, Ht a depth ot 1,514 feet. The oil, which is ot a II no quality, rises to within filty feetof thosur- ."ace. from whe celt is pumped. The elevation of «aie wells Is about 1,500 leet, and oil may be con- ducted In pipes over a smooth surface and with- out obstrucilon to the wharf at Ventura. The Southern calilornla Petrolciiui Comnauy, ot which Adams, Thayer & Edwards are the lU'in- cipals, have leased the oil territory 011 the ex- mlsslon lauds. They ha\e two wells an^l six tunnels and are flourishing. Edwards (t Dubbs' Alia oil Keflnery, at Ventura, which has a capacity of retinlng twenty-live barrels per day. The star Oil Company, represented by D. c. Scott, has a large territory and refinery at Ventura. Thcy can refine thirty barrels per day. A party has just arrived from Pennsylvania who will es- tablish a large refinery. Messrs. Ken)ln<:ton & Davis and other parties are now boring, with hopes or success. A company near hero has b"en furnishing the Santa Barbara Gas Company with oil lor gas-making. In addition to the illunnnat- lng,a superior quality ot lubricating oil Is refined, which has a large sale. It is lu use on the cen- tral Pacific Railroad, and lu many largo manu- facturing establishments in San Francisco. Crude -oil is vastly cheaper and better than wood tor fuel; and when its advantages over both wood and coal are known, there will not be a steamer on the ocean or steam engine on land but what will use it. Here in this oil belt are untold mil- lions ot money lying dormant, awaiting capital and enterprise to develop it. For further lutor- matlou on this all-Important subject, address Captain \\esley Roberts, Ventura. Captain K. la tne Superintendent of the Los Angeles Oil Com- pany, and probably better posted than any other man In oil matters. HONEy. Bee-keeping Is rapidly growing Into an Import- ant Industry, and it Is universally admitted that Southern CaUfornli^ Is the best In the world. The apiaries are generally located In and about the foothills. The canons and mountain sides which are apparently worthless afford the choicest bee pastorago. Ventura County shipped the past season 425 tons, or about 850,000 pounds of honey. There were about 4,500 colonies of bees In the county at the commencement ot the preseot sea- son. For further Information address John Hund, Nordhoff, who is Secretary of the Bee-Keepers' As- sociation. STOCK RAISING. Ventura County is preemlnpntly good for rais- ing all kinds of stock. Owing to the mildness o( our climate the expense of keeping stock over a long Winter Is saved. Stock breeds rapidly, and there are but few diseases to contend with. The hillsides, table lands and valleys, produce ricli grasses, such as alfilerlUa and burr clover, which turn to nutrlclous hay In the ground, affordlus the best of pasturage during the Summer and Fall, until green grass comes again In the Winter. Much Interest Is manifested lu the Importatloa ol the very best breeds ot horses, sheep and cattle. Poland, China and Berkshire are the principal breeds of hogs. Hog raisers, men who have beea In the States of the Mississippi Valley, assert that there is no place In America where hogs can be raised with so little care and expense. Upon thl3 Important subject the following gentleme.i may bo addressed: L. D. Roberts, Robert Ayers, Nordhoff Post Office; J. F. Cummings, J. 11. Mc- Cutcheon, Abner Ualnes, Jacob and John Giles, Santa Paula; Mayhew & Everett, I. T. Saxby, Ventura, and 11. P. Flint, Uueneme. Mr. Fimt la an owner and imcorter of fine sheep. SOIL, PRODUCTION, PRICES OF LAND, ETC. Our sou is principally a close-gralt.ed sundy loam, with no hard-pan subsoil or clay. The up- land valleys are adobe and vegetable mould, the washings troQi the mountain sides. The soil re- tains moisture to a remarkable degree. Barley, wheat and corn are the principal crops, and ara grown to perfection. As high as 5,000 pounds of barley ha\e been raised per acre. Cora does re- markably well. Ohio and IlUnois farmprs who are located here say they can raise more cora VENTURA COUNTY. 69 with nalt the labor than can be raised in the States. Oar wheat takes a hi;;h ranlc in the mar- ket and makes A No. i Hour. Kye does well, and farmers are bes;inniti slmrr, vegetables ot allkiuUs, melons, s'luasUes, ground nuls, etc., can haraly be equalled on the conti- nent. The ilavor and keeping qualities are good, and the size, especially of beets, melons and squashes, slmply'astoulshlng. Every variety and kind of fruit found in the north temperature or semi-tropical climes f^ro?v here. Tho apple, peach, pear, plum, aiid other northern fruits, are found growlnir by tbe side ot the orange, lemon, lime, apricot, nectarine, madeira nut, olive, almond, date, flg, guava, quln' e and pomegranate, and each seems equally at home. Mostot the orchards are very young, but specimens of all kinds of fruit have come Into bearing and bear evidence of their perfect adaptability and success. Brieily, It may be stated that there is scarcely a thing grown on the American continent, either grain, vegetable, fruit or flower, but what is sucoessiiully grown In Southern Calltornla, and In many In- stances to a greater degree of perfection. Poultry raising is very proiitable, and Is carried on quite largely, l^rlces of land vary, of course, accord- ing to location, Improvements, etc. Land ranges all the way from $10 to $50. Unimproved lands may be purchased as low as $2 per acre and up- wards, while some of tlie choicest pieces of Im- proved land could hardly bo bought lor $100. Good average lands under culiivatlou may be bought for $20 or $23 per acre. Lands may be rented at Irom $3 to $3 per acre or halt the crop. Large quantities of grain are raised by volunteering. TIMBER, WATER, RAINFALL, CLIMATE, GAME, ETC. Ot the two great desideratums in a sub-tropical country— timber and water— Ventura County pos- sesses a bounteous share. The timber is princi- pally live oak, white oak, and sycamore, the trees growing to good size in the canons and along the streams. In the mountains back ot the coast are vast forests ot fir and pine, which at present are almost inaccessible. TUe Santa Clara is the prin- cipal river. It rises in tbe StodJard Pass and flows southwesterly through the broad a'ld pral- rie-llke valley of that name, emptying into the sea six miles below Ventura. Large ditches taken aVong this stream irrigate vast bodies ot fertile land. The Plru, Sespe and Santa Paula, all rising In the mountains and fed by numerous streams, flow into the Santa Clara irom the nortb. The San Buenaventura Klver rises in the mountains, thirty-live miles northward, and making a rapid descent through the Ajal Valley, empties into the sea at the town of Ventura. It is fed from the east by San Antonio, and west by sant i Ana and Coyote Creeks. The water ot these streams is pure and cold, and abounds in trout. Rabbits, hare, quail and pigeons are abundant. Along the lagoons and wheat fields are legions ot ducks and wild geese. Deer are quite plentiful along the foothills, and along and over the lirst range of mountains are black cinnamon and grizzly bear, wild cats and California lions. What is called tUe " rainy season " usually sets in about the 1st of November and lasts until the 1st of March. Ot course these dates vary. After the hrst rain, which usually lasts from two to four days, the farmers commence to plough for the new crops. The grass and flowers spring un all over the face ot the earth. Hills and valleys that were a sober brown are now trreen and gay with bird and bloom. "When the ralns'fali 16 is usually for a few cays, and then the sun comes out and the farmer goes on with his work. lie works in his shirt sleeves and finds a shade In the middle of the day com- fortable. The evenings, nights and mornings are cool. By the first ot Marcli or April the grain has made a good growth, gardens are made, and no more rain falls untd the next November. Thus, what is the begiiming ot Winter in tho States, is our Spring and beginning ot new life. The nights are cool, but all Winter long tlie tenderest flowers blossom in the open air, Roses, pinks, lUiess, fuchsias and a hundred varieties of flowers fill the yards and gardens with glorious colors. The orange and lemon trees are golden with fruit blossoms and tender bud. lloneysucklesand other sweet-scented flowers clatnber over your porch and trail into the open window. But Inside sit tho occupants before a little Ore. and it feels com- fortable. They are dressed in warm woollen un- derclothing, which is necessary here all the year round. Through the Summer months tho nignts are cool enough to render a pair ot warm blank- ets necessary. Snow falls at intervals only la the mountains, and their glittering peaks map- ped out against a clear blue sky, contrast strange- ly with the green fleids and bright-colored flowers of the warm, sunny valleys. Tne air Is pure, and sweet, and bracing. With tho salt sea- waves of the Pacific Ocean gently breaking on the south, and the pine and fir-covered moun- tains on the north, it could not be otherwise. Chills and fevers and malarial diseases cannot, and do not, exist. Sunstrokes, tornadoes, hydro- phobia, yellow fever— and, with oneshght excep- tion, earthquakes— are unknown. The highest medical auihorities have asserted that in the mountain valleys (such as the Ajal), back a short distance from the sea, and protected from the fogs and rougher winds, by the foothUls, is to be found the most beneficial climate for persons suf- fering from throat and lung diseases, to be found anywhere. Thousands of sufferers who sit in over-heated rooms and look wearily and hope- lessly through frozen window panes, through the long and severe Winters of the East, might, in the warm sunshine and tempered air of outdoor life in these valleys, find a new lease of life by seeking them ?n time. It Is confidently believed that when all the advantages and excellencies of this climate become generally known, the Medi- terranea/i and Florida will be overlooked, and Southern California will become the greatest sanitarium of the continent. The mean temperature is from 50 to 55 degrees in January, and 70 to TO in July. Rainfall rang- ing from five to fifteen Inches the season. Th*i young county of Ventura, with a popula- tion of but 7.000 inhabitants, has room tor a num- ber ot people. Within thecommerclal lines of Ven- tura Avell nigh a half million peoplo may bo com- fortably sustained. With all her vast resources and natural advantages she cordially and coufl- dently invites Immigration. The best way to reach San Buenaventura Is to take one ot the steamers of the Pacltic Coast Steamship Company, which sails every Thursday from their wharf, at the foot of Davis street, San Francisco. They are good, staunch steamers, with trusty, polite and obliging officers. Fare to Vei;tura, first cabin, $12; steerage, $9. Tlme,abou6 50 hours. The Ancon and Orizaba, belonging to the same line, sail alternately every fifth day, touching at Santa Barbara, where passengers may take the stage for Ventura, 30 miles. Passengers who prefer the land may take the cars ot t&e Southern Pacific Railroad, which runs daily iraitis southward to Los Angeles and Arizona. Passen- gers for Ventura get off at Newhall and take the Telegraph stage, the balance ot the route, abou* 50 miles. Fare, flrst-class, from San F'rancisco ta Ventura, $24 ; second-class, $1T. Time, about- 56 hours. CO SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. This Is tlic northcfn ol the six counties which constitute the great agricultural district known as the Pan Joaqulu Valley, aud Is bounded on the north by Sacramento County, east by Amador, Calaveras and istaulslaus, south by Stanislaus, and west by Sacramento, Contra Costa and Ala- meda counties. It has an average length of about forty I: lies by a breadth of thirty miles, and em- braces an area of 896,000 acres, of vrhlch 865,074 acres are returned on the assessment roll of the county as subject to taxation. TOPOfillAPUY AKD CHAKACTEK OF LAND. This Is exclusively an agricultural county, no Important deposit of minerals having been found within Us borders. With the exception of a few of the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, Ja tlie eastern pirt of the couuty, and n compara- tively smull tract in the extreme southwest por- tion, cxte dl'.gl.ito the Coast Ita' ge, the face of thecoiii.try Isgt'uerally level, 'i'he character of the lands may lift classed as follows: '-Prairie," "swamp and overflowed," "river bottom," and "footulil." 'I'ho swamp and overllowea lands comprise about one-fourth of the entire area, and of Ihon-matuder nearly all la prairie land, sus- ceptiuloof cultivation, and capable of producing crops of grain, varying from tea to forty bushels per acre, ueeordlng to the locality and character of the soil. 1. deed, la some Instances, fifty, sixty, and even seventy bushels have been jiroduced ; but these are exceiitlonal cases, resulting from extra- ordln ry fertility of soil, combined with good sea- Bons aud carelul cultivation. THE EOTTOII LANDS Are those which He along the Stanislaus, Cala- veras and Mokeluiune Elvers, between the river and the high lands, and are subject to annual overflow unless protected by levees. These peri- odical overflows leave a rich sedimentary deposit, which renders ilie fertility of the soil inexhausti- ble. Thogreat variety or thecrops produced, and the cnonnous yield, are matters of astonishment. The soil is a rich sandy loam, and is well adapted to the growth of potatoes, hops, corn, tobacco, peanuts, flax, hemp, jute, ramie, chlccory, mel- ons, and irulis and vegetables of every descrip- tion. No Irrigation Is required, and there Is never any failure of account of drouth. THE SWAMP AND OVEBFLOWED LANDS Are situated mostly in the northwestern portion of the county, and border on the San Joaquin Klver and Its several tributaries and sloughs. A few years ago this vast extent of country was almost entirely covered with a thick growth of tules. Under the several acts of the Legislature encouraging reolanjatlon, a large number of re- clamatl n districts have been lormcil, by means of which, with the aid of private capital, which has toeen liberally invested, an immense area of lieretolore valueless land has been success- fully reclaimed and rendered fit for cul- tivation. The exact number of acres so reclaimed cannot be given here for want of time, but n ay be safely set down as ex- ceedli:g 150,001) acres. Among the islands lying In this CGUiity which have been reclaimed, the principal are Union, Egberts. Staien, Bouldeu, and Roueh a :dEeiidy. There are, besides, a num- ber of la d Qlslricis, embracing a large area of land, which have been thoroughly reclaimed. These linds are renairkably lertile and yield enor^i.ouscronsof wheat and barley, besides be- ing well adapted lo the growth of about all the crops produced In the river bottoms. They are especially valuable in seasons of drouth, for the reason that crops may be planted and matured after failure in the uplands has been rendered certain. THE FOOTHILL LANDS, Heretofore referred to, are also especially valua- ble as ranges lor sneep, cattle and other stock. In fact, there Is little or no land in this county which cannot be utilized for some purpose. In- deed, in seasons of extraordinary drouth, even unreclaimed tule lauds afford good pasturage, aud have been the means of preserving thousands of cattle and sheep from starvation. On the west side ot the San Joaquin Kiver there Is a vast plain, several miles in width, extending from the river back to the loothiUs of the Coast Kange, which, unfortunately, is partlctUarly subject to dry seasons. The soil is a rich sandy loam, ot considerable depth, and In fa- vorable seasoiiS produces extraordinary crops or the cereals, but from the peculiar conrormatlon of the country, and the prevailing direction of the winds during the Winter season, the rainfall isotteuuiuchless than la the eastern portion of the valley. This peculiarity exists throughout the entire valley, and the frequent failure of crops on account of drouth has rendered farm- lug so extra-hazardous in that section, as greatly to discourage even tne most enterprising from engaging In agricultural pursuits. To remedy this serious detect, plans for irrigation on a large scale have been projected and partially carried into effect, and when fully completed, this por- tion of San Joaqulu County, as well as the rest of the valley ou the west side, will be made exceed- ingly valuable. ACCESSIBILITT TO KARKET. No county in the State is more favorably located with respect to facilities for speedy and direct access to market than is San Joaquin County. The San Joaquin Elver flows through the entire length of the county from south to north. No streams of importance unite with it from the west, but ou its easterly side, within the limits ot the couuty. It receives the water of three tribu- taries— the Stanislaus, Mokelumne and Calaveras rivers, the two flrst named being navigable at Certain seasons for a considerable distance. Through these channels easy communication with Stockiou aud San Francisco is afforded to the ad- jacent country. Stockton, which is situated in about the centre ot the county, can be easily and quickly reached from any point within Us limits, either by rail or by water. '1 here are also three excellent macadamized roads, connecting the city with the northern, southern and eastern portions of the county, which are constantly kept in good repair, so that travel for heavy freight wagons 13 unobstructed at all seasons ot the year. CLIMATE. The following able and Interesting paper on the subject of the climate of this section of country, prepared by Dr. G. A. Shurtleff, Medical Superin- tendent of the State Insane Asylum, in this city, Is given entire, as it may be considered the best and most reUable authority on the subject of which it treats that can be obtained: " The climate of the different sections of our coast presents, like that of Mexico, some striking and most agreeable varieties. Heat aud cold, irrespective of latitude, occur In certain places regularly from observable physical causes which are local; and humid winds, or arid calms, or grateful breezes characterize the cUaiate of local- ities within comparatively short distances from each other— the manifest result of the couflgura- SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. 61 tlon of the earth's surface. Thus In the great basin of the Saa Joaquin, tue process ot heating and cooling, ot atmospheric rest and motion, Is carried on during Summer, with almost tne regu- larity of the ebb and now o£ the ocean tide. Near tlis coast, and stretching along for hundreds of miles parallel with It, this Immense valley Is eii ectually cut off by the coast range of mountains f ruui the air of the sea, during the latter part ot tin; nlgnt aud foro part of the day, wnile the at- niospberic equipoise Is undisturbed by local rarl- flcauon. Bud as tne day advances tho suu warms ai.il heats aud rarities the reposing atmosphere of ilio valley, the equlhbrium Is at length tempora- rily destroyed, and soon after mid-day, ttio Luavy, cool sea - wind, put In motion aud hurried on to restore Nature's disturbed bal- ance, coi.e:^ sweeplDg up tho outlet of tho valley, and tnrough the passes ot the coast mountains, Willi uncomfortable force and irigldlty. With no Gijtftacles to impede or deviate its course, it pur- sues the broad line of the great river ot the south, passing over our city aud the lower part of the valley in a northwest course, fresh and cool, gratefully tempered and moderated as it com- mingles in its hrst meeting with the soft, warm air of the interior, and spreads out over the wide expanse of green tules in which tho valley t( rmiuaies. In this way, by a law of Nature, the whole basin is fllied daily, during the Summer, with the Invigorating auiiosphere of the ocean, aided some- what in the night by the descending cool air from the snowy crests of the Sierras. With a temperature thus equalized and an atmos- piiere thus daily refreshed, tno valley ot San Joaquin possesses a climate eminently conducive to both the comtort and health ot man. The I climate ot calitornla has not been Inappropriately compared to that ot Italy In the equability and • agreeableness of its temperature. No equally ex- ; tensive section of the Staio possesses In so cndnent a degree those desirable climatic charac- leiistics which justify this favorable comparison ( as does the valley ot the San Joaquin. Low down liio valley, about midway between the two moun- I tain ranges, the temperature Is almost exactly (that of Naples, as the following record of ther- mometrlcai observation will show : I Naples. Stockton t January 40 49 February 47 61 'March 6^ 68 April 50 «0 May 64 64 [June 70 74 iJuly U tre 'August 76 74 iseptember 69 69 October 61 67 'November 53 56 I December 49 48 "The foregoing table represents the mean tem- perature of each month in the year In Naples and i In Stockton, the temperature of the latter place fbelDg taken from the record Icept by Dr. U.K. 1 Keld, and embracing a period of four years. "Along the coast side ot the lower valley the climate is much cooler in Summer than in Stock- ton, the high winds prevailing in the afternoon, as in San B'rauci&co, while far to the south, and along the foothills of tho sierras, It is much hot er during tho same season. " In regard to the healthiulnessof the valley, to say nothing ot tho sanitary effect of the rapid desiccation and curlncof most of the spontane- ' ous vegetable productions when tho dry season i commences, this daily atmospheric current is con- Istantly sweeping away in their iucipiency the 1 miasmatic exhalations and pestilent lermenta- ) tlons which might otherwise incubate and brood undisturbed over tho rich bottom lands { near the mouths of the tributary streams. In this unavoidable purlflcation, carried on and for- ever to continue in obedience to the preservative ' and unalterable laws of Nature, we have tho prom- ise ot the future healthfulness ot our increasing I population. The experience of the past, too, I mftj well inspire oonfldeuce. Carefully kept and sclentlflcally arranged necrologlcal tables extending back more than ten years, show- in this city a rate of mortality which com- pares favorably with the most healthy places on the globe ; the ratio of morcallty exclusive of deaths uom external causesorviolenco, being an- nually only 1 death to C5 of the population ; while In Norway tho ratio of mortality is 1 In 56; Swe- den, 1 in 49; England, 1 in 44; France,! in 44; Prussia, 1 in 3G ; Philadelphia, 1 in 46 ; Baltimore, 1 in 41; New York, t in 33; United States (as shown by the corrected estimates of tho eighth census), 1 in 45.5. Epidemics and virulent infec- tions have been rare and disinclined to spread, and tho more genial and mild temperature of this sheltered region tends to stay the development ot pulmonary affections and diseases of tho respira- tory system, while the chilling fogs and harsh winds cf the coast are liable to provoke their dread attacks. " Along the estuaries of the San Joaquin Elver, and at the mouths ot its confluents, malaria is sometimes engendered, and Intermittents in a mild form prevail to some extent late in the Sum- mer, notwithstanding tho unfailing sanitary In- fluences ot our post-meridian winds. But when we consider that these rank borders and low bot- toms, on account of their moisture and supposed richness, were the first, aud in some sections, un- til recently, tho only part ot the valley which were settled, and that even now they are seldom objected to by the experienced on account of their unhealthfulness, and when we further contem- plate that these are but tho narrow water lines and terminal borders of a valley whose length is estimated by hundreds of miles, and whose breadth is measured by tho meridian lines of longitude; whoso healthful and productive acres extend far away out of sight ot tho regions of Winter floods or Autumnal miasm, wo may confl- dently feel assured ot a population in this rich and truly magnificent valley, not only healthful In the usual freedom from bodily Ills, but health- ful In every essential Interest which tends to constitute a wealthy, prosperous and happy peo- ple." INDUSTKIES. Although the grain-growing Interest predomi- nates over all others la the county, a number ot other important Industries are carried on to con- siderable extent and rendered profitable to those engaged in them— ot which may be mentioned, as next in Importance, that of STOCK-BBEEDINO. Great attention Is given by a majority of our farmers to the Improvement of their flocks, herds and stables, by the Introduction from the Eastern stables and from abroad of the best thorough- bred stock of horses, horned cattle, sheep and swine. For years past -the stock of this county has had a wide-spread reputation on account of Its general superiority, and some of the fastest and best horses In the State have been brea here. It Is no vain or idle boast to say that on any great public occasion which attracts the farmers to tho city, more fine buggy, car- riage, team, draft and saddle horses can be seen In Stockton lu one day than in any other town In any country whatever. This, however, must bo understood to apply to average teams, owned by the farmers for dally service, and not to exhib- itors at fairs. In fact, it seems to be the ambii ion of every farmer in this county to have a team quite as good, if not better, than his neighbor. During the past year a number oC fine teams have been sold to gentlemen In Sau Francisco at fancy prices. Thoroughbred short-horn Durham and other breeds ot cattle, Spanish Merino, French Merino and Southdown sheep aud Berkshire hogs are also raised to a considerable extent. Another Important Industry is the production of fruits aud vegetables tor the San Francisco mar- ket. Tho alluvial banks of the Sau Joaquin River are peculiarly favorable for this purpose, from the fact that fruits and vegetables mature earlier than elsewhere, and on account of the quickness wltu which they may be placed In market, 'i'he bot- toms along the other streams traver.sintc the G2 SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. country are cultivated la tbls manner, and pro- duce large crops. We can give no statistics of this brancii of Industry, but observe that it I3 steadily growing year by year. The products I'orin an Lu- portaiit Item lu the freight lists of the steamers plying dally to San Francisco. Poultry of all lands is raised In great abund- ance, and the shipment of eggs and poultry from Stoctton amount to many thousand dollars annu- ally. This 13 a very profitable industry, as the products of the poultry yards always And a ready sale, at remunerative prices. The following statibtlcs, showing the products of the county tor the year ISTT, are taken from the report of the County Assessor made in July, 18TS: Land enclosed, 328.500 acres; land cultivated, 196,150 acres. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. Wheat— 114,132 acres, 1,063,820 bushels; barley, 9,025 acres, 146,930 bushels ; oats, 150 acres, 3,200 bushels; rye, 1,250 acres, 18,600 bushels; corn, 539 acres, 11,250 bushels; bucicwheat, 15 acres, 300 bushels; beans, C5 acres, 1,750 bushels; potatoes, 590 acres, 3,090 tons ; sweet potatoes, 10 acres, 30 tons; onlous, 40 acres, 3,250 bushels; hay, 4,030 acres, 4,250 tons; hops, TO acres, 19,400 pounds; wool, 244,400 pounds. Fruit— Value of fruit crop, about $4,500 ; bear- ing oranges, 10 ; acres of grapevlues, 1S6. Wiue, etc.— \\^liie, 76,600 gallons; brandy, 9,500 gallons; breweries, 3; beer, C6,500 gallons. Live Stock— Horses, 12,040 ; mules, 1,130; Jacks and jennets, 56; horned cattle, 18,564; sheep, 1T6,55T ; liogs, 15.848 ; goats, common, CS3. Improvements— Grist mills, steam power, 6; barrels of flour made, no.soo; bushels of corn ground, 3,9U0 ; bushels of barley ground, 2,400. Sawmill, 1. Woollen mills, 16; pounds of wool used, 200,000 ; blankets made, T,500; flannel, etc., 100,000 yards. Irrigating ditches, 2; acres irri- gated, 3,000. Railroads, miles lu length, 101 59-100. Telegraph line, number of miles, 122}-^. Population— The total number of names on the Great Ileglster is given at 5,500, which is no doubt considerably In excess of the actual num- ber of voters. The total number of votes cast at the late elecilou on the question of the adoption of the new Constituiiou amounts to 4,163, the largest vote ever polk d in the county. CITIES AND TOWNS. The principal townsoutside of the city of Stock- ton, are : Woodbridge, Lodl, Lockeford, Acampo, FarmingtoD, Linden, Lathrop, Bantas, Ellis, and Tracy. Woodbridge has a population of about BOO, and is one of the oldest settlements in the county. It is located fourteen miles from Stock- ton, on the Mokelumne River, at the head of navi- gation. It has a number of fine brick buildings, hotels, stores, an excellent public school, one of the finest academies In the caunty, recently com- pleted, a flour mill, blacksmith shops, and nuaier- ous otherlndustries and trades. It is in the cen- tre of a very rich agricultural district, which ac- counts for the prosperity it has maintained, not- v?lthstandlng the competition with the neighbor- Ing town of Lodl, on the Central Paclflc Railroad, two and a halt miles distant. Lodl, twelvo miles north of Stockton, on the Central Paclflc Railroad, has sprung Into exist- ence since the construction of that road, and Is one of the most thriving communities in the county. Its citizens have exhibited a degree of enterprise quite surprising, and have inaugurated enterprises that promise to make it the busiest town m the interior. A brick flouring mill of large capacity has been erected by a joint stock company, and a saw hiill has been completed by the Lodl Land and Lumber Company, with a capacity for sawing about 25,000 feet of lumber dally, the logs being floated down the Mokelumne River from the niouutaia forests of sugar pine, which afford an almost Inexhaustible supply of material. The citizens of Lodl andvicialcy have Inaugurated a good irrigatiOQ scheme, which bids fair to suc- ceed. Wateristobe taken from the Mokelumne River at the wire bridge, above Lanoha Plans, and distributed over the lands lying between the Mokelumne and Calaveras Rivers by a system of canals aggregating 130 miles in length. The town has a population of from 400 to 500 inhabi- tants, and contains a number of handsome churches and public buildings. Lockeford is situated on the high banks of the Mokelumne River, about eiyht miles east of Lodi. The location Is most delightful, being la the midst of fine old oaks, \mlch afford the most grateful shelter from the scorching rays of the Summer sun, and altogether it is one of the most cosey and pleasant spots to be" met with anywhere. It is the centre of a prosperous farming community, and hasapopulatio;iot about 250. Linden lies twelve miles cast of Stockton, and is surrounded by the richest farming lands of the county. The country is beautlfled by scattering oak trees of enormous size, whose long, trailing branches almost sweep the ground, giving the landscape the appearance of an old o cnard. A flouring mill Is located in the village, and othsr industries afford occupation to about 150 inhab- itants. Farmington is sixteen miles from Stockton, on the line of the Stockton and Visalla Railroad, and is the centre of a great wheat-growing district. It contains a warehouse, for the storage of grain, of considerable caijacity, and large quantities of grain are annually shipped from that point. There are a number of stores, and the mercuanta and tradesmen do an active and prosperous busi- ness. Lathrop is ten miles south from Stockton, at the junction of the Visalia and Western Division of the Central Paclflc Railroads. It is the eaiiUg station for passenger trains on both roads, and coasts a flrst-class hotel. The population con- sists principally of persons connected with the railroad. Rantas is a railroad station on the Central Pacl- flc, twelv'e miles tro.u Stockton, and lu good sea- sons is an Important point for the shipment of grain. It is surrounded by very fertile lands, which produce enormous crops in good seasons, which, however, occur so seldom, that farming la very precarious; and no improvement in the busi- ness prospects can be hoped for until some sys- tem of Irrigation on the West Side has been estab- lished. Tracy Is a new town, which has just sprung up at the junction of the Bay Shore road to Saa Francisco, via Martinez, and the former road via NllesaudSan Leandro. The Railroad company have transferred their station fro:n Ellis to the new town, and a number of stores, hotels, and dwellings have also been removed, so that the once flourishing little town of ElUs has been Shorn of its importance, and, la fact, almost ab- sorbed by its new rival. From its favorable loca- tion, Tracy will no doubt soon become a place of considerable business importance. In all the towns in the county there are churches, school houses, stores, and mechanical shops, adequate to the supply of the surrounding country. EDUCATION. There Is perhaps no county in the State where the people are more deeply impressed with the Importance of education, or where better facili- ties are afforded for the purpose. In the county outside of Stockton there are Tl school districts, with 7T school houses. The number of chiUren attending school is 2,965. The expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, are as follows: For salaries of teachera $46,555 C9 For conttngrent expenses, 5,440 96 For libraries 1,542 GO For Bchool apparatus 2:4 i5 For Biies, bxuldinga and furniture £61 65 TotaL $54,S54 35 The following statement Includes the city of Stockton : Number of school districts, T2; number of schools, lOT; number of children attending schools, 6,030. SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. 63 EXPENDITUBES. For salaries of teachers $76,293 09 i'or contingent expenses 13,265 45 Tor libraries 1,855 10 Tor Rchool apparatus 2a4 05 For Bites, bmldings and f urnitui-e 799 W Total $92,'167 69 Most Of the districts have comfortatile school houses ana capable and efflcient leachers. The schools are kept open on an average about eight mouths In the year. THE CITY OF STOCKTON. This city, which is the county seat of San Joaquin, and at present the third city in the State IQ point of population and commercial import- ance, Is located on a level plain at the head of Stockton Slough, a wide and deep arm of the San Joaquin, which extends from the river three miles iDto the plain. It occupies a very favorable com- mercial position, the San Joaquin River being ijavijrable to this point from San Francisco at all seaso;iS of the year for vessels of from 150 to 250 tons burden ; and Stockton Slough, with Its two branches— Mormon and Lindsay channels— both of which are navigable to central portions of the city, affords wharf room and harbor facilities such as are beldom possessed by interior towns. In the Wljter and Spring months steamers also ply upon the Upper San Joaquin for a distance of nearly two hundred miles above Stockton. The city was founded in 1S49 by Captain C. M. Wet)€r, and laid out into streets, being a portion of the i^Iexican grant known as El Eaucho del CaniDO de los Franceses,whlch has been confirmed to Captain Weber by the United States Govern- ment, so that there Is no question as to the va^ lidiry of any title derived turough hlra. The cor- porate limits of the city extend over four square miles, and its streets run at right angles, forming blocks of three hundred feet square. The streets running from north to south are uniformly eighty feet wUe, and those running from west to east, elxty feet. There are also a number of avenues from eighty to one hundred and twenty feet In wldih. A great number of the principal streets are graded and gravelled, or macadamized, and very generally lined with beautiful shade trees. The buildings are generally of a very substantial character, the business portion being constructed almost entirely of brick. A system of street rail- roads, two and three-quarters miles in length, IncludiPff all its branches, affords easy communi- cation between all parts of the city. The city has an efQclent Fire Department, con- Blstlng of four volunteer companies, under the control of a Chief Engineer, elected annually by the liremeo. Its equipment is not surpassed for excellence and efQciency in the State, comprising three fine steam Are engines, one Babcoctc fire extinguisher, one hook and ladder company, and minor apparatus which make up a complete outflt. Stockton 13 well supplied with churches. The number of church edifices is thirteen, viz.: one Episcopal, one Catholic, one Presbyteri- an, one Congregational, three Methodist, two Baptist, one Christian, one Lutheran, and one Jewish Synagogue. THE PtlBLIO SCHOOLS OF SfOCKTON Are the special pride of her citizens, and have ac- quired an enviable reputation t.Voughout the State. So efficient and excellent h\:e the public schools become, through a liberal policy and ad- mirable management, that private schools and seminaries have not become a necessity, and all classes of citizens send their children to them, where it is believed such an education miy be ac- quired as to lit tne graduate for almost any posi- tion In the greneral pursuits of life. The number ot children attending the city schools last year was 2,065. The expenditure for the year ending Juno 30, 1S78, was as follows : For calariesof teach -r? $29,738 00 Forconiiripentcxi ensefl 7,824 49 For libraries bl2 6U For Bite 5, buildings and f urniture 208 25 Total $38,113 34 Tiie valaatlou of scnool-houses, furniture, libra- ry, apparatus and musical Instruments Is $142,000. The school buildings are of the most substantial character, and tneir architectural beauty adds greatly to the appearance ot tne city. Tne Stock- ton Business College, established about four j-ears ago, Is an extensive Institution, at which the theorj and practlco of business are taught, and Is a very creditable, excellent and thorough busi- ness school. Stockton contains cl^ht establish- ments for the manufactuRjandsaleof agricultu- ral implements, six drug stores, two auction stores, nine bakeries, four banks, eleven barber shops, thirteen blacksmith shops, one boiler shop, ono book -bindery, five book and stationery stores, twenty boot and shoe shops, three breweries, twelve meat markets, one carpet weaving establishment, ten carriage and wagon makers, one dealer iu carriage and wagon materials, one chair factory, eighteen cigar stands, twelve clothiers, three coal and wood yards, six confectioners, cloven contractors and builders, one cracker factory, four crockery dealers, five dentists, ten dry goods stores, three dyers and scourers, two foundries, three lurnlture factories, live furniture dealers, two glove fac- tories, eleven grain dealers, thlrty-ono groceries, three gun shops, ten hardware dealers, six har- ness and saddle shops, one hat store, twelve hotels, two ice depots, two iron and steel deders, six ewellers, three junk dealers, two wholesale liquor stores, Dfty-elght saloons, ten livery, feed and sale stables, three lumber dealers, three mar- ble works, t nniillinerysiiops, two flour iidll?, two planing mills, one pLiper mill, two musicstoreSj two dally and four weekly newspapers, Pix paint shops, lour photographers, sixteen physicians, four poultry dealers, four job printing establish- ments, four produce dealers, ten restaurants, ten school houses, ono shlo yard, ono soap factory, one soda factory, two stair builders, nine tailor Shops, three tanners, two undertakers, ten vege- table dealers, one wire fence factory, three wind- mill factories. The population of the city Is estimated at about 14,000. A great number ot new dwelling houses and stores have been erected during ihe last twelvemonths, In most Instances for the parties who occupy them. It is, indeed, a remarkable fact, that la Stockton a large majority of the dwellings are owned by the families who live in them. The assessment roll for the present fiscal year foots up $4,723,234, being an Increase of $102,193 over last year, and $2,430,096 over 1869, having nearlydoubledla the last eleven years. The tax rate for the present year Is $1 80 ner $100, against $2 05 m 18T8. STOCKTON AS A GKAIN MAKKKT. Stockton Is conceded the most Important grain market on the Faciflc Coast, with the exception of San Francisco. This fact is to be attrlDuted to her location in the centre of a vast grain-pro- ducing country, accessible at all times by rail- roads and navigable streams, radiating In every direction, and her extraordinary facilities lor clieap and rapid handling, storage and transpor- tation. The warehouses of Stockton have a storage capacity of 1,600,000 centals, or 80,000 tons. The deep, navigable channels extending from the San Joaquin river to different points in the city, afford a water front ot several miles in extent, along which substantial wharves have been constructed, aggregating more than a mile in extent. A special wharf fund has been created by the City council, which ii applied exclusively to repairs, and the construction ot new wharves, as the demands of business may require. The receipts of wheat at this port from July 1st, 1878, to June 1st, 1879, as far as can be ascert Uned, amount to 4,049,433 centals. The shipments for the sa ; e period foot up 3,501,662 centals. Ship- ments of wool (spring clip) amount to 1.281,500 pounds. These are the principal articles ot shlp- I entfor export, but tuere are annually snipped, in addition. lar,H'e quantities of flour for foreign export, as well as home consumption, leather hides, furniture, poultry, eggs, live stock, truita 64 SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY. vegetables, chlccory, and many other articles, to which the llmlis of this article permit hut pass- ing mention. MANUFACTURES, Stockton has of late years made rapid progress In tiie number and variety of her manufactures, and tne value of the different articles produced has greatly increased and contributes largely to the wealth and prosperity of the city. Only a brief notice can be given here of a tew of the most Important branches. There are two large fluur mills In the city— the City Wills, owned by sperry & Co., and Lane's Mills, owned by R. B. Laue, which use annually about 36,000 tons of wheatla the aggregate. The flour is of superior quality, and especially adapted to stand a sea voyage. It Is consequently In great demand tor export to China, England and other foreign countries. AGKICUI.TUKAL IMPLEMENTS. The manufacture of agricultural Implements Is carried on to a great extent, and ranks among the most important industries in the city. Five Arms are extensively engaged in this business, and the value of implements manufactured annually will aggregate not less than $250,000. A srreat many Important and valuable improvements and Inven- tions In that lino have been made by Stockton mechanics, which have been patented, and It is safe to say that no better quality ot worK can be produced anywhere than tiiat turned out by Stockton mechanics. FOUNDRIES. There are two large foundries which do a flour- ishing business In the manufacture of castings for agricultural Implements, and all manner of steamboat, portable and stationary engines, min- ing machinery, pumps, house fronts, etc. The total value of tue manufactures of these estab- lishments aggregate about $200,000 annually. There Is also an establishment for the manu- facture of steam boilers, which does a large bust- ness. A paper mill owned by the California Paper Company, with a capital stock ot $300,000, was completed and put in operation about two years ago. It has a capacity ot producing 16,000 pounds of paper dally, for which there is a steady de- mand, the printing and other classes of paper being of a superior quality. CARRIAGES AND WAGONS. The manufacture of carriages and wagons has been a leading business in Stockton from an early period ot its existence, and the vehicles manu- lactured In this city cannot be surpassed In nolnt of material, excellence of workmanship, beauty o£ design, elegance of finish, Btrength and dura- bility. There are two very large establishments, beside a number of smaller ones, engaged In this branch of Industry, and the value of their manu- factures aggregate annually uowards ot $150,000. FURNITURE Is an important ai-tlcle In the list of home manu- factures. Beside the Stockton Furniture Manu- factory, S. n. Pickett & Co., proprietors, which does a large business, there are a number of deal- ers, who also manufacture to a considerable ex- tent. TANNERIES. There are three tanneries in successful opera- tion In Stockton, their business aggregating about $300,000 per month. The leather manufactured at these tanneries is of such superior quality and widespread reputation, that there is ready de- mand for all that can be produced. A woollen mill has been in successful opera- tion here since ISTO, and has been repeatedly en- larged to meet the demands of an increasing business. The principal articles produced are blankets, flannels and cassimeres, which find a ready market in Stockton and San Francisco. Some shipments have been made direct to China. The wool-growing interests of the San Joaquin Valley are so extensive that the manufacture of woollen goods in ihls city must necessarily In- crease every yeir, and engage large invest- ments of capital. There are two shipyards in Stockton— one on Lind- say Point.owned by S. 11. Davis, an 1 one on Stockton • Channel, owned by the California Steam Naviga- tion Company, from which have been launched some of the finest river craft of Cahfornia. Mr. Davis has been established in business over six- teen years, during which time he has built 24 steamers, 1-2 barges, 3 propellers, 2 dredge barges, 2 sloops, and 1 schooner. Besides the various manufactures specially re- ferred to, a numb; r of firms are engaged In the manufacture of boots and shoes, saddlery and harness, tinware, and a great variety of other articles, such as aro necessary to supply the de- mands of a largo community. With this brief summary ot the location, soil, climate, resources, products, manufactures, etc., of San Joaquin County, and Its principal city, thla article must be brought to a close. If the facts as therein presented shall happen to attract the at- tention of persons who are looking around for new homes, or In search of profitable Investmenta for capital, and so Interest them as to awaken a desire for further information, such persons are cordially invited to come and see for themselves, and are assured of a hearty welcome and gener- ous hospitality. -o| 43^ iti CALAVERAS COUNTY. 65 CALAVERAS COUNTY. By L. M. SCHRACK. Calaveras Is one of the oldest-settled counties In the State, and justly celebrated la the early flays of Its settlement for the fabulous yield of virgin gold from plain, gulch, bank, river, and deep-channei diggings. GEOGRAPHIGALLY, Calaveras Is centrally located, and Is bounded by the following counties : On the norch by Alpine, on the east by Tuolumne, on the south and south- east by Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, and on the west by Amador; being about sixty miles In length, with an average width or thirty miles, containing eleven thousaud square miles of terri- tory. The salubrity of the climate, from the pe- culiar formation and location ot the county, is remarkable and widely acknowledged, as attested by the Urge number 01 visltorsiomore prominent localities, for sanitary purposes, as well as curi- osity and instruction, in visiting the many NATURAL WONDEKS Of this county ; principal among which are the world-renowned Big Tree Groves, extensive cave with its many charming chambers, and the truly wonderful natural briage ; all of which are usu- ally visited by tourists " doing " Caliroruia. The entire county may Justly be regarded as a bed of MINERAL Deposits, gold predominating; the baser metals being abundant and only awaiting the time of the advent of population, and consequently capi- tal, to develop these now dormant resources. Copper has been extensively worked, but at pres- ent it Is in a languishing condition, from causes best known to those who secured tlte most favor- able locations; iron, inexhaustlve, of high per- centage, contiguous to limestone, timber and water power; coal beds undeveloped exist, also clnnibar; marble, limestone and granite of the finest quality, in ledges ot boll and magnlQcent proportions, course the country,interspersed with Innumerable lodes of quartz, many of which carry gold, and some now worked are proving the best gold mines upon the coast, notable amongst which are the Gwin mine, located in the west central side of the county, and which la prose- cuted with an energy and upon a scale second to DO eimiUr mine iu the State; the American, formerly the Furguson & Wallace, and Chavannie mines, upon the east central side ot the county, and the champion, locatec' near the West Point In the northwest of the county, are particularly notable lor their steady yield and jtidicious man- agement. There are innumerable operations in quartz, hydraulic and channel mining through- out the county, which meet with success or dls- appomtment in accordance with their good or bad management. To particularize the many op- erations would be foreign to this article, as they extend irom the southern extreme of the county, east to west, northerly to, and even Into the great i TIMBERED BELT, ! 'Which of Itself, for grandeur, extent, diversity land naagniflcent proportions, has no parallel in the entire timbered bslt of the western slope of the Sierras. Such is the opinion ol all who have visited and travelled luruugh this wonuertuUy I profuse bounty of Nature. Words are Inadequate |lo express the impression made upon the mind ■ on viewing this wondrous gilt of God to man, which LOW lies (and it would almost seem sacri- j lege to saj ) dormant, awaiting the axe-man, pion- eer to civilization and lateral improvement. This entire belt, during the Summer and early Fall 1 mouths, is occupied by our PASTORAL Population, and those engaged la that pursuit living in other counties also drive their flocks and herds to this great common. Being chiefly yet unsurveyed land, they are occupied for pastoral purposes by a kind of common agreement, each respecting the boundaries ol his neighbor, and it is rare, indeed, that a disagreement occurs, except when crowded by strangers Irom the s oui h, which in years of drouth in that section of the State sometimes occurs. The cnief interests of Cala- veras are mining and pastoral. It cannot be classed as AGRICULTURAL, Yet from east to west, south to north, even to the vicinity of the snow-belt, many favorable loca- tions are occupied, where every production grown In California, according to altitude of loca- tion, is successfully cultivated. The southern, or foot-hill, section is peculiarly adapted to the production ot every description of fruit, as is attested by the innumerable vineyards and orcLiards in luxuriant growin throughout that portion of the county, notwUhsta'sding the necessary care and attention in many cases are evidently wanting. Upon the farms in the higher altitudes the po- tato crop is always a success, not only iu quantity, but the quality is regarded as greatly superior to those of the valley and coast counties; whilst the cereals throughout the county give a satistactory yield. Tne chief crop is hay. Wheat, barley or oats, as the case may be, are cut In the dough and when properly cured make the best of hay. Sucti is the general practice in the larger portion of th© county ; yet there are many favored localliies con- tiguous to San Joaquin County that reverse the general rule, flnding it more proUtable to do so. A failure or crops rrom drouth is a very rare oc- currence in this county ; it is true the ralulall of some years Is more copious than that ot other years, and complaints are more frequently made of too much than too little rain ; but It generally results that all comes out right and crops give satisfactory results. As irrigation is deemed by many Indispensible to the success ot the tiller of the soil, it will not be out of place here to notice the HTnROGRAPHIO Advantages possessed by this county ; the east- ern border being defined by the Stanislaus River, the western by the Mokelumne River, and the central portion of the county, longitudinally. Is drained by the Calaveras River and its various tributaries. These streams and their branches are tapped at various points and their waters distributed by artificial means, chiefly for mining purposes, to all sections of the county. The two great works of this character are the "Mokelumne mil and Slco Canal," on the west side, taking its supplv from the Mokelumne Itlver, and the "Murpuy's Canal," on the east side of the county, t:ikliig its supply from the Stanislaus River; these two ex- tensive works having many lateral ditches for the distribution of their waters. The Caliveras River is tapped at various points, as are the many tributaries ot the several main streams. Comoaratively little or this grea j water supply Is used lor purposes ol irrigation, and only, la fact, when positive necessity demands, ouaceouutot the high price charged, coubequent upon the demand for mining purposes, 'i'he time, however, is evidently approacning when tlie ditch owners must look to the agrluulturist and manufacturer as consumers of their commodity. 66 CALAVEEAS COUNTY. MANUF/CTUKING Operations In this county are comparatively In- Blgnlflcant In their proportions, being chiefly con- fined to lumbering interests, the several mills in operation nob ruUy supplying home consumption ; one iron foundry, located at Altaville, one marble working establishment at Angels, one Alden fruit dryer at San Andreas, one planing mill, door and sash factory at Mokelumne Hill, with barley crackln,' mill attached. The principal towns have their lager, ale and soda, also wagon and harness manufactories. The grape crop of the county, which is very considerable. Is chiefly con- verted Into brandy and wine. Persous seeking locations for manufacturing purposes, can find many most favorable sites in ihls county, particularly on the line of the main canals, there being frequent falls where the whole capacity could be utilized, the water re- turning t J the canal. It is to be supposed that very reasonable terms could be made with the companies lor the power. PRINCIPAL TOWNS. San Andreas, the county seat, is located as cen- trally as may be to population ; West Point Is the extreme town on the northwest, Mokelumne Hill on the west centre, Campo Seco and Comanche on the southwest, Jenny Lind and Milton on the south, Copperopolls on the southeast, Altaville and Angels on the east centre, Valleclto, Mur- phy's and Sueep Ranch on the northeast of the county. The town of Sheep Kanch is a modern woncer, having oeen built up with characteristic rapidity, the stimulant being the extraordinary yield, permanent character and sclentlflc devel- opment of the American and Chavaune gold quartz mines. There are otner towns, too nu- merous to particularize, each and all being the centre of a particular mining district. In all the towns will be found mercantile and all other pursuits, necess:iry or otherwise, fully reoresented. The moral tone of society will com- pare lavorablv with other sections of the State, and the faculties for devotion of the various de- nominations all that could be desired. No com- munity is more devoted to eaucatlonal matters, the youth of the county havimx facilities Inferior to none outside of the large cities. There are three newspapers published in the county, to wit : Chronicle, at Mokelumne Ilill, Re- publican; Citizen, at San Andreas, Democratic; £cho, at Angels, Independent, all of which are in a prosperous condition, which certainly speaks well for the Intelligence of the community. The professions are iu)ly and ably represented, but the healthfulness and moraUty of our citizens are Buch that their services are rarely caUe(J into re - quisiiion. That persons seeking new homes may be ad- vised, It 13 well here to state that there is not a Snanish grant within the limits of the county, and a large amount of GOVERNMENT LANDS Remain subject to location ; all arable lands hay- ing been sectlonlzed, also a considerable portion of the timbered belt which covers the larger pars of our extensive territory. It Is true that most locations considered extra favoraole are now lo- cated and Improved, but there are still many inviting the immigrant, that can be obtained at Government prices. It is questionaoie If any double minimum lands now exist in this county ; If any, the amount is inslgnlticant. Improved properties with Government title per- fected are obtainable at from $5 to $50 per acre, according to Improvement, locality and quality of alud. As yet there are no KAILROADS Coursing the county, nor are there navigable streams touching our borders, which in a great degree accounts for the fact of our many natural advantages and sources of wealth being non-de- veloped. Time will correct this, when Calaveras will take her position amongst her more fortu- nate sister counties, that Nature has so eminently designed her for. MILTON Is the terminus of the Stockton and Copperopolls Railroad, being within one mile of the Stanislaus County line. At this point is received and dis- tributed all supplies for the central and eastern portions of the county, and from which point dl- verge stage lines to San Andreas, Sheep Ranch, Copperopolls, Angel's, Murphy's and Big Tree Groves; also, to Sdnora, Tuolumne County. From, this point, also, debark tourists, by public con- veyance or private outfits, which are always ob- tainable. The west side of the county procures its supplies from Stockton, or via Lodl, on the W. P. R. R. There is a daily line of stages from Lodl via Co- manche, Gwiu Mine to Mokelumne Hill. Supplies for \Vesc Point and vicinity are chietly obtained via Gait, on the W. P. R. 11., from which point a daily line of stages via Jackson, Amador County, connects at Mokelumne Hill with other dally lines for \\ est Point, San Andreas, Angels, Jiurphy's, Big Trees, Sonora, Bodle and intermediate places. I thus uartlcularize the various approaches to the county, hoping that it may lacihtate the move- ments of those coming amongst us seeking per- manent homes, for sanitary considerations or temporary enjoyment. •-> o-^ INYO COUNTY. 67 INYO COUNTY. Bx Hon. S. P. MOFFAT. Among the youngest ot the counties of our State 13 the county ot Inyo, whlcli completed its organization in 18G6, at wlilch time It contained a population of less than one thousand, with a property valuation of Detween $300,ooo and ^00,000. Its history prior to that, particularly that por- tion termed "Owen's Elver Valley," embraced more than the usual experience ot frontier vicissi- tudes and dangers generally experienced by the enterprising, the hardy and brave, who ualver- sally form the vanguard In wresting from Its wilds. Its desolation or Its wilderness, new coun- tries remote from the centres ot civilization, and opening up the unpromising flelas as a new home for the enterprising, the Industrious and the cour- ageous. In ISGl the territory now forming the prosper- ous county of Inyo contained bur a few stock men, who, braving even tnea the well-lcnowa dangers of hos,tlle Indians, brought their herds for pasturage la o weu'a Valley, and a haudtul of the still more hardy and venturesome probpect- ors. From that time on, and up to 1SC5, it was al- most a continued warfare between the lew set- tlers, with occasional assistance from the United States troops, with the Indians, a branch of the Pluto tribe, a tribe possessing all of an Indian's cruelty and savagery, yet; having the merit of gen- uine courage, proved by many a well contested bat- tle, which ended only when the Held became one of carnage and blood, and not always was the vic- tory withheld from the dusl^y warrior. Notwith- standing wblch the number of Inhabitants con- tinued to increase. Tho Indians received in the early Sprlntrof 1S63 their most severe and ilnal repulse at the hands of the settlers, made up as it then was chiefly from the prospecting and mining classes. In the meantime rich discoveries vrere reported In the Inyo Mountains, upon tho strength of which towns were laid out anil built up, and mills were constructed, without any knowledge of the extent of tho ore bodies, other than that derived from the most superticlal worlclngs. As a natural and al- most inevitable consequence the mills failed to remunerate their more ulucky than intelligent owners, which will be tho more readily under- stood when In connection with a mere surface ex- hibition of rich but naturally rebellious ores, to- gether with the cost ot procuring and placing the machinery upon tuo ground, all of which had to be hauled by te.mis from Los Angeles, two uundred and tifty miles distant, at an expense ot from eight to eleven cents per pound. Of course the mills failed to pay by reason ot the great; expeiise Incurred in their erection, and, also, and chiefly, from the undeveloped condition of the mines, and from the dlfflculty of saving the metal really in tho ores by the Inexperience or ignorance of those In charge. As a natural result of such a mining craze, the towns which were built up on the foundations of hope and rich croppings, notably, '•Oweusville," " San Carlos," and '• Burd Clry," show less to-day, as evidences that they ever had an existence, than the burled city ot Pompeii. In the B^all of 1864, what is now known as the Kearsarge Mines, situated in the Sierra Nevadas, and nearly due west irom Independence, the county seat of Inyo county, were discovered, and upon tho faith of which that town was started. The discovery of those mines attracted much attention from mining men from Virginia City, who, in the t^prlug of 1865, purchased the series of locations now so well known under the above name. A new Impetus was thus given to the mining activity of the country, and in the session of 1865-6, by Act of the Legislature, the county of Inyo was formed, being carved out of the counties of Tulare and Mono. The territory embraced within the county lies east ot tho Sierras, the summit of which forms its western boundary, and the state line its eastern, i Northerly and southerly it extends from town- -^ ship line betweea townships five and six on the '■' north, and tho sixth standard line on the south, and contains from 11,000 to 12,000 square miles. It Is a country where extremes meet. A coun- try of startling contrasts, such as are to be found, probably, nowhere else on the continent. A coun- try or rugged and giant peaks, among which are Mounts Whitney, Tyndall, Brewer, of the Sierras, and many others but lutle less In elevation ana grandeur, and upon which the snow of ages for- ever rests, and forming a giant wall upon its west, as If to shut it from all connection with the State ot which it forms a part, marked by pre- cipitous and sharp outlines and deep chasms, such as to render an ascent to their summits from their eastern slopes almost an liEpo.-slbllity. A country where, to the eastward of those peaks pointing heavenward, tho earth's surf.ice sinks hundreds of feet beneath the level of the sea, as In that valley, once tho valley of mvsterv and tear, known as Death Valley, A country ot beau- tltul and lertUe plains and of forbidding wastes. A country of almost Arctic frosts ana torrid heat. Its prlnciDal and almost only valley capable of settlement tor agricultural purposes is the valley ot the Owen's Kiver, which takes its waters from the Sierras, nearly opposite the headwaters of the San Joaquin, and flowing thence a distance of not far from one hundred and flfty miles, when it becomes lost lu Owen's Lake. In this valley, and within the County of Inyo, there are in cultivation about twelve thousand acres of land, from which are produced annually upwards of 20,000 bushels ot wheat, ia,000 of barley. 1D,000 of oats and 50,000 bushels of corn, together with a proportional amount ot other pro- ductions usually produced by the general farmer. It also gives pasturage to large numbers of horses, cattle and sheep. In iruits, apples, pears, peaches and grapes particularly, the last two are abundant. What- ever the farmer produces from the soil meets with a ready sale, and at prices that w^uld bo con- sidered princely by the farmers in the large grain- growing valleys west of the sierras, grains rarely selling for less than tUreo cents per pound, while fruits and vegetables bring correspouUing prices. The valley from which the above is produced is about seventy-flve miles Inleugth and from two and a halt to flvo miles broad. The farming lands are not, however, in the val- ley of the river proper, but on the numerous s.iiall mountain streams flowing down from the Sierras on the west, ironi which the waters are derived for purposes of irrigation. The waters of the river, with a comparatively small outlay of money, could and should bo utilized for that pur- pose, by which means thousands of acres of val- uable land couJd bo made to return a rich harvest to the farmer, and a sure remuneration for tho capital expended in such an enterprise. The chief interests of tho county ceatre, however, iu its u'llues, as it is from that source the farmer linds his market tor tho produce ot his farm and his orchards. Heretofore there has been but one really successful (hnanclally) mining enierprlso prosecuted la the county— that is now known as the Union Consolldat.'d Mining Company of tho Cerro Gordo Mining bistricr, which lies In the Inyo Mountains, being a continuation of tho White Mountains, and running southerly there- from and forming the easterly wall of tho Owen's Vafley. That properly is, or was, composed of smelting ores, from which not less than $10,000,000 68 INYO COUNTY. or $12,000,000 have been already extracted. Lat- terly the galena ores have given way to a great extent 10 silver ores. Owing to that fact, and also to the low price of lead, the Company have erect- ed reflnlng works in connection with the furnace, which has just got iiuo successful operation. By the use of the reiluery the company preserve the lead, which li used in place ot galena in re- ducing their rich silver ores. In the same district are other noted mines, amongst which maybe named the Yguacio and the San Lucas, both rich in silver; also the Palmer, a very large and rich gold mine. 'J"he lat- ter is an old location, upon which prospecting has been carried on spasmodically, but not until quite recently has work been done with any order or system. Unlortuaately, It has become compli- cated by being bonded to two different parties, so It is now closed up, and will probably remain so until the rights of the parties are deternjiued. Even with that drawbacls the district shows greater activity than tor the last several years, and no doubt seems to exist in the minds of the best informed that It will in a short time exceed its most prosperous days. To the south of C'erro Gordo, Darwin, Lookout and Panamlnt at one time offered strong induce- ments tor the investment of capital, ana which was libsrally, if not intelligently, expended In their development. The developments so far Have not justitied the hopes of those who so lib- erally expended their money. Yet all those camps are kept alive by those who have faith in their richness, believing they will prove true to their llrst promise, and yet reward their owners as did the Bodle mines of our sister County of Mono. The Kearsarge series of mines and the Eex Montes, in connection with other Independent lo- cations, are situated in the Kearsarge Peak In the main Sierras, directly west from the town of Independence and about tea miles distant. T.he ores of this district are free milling sliver ores, similar In character throughout and carrying at times a large amount of gold. The Kearsarge (containing several distinct sur- face locations) has been worked at intervals, with varied results, since 1S65, during which it has yielded a large amount of the richest grade of ore; the proceeds from which have been expended in a desultory and unsystematic manner. For the last two years, however, under a change of ownership and management, work in the way of develop- ment has been conducted in a more orderly man- ner, and the i-esult to-day is conclusive that they Lave, at the depth of TOO feet, an Immense mine of great richness and value. As an eviaence of the faith of its value and permanence, a tunnel has been started from near the company's mill to tap their veins at a depth of from i,500 to 2,000 feer, and so precipitous is the mountain as to re- quire a tunnel of only about 2,000 feet in length. Of the Rex Montes, also containing numerous locations, nearly the same thing may be said, save that but little has been done until within the last three years. That Company also are now running a deeptuuuel, which is expected tOEtnke the lirst mine la the series at a deptli ot about 400 feet, and the lust at 2,000 feet from tne surface. The peak in which these mines are situated Is is,T00ieet above the level ot the sea, and allot the mines, both o£ the Kearsarge upon its south- erly and I he Ilex Monies upon the northerly slope, are" at such an elevation that work upon the sur- race can be carried on only for a few of the Sum- mer months, for which reason the work ot devel- opment has been necessarily slow, that they suould be opened to such a great depth by tun- nel, by which means the severe cold and great snowrall of Winter would be no bar to their con- tinuous and successful worldngs. Taking the present outlook of Inyo, altogether Its future prosperity is not problematical— it is a certainty. With the Inyo range on the east, lorm- lug an unbroken chain ot mountains luUy one hundred and fltty miles in length, every mile of which on both its eastern and western slopes shows ores rich in the precious minerals, with the vast Sierras on the ■west, which by many are predicted in a short time to prove themselves to be the vaults containing the largest and richest deposits of ores to be found on the coast, a predic- tion that bears every probability of fulhiment from the recent rich workings of the Mammoth, in Mono, also in the Sierras, and distant northerly from the Kearsarge about eighty miles, with nu- merous promising discoveries, intermediate, anl still on thirty or forty miles to the north of th© Mammoth. It is safe to say that the County of Inyo will shortly recover from Its numerous set-backa anl black eyes, and assume a position second to none as a rich mining county, and where enterprise and Intelligence will meet with a sure reward. Even as it is to-day, nowhere In the State is there a greater degree or contentment and prosperity existing than la this county, or a greater faith ii its future, notwithstanding its isolation, shut oft as It is from the centres ot capital, without a rail- road or even telegraph within Its limits, and re- quiring a stage ride of one hundred and sixty miles to reach one. With all those drawbacks lb Isnow receiving a greater degree of attentioa from experienced mining men, than at any time heretofore ; and it Is safe to predict that the county ot Inyo Is uooa the eve of entering upoa a degree of prosperity second to no other locality, and instead of being a by-word, as in the past, it will be a new El Dorado for the legitimate miner. BUTTE COUNTY. 69 BUTTE COUNTY. By S. S. BOYNTON, op Oboville, Cal. Butte county lies along the eastern side of the Sacramento Valley and la toounded on the nortli by Tehama, east by Plumas, soutu by Yuba, and vrest by the Sacramento Kiver. It embraces, ac- cording to McGana'3 map ol 1877, about 1,746 square miles, 552,960 acres ot wtHcb are mineral lands, 563,640 are timber lands, and 195,840 are agricultural lands. During tlie past sis months, at the Central Pacific land trials, a considerable portion ot tho land known as mineral has been proved agricul- tural and grazing lands. We would estimate the amount so proved to be not less than 40,000 acres and think at least 10,000 acres more will have tho mineral proved oil before the close of the year. Butte County Is well watered by the Sacra- mento and Feather with their half dozen tributary creeks. The western side ol Butte is comparatively level and embraces most ot the farming lands while the eastern side Is hilly and includes all the mines. The sou along the river bottoms is a rich sandy loam. Between the Sacramenco and Feather occurs an Immense tract ot black adobe land very productive in ordinary years but liable to overflow during the wet season. Near thefooihllla there is a belt of red land long thought not worth farming but during the past few years many small farms havo been suc- cessfully tilled as tho land constantly Improves by cultivation. The foothills contain much land valuable for farming purposes though at present very littlo ot It Is under cultivation. The principal crops are wheat and barley. The price ot the latter has been so low during the last two years as to barely pay e^euses for raising. Tho wheat lands that formerly produced forty bushels to the acre now produce less than twenty. As this results from long continued cultivation, farmers aro diversifying their crops where they can and raising corn, alfalfa and broom-corn. Butte Is greatly inferior to some other countie?, both in tue variety and amouDt oC fruit grown, yec s'no has great natural advantages and a cllm;'.to adapted to tho culture ot fruit, so we hopo to see the day when she will assumo her Droper rank among tho great fruit counties ot the btate. All tiiat part ot Butte lying la tho Sacramento Valley proper, is capable ot growing (rule successfully and prolitably. Here occur the pilDClpal orciiards la tlie county and here Is grown the great body of the fruit. But tlio foothill section will, In time, be the true fruit region of Butte, as ic embraces a wide belt capable ot producing every variety of irult in great abundance. The orange and lemon both thrive hero belter than la the open valley, and during the past two years a largo uumber of or- anL'o trees liavo been set out. Almonds and wal- nuts do welllii this foot-hill- belt, and tho grape grows to perfection. The JIuscatot Alexandria proves the best raisin grape, whilo the Black Ham. ur-r. Rose of Peru and White Tokay aro tho besc tablo varieties. Tho Los Angeles grape Is tho pvliiclpal wine grape ci the county. Consid- erable wiuo Is made, but there Is no steady de- mand for It. Most of the table grapes aro con- sumed 111 the county, though Plumas County is supplied largely with grapes from our footulU vineyards. Tlie productions ot Butte are the same general producUous that are found iu all counties of the great valley: wheat, barley, oats, corn, rye, broom-corn, alfalfa, vegetables of every descrip- tion and all kinds ot fruit. The foothills, where water can bo obtained, are particularly favorable to vegetables, as they have a better davor than where grown in tho valley. The same may be said ot tho trull ; lor tho apples grown at an alti- tude ot 1,500 feet are much firmer and more juicy than those raised at a lower altitude. Tho climate ot Butte is pleasant, except during a hot spell ill mid-Summer, lasting from three to six weeks. This year the thermometer stood at 100" or over— during the heat ot the day— for tweaty-slx days in succession. The rainy season sets in about the hrsc ot December and lasts till about the first of April, The rainfall at Oro- ville win average from twenty to twenty-four leches a year. Snow seldom falls below tho alti- tude ot twelve hundred feet. On the more moun- tainous pans of the county it falls to the depth of from two to eight feet. Among the objects ot Interest to the tourist, are the Falls of Fall River. Fall River is a bright, clear stream, rising In the mountains, near La Porte, and emptying into tho middle fork of Feaiher River, some ten miles above Bldwell'a Bar. The river talis in an unbroken sheet, over a preclpico about four hundred and sixty feet. From the head of the falls, ashore walk of two hundred yards, brings you to a point directly la front of them. The water striking on the rocks below, produces a sound like guns flred In quick succession, and when the river Is at its height, a cloud of mist or spray rises two hundred feet from tho foot of tho falls. A pretty good wagon- road, within a milo of the falls, makes them ac- cessible, and a visit to the falls would well repay the labor of the tourist. Tho lumber Interests lu Butte are for the tima being at somewhat of a standstill, owing to tho low price of lumber in San Francisco. We have a large and flno belt of timber suitable for lumber, and a dozen mills are In complete running order. 'i hey are merely waiting for the cry of good times to set them all at work again. They are situated in the hill regions of the county and In the great plno belt that covers the mlddlo slopes of the Sierras. Among the principal mills are Turner's, Dooh's, Hasty's, Mckay's, carpenter's, Lumpkin, Rock Creek and Dehance. The last-named mill has a cutting capacity of 30,000 feet per day, Tho eastern side of Butte, lying along the lower part of tho sierras, is an Important mining region, and though the mines havo been worked tor many years, they yet afford employment to hundreds of men, and bid fair to last many years to come. Feather River has three forks or branches cross- ing the mining section of Butte and dividing the hiu portion of it into several extensive ridges. Along these various streams acd on the several ridges occur the principal mines, though there aro extensive placer mines worked on the low foothills at the base of tho mountains. Near Oro- vllle ihero are somo eighteen or twenty Chinese mines, working from ten to twenty men each. Tho mines aro from fifteen to twenty-five leet deep, and all tho top dire Is removed by wheel- barrows, while the pay-dirt Is washed la tho oid- fashloued cradles or rockers, 'iho pay-dirt la these China mines Is quito ricU, but there Is no fall by which the tailings can be disnosed of, so they have been left to the Chinese to work out la this primitive fashion. On tho north bank of Feather River, opposite Oroville, is the well-known mine of O. P. Powers. This covers fifteen hundred acres of good mining ground, and la being constantly mined. The wa- ter supply is about twelve hundred inches dally, and from tea to twelve men are regularly em- ployed. Within half a mile of Oroville and on the south bank of the river, is tho mine of J. B. Hew- 70 BUTTE COUNTY. Itt. Tlie water Is obtaioecl from tlie south fork of Feather Elver, uear Enterprise, and Is brougUl In a ditch some twenty-live luUes. This ditcu whea dry was estimated to have cost $200,000. At Mor- ris Ravine, lour miles abjve Oroviile, is situate! tue important gravel mine of Hendricks & Co. Nearly $400,000 was expended on this mine In put- ting it lu riiunlng order, bringing iu ditches, etc- The hilue has been shut down lor a short time, but wchear it will soon be started again. Eight miles above the Uendrlcka mlae are the extensive gravel mines of Cherokee Flat. The spring Val- ley Company own the most important luiue here, and Is one of the best paying mines la this sec- llou of the State. There arc about eighty miles 01 ditch leading to the mlae aud six miles of irou pipe. The water supply Is 'i,200 laches per day. The cost of the ditches and reservoirs was nearly $3S0,U00. Alter the mine had been worked a year or two the company were obliged to purchase a number of farms along Dry Creek, us they were being covered up by the talllncs. For this aud building a double lino of levee along Dry Creek $500,000 was expended. From twelve to eighteen liydrauUo chleis are at work, and a largo fjrce or men are constantly employed. The l.isu shipment of gold was oa the i;2d of October, when two bricks, weighing one hundred aud twenty-five, and a hunercd and liity pounds respectively, were shipped via Oroviile to Saii Francisco. There are mauy other less Important mines In the county. The principal mlulug localities are Wyandotte, Bangur, Forbestown, Cherokee, Wouniain House, bogtown. Lovelock's and Inskip. The small mines are gradually bei. g wor ed out, but the more exteuslvo ones, requiring large out- lays of capital to open and develop, will be work- ed lor many years to come. The largest towns In Butte are Chlco, Oroviile, Biggs, Uri-dey and Cherokee. Chieo Is the largest and mcst important town In the county, aud is situated oa the south side of Chlco Creek, irom which it takes its name. It is surrounded by a rich agricultural region that will rival in lerllhty any district in iho state. Tne growth of chlco has been quite rapid, as ten years ago it. was a small aud unimportant place, while now it is the largest town in tho Sacra- mento Valley north of JSlarysviUe. The streets are broad, laid off at right a.igles, and are lined with beautii ul shade trees. The town Is well sup- plied with water aud gas, aud protected froai liie as far as possible. From F. K. Dauforth, General Stage Agent at Oroviile, we obtalu the lollowing LIKES OF TKATEL: California and Oregon Railroad, which runs a passenger ana freight train north and south from Chlco dally ; 11. B. Davidson, Agent. Colusa stage leaves Chlco d ,lly, at 0:30 a. m.; Kewville and or- land stage leaves t-hico Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; oi'OvUle stage leaves ehlco daily, Sun- days excepted ; PrattviUo stage leaves Chlco Tues- days, Thuisdays aud saiiu'daj-sdurintr the Sum- mer; Powellion stage leaves ciuco Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays aud Saturdays; San Francisco aud Chlco irelght steamboat Hue ar- rives at Chlco landing every Tuesday. Chlco has a population cf about three thousand and Is well built, both la its residence and busi- ness parts. Among the more prominent buildings, we may name the Chlco Uotel one of tiro nnest buildings In the State north of Sacramento; the Banker chlco a massive lire-proof bulldluEr, with an attractive exterior ; the Bank of Butie coimty, a handsome structure, ana from Its lino Qnlsh aud appearance, a decided ornament to the city; and the High Sjhool building, a large brick structure, finished In handsome style. The clcy con- tains many elegant private residences, and & large number of pretty cottages. One of the most attractive features In Chlco Is the great number of shade trees that line all the streets of the city. Want of space prevents us from noticing at length the mauufacturing Interests of Chlco— the Chlco gas works, planing mills. Iron works, car- riage manufactory, fruit drying factory, brewery, BOda works, candy mauufaciory, etc. Clilco has two newspapers, the Record (Democratic), dally and weekly, George H. Crosette, proprietor, aad the Enterprise (Reoubllcan) weekly, E. Hoole, proprietor. Sue has about 800 schoolchildren, with nine teachers employed in the public schools, and three private schools, employing six teachers. Among other items of note, we may say, Chlco has one of the best race-tracks la the State. In the city there are two Lodges of Good Tem- plars, three JIasonic organizations, Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery, Chlco Lod.;© and En- campment of I. O. O. F., Knights of Honor, an or- ganization of the i. O. R. M., aud of the A. O. U. \V. chlco grew very last for several years, and then her arrowth suddenly ceased. Property was held at a^hlgh value, many of the buildings were mortgaged, and building when the impetus ceased, thci'O came a standstill to business. At present, and for some time past, her pros- pects are Oatiering to the resldenis; business IB good, property rising la value, and everytlilng in- dicates a prosperous future. One thing is needed to increase the further prosperity of Chlco, and that ia time will come. There is a l.irge amount of land near Chlco held by a few owners; wheu this land is divided into small farms, the popula- tiou of the Chlco country will be largely in- creased. The Ilea vis land, embracing nearly 20,000 acres, win shortly be in tho market for sale in smali quantities. Oroviile, the second town of importance, is the^ county seat. Ic lies twenty-four miles southeasti of Chlco, on the south bank of Feather River. The town enjoys an advantage over most other towns In the Sacramento Valley, as It lies at the base of the Sierras, and has a large trade with, mountain localities. The country south and west of Oroviile is a flno farming region, while i i tho foothills near the town are several paying mines. The population is estimated at two thousand. The voio at tho last election was four hundred and forty, and there are about three huuaredand thirty si:hool children. Oioville is not a handsome town, as it lies la a depression near the river, yet some of its streets are pleasant and picturesque. The p.n.iclpal business street Is Montgomery, while oa Bird aud Robinson a,re found the better class of dwellings. Tho Court House is a large, tine builuiug, erected at acostot about $'2o,000, aud contalniig rooms for the various county ofllcers. Below the ground floor Is a basement jail containing iron cells, which will securely hold the worst j lil- breaker. 'Ih? rooms of tho Clerk and Recorder are made flre-proof, so as effCLtually to preserve from danger of lire the county books and papers. Auioug the buildings worthy of note, we may name tho Union and United States hotels, publio school house, containing seven rooms.Cathoiic aud Congregational churches, Rldeout&Co's Bank, Ma- sonic and Odd Fellows' halls, Union Hull, and the Ostroskl and St. Sure buildings. Amo^ig the best residences are those of Jas. C. Gray, Dr. J. N. AchufT, E. Marks, Colonel J. 0. Logan, Judge P, O. Hundley, A. McDermoit, P. Freer, Dr. Jas. Green, S. Ostroskl and chas. St. Sure. Oroviile has new ana expensive gas works, and the finest water works In this part of the state. The water Is brought into town In a twelve-lncli main, and under lao-foot pressure. Among the recent and substantial Improve- ments, is a new flourluemlll, run by water power. It 13 first-class in every respect, and has a grind- ing caoaclty of 150 barrels a day. There are two planing mills, and In connection with one Is a barley mill. Its lines of travel comprise the California Northern Railroad, from Marysville to Oroviile, with one train each way every day; a dally Hue of stages to Chlco, one to Biggs, and a third to Cherokee ; a trl-weekly line to Qulncy and Green- ville; a tri-weekly lino to La Porte; a semi- weekly line to Prattviile and SusanvlUe, and semi-weekly line to Dogtown. For a town of Its size and population, Oroviile does an unusually large amount of business. The- house of Perkins, Logan & Co., do thft BUTTE COUNTY. 71 heaviest wholesale and retail grocery business of any liouse nortli of Sacramento, and tlio liard- ware flria of Brock & 'iabcr Co aa l:uraense busi- ness witu iho surrouutUng iiiluln,^ localities. Tlio meichauta ot OroviUe, as a class, are all la good circumstances, bavUig done business bere for many years, and nearly all owning tbeir own buildings. OrovlUe baa a weekly paper, tne Mercury, publlsUe.l on Friilays. Biggs, the third town In the county. Is pleasantly situ- ated on tne line of the California and Oregon Eallroad, twenty-two miles south ot Chlco. Biggs l.s a flourishing business town, In spite of its re- cent misfortunes In the shape ot two severe fires, one in July and another la August. The blocks have since then been bullC up with brick build- ings lu place of the wooden ones destroyeJ. It has the best of shipping facilities, and lying as it does in tue very heart of a rich agricultural se:tIon, It Is noted for the quantity of products Bent from its depot. The town stands on the open plain about midway between Feather Paver on one side and Butte Creek on. the other. The vote of Biggs at the Idst election was 311. A new schooinouse has been erected, at a coat of $5,000. It Is a two- Btory brick structure, containing four rooms, and capable of seating about 240 pupils. The Bchool children of Biggs number 225, and three teachers are employed. Bigcs has one hotel, two restau- rants, one livery stable, one drug store, one hard- ware btore, one barley-mill, three stores of gene- ral merchandise, ooe church, water-works, and a wide-awake, spicy paper, the Register, published on Fridays. Gridley is a few miles south of Biggs, and has a beautiful location amid flue groves ot live oak. An excellent agricultural region surrounds Gild- ley, and large quaniitles ot grain are snipped from its depot. Gridley casts a vote of oce hun- dred and eighty-eight, and has one hundred and twenty-five school children. It numbers three hotels, Ave stores of general merchandise, one drug store, one furniture establishment, one har- ness shop, a fine school building, broom factory, and a flrst-class flouring mill. There are two churches, one livery stable and a lumber yard. In the western part of Butte, ana five miles from the tJicraniento, is the town of Dayton. It Is surrounded by a fine agricultural region, and sends down the river a larye amoui.t ot grain. Though Dayton is one of the oldest towns in the county, it lias grown but little tor many years. It has the usual buildings found in z small coun- try town, keeps up a flrst-rate school, and cast at the last election lu2 votes. Nelson is a thriving town, thirteen miles from Chico, on the C. & O. R. R. It lies la the best ag- ricultural part of the county, and will In time be an important place. It boasts of one of the finest BChool buildings la the county, erected at a cost of $10,0U0. Nelsoa Is an Important shipping point for grain, something over a thousand car-loads having been shipped this year. Nord, seven miles above Chico, on the C. & O. E. R., is a handsome little town, lying in a beau- tiful region of country. It is near enough to the loothuia to have excellent views of the higher mountains, while three miles west ot the town flows the Sacramento. Dtirham 13 a growing little town seven mllea south ot chico. It has the usual Btore, hotel, sa- loon, blacksmith shop, etc., and derives addi- tional importance from a flue steam flouring mill. Its Importance asaehippiug point may be esti- mated when we say It shipped this year twelve hundred -car-loads of grain, averaging ten tons to the car-load. Cherokee is situated twelve miles north of Oro- vllleand is the centre of tne heaviest mining oper- ations IQ Butte. The town stretches along a single street for a distance of nearly three-quar- ters of a mile. It contains several hotels, stores, the usual number ot saloons, etc.; but the appear- ance ot the town is not prepossessing, owing to the manner In which it is built. The mining is mostly heavy hydraulic, and a large amount of capital is employed. The num- ber of votes cast at Cherokee U 150, and there are about 220 school children, calling for the employ- ment of four teachers in the public schools. A3 the mines of Cherokee appear to be inexhausti- ble, everything Indicates a long and prosperou3 future for the town. The public schools of Butte demand a notice In a sketch of the county. There are sixty-seven districts, and the same number of school bouses. Thenumber of school children la the county is 3,984, and forschoolpurposesthere were expended last year $4,450. The average salary paid to male teachers is eighty dollars, while the average for lady teachers la ten dollars less. The number of teachers employed is about elghty-flve ot whom some thirty-flve are gentlemen, and fifty ladies. The finest school bulldlDgs la the county are ac Chico, Oroville, Nelson, Biggs and Nord. The school terms la the valley part ot the county commence about the first or October and close la Jlay. Schools la the hill region open in March or April and coiitlnuo until October or November. The rate of taxes In Butte for the present year is $1 70 oil the hundred dollars, 'this is much below tlie average In the State, which Is a trifle over $2 on the hundrea. Of the $1 70, C2>;^ cents are for State purposes, 39 cents for general lund, 30 cents for road, 17 cents for school purposes, and 21^ cents for rail- road bonds and interest. PertonsAvho wish to come to Butte to settle ought to visit the county between the first of April and last of June. The best lands are, of course, occupied, but thereremalusa vast body or hill land wnlch Is valuable fjr farming purposes. This land is well adapted to the cultlvailon of fruit ot all kinds, inciuuingthe olive, orange and lemon. Berries and vcctables grow luxuriantly at an altitude ot from l,5C0 to 3,000 feet, and families will find no healthier climate in the State than along our belt of foothills and lower Sierras. Though Butte Is a desirable home for an industrious, hard-working farmer or fruit-grower, It Is like other places In Calltornia at the present time- no home for those who expect to earn a living without hard labor. In Butte the flush times are past, and fortunes without work can no longer ba obtained. — o <>—• 72 YUBA COUNTY. YUBA COUNTY. By henry L. wells. Lying partly In the Sacramento Valley and ex- tending far up ill the western slope ot the green Sierras Is the county ot Yuba. Prior to 1850 this region was embraced In the territory koown as the Sacramento District, which lacluaed allot the State lying north of the Cosumnes and east of the Sacramento. When the county was first organ- ized It embraced within its limits the counties of Nevada and Sierra, but tho former was segrega- ted In 1S51 and tho latter lnlS52. The greatest length of the county is from the mouth of Bear Klver, at the aouthwest llinlt, to above Straw- berry "Valley, at the northeast, a distance ot about fifty miles. It has a total area ot 610 square miles, and a population of about 11,000 souls. Tho adjacent counties aro Butte and Plumas on the north. Sierra and Nevada on the east, Nevada, Placer and Sutter on tho south, and Sutter on tho west. Tho Feather River forms tho dividing lino of the west, whilo the celebrated Yuba traverses It from tho northeast to the southwest, forming a Junction with tho Feather at Marysville. During the thriving days of river-mining, the population was about 15,000, and, as this was a very large proportion in those times, the county vras represented in tho Legislature by three Sena- tors and five Assemblymen. At present, al- thoush the population has been but slightly re- duced, the general Increase In the Stale has brought down Yuba's representation to two As- eemblymen and one Senator, the latter elected Jointly with Sutter County. The deterioration of material prosperity has not been consonant with the decrease In population, consequent upon the exhaustion of the river mines and the departure of the miners for other localities. The increase of agriculture In all its branches, and the establishment ot manufactures of various kinds, has opened new avenues ot in- dustry, and the immense hydraullo mines, al- though not giving employment to 60 many people, still yield an enormous revenue annually. MAKTSVILLE. Born In the exciting times of '49, Marysville rapidly assumed the aspect of a city, and became tho centre of trade for the mines In this region. It lies at the junction of the Yuba and Feather rivers, ar.d has always been the seat of Justice of tho county. Marysville is only one of the many '-heads of navigation" that had their birth in those days of "great expectations," when cities or magnificent proportions were being laid out every few mfies along the valley streams, all claiming to be '• at the head of navigation." The maps of most ot theco cities remain to tell of their broad streets and elegant parks, so grandly projeclt'd anlso iDooily roallzeLl. The towns la thin county that were the paper rivals ot Marys- ville, and which had but a brief existence. or LOue whatever, were Linda, Ellzi, Kear- ney, El D rado, Plumas and Featherscone. In December, 1S49, the proprietors cl Nye's EarcUliillout this city, and christened it Yuba- ville. The name was Bubsequenily chai geJ to Marysville, In honor ot Mrs. Mary CovlUaud, tho only lauy then in the city. She was a member ot the celebrated Donner party in isio. TUo energy ftnd enterprise disolaj'ed by the proprietors, com- bined wltu the advantages of location, saved Marysville from the same fate that befell her young Bisters. In less than a year the young city becamoabusy, bustling town, and was oa the highway to prosperity, la January, 1850, Hon. Stephen J. Flela, now ou tho Unltel states Su- preme Bench, was elected Alcalde. The Courts provided for by the c.nstltutloa assumed thilr duties in June. Thoclty was granted a charter lulS51,andS. M. Miler) waschosea Mayor. The city reached tho helghth of prosperity In 1856, at which time It had a ')opu!ailon of about 8,000, At that time the crude fctructures of can- vas, that had composed the original town, had elvenwayto substantial and commodious brick buildings for business purposes, and neat frame residences, beautifled by sbado treis, all giving the city an appearance of having been long estab- lished. It was aboutthls tlmo that tho river rain- lug began to decUno; tho Iloating population of tho city and mining camps sou1,690 pounds. The town contains two warehouses a" large flour DJill, two halls, three churches, several stores, Shops, etc., about cli^hty dwelling-houses, and a population ot about COO souls. The ijluce was In- coroorated lu 1ST4. 1 his town is tho centre of the finest agricultural portion ot tho county, and enjoys a good trade with the many farmers who congregate tliere. The Record, a weekly newspaper, is edited by P. F. Caruduff. SMAKTSVILLE. This is a Simon-pure mining town, Ijing on the Yuba, eighteen miles above Marysvillo. This has been the scene of tho most extensive hydraulic mining in the country. Operations were begun hero in 1855, and tho town has gradually grown up by absorption of tho mining camps surround- ing it— Rose Bar, Sucker Flat, and Timbuctoo— the towns lu that vicinity having been nearly deserted. The Excelsior Canal Company owns nearly all of tho claims here, and give j employ- ment toa largoforcoot men. Two hotels, seve- ral stores and salcoas, two churches, a hall and a number of fine residences, with a population of about 400. CAHPTONVILLE. In the mountains Is tho old mining town of Camptonvillo, which had its rise with tho opening ot hill mining. In 1852. This place has also been the scene of large hydraulic mining operations, and mines have been worked all ar.ouud and somo ot them are still in operation. The town still en- Joys a good local trade, and has several stores, a church, school house, and a population of about threo hundred. A military company, the Yuba Guard?, exists here. The little villages ot Strawberry Valley, Browns- ville, Brown's Valley and Greenville are all cen- tres of small mining communities. MANUFACTURES. The manutactuiing interests of the county are centred chiefly in SlarysvlUe, and lu some branches are quite extensive. Tho flrst flour mill was built in 1S52, and tnere have been In all seven mflls, there being butono now romainlng. The Buckeye mill manufactures about $750,000 •worth ot goods annually. Tho Marysvillo Wool- len Mills, established in 1807, is ais3 a very ex- tenslvo concern, tho annual product being $200,000. The large planing mill of Swaiu & Hudson is also one of tho lastitutions of the city. The largo flouring mill at Wheatland values its annual product at $200,000. There are now in tho county nine sawmills in operation. At one time there were about thirty and great quantities ot lumber was cur. The timber around most of these has becomo exhausted and the mills abandoueJ. The number ot factories of iho various kinds in the county may bo stated at 2 sash and blinds, 1 soda water, 2 flour mills, 2f9undrles and ma- chiuG shops, 1 brick-yard, 1 bag factory, 12 wagon shops, 1 brewery, 2 marble carving, T harness factories, 2 tinware and water tanks, 1 soap, 1 broom, 1 tannery, 1 woollen mill, 1 gasworks, 9 saw u;ills. The value ot manufactured articles lor one year Is about $1,800,000. SCHOOLS. Yuba County Is divided Into 34 school districts, that maintain 47 schools and a High School, tho latter situated in MarysviUe. Tho number ot school children in tne couniy the past year is reporied uc 2,48T, whllo the expenses ot malnLaining tho sciioois w,is $34,217 90. Total value ot school property, |55.oo5. AsMq fio a the public suiiools, a number ot pri- vate KchojlsaiokeiJtlu varh>U3 partjot tr.e coun- ty; also two colleges crlnstuutes. XheC'iile-o ot Notre Dauie, escblisbed by the Catiiolics in ISJO, occuiiles abluelc In MarysviUe. 1 lie build- ing was erected la 1S5G, at an expense of $00,uuo. The Knoxdaleli.stitui.e, at Brownsville, was es- tablished ill 1878, and h:i3 commenced its sec- ond year as a lemale seminary. AStaie lleforrn school was built at Marysvdie In 1801, at a cost ot $55,000. and was discontinued in I8i33, and the buildiug torn down. AGBICULTDRE. Yuba County is but partially dependent upon its agricultural resources, and cannot bo classed as an agricultural county. Less than o;;e-third of the eoil is susceptible of profltable cultivation, the remainder being devoted to grazing, or being rough and covered with limber. The western portion lies in the valley, ai.d is chiefly devoted to the raising of wheat and b:irley, the better class averaging twenty to tweniy-ilvo bushels to the acre of wheat, while the pooi'er but iwelvo to fliieen. In the little valleys thatnestlea r,ng tho hills are s nail farms, vineyard a and orchards, but the farming there is necebsarlly on asmall scale. , Tho flrst fleld of grain raised m the county was one of Ave acres of wheat, by Tneodoro Slcard, m 1845, between Marysvillo unJ Yuba City. From thatyearuntil 18l3several iJeidsot wucat were raised every season by tlie few settlers. Tho dis- covery of gold m 1S4S, and the consequeuG rusli to the mines scattered all thoughts of agricul- ture to the winds. Two years luier, however, thero were a few new-comers who seuieil en i ha rich, unoccupied lands, who ventured to sow a tew acre lot'barley; others follo^fd, until in a fewyears the land was all taken up, and consid- erable ot it under cultivation. Barley was iho universal crop for Ihetlrst few years, tho soil and cllmatonot being considered adapted towiieat. In 185-2 and 1853 several flour mills were built, but they Imported nostot their wheat. When the farmers understood the Sumnicr-fallow process of raising wheat., they lound t Dae it could bo pro- duced 1:1 large quantities and ot superior quality. Then tho miller ceased to Import grain, and the merchant flour, and agriculture received a great Impetus lorward. A luxuriant growth ot wild clover and grass covered tlio bottom lands, from which an excel- lent quality ot hay was made by tho early set- tlers. Tho cutting ot thlshiy was tho cniet ag- ricultural industry for several years, but tho land was gradually ploughed up lor grain. Tho last ot this wild hay disappeared when tho mining dcbrla spread its raaniioct sand over the fertile soil that sustained It. Since then grain hay lias becomo tho only kind used, many acres of which are cut annually. Vegetables, especially pota- toes, form tho leading crop along thor.vers. Hun- dreds of Chinamen aro engaged in raising vege- tables on tho bottom lands, for which they some- times pay an annual rent of $00 per cere. The homo of the potato is on Bear River, where all of the farmers havo a number of acres planted with this tuber. The shipment ot potatoes irom Wheatland in 1S73 was 1,0S2 tons, which repre- sents tho bulk of tho Bear River crop and tho larger portion of the potatoes raised In tho couniy. Tho earliest agricultural report obtain- able Is that for 1852, which gives tho prodiict as C,345 busuels ot Wheat, l2-,37ti ot barley, 14,377 ot oats, 810 ot corn, S.4S0 of potatoes, and 4,010 tona of hay. In 1S65, wheat 4,55-t acres, 72,474 Liusiicis ; barley 12,013 acres, 228,303 bushels: oats SOa acres, 8,2S1 bushels; coi'n 794 ares, 24,1C0 bushels; potatoes 110 acres, 8,083 bushels; hay 12,183 acres, 9,956 tons. 1878— Wneat 27,000 acres, 400,00^ bushels ; barley 9,476 acres, 171,500 bushels ; oal3 74 YUBA COUNTY. 795 acres, 14,900 bushels; corn 510 acres, 22,500 bushels; poiatoe3 450 acres, 1.800 tons; liaylS.soo acres, 14,570 tons. The local number ot acres cultivated has Increased Irom T,000 In 1853 to 28,C97 in 1805, and 58,000 la 1S7S. There are no regular factories tor tue manufacture of butter; butthe total product of that article aoioug the farmers In 1878 Is given at 20,000 pounds. FRUIT. Tuba County once held a front rank among the fruit-growlag counties in the State. The first orchard was planted In 1847 by General John A. Sutter, opposite Marysvllle, on the south bank of Yuba raver. The most celebrated orchard was tbat of George Brlggs, on the Yuba, Just above Marysvllle; both of tuese Places have fallen be- fore the saud and wiitows. At present tne orchards of the Wilier Lros., Grass Bros., L. B. Clark and a few others, are the only ones of any size, although nearly every rancher nas more or less fruit trees, and small orchards are to be found In nearly every little mountain valley. AOout the year ISGI was tiie time when fruit growing ^v•as at the Uood; since then the ravages ot tbe mining debris nave been 6:i gr.'at that tue best orcUaras on the river are partially or totally ruined. Many new ones, on a smaller scale, have been started since, how- ever, and iho total yield Is about the same. In 1860 tliero were 61.077 peach trees, C.225 pear trees, 4,181 cherry trees, 28,800 apple trees and 16,000 of other varieties, la ISTO tucre were 26,- 715 peach trees, 87,863 apple trees, 8,860 pear trees, 1,883 cherry trees and 22,480 other kinds. The Assessor has failed to report tl:e number of trees, but tiie total value of the fruit crop for 1878 Is given at $130,000. The number of grape vines la the county In ISOO was 500,000, wine 2,530 gallons; 1870,490.000 vines, 75,000 gallons Wine; 1878,625,- 000 vines, 25,000 gallons wine, 2;000 gallons of brandy. STOCK. Larg'^ bands of stock have been grazed on the hills for years. Beef cattle, for supplying the mines and towns with meat, were kept by thous- ands on the broad, unfenced plains and In the foot-hills, or late years, following the decline of mining and the diminution of the demand tor beef, sheep have been t^uostituted tor cattle. The total nu.nber of cattle in l£5:i-\va3 4,482; In ISGO, 19,002, and la 1S73, 6.990. '1 he Increase In the number ot sheep and the amount of the wool pro- duced has been very great— 1857, sheeo, 5,5i3; ■wool. 21,000 iJOQuds ; 1S70. sheep, 24,444 ; wool, 70,- 000 pounds ;" 1878, sheep, 54,575 ; wool, 160,000 pounds. MIKING DEBRIS. The ravages committed en the fertile farms by the detritus washed down from the hydraulic mines have been enormous. Year by year the deposit of debris on the bottom lands becomes deeper, and the channels of the rivers become more choked with sand, and the farmers begin to realize that its progress must be arrested, or the most fertile and productive land must be aban- doned, la this particular tho agricultural and mining Interests of the county, both solmportant to Its general welfare, are at war. It is conceded by all that some arrangement must be made to check the farther washing ot tailings Into the river, as well as to guard against that already de- posited there. It is Impossible to estimate the damage that has been done by overflows caused by the fllUng up ot the river beds. Tne surface of the country has undergone a change; the streams, diverted from their ob- Biructed channels, hare beeen compelled to seek new outlets for their mud-burdened waters. Formerly the banks ot the Yuba were several feet above the ordinary level of the water, and the channel was deep enough to admit of steam- ers and vessels landing at Marysvllle all the year round. Now, steamers of the lightest draught can reach the city only In seasons of high water. At Timbuctoo a deposit of Beventy-flve leet of tailings is In the river bed, and below that point It decreases gradually until at Marysvllle ic Is about twenty -two feet. The bottom land along the river, where once were fertile farms, large orchards and vineyards, and where thousands of miners were busy roulang their cradles. Is now covered with a Bterlla deposit ot from five to ten feet 111 depth, and where once waved the golden grain, and flourished the thousanasoC fruit trees, now groW'S the useless wiUow. AloigBear River also, the bottom laud has been destroyed, except near ^Vheatland, where an expensive levee has partially saved a lew acres. LEVEES. ' Levees have been very expensive to the citi- zens of Yuba County, and will continue so to be lu the future. After the great flood ot 1S61-2, the city ot Marysvllle commenced to enclose itself with an earthen wall. In ISOS a complete line of levee was constructed, encircling the whole city. This was, however, not high enough, which fact was demonstrated In 1875, when the water poured over Its top, washed it away In many places, and flooded the city to a depth ot from two to tea feet. Tho water remained la the streets a.'id houses lor three days, doing au immense amount ot damage to property ot all descriptions. A new andlarger levee was Immediately built at aa ex- pense of about $100,000, which has required mora or less reoairing every season. The cost of leveea to the city has been $146,414, The county also has built an Immense levee along the north bank ot the Yuba, known as the Brown's Valley Grade, at a great expense, the maintenance ot which In a passably good condi- tion has cost large, sums of money. Another levee was built along the south baijk of the stream, at a cost of $50,000, which has been al- lowed to go Into decay. The levea along Bear Itiver, built by the farmers living on tliat stream, protects 2,141 acres ot land. Many private levees have been built along the rivers that, with the amounts paid by the city and county, render the total expense ot levees lu the county about $300,000. PLACER MINING. The first mining oa the Yuba Elver was done m June in 184S, since when thousands of miners have thronged its banks, and millions of dollars have been washed from Its sands In the pan, cradle, rocker and sluice-box. la 1850 and 1851 there were probably lo,000 miners la this county, oa the river and Us tributaries. The Yuba lavcr was one ot the richest In the State, and scores of workea-out nilaing bars, once tho scene ot bustle and excitement, now deserted aui abandoned to the sands and willows, testify to the prosperity thatouce reigntd there. In 1848, KoseBarand Park's Bar were the mining localities oa tlie river, but I no next year, whea tne great Influx from the East ana abroad filled the gold fields with eager seekers ot the precious metal, the banks of the river from Long Bar to Bownlevile were lined with a multituae ot miners. Many rich bars were developed, some ot which were soou exhausted, while others continued to reward the patient miner for a dozen years. These bars had a p.ipu- latlonot f rom tvveuty-flve to as high as 2,ooo peo- ple. Here were to be found the miner, trader, hotel keeper, packer, gambler ana loafer. Hotels, stores, saloons, shops and all the adjuncts ot a town came and existed here as long as the dig- gings continued to pay; but no sooner did these give evidence ot having become exhausted ihaa there was an Immediate hegira ot the miners, who were soon folltjwed by the traders and gam- blers to new fields of operation. The Incipient city that had sprung 60 suddenly Into being. Ilka a mirage, as suddenly vanished and was gone, gone to live but In the memory ot the old miner, who loves to tell of the exciting times of '49. The most noted of these bars In Yuba county- were Ousley's, Long, Parks', Kennebec, Rose, Barton, Condemn, Frenchmen's, Bullards, Foster, Ferry, Atchison, Missouri, Slate Kange, and Cut- SACRAMENTO COUNTY. 75 eve Foster. Scores or gulclies, creeks, ravines and mils were prospected, named, worked and abandoned. Tliere are probably not over one hundred white men engaged iQ placer mining at tbe present time, most ot the claims, which pay tut poorly In proportion to the olden times, being Id the hands o£ the Chinese. HTDKAULIC MINES. ' Yuba County has been the scene ot some very extensive hydraulic mining. As early as 1S55, the system of mining by the use ot a stream of water thrown from a pipe was adapted. Then the pipe ■was only two-inch canvas hose, with a nozzle less than an inch in diameter. The pipes now in use are made of ribbed boiler iron eigh- teen Inches in diameter, and from the hydraulic engines are thrown streams ot from five to nine inches. These great volumes are propelled against the gravel bank, distant Bometimes 200 reet, the dirt being washed down and through a long tunnel cut In the bedrock or a flume, the gold being collected by the quicksil- ver scattered In the tunnels and flumes. The most extensive mining has been done from Tlm- touctoo to Mooney Flat, where hills 200 feet high have been washed away and the bedrock laid bare for about threj miles. Slcard Flat, New York Flat, C'ambtonville, Oak Valley, and many other places are 'being worked on a large scale by this ^process. QUARTZ MINING. There Is at present but little quartz mining be- ing dono within the limits of this county. For various reasons, the quartz ledges that have been developed have not paid for working. More than a dozen quartz mills have been erected that have been torn down or practically abandoned. At Brown's "Valley, la 1SG3, several rich mines were developed and pail well for a few years, but they Anally became too expensive to work and were abandoned. One mine atTlmbuctoo was yielding good returns li ISCO, but was worked out. isinca then no mines liavo paid for the working and none have been developed to any extent, althougti hundreds of claims have been located, and Uu i- dreds more are only awaiting the sanguine pros- pector. MINING DITCHES. The pioneer mining ditches of the county were the Union, built In 185U-1, and the Miners' and Riffle Box, built in 1852. These ran from Deer Creek to Rose Bar. In 1853 there were 24 ditches, with a total length of 218 miles. The ditches cen- tring at SmartsvlUe have nearly all been united in the Excelsior Canal company, and have a total length of 150 miles, and cost $300,000. Besides these there are 23 aitches that cost $100,000, aQ(^ have a total length of about loojailesi SACRAMENTO COUNTY. By J. N. BINGAY. The County of Sacramento Is situated In Central California, and is virtually the geographical and railroad centre of the State. It is bounded on the north by the counties of Sutter and Placer, on the east by El Dorado and Amador, on the south by Dry Creek, the Mokelumne River and 83an Joaquin River, and on the west by the Sacra- mento River. The county is nearly quadrangular m shape, and comorlses, outside the city, the townships of Natoma, Center, Mississippi, Lee, Granite, Brighton, Sutter, Alabama, Franklin, Cosumnes, San Joaquin, Dry Creek and Geor jl- ana. The boundaries of the county remain about the same as when it was organized In 1850, with the exception of some slight changes i:i the boundary lino between it and Ruttcr County, the acquirements ot Sutter Island from Solano County and the legislation, at the list session, of Staten Island to San Joaquin County. This county is among the largest lathe State, having an area of 1,020 square miles ana a popu- lation ot SG.OOO people. It is traversed by the tributaries ot the streams mentio le I as bounda- ries, and also by the American Illvcr and several smaller streams. It is also traversed by the Cen- tral Pacific. Western Pacltlc, California Pacltic and Sacramento Valley and Placerville Railroads. The western portion ot this county is level, the eastern mountainous. The staples are hops, hay, wine, wool, butter, cheese and potatoes, while there are numerous large flocks and herds ot cat- tle, horses, sheep and swine, and several impor- tant manufactories. The support ot Sacramento County is derived from the commercial, agricultural and mining in- terests. It 13 estimated that at least one-third of the soil most susceptible of cultivation lies along the banks of the rivers, which are liable to Inundation in times of high water. These " bot- tom lands," in the American and Cosumnes Riv- ers, are exc«edingly fertile, and are worth over $100 per acre. To the fact of these almost annual Inundations can be attributed the enormous yields of fruits, vegetables, berries, grasses asd grain, since tlie sediment deposited by this means equals guano as a fertilizer. On Its extremities and In the interior of the county, grapes are cul- tlvaied on an extensive scale, and attain a re- markable size, as well as a richness of flavor that can scarcely be surpassed, if equalled. In the grape-growing districts of France. Althougli Sac- ramento County is distant from the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles, It is not deprived of the invigo- rating and healtli-restorlng breezes of that quar- ter, an 1 although there are times during the Sum- mer seasoi when the mflueice or the sun's nys becomes oppressive and eaervatlu , nlghtf ill la sure to bring comnlete restoration to the fatigued system. The soil of the valley portion of the county is a rich alluvium. AS TO HEALTH, Reliable data places Sacramento foremost on tlia mortuary list, and places her more favorably than any other county in the whole domain. The climate of Sacramento and vicinity is considered by many the best li the State. Ail the fruits ot the temperate snd semi-tropical zones flourish, while the gardens are In perennial bloom. The mean temperature for twenty-two years, deduced from three daily observations, is 60.35, and tho mean ot each month in three years is: January, 46.37; February, 50.55; March, 54.41; April, 59.52; May, C4.31; June, 70.46; July, 73.43; August, 77.43 ; September, 69.10; October, 62.53; November, 53.56; December, 47.05. The lowest temperature was 19 and the hlghestl02 degrees, and this latter for but a few hours in the day on ly, and but for a te\Y days in the year at that. However warm the days may be the nights are always cool. Snow has fallen in this county but four times in twen- ty-seven years, and sunstroke is unknown. In the city, the mercury, in average places, has not of late years risen over 95 degrees. In consequence of the shade trees which line the sidewalks, the numeroua evergreen lawns and well watered 76 SACKAMENTO COUNTY. streets; 95 degrees ot hent In this light, dry air, Id not so opi)resslvo as 80 decrees on tlie sea coast. Tlio uvcrago death rate Is ll.5i In one thoiuiuiul population, which fact places Sacra- ireuto county among the healthiest districts in the civUlzt'd world. TOWNS, ETC. Sacramento City— the capital ot the State— has met with marked growth during the past year, and Its importance as a commercial centre la more thoroughly established than ever. It Is gradually becomlii;r lUo distributing point for supplies for a consklcrablo portion of tho Pacltlc Coast. Iho lmDroven:ient3of tno city— In opening and grad- ing" siret'ts, in the erection of buildings for resl- dences,storP3 and warehouses— lailicates a degree of prosperity hlglilygritltjl ng. The increase In rallro.id lacilitles has Djcu considerable, and Sac- ramento may now claim to ba a permanent rail- road centre. 'I'ho population of the city Is now about 2G,O0D. Tho central Pacific Kaliroad Com- pany has adiled very greatly to tho general Im- Erovemeutsln tho city, in tho enlargement and eautlfylug of buildings and grounds, and are Just llnlshlng a costly passenger depot. In their work-shops In the city there are emnloyed from 900 to 1,500 men, as pressure of business may re- quire. Folscm.— This Is the second town of Importance In tho county. Its chief support being derived from tho agricultural and stock Interests. At an early day placer mining was carried on very ex- tensively lu t no immcaiato vicinity of tho place. Tho population is 1,000, while its schools are ex- cellent, and It has a weekly paper called tho Tele- graph. The branch State Prison now being con- structed is on the American lUver, two miles above tho town. The quarries nearPolsom pos- sess an unlimited amnunc ot capital building stone. ImmenDO quantities of cobbles for paving purposes are being constantly shipped from Fol- Bon), while some of tho mines lu the vicinity 6till yield well. Cosumues, situated on tho Cosumnea River, eighteen miles froin Sacramento city. The soli In this Bectlon is inexhaustible, while the locality Is most desirable as a place ot residence, its vote at tho late election was about '200, and it has a Post ofTice and a daily null. Brighton, on the central Paclflc Railroad, Ave miles west of tho city, Is delight tully situated in a rich agricultural region. The culilvatlon of vineyards is carried on very extensively, and the erapts altnin an unusual size, even for Califor- nia, while tho wine manuf '.ctured from them is pronounced by tho most competent judges to be of a superior character. Wheat and other cereals are also cultivated on a largo scale. The water Is pure and tho general health good. Elk Grove, a pretty little town of 400 inhabi- tants on tho lino of tho central Pacltlc Railroad, thirteen miles we.-tof Sacramento, and Iiasec- tion of the country whose enormous flelds ot fruit, grain and vegetabL's annually have made It famous. Tl;e society Is good, while Its educa- tional a Ivantages are excellent, and the sanitary condition of tho place is siiUlcienc to warrant the prediction tnat its growth will be steady and per- manent. Its future, If these facts are any cri- terion, is Indeed promislDg. Florin Is a promising village on the western Pacliic Railroad, ten miles west ot Sacramento. Tho principal productions of tho section in which the village is located are vegetables and fruits, whoso richness and llavor iind remarkable size atXests tho quality ot the soil. It has a popula- tion of about 100. Franklin Is a pleasant village on the upper Stockton road, lourieen miles west of Sacra- mento. Its population is in the neighborhood of 130 souls, and tne abunilai.t crops tliat are annu- ally harvested in the vicinity are sufficient to sup- port the argument that it Is a fa%'ored section. Land can be obtalnCLl at reasonable rates, while tho water is cxcello:;t. Gait is a town whose population is estimated at from 400 to 50J, situated twenty-two miles west ot Sacramento, and It 13 a station on the Western Paclflc Railroad. Its chief supoort is derived from tho agricultural ln!;erest ot that section, where ccreal3 are produced in quanilties really astonishing. The quality ot the soil contiguous to iho town Is second 1 1 none In the state— a fact that has besn repeatedly veriiied ever since its settlement. It Is also the terminus ot the lone branch of the Western Pacltlo Railroad. Good schools, pure water, and a high order of society, are features which are at onc3 attractive, and be- speak lor Gale a healtny growth. nicksvlUe takes its name Irom its founner, Wil- liam lilcks, a prominent farmer, and is twenty ndleswestof Sacramento. The pioducts ot tho laid la this section aro contined almost exclu- sively to the cereals, while the pursuit of stock- raising la very extensively engaged in. Isleton, deli ;;hi fully situated on Andrns Island, In the Sacramento River, about forty miles below the city. It presents a very neat appearance, and has many attractive features. The soil la very fertile, and when the construction ot tho levee Is completed, its value can hardly bo estimated. Fruit, grain and vegetables tnrlve luxuriantly. It hasa Postonice, a dally mall, an express office, and a good hotel. Michigan Bar is an old mining town, whose streets at the present time do not present tho ac- tivity and bustle which characterized its condi- tion at an early day. The hills around tho place bear evidence ot an immense amount ot labor having been expended In search ot the precious ore. Dairying a)id farming are the pursuits which are Its main suoport now, though mining is still carried on. Richland, on the Sacramento River, a few mllea below tho city, haa a Post Office and a dally mall. Fruit and vegetables are the chief productions, and are a source ot great revenue to the residents of that locality, which Is very healthy. Rentier's station (formerly Patterson's)— The country 1 1 tho vicinity ot this village can scarcely havo justice done It by word-picturing. The llelda ot grain, extetislve vineyards and hopyaras and orchards tlnit skirt the roads on either side, form a subject which la worthy ot elaborato descrip- tion and admiration. It is on the Sacramento Valley llallroa.i, thirteen miles east ot the city. Walnut Grove— There is no grander sight tuan that wlUi!h is offered from the deck of a steamer on the Upoer Sacramento River, In the vicinity of Walnut Grove. It Is 1 1 the very midst ot agricul- tural wealth, and enjoys other advantages con- ducive to health and prosperity, which are supe- rior. Walsh station, nine milca east of the city, on tho Jackson and Drytown wagon-road, Is a very rich agricultural section. SCHOOLS AND CHDRCHES. There are In Sacramento County 133 school dis- trlcis, with handsome and commodious school- houses, classlQed as follows : High schools, 5 ; llrst grade, 50; second grade, 51 ; third grade, 32. Tho number of school-houses is 79. Number of teachers, 140, ot whom llT are ladles and 29 are gentlemen, with an average salary of $02 per month. The schools are maintained during an average of S.9 mouihs per year. Rate ot county school tax for last year, seven cents. Total valu- ation ot school-houses, with their furulture and annaratus, $-.'93,953. Receipts during last year, $[59,083; expen.llturea during the same period, $l'2i,15l 39. Number of children of school-attend- ing (age between five and seventeen), 7,110; en- rolled in schools, 5,094. Tho system ot school education in this county is now very satisfactory —tho exaninatiOLS of the teachers and scholars, showing a lilgii degree of efficiency an l apti- tude on the part ot the former, and close ap- plication anl consequent advancement oa tho part of the latter. In hia last a;mual renort, county Superintendent of Schools Landes' re- marks that, "During the past year there havo been better attendance and more real and inor- ough advancement by pu; Us, and the schools have been maintained a longer period than at any pre- vious time since the organization of tho county. SACRAMENTO COUNTY. 77 The Increased nu'-nber ot school visits toy school officers and parents, and the unusual Interestin Bcliool elections RDd the selection ot te;ichers, Is agiiarantj' of theuiost tlufteriog results la the near future. " It Is a geuerally concecied fact that the common school system as carried out la this county has beea marked by the most eml- riontsuccess, aud i-i Inferior to no county In the State, vhile la many Eastern localities It would, ou comoarlson, rank far ahe id. Churches ot various denominations are well distributed throughout the county, and on Sun- day morniags the tones ot the church b^lls may be heard reverberating through the canons of the foot-hills, \Yhlle the refralu Is caught up and con- veyed to the mountains by the gentle breezes floating across tlie valley. FACTOKIES, ETC. Besides the Railroad workshops, to which refer- ence has already been made, there are many manufactories in Sacramento County, not least among which are the potteries, of which there are three In this city, one in Sutter 'rowDsliip,and one at Michigan Bar, all turning out superior lire- tUe wares ot superior quality. One of these pot- teries conflnes Its energies almost exclusively to the manufacture of sewer-plpe— another to the turning out of flower pots and paving tiles. The clay used Is very Buperior, and is obtained in In- exhaustibieiquautliies at Michigan Bar, Cook's Uar, and other points la thlscouniy. There are also iialf-a-dozea flouring mills and one grist mill. The Capital Woollen Mills are now la the full tide of BUecessf ul operation, and turning out fabrics of equality with any In the State. There are also Ave planing mills, the German tannery, smelting •works by the Kobinson process, seven distilleries, while the canning of salmon during the proper Beasonls a very important Industry. There are also numerous smaller Industries, such as match factories, soap factories, boot and shoe factories, carriage and wheelwright shops, etc., etc., ad lib- itum, all Indicating a high degree ot prosperity, and Indicative of a good time coming, ANNUAL PRODUCTS. The report or County Assessor Lansing for the year 1S78 makes the following exhibits : Land en- closed during the year, 326,742 acres ; land culti- vated in 18T8, 103,420 acres; In wheat, 19,826 acres, producing 237,854 bushels ; In barley, 39,326 acres, producing 592,000 bushels; In oats, 2,374 acres, producing 44,1(10 bushels; ia rye, 105 acres, pro- ducing 1.9C3 bushels; la corn, 2,345 acre.s, proauc- lug 83.110 bushels; la peas, 18 acres, ylcliling coo bushcis; In peanuts, 142 acres, yleMlng 150,000 pounds; lu beans, 540 acres, yljldlngi'^GGO bush- els; l.SiiO acres oC potatoes, jieldlng 8,427 tons; 326 acres of sweet potatoes, yleldine 1,529 tons, 3,800 bushels of onions from 33 acres, 33,940 tons of hay from 31,310 acres of Imd, 3Q2,300 pounds ot hops trom 1S3 acres, 310,280 pounds of batter, 23,5uo pounds ot cheese, 394,000 pounds of wool, and 4,200 pounds of honey. The value ot the fruit crop for the year was $325,200; theie having been 3,C40 acres In vineyards, 130 bearing lemon trees, 330 bearing orange trees, and 53 bearing olive trees. There wore manufac- tured 736,000 gallons ot wine and 4,300 gallons of brandy, 'i'hero are la the county 8 breweries, which produced 560,000 gallons of beer. In thac year Sacramento County bad 9,630 horses and 334 mules. The total number ot horned cattle was 13,777. She also had 176,265 sheep ; 163 Cash- mere and Augora goats, and 10,730 hogs. The Improvements were mills, from which were turn- ed out, by steam power, 225,800 barrels of flour and 93,000 bushels o£ ground corn. There are five mining ditches, with an aggregate length ot 7T miles. There are four ditches which irrigate 1,000 acres, and one woollen mill which uses annu- ally 320,000 pounds ot wool, 'i here are four rail- roads, with a Joint length of 90 miles. The as- sessed value ot real estate In 1S79 is $7,753,965; assessed value of improvements in 1879, |6,14l,6S0; assessed value of personal property in 1879, $4,- 632,740. Estimated population In 1878, 33,000; registered voters same year, 11,000. LANDS. There are In Sacramento County some 4,000 or 5,000 acres of Government land, and nearly the same amount of swamp and overflowed lands, wnich are being rapidly taken up. At the delta of the Sacramento Kiver and belonging lo this county are Sutter, Grand, Tyler, Andrus, Bran- nan, Sherman, Twitchel and Ilaudall Islands, all of broad area and being reclaimed as fast as pos- sible. Their soils are among the most fertile, their productions are most prolific, and, la aa agricultural point ol view, they are among the most desirable. The rate ot taxation thla year la $1 50, the same as it was last year. 78 SHASTA COUNTY. SHASTA COUNTY. By JAS. E. ISAACS. Shasta County, although one ot the older and more prominent amongst the mineral counties of California, possessing great resources in many- metals, and conceded a brilliant prospect as to State iQiportaace upon development of its yet but barely revealed wealth, has been comparatively little written about for the information of strang- ers. Until 1872 there was no rail communication with business centres, and a week often was con- sumed on a journey to Sacramento or San Fran- cisco by stage and river steamers. The Cailrornla and Oregon Railroad, whose present terminus Is at Reading, now places us wliLln oi.e daj's travel of ttie Bay; and adventurers are daily availing themselves of Its transportation to seeli and take up our quartz ledges and farming lands. LOCATION. Shasta County Is bounded on the north by Sis- kiyou and Modoc counties, on the east by Lassen, on the south by Tehama, and on the West by Trinity County, It being nearly enclosed by mountains, the peal^s of some of which are very lofty. The county was organized la ISoO. Its area comprises aoout two and a half million of acres. Tbe surface is more or less broken, and Its character may be designated as mountainous. CLIMATE. The seasons are divided into the wet and dry. Diversity of temperature exists according to place of elevation, so that a climate to suit any taste may be found. lu Summer the temperature ranges from 75 to 110 degrees, In Winter from 30 to 65 or 70 degrees, with exceptional days either warmer or colder. The Summer heat is divested ot those enervating effects peculiar to less favored localities by the dryness and pureness of tho at- mosphere which 13 laden wltu the grateful bal- sam odor of pines. The mercury sometimes rises astonishingly high, but out-ot-door labor is not accompanied with auy danger from the sun's rays. Tho nights In Summer are pleasant and cool, and rala-showers have been known to take place during the heated term. Tho Winter's rainfall Is most abundant, averaging 70 lucues, whllo at rare Intervals tho recoid has shown nearly 100 iuciies to tbe credit ot a single season. That Important factor to a successful mining section, water, is obviously not wanting in SUasta. A3 for the healthrulness of the climate, tnough it may be equalled, it Is not surpassed la tue State. Contagious diseases are unknown, and there is comparative freedom from pectoral com- plaints. Ihe native bora and rising generation is distinguished for robustness of constitution and Eturdlness of limb, and does credit to the indomitable and energetic pioneers, whose path- way the Wlutoon and Pllt River iLdians so hotly contested. FARMING LANDS. Shasta County ac present bears no special im- portance In the matter of agriculture. The farm- ing Interest was ignored when the placers were rich, and It is only but lately that attention has been devoted to tillable soil and its fertlUty. The farming lands lie for the most part east of the Sacramento River, one section having the town of MlUvlUe for a centre, while others range up the Fall River and Burney Valleys. In Fall River Valley there is considerable swamp land, which Is fast being reclaimed. The tract of land known as the Reading grant, the title to which Major Reading obtained in 1S43, borders on the west bank of the Sacramento River for twenty miles north of Cottonwood. It embraces nearly all tbe low bottom lands in what Is known or frequently called tue Upper Sacramento Valley. It contains 26,000 acres, a large portion ot whicn haa been sold in small farms, the remainder being held for sale by the owners of the grant la small sub- divisions. A large quantity of land is waiting for settlers, and it Is siiriplya matter of time when it will all be taken up. The value of land depends, ot course, on quality and location, rang- ing from $2 50 to $50 per acre. Good grazing land is v/orth from $3 to $10. All kinds ot produce common to the State is raised with facility and in good quality, fruits especially being noted for their superior flavor, surpassing in this resoect— in tho Instances of aoples, pears and peaches par- ticularly—the fruitgVowu lurther south. MINKS, ETC. The first and most engrossing interest in Shasta County Is mining. The prosperity of the county has always been, and in a great measure will con- tinue to be, dependent on the extent of mineral products. After the exhaustion of the larger gravel diggings— marvellously rich while they lasted— the future of the county was tacitly re- garded as being without much promise. Capital was withdrawn for Investment elsewhere, and, although mining remained the chief occupation of the people, it was of a desultory character. Within the past two years there has been a re- action. The poverty of the gravel diggings, wnlch had been worked over and over again, finally caused the miners to study out the prob- lem of where thegold came from which fed the gulches and creeks, and prospecting la rock fol- lowed. Tlie results have been most encouraging. In every direction ore has been discovered on the hill?!, and the revelations made have disclosed the presence, not only of gold and silver, but of irou and copper. Altuough no very extensive devel- opmems have yet been made, (there has Hardly beea time for that, considerlr g the amount of capital employeu), rich prospects nre continually being reported, and rock-claims are being taken up daily. Within quite asmall radius, say two or three miles ot tho town cf Shasta, many dis- coveries of promlsiny: value have been made with- in tho past year, and Mr Alvln Potter, who con- trols a number cf tliese, lias erected a mill oa Spring Creeic, w hero ore from the different ledses is being profltably reduced. The attentiouof ndnlng operators is again being directed to tills county, and outside capital is already e.ubol Jened to make ventures in the new mines, but it has not yet come ia the volume looked for and jus- ilried by me various prospects. By experts the mining interests in Shasta, notwltust^ndlno: tiie greatjieldot the placers, is considered as being only in Us infancy. A new era is cxoecred. ic will be the era of the eajployment of capital by sclentiflc skill, when tho innumerable ledges recently brou^jht to lignt will be strlnped of their wealtb. Many discoverers of gold-bearing rock are without means to prosecute work ou a commensurate scale, but la these instances aras- tras are used profitably, and during last Winter, la son. e places, tne little machines turned ouc as high as $1,500 per week. The capital needed here will undoubtedly come for investment wnen con- fidence is established by actual knowledge of the mineral resources of our mountains, wblch, so to speak, have but just been tapped. Amongst the number of towns su^alned by mines are Sh.ista, Whiskeytown, French Gulch, Buckeye, Churn- town, FurnacevlUe, and Copper City. Material progress haa been made lately at nearly all ol SHASTA COUNTY. 79 these points. On Mad Ox, about eleven miles from SUasta, the Grotefend Company Has erected a mill, and Is opening up a ledge wulcli Is improv- ing with tue order ot development. The Arter- tliougtit Company, on Cow Creek, has Just had soiue fine reducilon works construcied. The Ex- tra, at copper City, with its mill, is turning out about $20,000 per month, and at the same place other mills have been projected for rapidly Im- proving ledges. The Bully lllll and Winthrop are prominent mines at Copcer City. Kear French Gulch, at Deadwood, many quartz claims have been located vrltnin the past few months, the prospects la several instances being rich; while at French Gulch Itself the Highland and Washing- ton mines are being worked successfully. EDUCATION. The public school system affords entirely the means of education within the county. The number of census children between the ages of 5 and 17, is 2,170, and there is a school for about every 50 scholars, there being 44 school-houses in as many districts. Forty-seven teachers are as- signed to these districts, and the teaching term at present comprises eight months. For a num- ber ot years the educailonal interest has been directed by Jlrs. D. M. Colman, whose efficiency and application has been so conspicuous that her efforts have received recognitioa by the voice ot the people, in being reneutedly elected to the County fciuperlntendentslilp. The cause ot religion Is outwardly languishing, there being no towns exhibiting suiliclent spirit or interest to retal;i a permaneijt mioiste". The circuit system i^ in vogue, and Is prosecuted by about all denomina- tions. Churches exist in most or th3 larger places, and ac Shasta there are two edifices, one erected by the peopi?, which is open to all creeds, and one consecrated to the Catholic religion. PUBLICATIONS. Three weekly papers are published in the county. No pretension is made in their columns to question Issues at large, but local Interests are devoted to with attention. The Shasta Courier, published at Shasta, is the third oldest weekly in the State. Through many vicissitudes ot change is has survived, a prosperous slieet. It is now in its thirtieth year, and is being conducted with skill by W. L. Carter. It is Republic n la politics. The Reading Independent, Issued at Reading, is DOW In Its third year of publication, and Is ably edited by Frank M. Swasey. It professes inde- pendence In politics, but has a Republican ten- dency. At JlUlvlUo the Record is published by Ihas II. Smith, and is In the second year ot Its career. It is not committed to any set of Ideas or principles except the cause of temperance, which It advocates persistently, TOWNS. Shasta, the county seat, with a population of about 10 '0,is situated In the southwesterly part of the county, at a distance of seven miles from the railroad terminus at Reading. It Is on the line of the stage routes to Weaverville and Yreka, the roads leading thereto being for the most part turnpikes of excellent grades. It is one ot the prettiest of our mountain towns, and is Invested with interesting pioneer associations In regard to notable men and events. The United States Land OfBce is located here— \Vm. £. Hooping, Register, and A. Dobrowsky, Receiver. There are tele- graph, dally mail and express facilities. The lartrer buildings comprise the Court House, two churches, fschool house, two hotels, and tne halls belonging to the Masons and Odd Fellows. The water supply is ot the best in qnahty, being liv- ing ii.ountain springs. The healthfulness of the town Is highly reputable In Northern California. Reading, the northern terminus of tho Cal- ifornia and Oregon Railroad, 13 a growing and thriving place, full of bustle and energy, and 13 deemed to have a promising future. Freight teams from all directions— from Yreka, fccott'3 Valley, Weaverville, copper City, and Big Valley centralize here for the distribu- tion of supplies and merchandise, which are conveyed by the railroad. In all probability Read- ing win remain at the head of rail transportation for some years to come. The Oregon United States mail Is carried to and fro dally, mere being 275 miles ot staging to tho Soutuern Oregon Rail- road terminus at Roseburg. The distance irom Reading to San Francisco, via the Vallejo route. Is 255 miles. Mount Shasta is sixty miles north of Reading. The town, which contains a population ot 600, possesses tour hotels, school house, and a Masonic aud Good Templars hall. Anderson, a new town on the line of the railroad, 12 miles south of Reading, Is the centre of the ag- ricultural lands situated within the Reading grant. There is considerable freighting to the section around MlUviile. Among the buildings are two hotels, school house, post, express and telegraph offices, i^opulatton, 300. Cottonwood, in tho southern part of the county, is 17 miles south of Reading, on the line of the railroad. The shipments from this point consist principally of catMe and wool. The population la 100, and the town boasts of a line hotel. Whiskey town is a mining town, Ave miles north ot Shasta, in the westerly part ot the county. In the vicinity there are many clalois, quartz and placer, and recent developments have given impetus to the business ot the town. The popu- lation, which is about 150, for the greater part consists or miners. A school house aud hotel are In the place. French Gulch, 15 miles north ot Shasta, Is ono of the oldest uiiniiig camps in the county. A re- vival ot the minli g Interests has lately t.iken place, owing to new discoveries in quartz. Tho laii.ous Deadwood mines are eight miles distant. The town has 200 people, and iuciuJes two hotels, a school houso and church. In the southwestern partot the county ti re a group of minlg towns, consisiitig of Ceutervillo, Horsetown, Piety Hill, Janesvillo and Igo, the last named of which is the most Important. At Igo are the Hay ward mines and ditches. Miliviile, the principal agricultural town in the county east ot the Sacramento Elver, is twenty miles from Shasta. It is In a flourishing condi- tion, aud Is Improving rapidly, many tasteful residences adon Ing the place. Besides a tlrst- class tlourlng-mlil, the prominent buildings in- clude a school house, church. Masonic, Odd Fel- lows', Grangers' and Good Templars' halls. Pop- ulation, 500. copper City is located in the central part of the county, aud during the past two years has as- sumed considerable importanco owing to the promising mineswhlch have recently been un- covered. The abundance of mineral indications In close proximity would seem to foreshadow a favorable oestiny for the town. Population, 800. On the east ot the Sacramento River there are a number of small towi 3 sustained by mining, among which are Furnacevllie, Buckeye, Churn- town, Burgettville, I'arkville, and Dog Creek. About 100 mllea east of Shasta is the town of Fall River, sometimes called Fall River Mills, a. lively agricultural place of about 250 population. STATISTICS. The population ot Shssta County Is 10,000. The number ot voters, l.SOO. The taxable property by the last assessment roll was $1,976,793. Rate of taxation, $2 50 on the $100, being the same as last year. County scrip on the General Fund Is worth 80 cents and Hospital scrip 95 cents on the $i. The county indebtedness, which In 1S79 was $91,971 35, has been much reduced through the efficient management ot the county officers, a number of whom— among them S. Hall, Sheriff, and Clay W. Taylor, District Attorney— have been re-elected time and again. The estimated value of the Court House, Jail, Hospital and other property 13 $25,000. The t'ounty scrip on the General Fund and Hospital scrip la worth nearly par. thus showing a good flDanclai status for the county. 80 SHASTA— SANTA CLAKA COUNTY. SCKNEKT. To the tourist the natural scenery ot Shasta ■wields a potent ftisolnntlon. Other than at Vo- eeuiiio there are i.o Bceuic ofl'eets lu the Slate inoro bcwH !cniig atid purely grand than those ■which gluiliy llio face 01 t lie country burrouucl- iDg tho Lower Soda springs. Iilount Shasta. whose stupendous beauty has inspired tlio lalutis or palntcrd and poets t J create art expressions of Its niaKniilceneo la its towering liolatlou a::d ponderous grandeur, la but thirteen miles dis- tant. Close at hand, too— within seven inlles— are the pleturesque Castloliocks, which for two miles extend with forms lu iniinlcry o£ the archi- tecture ot man. 'J he storied battlements and turrets of the Uernian llhino are at one lime sujj- gestod wlin varied iLleliiy ; then the illnslvo Bcencchimgcs, and before the eye lie castles In rul!;s, their walla moss-srown and hoary with antiquity, while over all rests tho mournful air of tlesolailoii and decaj'. Seen ateveidn?, when the last expiring; jays ot IheKettlng sun dwell upon the Castle rocks v.'ith ft mellow touch of peusiive life and Wistful beautj-, the spectacle is pro- foundly Kiovlng to tho linaglnation. Nature, whose prodls^allty Is liere bo marked, expresses herself agalalu an exceptional way la tho crys- tal body ot water near tho rocks, known as Castle Lake. The transparency of the water Is marvel- lous, but iho bottom cannot be seen, nor has it even been sounded. LOWER SODA SPKINOS. The Lower Soda Springs are situated about Blxty miles north of Heading. 31nco the cstab- Ushnaent of rail coiumuulcatlons with the south- era part of the State the springs have been a Ia^orllo and Increasingly popular resort. Tho waters are Ije cold, graietul and effervescent to the taste, and possess medicinal value In rheuma- tism, sterility, and many weaknesses and ail- ments. The Etreams everywhere teetu with the prluest trout, and Ihc woods are abundant la gaiiic, large and small. If there is a p^.radlse for tho true sportsm in It Is In the country here- aljouis. A good lutel and a store are at Lower Soda Springs. The Buruey Falls, regirded by maui ill attractiveness, as second ojly lo the Yoscmlte Falls, are situated la the northeasertly part of tho county, eighty miles from iieadiog. 'ihe falls arc Bcvenly-thrco feet in height, and the lino tho water is preclpated over Is la the shape of halt aclrcle. 'j ho I'allKlver Falls, at Fall liiver city, co.isistot aregularsuccessioa of water shoots, extending over a distance ot half a mile. The Clover Creek Falls are tifty feet, high, and considered quite romantic. Other falls beautify the landscape In various portions ot the county, but the foregoing meidloned are tho most promi- nent la Interest. At tho loot of Old Bally Moun- tain, where Willow, jMUl, Crystal and Clear Creeks arjcomiuent, are many beauiiiul scenes of a pic- turesque character. The Bite ot the well-knowa Tower House, a popular Summer resort, la here, being twelve miles north of Siiasta. During tho heated term the Tower House Is a desirable place ot residence, owing to the coolness of the atmosphero from the presence of so much running water, and the grateful comforts of luscious mountain fruits, Avhlch are lu great abundance. Tho foregoing points ot Interest thus briefly referred to. and others to which no allusion Is made, might be dwelt and expatiated upon as being distinguished for natural beauties, interesting not only to the Idle tourist, but 10 students and men of science. Among the mountains, besides the many minerals and cirriouscouformallonsot rock, are a numeroua flora, petrliied sca-sheUs, and woods and caves ot stalactite. SANTA CLARA COUNTY. By E. M. ISAACS. The Santa Clara Valley, which Is Included in Santa Clara County, is shaped somewhat like an elongated horse-shoe, opening on the north Into the southern arm of San Francisco Bay. Its en- tire length, r.orlh and south, is about sixty miles, with an average width, perhaps, of half that dis- tance, from summit to summit ot the double cualu ot the Coast Kangeot Mountains, which grace- fully hold It as In the hollo'.ir of a great hand. The western slope of these mountains includes San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, the eastern Stan- islaus and Merced, Alameda County on the north and San Benito on tho south. This Is regarded as the garden valley ot the PaclQc Coast, and Its principal city, San Jose, which Is the county Beat, as the garden city of the ^Vest. The nearness ot Santa Clara Valley to the ocean, and Its Bcparatlon from It by the western range ot mountains, both have an Influence o:i the cilmute. 'J he western and i.orth- crn breezes from tho ocean and tuiy are sensnuy moro invigorating, haviig swept over the waters, and yet their harshness In Winter is greatly raodltied by the mountains, which also hold the logs In check. The coldest weather In Winter here very nearly resembles the average October dav In the Eastern States. Ice Is rarely seen thicker thin a window glass, and coniparatlvely few Winter mornings have even a light irost. The heat ot Summer Is very nearly lu the siine proportion; a short time only Is the heat exces- sive, una then only a lew hours lu the mladleot the day. Tho nights are delightfully cool through- out the year, and nearly the same bed-clothing Is requisite In Summer as In the Winter, and. with a fair amount ot exercise during the day, de- licious sleep is assured. THE LANDS AND PRODUCTIONS. There are In Santa Clara County 832,000 acres of land. Fully three-fourths ot this area Is moun- tainous and sparsely Inhabited; a great portion ot It en the east side Is telng utilized for stock ranges. Horses, cattle, sheep and goats live on these hills and in the ravines the year aroimd, flocks ot a thousand and upward being attended by a single shepherd. There are, however, on these sanse mountain sides many large nnd well cultivated farms, which produce large crops ot wheat and barley, and all ot the fruits ot the temperate zone, as well as many that are semi- tropical. Fair dwellings dot tho mountain sides and foothills, surrounded with orchards and gardens, which look la the distance like pictures hung upon a perpendicular wall. In Winter the background ot this picture Is woven la all the shades ot greei, dirkly spotted here and there to^.vard the summit with scruo oaks and stinted evergreens; for none ot the luxuriant forests, which are a marKed feature ot the western lango, are found on tho eastern chain ot mountains. It one Is tho fairer picture to look upon, the other can boast ct its deeper riches la mines, forests nndoU we'.ls. Kature, al- ways bouutlful. It she withholds in one direction, bestows la jiuother with a I ivish hand. Thela\id ot the valley has every variety ot toil, from the light sandy loam to the rich alluvial bottoms. On the west side, below tho heavy-timbered re- gion, from the foothflls downward to the valle.v, the sou Is a gravelly loam, especially adapted to SANTA CLARA COUNTY. 81 tho cultivation of the prrape, and all other fruits flourl;li throughout the entire valley In perfec- tion. In that portion known ns tlie "foolhllls wl'ie district," there are numerous vlnevurrts; some of tlicmvery lirge, anfl nllnre reinunen- tlve. A fanner who has a well-cultivated tfrape- pitch of no more ih n ten acres Ins a suro guar- antee of ahanlsomoi icome. One little vlieyard, two miles west of San Jose, of only six thousand vl cs, lirouTht list; ycarnliie hundred ana lU'ty dollars for lahle granes. From the low, inarshy land skirting the bay, there )3 a large Income realized every year froai strawherrics. Through the bummer seaso 1 1 here are Bhipped from A1a"1so to San Francisco from thlrtv lo.scventy-tivelonsperdayortlUsdcIlcious fruit! It 13 hard to estimate the possiblUtica of such a soil in such a climate, whe i wo consider that not a one-hundredth part of the land has been put to tho test of its hi^jhest proiuctivo powers. The total assessed value or the property In Sfli.ta Clara County l3 $'27,G03,240; of this amount there Is In real estiite, j;'24,isi,8G5, and the per- sonal properly of the county id valued at $3,4-21,- 375. TOWNS AKD TILLAGE3, Until the gold excitement of 1849, Santa ' lara County was almost wholly Inhaolted by Mexi- cans and Indians. Corsiderlng, therefore, tho fact that It is only thirty years since tho only human habitations in the valley consisted of a few scat- tering adobe huts along the now far-famed Ala- meda, and at each extremity the present sites of the two beautiful cities— San Jose and Santa Clara— it Is really Burpiislng how many cities and villaiTPs havo arisen, and to what extent the va- ried business projects liave already reached. The largest and most Important of these cities is San Jose, the couiity si-at. Sinta Clara Is really a Eart of San Jose, and they are considered as one, elng otily throe miles apart from centre to cen- tre, and connected by a horso railroad, tlirough a shaded avcnu'^, which is a continued city of pa- latial residences, and probably the inostdellgiit- ful drive on tho raclfic coast, if rot on the con- tinent. San Jose contains a populati m of IT.OOO Inhabitants, and Santa Clara G.ooo. These cities, and tho surrounding country for many miles. Is a perfect garden, where roses bloo n every month in the year. The markets are supplied with fresh vegetables and fruits from January till Decem- ber. In short, If San Jose Is not; the Paradise of earth, the people think so, and that Is fully Its equivalent. Th^ir reasons for self- congratula- tions on Buperlorlty of location, are many and well founded. That of climate, beauty and for- tuity of the surrounding country, and the variety ana quality of productions, have already boon enumerated as the m.ost Important. In nddltinn to these, tlie i ravelhn ^ f aolUtles are an important Itetnlna choice of location. San Jose Is liigldy favored 1 1 this also. Being distant from san FranclRCO only fifty miles, and having a choice of three railroad lines, two on tho cast, side of the bay and (-ne on the west, the only tUfficulty Is In wlilch one to choose, for the scenery on each route opens a panoranja of marvellous beauty, A stage line also connects with astean^erat Alvlso, which makes tri-weekly trips through the year, and daily trips in the strawberry season. EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. There are in San Joso seven public schools, em- ploying thirty-seven teachers. Tho total number of school chilarea is 3,431 : total uuaibsr enrolled, 2,329. Five of the-e schools have elegant and costly school buildings, situated in pleasant and liealthy localities, with ample room for ornamen- tal trees and ehrubbery and convenient play- grounds. Itl3 believed that nocltyln the state has a more thoroughly educated and efflcient corpa of teachers than San Jose. There are also numerous private schools and colleges. The Uni- . verslly ot tho Paclflc Is located near the Alameda, \ about midway between Saa Jose and 8anta<;iara. j The building Is an elegant modern structure, costing over $'>0,000. Coanected with It is a young ladies' seminary. Tho Academy of Notre Dame, the Commercial College, and a number ot others, are giving ef- ficient Instruction in allot tiie branches ot sci- ence, andthecinbolllshme it^o^ music, literature, the i'.rts, elocution, telegraphy, puo mgraphy and dancing. Of literary, debating, draraatio, astro- nomical and reading clubs, for both trentlemea and ladies, there 13 no lick. These as-joclitioaa are all liberally patronized by young and old. Tho Library Assoclatioa Inlds an 1 upartant plice in tho education a facilities of the people, tliough all of the efforts ot its patrons and friends to make It a Ireo Institution havo thus far f illed. MembRrsonly, wno pay liity conts per month, are permitted to enjoy Us advantages. THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL Is a credit to this b'autiful iTity. Its building Is an liiiD isin;,' structure, erected at large ex- pense. From BOJ to Tuo pupUs hero Ui,d every facility. In a variety of departments, to add to their knowledge of books and training as teach- ers, that able Instruction, standard works and apparatus can Impart. SANTA CLARA COLLEGE lias also a large share In the claim of this loo'^lit7 as the educational centre of the Golden State. To the education^,! advantages hero enumeraded, and the fitness of the locality, the people of Saata Clara County are no doubt largely indebted for the munificent bequest of the late James Lick, to be appropriated in ilio erection of a costly observatory on Mount Ilamllton, for the purpose of astronomical observations. Arrangements nre now 1. early completed to put this moister enter- prise to a practical test. Not the least ot Us ad- vantages win be the employment furnished to lahorers. Here the cducateil professors ot the science of astronomy will congregate In future years, and their observations and discoveries will add Incalculably to the accumulated etore ot the world's Bcienllsts In past ages. Through them and by personal observations all who will can receive a portion of that enjoyment derived from a contemplation of one of tiie grandest scenes la Nature, a view of her unbovmded riches, Bpread out underneath In a medley of forms— colors, mouulalns, silvery waters, forests and fields, mak- ing a landscape Indescribable In beauty — and overhead In the wonders and glories of the starry flrmame.it. The road to the summit of Mount Hamilton, which was one otthe conciltlons ot Mr. Lick's will, was constructed some years ago, at an expense to tho county of about $100,000. It is an easy grade, a distance ot twenty-seven miles from San Jose. Its course, describing all points ot the compass. Is like that of the mariner "tacking" Bhlplntoport against ahead wind. A hint even at description ot the many objects ot Interest on the way— for every point and turn of the road opens a iiew view— would requlro a lengthy arti- cle ot Itself. Each one of the towns and villages of Santa Clara County has not only Its own peculiar Indus- try or attraction, but oil are gaining In wealtli and population. Unlike many of the mining dis- tricts of California, there Is not a "deserted vil- lage" within its borders. Thiinuseot the poet could find liere many another thome on which to expand his genius, but not that. Of these towns and villages not already mentioned GILROT, Near the southern line of the county, Is next la size, the population being from three to four thousand. It Is a lively city, and has the best of foundations for future prosperity, a rich sur- rounding farming country. Dairying is tho lead- ing pursuit. JJOUNTAIN TIEW AND MATFIKLD, Both on the line ot the San Francisco and Saa Jose Railroad, are also la the midst of a rlcU farming district and yearly addlug to their wealta and Icnportanoe. 82 SANTA CLARA COUNTY. AI-TISO, At tUo heart ot tlio bay, has tlio advantage of a Bhlpptng port> nud l3 also a station oa tl\e narrow gau::e rallroail fro'u San Fra:iclsco to Santa Crnz. Its steam llonrlsr mill anil l\rso storelions-'S for gram, toLrtnucr witu Its oxtonslvo rrelc:iulnglinsl- uesii, wUictils QualrupUM l\ tUo I'ruU season— nnil Alvlso, \vni\ its few lui'idrecl l.ihabUauts, never noomnnlatea t no rust ot Uuloleice. MlU'lTA?. BKKKYESSA AND EV1::KGKKEN, All In a straljlit ll::o ^vllll tho Coyoto Elver, and about equal Uistauoes from It on tlio e.ist, lie near the beautiful lootblUa ot tbe caster a raugo ot mountains. The two latter, without ttie ndvan- taKesot rallrviador other puMlc conmunleatlon ATith tho outsldo world, are a Uttlo world ot them- selves, a'.Htftcharminsi ouotoo, if weU-eultlvated tanns. gardens, Bhiirlnff birds, flowinsr rivulets nud Nature '3 smiles, iiavo a c'aarm la tuem. SAUATOGA, In tbe western foothills, with its grand scenery, Incomparable climate, Ita quantity and superior quality of fruit (for U Is la the warm bem, and Its paper-mills, holds an onvlxblo position In this hlclilv-tavored valley, both for Its natural advan- tairos'niid tho addition ot patient Industry. Fol- lawiuvj nround tho pouthwestern curve ot the liorseshoe-sUaped valley, wo como to LOS OATOS, LEXINGTON, GCAPALrrB AND ALMADEN. Los Gates Is a flno place, and ic has sensibly felt tho quickonlng ot new life which tho narrow pausro railroad has plven to all tho townsthroucrh which Itpajssos. l.cxln:rton Is on tho old stage road throuiTh the santi Cruz Gap. nestled la nmonsi the hills, hid l.>n from view till tho trav- eller Is rUht li tho heart ot tho town, which con- sists of a'hotel. a store or two and a few shops. Katuro must have been In one ot her wildest moods— out O'a ."^ grand frolic— when she fash- ioned tho bills above l.oxbicton. iSho thr^wthem toicther with ft perfect nba' don ot recklessness, leavlnir tho deep gorce between, known as Santa Cruj; Gap, the bottom or which Is the bed of the Los Oat 3 Creek. Near here Is tho upper reser- voir which supplies San Jo?© with water, owned by an incorporated coaiiwiy. The road from hero to Santa Cruz winds like a serpent around these mountains, la some places wltJi scarcely roon\ for u oarriacre track, so trlifhtf ully near the edge ot precipices as to be overpawir.g to timid people. Tl:»railroad ilnds a Iv^wer level, ruuuiug for n lies al nost undcrthe wagoa road. The Ouadaiupo Qucksilver Mine. th-Migh for- merly verv small, yields at present :\ suiTlcient Quantltv to warrant Its co;;stant working. Tho expenses ot development, though enormous, will probably be comiH'nsated In lime. NEW AIJitAPEN Has become far-famod for the depth and wealth of Its quicksilver mine. It yields near an average of one hundred thousand pounds per month, trlviiig emplormert to seven or el^rht hundred iiien. The town, w hich Is situated lu adeep gorge of the mountain. Is a beautiful place, bustling to the ilnci^r ends with activity. New Almadenls twelvo'miles southwest of San Jose, and con- nected with It by a dalLv Hue of stages. THs sorrn riCiFio coast ijaiusoad. This Is a comparatively new project, and, being entirely independent of subsidies, is also a novel prelect In the history ot railR-'ads. The benefit which this road has conferred, and will confer, on the people of Santa Clara County cannot be over- estimated. !-3 It Is an e tire gratuity. Every acre of land thev npx-'roprlatea. they paid for to the full extent of Its value, and all damas^es resulting f ro n it. There are very few men m the world's blstorv of ventured fortunes, who would, if they had the abllltv and the means, undertake a prvMect involving the euonncus expense of tun- neling the6ant;\ Cm: Mountains, Tae larcest tunnel, Ko, S. which opens at ^Vr!ght^3 Statio >. Is over .1 u lie in length. The first pirt ot ISSO the ;i>guUi r^ioi^o coast K&liroad was «p«ue4 its en- tire len;th (SO miles) fro n San Francisco to Santa Cruz, and a new meaium of transportation afford- ed betweei these two important points. There 13 a terminus at Alamedi Point, wuere passengers ' cross by ferry to San Francisco. Conneotious are also made with Oakland (Uth street), and hourly » boats from the city transport passenffers for Oak- ' land and Alameda. The advantages to the pub- lic of this competing line are very appar- ent. Whatever faults are Justly charge- aole to railroids in general as monopolies and gobblers ot the public domain, which right- full v bcloDi'S to tho common people, the hands of t ho"South Coast racltlc Kallroad are washed clean ot this accusation. OaitsUne, notonly old towns have bce:i brightened up. but new ones have been created. No laborlni: poor man can look with en- vious eves oi\ their possessions and say that ho has cliher a lesial or a moralricht to the land they occupy. The unoccupied lauds contiguous to their route are not only enhanced in value, but easier of access. From Los Gates southward, up the mountain. throu.rh the three tunnels, and downontheothcr side, the scenery is wild and beautiful, rcsembllug in many ways the route ot tho Central Facitio through the Sierras. There is a station rear the " Feltou BU Trees." A visit to that far-famed localoy is ao.v vcrj che.ip, and easily and cheaply accomplished, the expense lelng compensated a th.nisaud-fold in one ot the grandest sights in tho known world. TDK OIL KESEKVOIK IN MOODY'S GULCH. The location of this newly-developed " mine ol wealth"' Is in the township of Lexington, about one and a halt miles southeast ot Alma Station, on the Narrow-Gauge Railroad. The success ot this enterprise Is duo to the unbounded persever- ance of Mr. McPherson, the Preslaent ot the company lately organized fcr the purpose of pros- rectiuir. Mr. McFherson camo to California about six years aco, as agent for Farrar & Co., of Buf- falo, N. Y., manufacturers of engi-.es and boring apparatus, for the celebrated oil district ot Penu- svlvanla. lie turned his attention first to the Los Anceles district, where he spent his money r.nd eiTorts. wiinouc success. That be is now ai out to reap the reward ot the patient application of years Is a matter of cougratulatloa ot his many friends. Soon after reacuin^adepthot 7Si) feet. Which required live or six months' hard labor, the out-pauring stream ot petroleum ascended to a hei^utof one hundred feet above the surface ot the ground, pouring out a waste of one hu dred barrels before Ic could be stopped. Oil is now be- iuc pumped at tke rate ot a barrel an hour. It ih;s discovery reaches the proportions that it Is confldeutly bel.eved It will, the Narrow- Gauce Railroad Company will, not unlikely, bulla a branch road to the well or wells, irom Alma Stauoa. . NEWSPAPERS. There are eight newspapers pnbllsned In Santa Clara County, six of them la San Jose, one in Gll- roy and one In Santa Clara, all ot them i .depend- ent In i->oUtlcs, except the two leading dallies la San Jose — the Mfrcuri/ and iZ^fi.'a- the fcriner Eepulllcau and the latter Democratic, The old- est ot the cicnt papers, and the one having the lai^^st circulation and influence. Is the i>aa Jose MercuTjf. FKl'lT CTLTtna. The leading productive Industry of Santa Clara Valley Is fruit culture. The Assessor's estimated value of the fruit crop of iSTS was $,hV\oo>. or this amour,; there were S3,3i5 acres of grapes,i45<.i oear- Ing lemoa trees, 3,150 era .ge trees, ana i,0Cki oilve trees. There were also several 1 ir^e almond orch- ards, which, for some reas:' Si SOLAKO COUNTY. SOLANO COUNTY. By ALEX. DUNN, County Clekk. Solano County lias a position about midway be- tween the nortiiemnna soiuiiern extremities of the Stale of California, and twenty-two miles Bortlx of San Frauclsco. Its bouudarles are maltily natuml, havlngiheRloaeLi3rato3(ooai- monly caUed ruiali) Creek oil tho north, the Sac- raiueiUo Kiver, Sulsua and 8an Tablo Bays, and tho Siralis of Carqulupz are on the south, tue Sacrameuto Klver and Volo County 0:1 the cast, and .San TaOlo Bay, the summic divide ot the Suscol lllUa and Bluo Mouutiiis on tne west. Koc exactly square, but about forty miles froai north to south, aud averaging almost as much east and west. It contains an acreage of about CTO.OOi) acres, 100,000 of which are swamp aud overflowed itnds, bordering on the Sacramento lUver, Sulsun and San I'ablo Bays. One-third of this, perhaps, has undersjoao the process of re- clamailou, placing them among tne most pro- ductlvo lauds ot thoStite. \Vlth an uninterrupted •water front of over 60 miles, '^5 of which are on the Sacramento Kiver, £5 on Sulsuu Bay aud the Straits of Carqulnez, and 10 on Napa and San I'ablo Bays, its laclUtles for trausponaiioa are more than an average. Solaiio ranks tenth of the G2 counties la the State, in point of wealth and population, and but for the great drawQack expeneaced by bo great a portion of California, to-wit, the Spanish grants, ^vould rank nearer Erst, vhich, however, from theirnumber and the territory included la their toundaries, are only Indications cl the superior climate and boil of soUno county. It has no buuerlor aud scarcely an cqul la the variety aud extent ot Us agricultural resources. For early fruit and vegetables It stands first on the llht, alwavs sending Into the San Francisco markets tho Urst of every variety known and grown in Kortuern Californta. Grain, wool and live stock are the principal exports, though hay, butter, cheese, vegoiabies, grapes and the fruit crops generally, constitute an Immense source of revenue to tue county. Solanocannotboastof any considerable mineral wealth, having long been denominated a "cow county;" s 111, it Is not entirely devoidot precious metals. Gold has been aisco vered l a small Quan- tities la tho northern part of the county. The St. John Quickbllver Wlue, la tho Suscol mils, has been good-paying property, and now ships about one hundred flasks per month, coal, In small quantities, has been found la several localities in the southwt'scern portloa ot the county, though Bot la veins ct sufficient magnludo to justity an outlay of capital to prospect very extensively. The quarrying ot a very good quality of onyx or variegated m .rblo has assumed considerable Im- portance as an industry. The location of tuis ap- parently inexhaustible bed of stone is about five miles iiortu ot Falrneld, the county seat, where Is also located tho excellent Tolenas Soda Springs, now under the laanageuient of Judge T. M. Swan, and though not very extensively aavertised as yet, are undoubtedly destined, at no very distant day, to be a v^lace ot great resort, both on account of the magniiicentscenery and medical properUes possessed'by these waters. The celebrated White Sulphur Springs, about lour miles northeast ot Yallejo, are very much noted as a Summer resort, and probably none In the State surpass them lu the beauty of the sur- roundings or the medicinal ^ alue of their w aters. The A•^ses3or has classltied the lands of Solano County Into Ave grades, to wit: The first, of about £50,000 acres. Is tho very best quality of vegetable and fruit lands, and la point ot rlcli- lie«3 and productiveness, cannot be surpassed In tho State, aud Is rated at from $T5 to $100 per acre. The second, comprising the best quality of grata land, cf about 260,000 acres. Is rated at from $iO to $60 per aere. The third, a lower grade ot farm- ing lands. Includes the reclaimed swamp and overflowed lands, with a total area of about 200,- 000 acres; Is assessed at from $>0 to J30. The fourth grade, comprlslDg the partially reclaimed swamp lands and the up-lands adjacent to the swamp lands, being of an alkaline soil, are poor, constituie about 75,000 acres, and are assessed at from f 10 to f 15. And tne last, orliith grade, of about 100,000 acres, comnrlslnff the swamp and overflowed lands (unreciaimed), aud the high mountain ranges, unproductive, as yet, except lor paature, are rated at from S3 to $5 per acre. TOPOGKArHT AND CLIMATE. The greater portion of Solano County Is the southwestern extremity of the Valley of the Sac- ramento.whilst the remainder is equally as favor- ably located. Sloping gradually from a spur of the toast Range, forming the western boundary ot tho county, to the cast, toward the Sacrameuto River and Sulsun Bay, and tho southwestern por- tiou gently dpscendinar from the summits of the Suscol li Ills, vesterly'to San ±'ablo Bay aud the Straits of Carquiuez, the drainage is sufficient to prevent stagnation, which, with the ever-varying coast breeze, makes Solano County what she is— tho healthiest county la the State. The average raiuf air Is a littlG more than that of San Francisco, and the Winters of shorter du- ration than in many other parts of the State, render It better adapted for stock-raising, with- out the extra expense of feeding. Solano County, as a -whole, has never experi- enced a drouth, and save In the year ISfrl haa exported her proportion of the average products of California. From the report ot the Assessor to the Survey- or-General are taken the following STATISTICS, Land in cultivation 11P.350 acres Wheat P7,(X)Jacre« Barley laoco acres Hay 9,000 acres Grape vines S,2S8 acres Wi;hotheri;uiuber of horses aud mules 7,0£0 Numborof horned cattle 10,000 Kutiiberof Pbeep 71,000 Kumber of hog-8 11,179 Seventy-three miles of railroad valued at 8145,121 Assessed valuation of all real estate 86,000.000 Assessed valuation of aUimrrovements St,.S69,439 Assessed valuation of rersonal property $1,624,256. Kate of taxation is SI 90 on each §100 valuation of property in ihe county. Amount necessary to be raised, $165.C52, ot ■which $54,500 go.'S to the State, $43,600 for the cx- nensesof the county, $23,540 for school purposes, $5,230 for hospital and ladljent funds, $7,410 for Interest on railroad bonds, $5,740 for county loan lund, $372 for interest on court house Improve- ment luud, and f21,S00 for road purposes. The total value ot all county property Is about $150,000. From the quarterly report of the County Treas- urer, for the quarter ending July Slst, 1S79, th» following interesting data are taken: Amount on hand in the different funds $ S2,5!f7 60 OUTSTAiJDrNQ INDEBTEDNESS. General Fund.. S 48.590 Koad Fund (bonded) 31,500 Eailroad Bonds 112,000 Court House Improvement Bonds 15,0CO Total 205,000 0£r amounts apphcable S,iO* Total outstandlDR' indebtednesfl S01,S0O A reduction of $31,000 in one year. SOLANO COUNTY. 85 Tnere are forty-eight school districts In the county and 4,804 school children, or an average of 100 to each district, and by tho State ana county apportlonmentthero cornea Into tho school fund over $53,000 annually, or about $12 per child. Teachers receive an average monthly salary of $65, and the grade of these teachers, If not their salaries. Is a credit. And, notwithstanding the many colleges, semi- naries and hlsH schools In the different parts of tho county, which are creditably maintained In- <3ependent of public money, tho public schools are well attended, and schools are kept In each ::ablo f-lougb, and a good shipping trade Iscarrleifou here, but far short, of what was (Jono prior to thi co.upletloi ot the Calltorula Pacltic. Kallroad lUrougU tho county. In tbo nonheasc coruer ot tho county, extend- ing from Maine I'ralrlo Township north ten miles to Putah Creek, Is TKKMONT TOWNSHIP, Containing an area of about 60 square miles. The northern portion Is excellei.t farming land, aud Is well Improved, with good houses, tine orchards and flelds, well fenced; but tho southern portion l8 better adapted for sheep ranges an I dairying. There Is no town or postoflice In this township, adjacent towns being near enough to accommo* date the inhabltauts. Lying directly west of Tremont Is BILTETTILLE TOWNSHIP, Irregular In shape, and containing about on9 hundred square 'idles of excellent farming land. Hero has sprung up, in tho last twenty years, a thickly sclilcd and prospcrouscommunlty. Every aero of this township may bo considered good farming land, and tbe flue improvements which everywhere greet tho eye, aro Indicative ot rich soil, well tilled, resulting In bountiful harvests. Summer lallowlng Is tbo universal pi'actlce. DIXON, On the railroad, which diagonally crosses th9 southeastern corner of the township. Is a very thriving town, regularly laid out and well buUt, with about six hundred Ir.habltants. It Is Incor- porated, kept In a condition to command atten- tion, and Is tbe sblpplmr point, by rail, for a large- scope of country. Lying west ot SUveyvlUe, and extending west to tbo siimmU-rldgo of the Blu» Mountains, tho west line of the county Is VACATILL TOWNSniP, With an area of about elghty-flve square miles, one-third ot which is mountainous and unpro- ductive. In this township aro raised the earliest fruit and vegetables sent to tbe San Francisco markets, and tho rich soil of the valleys hag gained a reputation for grain-growing. Fine, well improved farms are numerous7and the extensive trade, carried on In tbo llttlo town of VacavlUe, a place ot some 600 inhabitants, on tbe Vaca Valley aud Clear Lake Kallroad, aud four miles from lt» junction with tbo Callfornl.i raclilc, is certainly very encouraging, and continues to Improve. The CalirorniaVoUege, under tbe manaa-ement of tho Baptist Church, is located at Vacavllle, and 13 well attended and conducted. Tbo Vaca Valley and Clear Lake Railroad, ex- tendli.g almost the entire lengtbot tbo touiishlo, though perhaps not so remunerative to Us owners as some others In tho State, has certainly done much to enliance tho value of real estate, and bring about soaio extvnslve Imorovements along Us line. East ol Vacavllle and south of Silvey- vlile is KLMIKA TOWNSHIP, Having an area ot 43 square miles, and strictly speaking is an agricultural township, though Ita exports are various. The California Paclflc Rail- road passes diagonally through this township, audEimlia, at the junction ot the Vaca Valley branch. Is a depot ot considerable commercial Importance. Almost the entire area of this town- ship Is very productive and well improved, and the luhabitanis seem to bo prosperous aud happy. CONCLUSION. The Inhabitants of Solano County claim that it has no superior la tho State, in climate, soil and commercial advantages. Tbo superiority ot cUmato Is based upon carefully culled statistics. Never-falling crops and the lest bealch record la tho state, have won for her a wide reputation. Her products of wheat, barley, hay, butter, cheese, live slock, poul'.rj% fruit, wine, wool, qidcksllver and variegated marble, aro conclii- sivo argnmeiitsto prove the productiveness ot its soil, mines and quarries, aud with sixty irlles ol asllnea \vaterfre:;t as can be fouud. t.ot only will prevent monoooly of transportation, but so cheapen it ihat her competition lu market Is too plain to demand arsumeut. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. 87 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. By M. C. F. wood. The County of Santa Barbara lies between San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. It Is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and oa the Bouth by the Santa Barbara Channel, with Its out- lying islmds. Below Point Concepclon the coast line benda sharply to the eastward, and parallel with this line tue Santa Ynez range ot mountains, froui 3,000 to 4,000 feet In height traverses the county from east to west. Beyond this range, running la a northwesterly direction, lie the San. Rafael Mountains. A lar^e portion of tbe north- eastern quarter or the county Is marked upon the official map as unsurveyed land. Thla Is a rugged mountal ,ou3 region, reckoned worthless except for the mineral wealth which Is reported to be con- cealed there. Yet there are small valleys run nlnj: up Into these mountains, which are pleasant and fertile, and some few adventurous settlers occupy these places. Between the Santa Ynez Moun- tolDS and the sea I'es the celebrated Valley of Hanta Barbara, wltii Us fertile soil and unpar- alleled climate. Between the Santa Ynez and the Ban Rafael ranges opens the lovely valley of the Santa Ynez, widening Into a broad extent of agricultural land, and watered by the Santa Ynez Klver, which empties Into the Paclflo Ocean. The Santa Maria River, on the northern limits of the county, also drains a rich extent of farming lauds. THE ISLANDS. Three of the channel Islands are assessed In Santa Barbara County. San Miguel, the most western of the group. Is T}^ miles In length, with an average breadth ot 2^ miles, and Is assessed to the Paclflo Wool-growing Company. Santa Rosa, assessed to tho More Brothers, contains 63,000 acres, and attains a height of 1,172 feet. Santa Cruz, lylug alinoht opposite the city of San- ta B.irbara, at a distance of about twenty-Qve miles, is 1,700 feet in height, and contains 52,760 acres, assessed to tho Santa Cruzlsl-ind Company. '1 hese Islands are ail stocked with sheep. Several Btuall bChooLcrs ply between Santa Barbara and the islands. CLIMATE, So much has been written about the climate of Santa Barbara that further description seems useless; but a few statistics from the best au- thorities may be of Interest. The following table gives the mean temperature of the air and also of the sea water : Air Wa er. 1^,? >: > i: ^ r- > J 5 5^t;, h i63io.-ii56,ar)!e.;|67ie8 68'67i6n|59i.'»i61Ji l60;tJl|6l!6ll6l!62|64i65;6c!6C|61l60!62 Thus the mean temperature of the air Is C4K m Winter, 09;^ In Spring, 07^ 1 • Summer, and C3 In AuiuuiE, the dltfere.ice between Summer and Wi:.t'r being only 13K degiees. Three ciuses CO -bine to produce this equitable temperature. The mountain ranges to iLo north obstruct the free pa'is.igo of both tho hot and the col 1 winds wi.lc.i prev. U In the Interior, whllfjtho moun'aln- 0U3 lahaids l.i front arrest the raln-tearlng wl' ds of winter, and the warm ocean current whl h sweeps westward aloug the Bouthem border of the cou ly eilll further modinos tho climate. The rainfall averages about IC Inches. The drycst year 1:j the last twelve had live l!;chPS, and the great- est aiiiouiit of rainfall In auy oneyear durl glhls I)erlod was Ihhty-one Inches. The watershed of the mountains add to the supply, so that for or- dinary crops irrigation Is not needed. These ob- servaiUns iipply to the belt of land between the Santa Ynez Mountains and tho gea, a narrow strip about forty miles loi.g, from one to five miles wide, and containing about 60,000 acres. Above Point Conception the air Is moister and cooler, while that ot the Interior valleys Is re- markably dry and pure. Tne county Is noted for Us freedom from contagious diseases, as well aa for its general healihtulness. AGKICCLTDEE. A large portion of the county Ls well adapted to farming, but has been hitherto held by the large land-owners and wholly devoted to sheep-ralslog. Latterly, soifiO ot the great ranches have been broken up, notably the Lompoc, and, where a few years ago no sign of occupation could bo seen for miles, except an occasional herder's camp, one sees ileldsof grain, cottages, school houses, and at every hamlet Is asked to loliithe Good Tem- plars. Many of the large land-owners are willing to divide and sell their ranches. Mr. Cooper, ot the Santa Ynez Valley, has lately offered the Santa Rosa Kancho at two dollars per acre. The College Rancho, In the samo valley, is about to bo divioed at the instance of Archoishop Alemany, who wishes to rei.r, in small tracts, to settlers. Both these ranches havo largo portions adijpted to wheat grazing. Prices of land lu tne county vary greatly, laiiKlu^ from $150 per acre for the flnesc Improved land7 down through good farming land at $10 to $25, grazing lands at $o to $10, to tho impracticable mounialng which have no market value. The semi- tropical belt, which stretches from tho Gavlota Pass to Point Rlncon, is particularly adapted to Irult aid nut culture. Apples and peaches are nroduciivo and of good qualicy ; aprl- cots, nectarines, pears, quinces and Ugs come to perfection ; cherries are not a success ; the same may bo said of some kinds of plums, while oihera bear well. Ot evergreen fruit trees, the orange, lemon, lime, loquat, olive and guava, all do well. Cherlmoyas and bananas of good quality ripen. The Llichl, from China, has been introduced, buc too recently to produce fruit. Strawb- riles ripen every month In the year. Tomato vines grow and bear fruit for several years in succes- sion. Almonds have iiot proved to be aa successful as was anticipated a few years ago, although they havei borne well this year. Iho Encash walnut, however, has outdone all that was ever claimed for it. Russel Heath, of Carplnterla, Is the pioneer la this buslncBS. He claims to have raised more walnuts than the whole county Of Los Angeles, and Is In fact the largest walnut-grower In tho United Slates. He, together with Mr. EUwood Coopi r and Colonel nouister, have lust bijlpped Uj Philadelphia a car- load of Olive Oil, almonds & d walnuts, 'j he oil, which Is manufactured by Mr. Cooper, Is of extra quality, cold-pressed ana unadulterated, A PASTOEAL PKINCE. A description of the county would be Incomplete without a mention of the county magnate, CoU W. W. Ilolllster, who has large Interests In this and other couijtles. Ills home place is a Utile garien spot ot 3,e03 acres, lying about twelve miles west of tho city ot Santa Barbara, and he rules over his pa->toral dominions according to the advice of Cheatertleld, "■ Suav iter in modo— for titer in re." lUd hnn Of ilolllster & Llbblee, in 1874, owned several ranchos, a;,'grt'gatlijg 140,000 acres. In thlscou ty alone, andhavl g an ocean frontage ot more than twenty miles. The llriu has recently bee;i olssolved, aLd a division made ot the property, much ot which will doubtless come Into liM market as soon aa there la any demand for it. 83 SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. MEANS OP ACCESS. The shortest way ot reaclilng Saata Barbara froia San Frar.clsco is by iho coast steamers— uls- tance, SOO ullcs; iliue, about SO hours; fare, $10. Those who UlsUUo a sea voyage can go by rail to Nowhall, theaco ihrougU Ventura by stage ; t.me, 20 hours by rail aid 15 by stage; fare, $-25. Or one may go by r.ill to SoleJail. ana thenco by stai,'o through tUo Intervening coast counties. A com- pany li;i3 bee-,) orjjunize.l to builil a railroad from Santa BirLnua to Kewhail istatlo'i. conuecilng thcro w UU t lio Southern Pacific. Tiio Directors— W. W. Il'illsier, 1). \V. Tiio.npsoi, s. B. Brlnlcer- lioff, WilUaia Sturcei and II, sturges— . in is.9, Issued nil fliidresa to the peoploct Veatura nnd' Sauta B.irbara, eollcltliig aUl for tho enterprise, Colonel llolUsier heucilng tuo subscriptloa lUC VTltUa gUtot $-iO.OOO. Many persona have bcea deterred fro ;i settling l:\ tho county oa account ot lt3 lack ot easy conimunleitloa with tho out- 8ldo world. There Is i.o lack of f iclliaea for commuidcatlon by sea, there being eight wharves already la the county, namely: Point Sal, for Guadalupe and tho Santa Maria Valley; Point rurlsUua, forLompoc; Gavl- ota, for tho Santa Vne? Valky, San Julian, etc.; More'3 Landing, for La Patera and vlcinltv; Stearns's wliart at; Santa Barbara, and SniUn's ■wharf at Carplnterla. There are also wharves at Santa liosa and Santa Cruz Islands. STATISTICS. According to tlio census of ISSO the population ot tho county was 9,,".'22, and ot tho town of San- ta Barbara 34C9 . Since then tho city has claimed a populalloa ot betweeu 6,000 and C,ooo, and a similar Increase has takea place In the county. The report ot 1S80 I'lcluded the present county ot Ventura, which began tho ye.irlS73 as a separate county. It Is esti- mated that tho present population or tho county is over 10,000. RAPID GROWTH. Within the last two vr three years a marked Improvement h;is feen u auitestecl, and the total valuation ot property, which in ISTS was given at $3,7ii6,b.--9, in lSy2 iS rtported at $o.o3T,t)3S, ot wnlch $4,39j.07d 13 real e^lale a d $9-i'2,o62 ptTsuuui prop- erty, til d as ilie auva: tigfS ot this section ue- 00. lie better ki own siiU greater increase is cer- tain. ACKKAGK, ETC. The Assessor's report gives the number ot acres enclosed m iSTSnc eo.iSO; acics cuitiv..ied. 60.492. Thfio were i?,T63 acres i a wneat, 20,221 la barley, 76 la oats, ej la rye, 6,C4T la corn, l4o 1 1 peas, 4,S20 la beans, C2l la potatoes. 85 lu sweet potatoes, S.SlOla hay. and 'JCO la llax. There were 45,400 pounds cf butti-r, 30,550 pouLids of cheese, 2W,c:o pounds of wool, ai.a 9,000 paui'.l3 cc honey. Among bearing iTult trees tbeAs^esscr reoorts 463 lemon, 204 orange, 4,555 olive, 200 banana, 400 loquat, 520 lime, and 30 guava, trees. There were SCO acres in grape vlies, and two breweries report ing 7,ooo gallons ot beer, la lSi9,SoS.000 aires ot land are assesse,i, at aa average prico ct $3 17 7-loths per aero. The Assessor's renort for this .vear gives 8,720 horses. 493 colts, li,S94 cattle, 240 goats, 104,- 775 sheep, 6 J»icks a:d jennies, S54 inuUs. 32 oxen, 12,8)53 hogs, 2,Soi beehives, and 1,454 poultry. SCHOOLS, The county Is divided l:.to thirty school dis- tricts. Tho total number of childiea between five and seventeen years ot age Is 2,976. Tho last School Superintendent's report gives the number In each district as follows: Agrlcola, 50; Anesla, 67; Carplnterla, 95; Cathedral Oaks. 51; Bells, 34; Dos Puetilos, 42; Guadalupe, 103; Hope, 51; Jo- Data, 76; Laguna, 50; LaGraclcsa, 42; La P tera, 63; Lis Cruces, 53; Los Alau.os, 2S; Lompoc, 1S7; Mapii',63; Mouteclto, 137; Mission. 112; Oak Vale, £6; Ocean. 53; Ocean View, 15; Pine Grove, S3; Pleasant Valley, 73; Purislma, 19; Bafaela, 72; Rincon, 61; Santa Barbara, 1,151; Santa Maria, SO; Santa Rita, 52; and Suey, 23. Durlm^ the p St year l,7o3 children have been In attendance at the public schools. 311 at prlvato schools, and 927 have attended no school whatever. The number ot native bora children la tho county Is S.':l9, ot native bora with ono forelga pai-?nt 5S7, of native bora with both parents forel-ra 3S1, and ) of foreign born children 43. There aro 11 negro and 20 liKllan cUil.trea cf school age. Forty- tin eo teachers are employed In the public schools, receiving from $60 to $65 per month. TOWNS. Santa Barbara, the county seat, is an Incor- porated city of about c.coo inhabitants, governed by a Mayor and five CouncHmen. The city lies within a space of three mlies square, rising gradually from the sea, and attaining an eleva- tion ot 300 feet la a distance ot ono milo and-a half. Tt:l3 slope gives ample facilities for drain- age. During the recent business depression, the Arlington, a magnlQcent structure, has been Itie only hotel open to tiio public, altbough there are numerous prlvato boarding houses la all parts ot thetowh; also, several lodging houses and res- taurants. Tho favorite Morris House is just be- ing reopened under the supervision ot the same energetic and popular landlord, who gave It its uan.e. The city contains eight churches, of which two aro CathoUt\ two Episcopalian, and one each cf the Presbyterian, (.'onuregational, Jlethodlst and Baptist denominations. The Splrliualists bold* regular meeiings, and there is also a Unitarian congregation. There are several Lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knltrhtsot Pvtuias, A. O. U. Workn:ea and Good Templars. Tlso Odd Fellows have a fine library, whichlsopeato the public. There aro two banks, a money-order l\.st Oilicc, telegraph and express offices, tho finest tneatre south ct San Francisco, also several halls used for nssernblles. Albeof street cars, run fro a tho wharf to the Arlinston. Staio street is illuminated witU pas. Water is supplied by the Mission Water company. There is a planing-mlU, steam flour-mlU, soap factory, brewery, and connierciai houses ot all kinds. An.ong tho pubit^buUdlnirs are. the Court House, City Ilail and two public school buildings, all handsomely oullt ot brick. The Eo-pit I Farm, just outside tlie citv, was Durchasedat acostof J3.000. The Fire Depart ment Is composed of ono engine and one hook and ladder comoany. There aro two newspapers, tlio dally Pies^, published by II. G. Otis, aud tuo Lukper.der.t, weeMy, by War- rea chase & Co. Tno principal private schools are the Santa Barbara Collei;e, for botn sexes; the Framlscan College, for b ys, ai d St. Vin- cent's Academy, forgirls. The Union Club is an association of gentlemen. There i 5 also a Woman's Club and a souietv ot Natural History. The city is luerally ever blooming, ller gardens con- tain aa imuiense variety of the liowers of every clime. One garden, that ct Dr. Dimmick, onDe La Vina stroet, has growing in the open air throughout tho year, in a.Mition to the more com- mon plants, the following: 13 varieties ot the palm, natives of India, cnina. Australia, South America and Africa ; 75 choicest; varieties ot roses; 10 of vlgnoidas; 43 of I'er: s, one a large tree lerafrora Australia; 30 ot cactus, Including the night blooming c'Teus; 13 ot the aloe family from Afi lea ; 4 kinds ot crinuins, ono having a bulb231:^chesl 1 circumference; 2otpancrafiuin3 with their curious cups ; 4 ot tho stapellas from the Canoot Good Hope; four tropical j-ismines, tna cedar ot Lel)anon, mo Esryptian paper plant, the honey tree ot Sout i Africa, t no ci;uphor treeot Jap;.n, the Queeasland lily, and tae nagrlncenc bird-of-paradise flower. It is Impossible within the limits ot this article even to outline the treasures ot a Santa Barbara garden. Almost nny- tninj will grow, and witli a proaiiral luxuriance whlcli astonishes the Eew-cou:er who has only see I our common plants pinlbg in Eastern green- houses. £1 Montecito la properly a suburb ot Santa Baiw SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. 89 bara. It 13 a charming valley about four miles to the eastward, and coiitalns manv Iiaudsomo resi- dences. Tiio valley Ilea close up to tHo lootbllls and opens to the soutliwest on ibe sea. The (arms are all siuall, and nearly all In a lilgti state olculilvailon. In someplaces the land I3 heavily timbered. In this valley tlie banana, wliich was tried only a few years ago by Colonel Dlnsmoro as aa experiment, has proved a grand success. Strawberries do remarkably well, as do tno prin- cipal eeujl-troplcal fruits. Land Is held at $80 to $103 per acre, unimproved. Water la abundant throughout the valley, Cari^eiiterla lies In one of the most fertile val- leys In California. It l3-about fifteen miles from Santa Barbara. Tho valley Is sheltered by moun- tains on three Bides and opens to the sea. It is devoted to farming, the farms varying from 15 to 600 acres. Corn, wheat, barley, sorghum and beets grow luxuriantly. Tho raising of Lima beans is a specialty, while fruits of ail kinds and almost cf all zones attain an abnormal perfection. Tho vlilage proper has a Post Ofllce, two churches, Presbyterian and Baptist, a commodious school house, blacksmltli shop, etc. A new Industry has Just been luauijurated here, namely, tho cultiva- tion of flowers for distiliation. Lind has been bought by a company who will plant roses, vio- lets, jasu.lnes, tuberoses and orange flowers. Tho compauy volunteer to furnish cuttings and seeds of the plants required to any person In the 3 ur- roundlng country wljo wishes to enter the business, and they contract to buy all the blos- soms thus produced, to manufacture Into per- fumery. Tuis enterprise must succeed, as the best or land, from Point Concepclo:i to Point Rln- con seems peculiarly grateful to all the flowering tribes above mentioned. Woleta is a small village elgbt miles to the northwest of Santa Barbara, and claims about 200 inhabitants. It has a Post Office and dally mall, two churches, Methodist and Presbyterian. a school house, store, blauKstulthsliop, and a lodge of Gocd Templars. The wharf, at More's Landing. Is at a little distance. Ou the beach near the Wharf is a rich deposit of asphultum Land In the vicinity Is worth from $73 to $130 per acre, according to Improvements and location. Lompoc Is about sixty-two miles from Santa Barbara, above Point Conception. The Lompcc Valley Land Company, incoroortted August 22, 1874, bought the ranches Lomnoo and .Mission Vlejacola Purlslma, together conslstlbg ot 43,- €5.4 49 acres, and established the colony of Loi;> poc the same Fail. The town of Lotnooc was laid out so generously that it Is still soiuewhut scat- tered ill appearance. It is a tlirlvlng place, and supported by the farming Interest. It contains two good hotels, a steam flour ij lil, a pork packing establishment, thj'ee town halls, a drug store, two barb>r shops, threribldClismltH shops, etc. It has a daily mall, express and telegraph, three doctors, a dentisf. Lodges of Odd Fellows and Good Templars, no saloons and one newspaper, the LompooTJ^co/d. There is a catholic church, and one, beionglug to the Methodiats, in process of erection. i he Campt^elllte Baptists hold regular services and other dei.omInatlon30Ccaslo::aiones. The school- Lou'^e is a flne and commoJlous building. Water 13 soon to bo brought into towu from the San Mlguellto Creek. Los Alamos Is a small SPttlement on the rancbo of tiio same Laiue. It has a dally mail, a large store, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, and a flue school house. There Is also a Lodge 0/ Good Templars. 'Ihe Los Alau^os Valley is of extraor- dinary fertility, and Is mostly rented to farmers In small tracts. Guadalupe is about ninety miles north of Santa Barbara, and within a few miles of the boundary lino of Han Luis Obispo county. It is about nine miles from Point Sal, its shipDlngpolnt. The land about the town is rich and water abundant. Farms in tho vicinity varying in size from twenty to Ave hundred acres, and are worth from |10 to $25 per acre, ui improved. 'Ihe principal crops raised are wheat, barley, po- tatoes, hay, squashes, corn aiid beans. I'he town has a dally mail, express and telegraph, two good hotels, a public hall, tnree larte stores, a calaboose (branch jali) a school house, brewery. Jewelry shop, photograph gallery, blacKsinltU shop, a drug store, one newspaper (the Guada- lupe Telegraph) and a Catholic Church. There are Lodges cf Masons, Odd Fellows and Good Temp- lars. It Is a peaceable coramunlty, and has but one lawyer. The population Is estimated at about 400. The country around the town Is thicicly settled. Central city Is a scattered little town, situated about 10^ miles east of Guadalupe, and is chiefly supported by farmers. It has a daily nKiil, hotel, town hall, church, furniture store, iwo other stores, two blacksmith shops, a Lodge of Good Templar?, and two school houses a little out ot town. It has a pleasant climate, and the sur- rounding scenery is very attractive. LIGnTHOUSES. There are two lighthouses In the county. The one at Point concepcion Is 250 feet above tho water. It has a Fresnal revolving light, showing a white flash every halt minute. A fog-whistle I3 sounded in thick weather every flfty-two seconds, and a fog-bell, weighing 3,133 pounds. Is also used during bad weather, sounding every thirteen and a-halt secoi ds. A small lighthouse upon the mesa Just above Santa Barbara has a fixed vvhita light ot the third class. MISCELLANEOUS. There is a valuable quicksilver mine In the Up. per Santa Ynez Valley, distant by rail over the mountains, about fifteen miles from Santa Bar- bara. An attempt was made to work the mine several years aco, but owing to litigation and the low price of quicksilver the works were aban- doned. There are known to te large quantities of pe- troleum in various places, but no paving well haa yet been doveloptd. Game Is pleuty In all the mountain regions. Tho Upper Santa Ynez Is a liunter's paiadlse, aboutcUug In deer, quail and other game, not to mention the fan.oua grizzly. The tee business is assuming every year larger proporilor:s. Among the mountains wild honey is plentliul. 'Ihiiabalore trade Isan important item. Fish of various kinds me cauyht in the channel, and clan H are fimnd in several places all along shore. An li dubtry peculiar to this region is the curlnsf ot pampas pluu.es. These are shipped East by thou?aijds. 'I here are many sulphur springs In the county, hot and cold. 'J he best known are il-ose of the Mo. lecito. The water.s vary Inteaiperaiuro from 60 to 120 degrees, and are much resorted to for relief from rheuraailc and other diseases. At these springs there is an excellent hotel. To sum up the chief attractions of Saiaa Bar- bara county, siie offers inagnlrtcence of scenery, a fertile soil, and the most deUghlf ul cUmate upoa the lace of the earth. 90 SAN BENITO COUNTY. SAN BENITO COUNTY. Bt L. T. BALDWIN. The county of San Benito, created ty an Act of the Legislature In March, 18T4, comprises all of that territory, formerly belonglDg to the county of Monterey, north of theGabllan range of moun- tains. It is bounded on the north by Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, on the east by Merced and Fresno— the boundary line being the summit of Mount Diablo Range— and on the south and ■west by Monterey County. It Is elghty-ono miles In length— lying In a direction northwest by southeast— averages about ten miles la width, and embraces an area of about 810 square miles. The LAND May properly be divided Into four classes, as fol- lows: First, about 25,000 acres of rich garden land. The soil is of a black sandy loam, and will produce. In abundance, any kind of vegetation. Upon this fertile land are raised the Una vegeta- bles which supply our market. Second, about 84,300 acres of flrst-class grain land, contained principally In what Is known as San Benito Val- ley (the extreme southern portion of Santa Clara Valley). The soil Is a black sandy loam or adobe, with a blue or sandy subsoil, and holds moisture well. It la principally from this land tnat the large amount of grain annually shipped from this county is raised. Third, about 46,000 acres of what Is termed second-clasa grain land, situated In the foothills, and composed about equally ot adoboandsauoy soil. This land is not so strong aathe valley land, out produces quite fairly, and in dry seasons is more sure of good crops than the richer bottom laud. From this land is cut very lino hay, noted in San Francisco markRis as <'Holllster hay." Fourth, in addition to 105,300 acres capable ot producing vesetables and grain, there Is a large auioiint ot hlil laud which makes Tery fine pasture. More or less of it Is connected with many ot the ranches in the valley. The largest body ot agrlculturul land com- prises tUe San Beulto and San Juan Valleys, which Include ali the land from the northern boundary Hue ot the county to Tfes Piaos on the Bouth, a distance of 20 miles, and bounded on the east by the base ot Mt. Diablo range, and by the base ot tue Gabilii u Mountains on tiie west, with an average widtli of nine miles. This tract 13 watered by the San Beulto and Tres Piuos Rivers, and covering an area of C3 square miles, contains about 39,000 arable acres, almost the eu- tlra valley being cuUlvated In grain. The soil partakes ot the samo cUancteristlcs as thelaud of. Santa Clara Valley, except that It Is many years younger; hence stronger and more fertile. Adjoining tuis on 1 he last and next In size, is the Santa Ana Valley, with an area of 16 square miles, contali.ini? about 10,000 acres, entirely given up to the production ot grain. Besldo these there are numerous other fertile valleys in the southern portions ot the county, the principal ones being tno valley of the San Be- nito aud 1 res Pluoa Rivers, I'each Tree, Bitter Water, Dry Luke, Indian, Priest, cholarno ana the valle/3 ot the Estrello nnd Salinas Itlvers. In all of these valleys tliere 1'^ more or less good agricultural and grain land susceptible ot cuUl- vatlou to advantage, but much the larger portion la better adapted to stock raising. Lands may be generally classed and rated as follows: Vegetable laud, $60 to $100 per acre, although SOLI e cliolce tracts in the iuimedlaie vicinity of HoUlsier are held as hii:h as $125 to $200 per acre ; No. 1 valley laud, $40 to $60 ; sec- ond class valley, $25 to $40; rolling land, $15 to $20 : hill land, susceptible to cultivation, $5 to $15t pasture or mountain land, $2 50 to $5 per acre. By referring to the county Assessors books, we find the value of taxable land to be something over $4,000,000, with improvements valued at $563,» 200 ; personal property, $531,800. The PKODtJCTS Include cereals of all kinds, hay, tobacco, fiax^ potatoes, with fruits and vegetables of every va- riety, wines and liquors, cattle, sheep and hogs, with wool, hides and tallow, dairying and poul- try raising. Wheat yields as well In this county, as In any section of the state, and flour made from It has no superior in the world. The average yield lor a comiuon season, on flrst-class valley land, is from thirty to forty bushels per acre ; second-class val- ley, twenty to thirty ; rolling land, from fifteen to twenty. Some seasons as high as seventy bush- els per acre have been harvested In some locali- ties, and sixty busiiels Is no uncommon yield. There are about 46,300 acres sown to wheat yearly with an average yield ot 460,000 bushels. Barley produces still better than wheat, first- class valley laud yielding Irom 50 to 60 bushels: second-class, 40 to 60, aud hill land, 25 to 40. About 12,000 acres are cultivated yearly Avlih barley. 'ibe buy raised In tue county, a largo quantity ot which Is exported annually, is ot tiievery best quality, and always brings the highest ruling prices In the San Francisco market. In a favora- ble season the yield is from 1 to 2^>iny of which have been bearing for years, and now produce abundantly of the choicest variety and bestquf.liiy of iruits. San Benito County also boasts cf having the oldest orchard In the State. It was planted at San Juan soon after the old Mission ot San Juan Bautlstawas founded, about the year 1775. Th© pear trees have grown to an Immense size, and yet bear abundantly, the fruit being of the very best quality. The appl3 trees are yet bearing, but the fruit is very poor. The sou of San Benito Countv also claims the honor of having sustained the first American flag of conquest that was ever unfurled to a Califor- nia breeze, General Fremont having nlanted th© American flag on Gabllan Peak In March, 1S46. The average climate of this county is the very best on the coast. 'J'he Winters are exceeding mild, snow never falls In the valley, and Ice ha» never been known to form much thicker than a sheet of ordinary letter paper. Heavy and de- structive frosts are also rare. The Summers, owing to the cool, Invlgoratf n^ trade winds, which usually set in about the flrst days of May, and which never fall to fan the country dally during that season, are compara- tively pleasant. These winds are not harsh and damp as along the coast Hue, and are scarcely ever violent enough to be unpleasant. There are virtually but two seasons here— Spring and Sum- mer. Kains commence to tall usually about the middle ot October, and continue at Intervals un- til the middle ot March, after which time there are occasional light showers until the first ot May. Immediately alter the flrst rains vegeta- tion bet'lns to sprout and grow, and from that- time until June the mountains, hills and valleys are covered with a mantle ot green, presenting a grand and beautiful appearance. Toe minimum temperature Is 40* ; the maximum, 100°; average, about 70*. The health of this climate cannot be excelled la the world, contagious diseasea rarely find a lodg- ment, and by reason of tue prevalence of the cool and fresh trade winds during the warmer season. It Is entirely free from malaria, ague aud like complaints being absolutely unknown here. Holllster, the county seat, a thriving and pros* perous town or some 4,000 inhabitants, Is pleas- antly situated lu the centre of Saa Benito Valley, g^A miles distant from San Francisco, which Is reached by way of the S. P. R. R, The Railroad Company have a fine passenger and freight depot here. Porter's grain warehouses, ne>?.r tue depot, have a storage capacity ot 8,000 tons. Hay ware- houses, capable ot storing some 3,000 tons, are also lu close proxlmli y to the depot, and connect- ed to the main road with side tracks. Holllster la easily accessible to many different points ot In- terest, sucli as watering places, sea-sldo resorts, mineral springs, hunting and flshhig grounds, etc. Located as It is, lu the midst ot an exceed- ingly fertile agricultural district, surrounded by lovely scenery. In a dellghttul and healthy cli- mate, within convenient and comfortable access, of the metropolis, possessing all the advantages or an excellent system ot town government, splendid water facilities, a well organized ana effective Fire Department, flourishing, well at- tended academies and public schools, churches, banks, good hotels, w-ell edited wide-awake news- papers, wide streets, good avenues, fine brick blocks, and all tlie necessary concomitants of an industrious, prosperous and well -ordered com- munity, Holllster cannot but be recognized, as designed to be, one of the leaaiug iuterior towns of the State. San Juan is located seven miles to the west, and boasts an antiquity nearly equal to that of any town In the State, having been founded by the Franciscan Fathers at the private expense oC the Kingot Spain on the 24th of June, 1785. It formerly was a mission for the couverslon ot In- dians. San Juau now Is a quiet, unpieteutlous town of some 760 Inhabitams, about thirty busi- ness houses, a flue large school house, two hotels, a ISlasonic and Odd Fellows' Hall, and twa churches. Surrounded by a very proaucilve agricultural dl.-.ti let, she is all that a prosperous laruilng community can maKe her in point of thrlic and enterprise. The other and smaller towns are 'ires Pinos, Paiciues, San FeUpe, baa Benito, Erie and Emtuet. 92 LASSEN COUNTY. LASSEN COUNTY. Bt h. m. barstow. LCXJATION. Lassen County Is oue of the northern counties ct Calitornlii, faDfl lies on tbe eastern blope or tne SieriM. Ic was lonued 1 1 ISGi from the eastern poriionsot Sliasiaaid Plumas Counties, and de- rives Us J aii.e fro'.ii a pioneer settler, "Old Peter Lusdep," as lie w asgei.erally and familiarly called. Ic w . s buu dcd Oil me nortli tiy iiodoo County, O'l tiie enst by the Stute ol Neyada, on the soutu by Plumas county una a small portion of SUasta Couiiiv, and o.i tlio \v.;st by bUasta County, Lassen does not have a lilgli placo amons those coui.tles or tlio CioidPii Slate wUlcU can pride tliciJiseives upon having-, by their mineral wealth, gained tue State Irs characterldtio title and repu- tation. U was settled slowly and iu the manner o£ iho heiolo eld Argonauts of 1620. Its early set- tlers found tho valley about Iloney L.ike in tbe possesbiou ct Its original owners. But they came to stay, tliose pioneers did, wlio braved the dan- gers of tiie plains 111 early days, audit cost them many lives to carry out this resolve, as residents now living, who participated, testify. EXTENT. The southern boundary Is very Irregular, run- ning in a southeasterly direction from Shasta to fiieira counties, tliusleavlu? the eastern bound- ary on tiie state ot Nevada, 105 miles In length, while tuo western boundary Is almost exactly oi:e-half that distance. The county is seventy miles in width, and embraces an area of 4,850 square miles. TOPOGKAPHY. The county Is a succession of mountain ranges and valleys, and all Hough la the central and east- ern parts tuo hills seem to have been placed re- gardlesa Of direction or order, the ranges have a general trend to the southeast and northwest. A rldiie, having an altitude oC 8,200 feet and call- ed Diamond Mountain, marks the dividing line betwee.i Lassen and Plumas counties. Diamond Mouiitala forms the soutuern side of Honey Lalce Valley, which extends southeast and northwest a distmcoof forty-hve miles, and is about fifteen miles in width. lu the extreme northwest corner of the county, and extending Into Modoc County, lies Big Valley, a large stretch ot agricultural land, comprising iu Lassen couutv abuuc 75,0(j0 acres. This valley is watered by Pit Kiver. Ash Creek, and several smaller streams, and has at present about 700 iahabltauts. ^ , LongVidley lies In the extreme southeast of the county, contains for Its size but little agricultural land, but is remarkable for its singular conforma- tion, which win bo noticed herealter. Bet wteu Big and uouey Lake Valleys lie Grass- hopper, Willow creek, Eagie Lake and IlorsoLake Valleys, separated fiom each oiher and liom the main valleys by intervening ridges o£ various hei^'hts. E ch ot tne last-named valleys arc veiv .small, containing but tew ranches, and mostly occupleil by tho bodies of water from which they ■aerhe their names. In the e.istern centr^il part ot Lassen lies the Madeli. e Plains a large, level tract ot land ot an altitude of 5,yoo feet. '1 his plain appears to have itoee 1 at one time tlie bed ot a lake, but, lu some ct thoreniaikable changes ot Nature, to have been tratiirior.ued to its present condition. It is about thiitj-Uve by hi tee II miles, and is covered by a ■dense growth of t- age brusU. 'i he only natural sources ct Irrlgatlo i appear to be the springs about its edge, where there are excellent stock rancuP^, tliosurroundii ? hills covered Iti bunch- grass aUoriJi, g abuudaut feed. Any kl d of uralQ ■will grow upon tiiese plains, which are very fertile if irrigated. 1 here appeals to be no eood reason ■why water should not be had by the sinking ot artesian wells, for the plains form a toasln, surf rounded by high mountains, and the surrounding hills afford an abundance of timber for wood, fen- cing and similar purposes. Tho average altitude ot the valley lands l3 about 4,100 feet above the sea level, while the mountains are from 8,000 feet down, tlie altitude lessening as the ranges find their way from the main chain of the Sierras easterly throuuh bhe county, until they lorm foot-hills In the general level. The timber belt of the Sierras extends Into the soutuern and western portions ot the county tor several miles, forming an almost solid belt and following the spurs ot the Sierras into tbe county until they tall below the tlmoer line, when the larger timber Is replaced by a straggling growth ot juniper and mahogany. Ihe whole county is of a lava formation, but this Is not perceptible upon the surface excepting lu particular localities, the soil of the county being generally fertile, and where It Is as yet un- improved covered with a luxuriant growth of the persistent sage-orush. Considering its extent, the county does not abound In facilities for irrigation. The rrinclpal body ot water Is in Honey Lake, situated in the southeastern part ot tho county, and lu the lower end ot Honey Lake Valley. Though very shallow, this lake has an area ot 97 square miles, is fed by several small streams, and has an Im- mense water-shed from the mountains surround- ing it. Eagle Lake, in the valley ot that name, Is next In importance. It covers an area of 55 square miles, is situated twelve mliesnortliot the county seat, and at an altitude of C,3U0 feet. Horse Lake cccupies nearly the whole of the little valley by that name, but Is small, and can bo made available for only a few ranches in ltd immediate vicinity. Besides these there are sev- eral streams, used principally for mill purposes, but none of suflicient amount of water to Irrigate lands at any great distance from their immediate course. CLIMATE. The climate, considering the altitude, is mild, and generally very healthful, epidemics or con- taglous diseases seldoai occurring, causes ot sickness are usually local, and ascrlbaDle to im- mcOlate surroundings. he average temperature In Summer is about 80°; in Whiter about 45*. Although the surrounding mouutaids may be covered In snow, it seldom remains long In the valleys, and the spring is early, though liable to frosts. VALUATION. The Assessor's books show statistics as follows: 156,6>1U acres of land, ossesBed at an averagro of $i) 34 per acre. Valualiouof real estate in 1879 $399,860 ImiiL'Ovements on Bame 222,523 Pertoaal property 697,801 There are In round numbers owned In the coun- ty- Horned cattle 18,000 Sheep EO,rOO Horees 5,700 Goats 6u0 There were 25,541 acres ot land cultivated in 1873, and 2,416 acres were newly fenced lu that lime. POPULATION. The population, co'-sidering the extent ot the county. Is small, but this is easily accounted for, as the industries and situation ot the county are not such as to 1 duce a rapid settlement and de- velopment ot its territory. It numbers about 3,900 people, most ot whom are an industrious and desirable class ot citizens. LASSEN COUNTY. 93 PKOrUCTIONS. For the year 1878 tbere were produced: Wheat, 5,8T6 busbels, on 4,772 acres; barley, 81,6j0 busli- Is, OQ 4,986 acres; oais, 76,740 busliels, on 2,553 cres; rye, 4,860 bushels, on 324 acres; corn, 2,000 )usliels, on 96 acres; hay, 15,000 tons, on 12,SS7 cres; wool, 140,000 pounds; butter, 22,000 pounds; loney, 400 pounds. 750,000 leet or sawed lumber yas manufactured, and the value of the fruit ;rop was about $25,000. TOWNS. I: A great part of the population Is scattered on rhe ranches in the various valleys, and this, In 'v0;ne measure, accounts for the smallneas of the (owns. 1 he county sCuit and chief town is Sasau- 'lUe, which was located in 1S54 by Isaac N. Koop, 'aen Provisional Governorof tlio State ot Nevada, ind named after his daughter Susan. The town ^beautifully situated on a slight plateau in the ivestern end of lioney Lalce Valley, and viewed from the bluff overloolclng it, appears very ;3relty, the streets being laid out at right angles, ;ind many of the houses being surrounded by [ihelr own orchards and embowered id trees. It numbers about 600 inhabitants, has two ijhurches — Congregational and Methodist— two •ioteis, two drug stores, four stores doing a geu- 'iral merchandise business, two livery staDles, a .saw mill on Susan River, which, liowlug through ..he town, erapiles into Uoney Lake somo twenty niles distant, a idme.:;hanlC3 and artisans enough ■.0 keep the population, both biped and quad- ruped, well shod ana housed. I The citizens seem to have an Impression that I' in vmity is strength," for in town there are no dess than eight associations, as follows : Lassen feocige, No. 147, F. and A. M. ; Lassen Chapter, 0. 47, R. A.M.; and Lassen Commandery, No. A3, K. T. : Silver Star Lodge, No. 135, I. O. O. F,; (Laurel Lodge, No. 134, A. O. U. W. ; Susanville jLodge, No. 232, 1. O. G. T. ; and Alpha council, :(No. 1, C. of II. Besides these a library associa- ",tlon has been recently formed, but is, as yet, sup- 01 ted entirely by private enterprise. Last, but ot least, two bright and newsy papers have a ome here; the Lassen Advocate, edited by E. A. 'Weed, and the Mountain Review, by A. L. & J. O. tehinn, both weekly papers, which are devoted to ■ county interests, and reflect creditably upon their .'managers. ! The United States Land Office for the north- eastern district of Calii'orula Is also located here, land adds considerably to the Importance of the I'jplace. The dwellings are mostly neat and comfortable, Ithough small. Several new ones, lately erected, iBhovv a marked Improvement la the latter re- spect. There Is a full supply ot the inevitable ]" John," who. In his peculiar lines of business, possesses a monopoly. The principal bulldiagis (the court House, which is situated on high ground, just out of town, is of wood, two stories ; In height, and cost $12,000. I There are 219 children In the school district, i and good teachers are generally had. For a moui.tAlu town, Susanville has unusually good mall facilities. To Reno, whlcii lies nineiy miles to the southeast, there is a daily mail ana stage line, summer and Winter; a dally mail to '. Altmas, in Modoo County, and during the Suui- I mer a trl- weekly route to uroville. ' Miitord.— Twenty-five miles from Susanville, I on the lieuo Road, and in the lower end of Honey Lake Valley, llos Miliord, a town of about soo in- habitants. It is situated at the base of Dia- I moiid Mountain, about two miles from and over- I looking Ho ley Lake. It has a store, flonring mill, sawmiil, and one hotel. About si.xty children are enrolled in a school which is kept for from eight to ten months la cacli year. Opposite the town, and across the lake, which here is about leumlles In width, is an extensive stretch of hay country, occupied principally by stock raisers. In and about this town are some as fine orchards as can te found in this State. Their extent varies from one to twenty acres. The climate is peculiarly adapted to the raising of apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc., the first named irult amounting an- nually to many thousands of dollars in value, and being the finest on the coast. Grapes, with the various species of berries, also grow la abund- ance. J anesvlllo.— Midway between Susanville and Mllfoid is the town of Janesvilie, containing about 350 inhabitants. Dellghttully situated la a grove or timber, the town is overehadowed by IJlaniond Mountain, and faces tbe open country to the north, wnich can be seen for miles. Here are a store, liotei, blacksmith shop and a fine hull, used jointly uy the Masons and Odd Fel- lows. A few miles from Janesvilie, and com- prised within the same voting precinct. Is the small town or Buntingviile, having sixty children on its school-roll. In the vici dty are many large and line farms, having from 160 to 420 acres each. Johnsto:jville.— Eigiit miles farther up the val- ley, and on Susan i;iver, is tlie little town ol Johnstonviile, which, bei^ig only fouriniles from Susanville, is considered an adjunct. In the town ana vicinity lire about three hundred people. II; has a flouring mill, which grinds a great part of the grain grown in the valley, and has eighty children on its school-roll. Bieber.— A small town in Big Valley, and near Adin, In Modoc County, is but two years old. It Is finely situated, and shows signs of prosperity. Already it has two hotels, two stores and a black- smith shop, and has increased in popualtionmore rapiillytUan any other part of tue county. It is about twenty-tive miles irom llayden Hill, and a depot of supply for the mines at that point. KESODKCES. Lassen County should have a prosperous fu- ture. It has at least a million of acres of fertile land susceptible of cultivation. There seems to be no reason why irrigation, by means of artesian wells, should not ba practised here as it has been and 13 in otlier pans of the Stale. With com- paratively little labor, and the assistance of such Irrigation, her boundless acres can be made to produce bounteous crops. In Honey Lake Valley alone there aie 150,000 acres that are only await- ing the enterprise that shall pu:,water upon them to produce abundantly, 'ihe soil of the vast ex- tent of territory comprised in Madeline rialns, soaie 300,000 acres, is very icrtiie. The conforma- tion ot the land— tUo plains being a basin sur- rounded by mountains — Indloates that water could be reached at no great depth, and the now barren waste could easily be made a garden, being susceptible, as has been proved, of hlgH cultivation. One great advantage, or Induce- ment, to tiie preemption of this land is, that un- der the Desert Land Act any (luallfled person may preempt 640 acres. The ultimate occupation and value of these lands is only a question of time. Much of them now by Summer fallowing and eariy sowing pro- duce good crops without irrigation. Laud is so abundant that only those portions capable of a maximum production with a minimum of labor, offer sufficient Inducement for settlement. Cali- fornia is yet only in her youth, but already the lunjuit, rush and exclteme.it caused by the '■flnas"of gold without the labor of extracting it have died away and the business of gold get- ting has become one of the settled and steady in- dubtries of the State. For this one reason the pi ouortloa of new comers who will enter ana im- prove lands will Le greater than lormeriy, and California's agricultuie will be a more important feature in the greatness of the State than its mining. Sooner or later, if the binds are not pobses-icd by workers tUey will be by capitalists, and "down with tne landmonopoly " will become ■ the war cry of the mountain people. In addition to its agricultural laud Lassen county possesses la ITS TIMBER An Immense source of revenue. It has an Im- mense supply ;of large timber, consisting princi- pally of pine, spruce and fir, \vhich o.ily awaits tne consumption of that nearer the cottistock lodes and the railroads to become very valuable. It has been well said that the Comstock Ladea are a gUantic mining octopus, which, reacning out ii 8 long arms, draws to its Insatiate maw a countless quantity of lumber. Exnausting all Within reach it will go farther and must apply to 94 LASSEN COUNTY. Lassen and Plumas for Its food. When It Is reeded a railroad, whlcb, owing to the conforma- tion ot the country, could be easily built trom lieno, will, doutitless, furnish the means of trans- portation, and Ko siiil further develop the county. THE FKUIT CROP Of the county is also valuable and noted for Its quality, "Honey Lake apples" being among the best grown on the coast. In that valley alone the annual value ot the crop is about $12,000. The county is capable of growing and does grow, not only the fruits ot a temperate climate In abundance as well as the various kinds of berries, but many of those varieties which are raised in the warmer valleys of the lower country. SHEEP AND WOOL. The Immense ranges of the county afford un- limited pasture for sheep and cattle, especially in the small valleys which intersect the timber belts. "Undoubtedly a wooUen mill located in Honey Luke Valley, where there is ample water power, would prove a prontable investment. One hundred anu forty thousand pouDds of wool were raised in this couniy lastj'ear, all of which had to be transported to a place of manufacture. It would also give the county an Impetus, as it would furnish a convenient market and Induce the extension of a business already Important. THE MINES. Lassen County hitherto has had no place as a mining district, but now seems to be coming to the front In this respect. On Diamond Mounialn, a few miles south of Susanviile, are several quartz claims, the owners of which have good reason to believe in their worth, and in which it is pro- posed to erect quartz mills in the Spriiig. The mines at Aiountalu Meadows, on the divide be- tween Plumas and L.isseu counties, are s'lldto pay well, and steps are being taken for their im- mediate development. The mines at Uayden IJlll promise to prove bonanzas to their owners. and the following abstract from a recent number of the Mountain Jievicw, may be relied upon as being correct: "A short time ago Mr. Farllng and Harvey struck a vein of decomposed quartz which was fabulously rich. Hi .1 space twenty feel deep by twenty feet in width, they extracted over $s,000. They are now down about fifty feet, and the ledge proves to be a lasting one. In the Brush ElU Mine, owned by Harbert & Hoes, they have a shaftiooieet in depth; on the 60-ioot level there is a diirtot 3S0 feet, and on the 100-foot level another drift of 110 feet. Hopkins & Co. have sunk to a depth of 150 feet, and have taken out considerable bullion. Fairfield & Co. have a tunnel 100 feet in length, and a shaft seventy feet deep on the eastern extension of the Brush Hill lead. There are several other claims which have been worked moro or less. " Three quartz mills are now In cperatlon. The BrushHillMlU w-lch ten stamps, the Providence and Golden Eagle mills, with live stamps each. The main lead averages about eevea feet in width and pays from the top down, although the ore trom the lOO-loot level Is much richer thin that above. The assay of tho rock from tho top down runs ironi ?90 to $150 per ton, and 1 he lowest assay made upon rock from the Brush UlU mine was $43 per ton. The le^id is very much decomposed as far as has been worked, and one man wlih a pick, on the CO-foot level, gets out five tocsof oiener day. Son.e blasting rock has been encountered, but almost everywhere that the lead is worked the rock is disintegrated. There are mo base metals to iiDnede the milling, and the process is the simplest that is used. The foreman of the Brush Hill mine informs us that the cost of min- ing and milling does not exceed $3 per ton. "There is one feature of this camp that is a source ol great satisfaction— the owners of these mines were all poor men, residents of Big Valley, and one of the surest evidences of their pros- perity is, that they are able to pass the Winter below, and have nlenty of money at their dis- posal. Another redeeming trait that cannot be found in any other mining town on the coast, 1b that a saloon will not be tolerated there, and no liquors are allowed to be sold. There is a rumor that one will be started In the Spring, but we hope tor the good name of Hayden Hill that It la false. "There Is no doubt but whatjthls camp will be among the liveliest on the coast next Summer," NATURAL PHENOMENA. Although there Is a great deal of sameness about the topography of the county, there are a few features of interest, among them being EAGLE LAKE, A beautiful sheet of water, having an area of 65 square miles, ana situated twelve miles north of Susanviile, at an altitude of 5,300 feet. The lake, on the south and west, is oversnadowed by high mountains. Its waters are as clear as crystal, and the fish with which it has been well stocked by the Fish Commissioners, can be seen at adepth ot lllty feet below the surface. It has no appa- rent outlet or source ot supply, excenting rrom the Blight watershed afforded by the surrounding mountains. It is very deep, there being many places whei-e soundings have not yet been had. Its surface is at an altitude of 1,100 feet above Susanviile, and the project of tapping It to pro- cure water for the use ot tho town and to irrigate the valley, has been seriously considered. There are the HOT SPRINGS, Consisting of several Jets of hot water Issuing from the ground In Honey Lake Valley, twenty miles from Susanviile, from which place, on a clear, frosty day, the steam can be seen hanging over them in clouds. An object of much Interest, and one which has attracted the attention of scieutitlc men, is BLACK BUTTE, An extinct crater, which is crossed by the divid- ing Una ot Lassen and Shasta counties. The plain surrounding it is covered by volcanic scorla3, ranging from the sb:eof a robin's egg to Impalpable dust. Numberless small lakes' doc the surface, but for which the country would no- pear a scene of desolation. As It Is, the scenery is very remarKable, and the crater, rising almost perpendicularly trom the level plateau in the shape of a fustrum, to a height of 472 feet, with a width of 750 feet across the top, looks not un- like a gigantic hat. LONG VALLEY, Commencing about eighteen miles west of Reno, Nevada, is worthy of notice on account ot its un- usual formation. Its south side Is formed by a very high, heavily timbered ridge, while the rise In the north Is gradual and the country dry, timberless and open. The valley Is about forty miles In length, but Is very narrow, having an average breadth of only two or three miles. The principal businessof Us settlers Is the raising of stock and cialrying, the open country to the north furnishing excellent Winter range, while the timbered mountain in the south is unsur- passed for Summer ranges and dairying purposes. Besides the water furnished by the mailing snow of the ridge, there is a stream flowing the entire length of the valley, and fed by hot and cold sprinirs all along its course. Tnls stream fur- nishes the water for several valuable and beauti- ful stock tarn)S, and empties into the eastern end of Honey Lake. STANISLAUS COUNTY. 9S STANISL.AUS 'COUNTX, By L. C. BEANOH. The Banner Wheat-Growing County of California— A Glimpse of a PortionTofthei Great San Joaquin Valley. Stanislaus county can truly boast of being tbe banner wlieat-growlng county of California. The statistics ot the past few years liave placed tier Drst upon the list. This county— though one of the older and more prominent among the mineral counties of California, boasting at one time of her great mineral resources, quietly anticipating the great and important part she was to play la the future development of the resources of the great State of whlcli bhe formed an Iniegral part, and patiently awaiting the march of time to do justice to her hitherto unrevealed wealtli— bas, up to the present time, been comparatively little written about for the information of the immigrant who Is coatlnually seeiilug our shores. LOCATION. Stanislaus County forms a part of the great San Joaquin Valley. It Is bounded on the iiort:h ana Donueast by Calaveras, Tuolumne atja JMarlposa, on the south and southeast by Merced, on the Bouthwesc iiy Sauta Clara find contra Costa, and on the iiorthandnorthwesc by San Joaquin. Its eastern boundaries extend Into the foothills of the Buow-cappe t fcilernis, and ila western to the sum- CQlt; ot the coast range, near Mount n.nniiton. Passing through its very heart, wlihla sight ot eaclioiher, weiidtiig their way to tnecreatraclQc, are the San Joaquin, Tuolumuo and Stanislaus Elvers. The two former are navlgablo at certain seasons ot tho year. The county was organized ■ lnlS54, being formed out ot a poitlonot Tuolumne Cou ity. Ic comprises an area ot 1,350 square miles, or about 864,000 acres of land, or 3TX town- Bhlps, which, subdivided into sections, gives 1,350 sections, tnree-rourtbs of wiiicli is susceptible of cultUaiiOD. Within 11 3 boundaries Issltuatedone ot the most fertile valleys In the world, yielding productions varied in their character and mar- vellously vindicating the nature of her soli. RAILROAD COMMUNICATION. Until the Fall of 18T0 this county had no rail communication with tho great commercial cen- tres of California. The stage and steamer lines bad unlimited sway as means of transportation and coiiiuiunlcatiou with other parts of the State. Tiio county id now traversed by three different lines ot railway, the m est extensive ot which Is the San .loaqum Valley division ot the Central Paclflo Railroad, 'l his division leaves the main Central Pacinc at Lathrop, crossing through the tentral portion of the county, and contmuing eouihwaid, through Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Kern, and the southern counties, affordlntc com- munication across the continent and with Europe. The btockton and Copperopolls Rallroail leaves Stockton and crosses througb the northern por- tlon of the county, terminating for the present at Milton, In Calaveras County. ' The Stockton and Visalla road also extends througb the northern oart of the county, crossing toward the east, and at present has Its terminus at Oakdale, about a mile from tho Stanislaus River. By this means the county is now placed within three and four hours' ride of the most Im- portant cities In the State, and where befor^ three or four days were consumed In reaching the metropolis, and the Capital, now, with the facili- ties offered, four hours brings us in contact wltH. the busy circles of either. •There are two railroad companies nowlntne field surveying a route to Utah, to connect with the Calltornla Central of Sydney Dillon and other Eastern c.ipitalists, via Modesto, Sonora and Bodle. One ot these— the California and Nevada' company— have already completed ten miles of track from the Alameda end of the road, and are, now working on the second ten miles. This will be a narrow-gauge road, and will pass through thecreat grain-growing belt of this county. IC beiirgin opposition to the Central Paelflc RailroadL Company, the people may soon look for a cheaner means ot transportation than any that has yea been afforded. The other company is orgaolzedj by the Central Pacific Railroad people, who con- template projecting a road from Modesto over the same route, connecting with, the mala trunk aC, this place. i PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn and potatoes, ard the staple products. Cotton and hops are cul- tivated successfully in some parts, and the ricb' bottom lands along the rivers are well adapted to their cultivation. All kinds of fruits are suc- cessfully raised, oranges, lemons, limes, pome- granates, olives, peaches, apples, pears, almonds, walnuts. Chestnuts, hickory nuts, peanuts, and grapes of the Quest quality. From tne latter la made some of the best brands ot wine in tbe State ■ A. Schell, of the Red Mountain Vineyard, Pent-' land Bros., and W. E. Stewart, near Knight's Ferry, In the northeastern pare of the county, aro constantly furnishing the San Francisco and New York markets with most excellent brands of tills beverage. They also make a fine quality on brandy. The earliest fruit in the State comes from the orchards of Stanislaus. Along the banks of her rivers, growing in luxuriant abund- ance, are to be found the wild grape and black-; berry, which are eagerly sought after as luxuries ill their seasons. Alfalfa iseaslly cultivated, and Its yield prollflc. Wool-srowing is successfully! and extensively carried on in the foot-hills and. coast Range, where thousands of sheep get pas- turage from uaaurveyed Goverfloieat aud raiiroadi laud, "9© STANISLAUS COUNTY. The greatest portion of Us surface Is one level unbroken plain, cxtendinc as far as tbe eye can reacli. This plain uvcrjges Detween twenty and thirty iiiUes lu wlcitl), soutiieast an.l northwest, and sixty In length, and cinoraces witlilu Us limits some of iho very liuest a^rlculturil land 1q California, presenting, when under cultivation, a Blgiit 10 ticholii. Iiiia^'i leyourseU riding a circuit ol three days tiiroiigh a contlnuouaspa^e of wav- ing grain. Such are the plains of Stanislaus just before harvest. CLIMATE. The seasons here are wet anS dry. The climate does not vary much throughout the county, and In teoiporaturo la about the same as that of the Sauia Llara ana .Sacrauieuto Valleys. The Su nTuer heat r:inges baiween SO and 110 degrees, scMoai reaching the latter extreaiUy. Tuo Wiuiersaio luUd and purely temperate, the thermometer varying froai 30 to 70 and SO degrees, rarely going below 3o. In Summer the nights are pleasant and de- lightful. A gentlo bivezo sweeps over the vtiUey froai one end to the other; U comes fro'.n the coast, and In a very great degree ad Is to the salubrity of the climate. Tiio climate is co:isld- ered very healthy, r.i;d ot 1 ite many tourists and visitors from tUw East la search of health have added their ntd^stuions to this fact by settling ■with their f imlUes here and InUuenclng their friends to come. There Is couipirativolt- little Blckness, and where ll docs prevail It is owing to other caubCs tuan the climate. It some ot the mining dlslrlcis, where Irrigation Is carried on extensively, chlUs and fever have b.coaio preva- lent. But even this form ot malirli vanishes be- fore the cool, Invlgoratlug and heilthliU breezes of the valley. Old pioneers, who came hero In '49 and '5), still retain their viior and exhibit ma ily specimcnsot robustness and health. Many of ihem have reached their threj scjro ye irs uud ten, ana seem well preserved for anotner quiricr. A generation has grown up in the county since Us settlement and organization, who, with the rising generation, are reaiarkable for their good coustltuilo IS, sturdluess of 11 nb, the perfect sym- metry uf their forms and the blooai oi health upou their cheeks. Observations show the aonual rainfall at Mo- desto to have beau: For 1ST7-7S, 12.18 liches; 1S7S-T9, 8.22 Inches; 1879-80, 12.96 Inches; ISSO-SI, 7.20 Inches. At La Orange, which is situated nearer the mountains, In the eastern uart of the county, the amount or rain is greater "on an aver- age than on the plains. The following r iln table, kept by Mr. Joseph Oaml Id, at his place near La Orange, will show the rainfall at that point sluce 1867. April and May are lacking lor iSSO-si, •which would iDcreasa the total rainfall lor that year: 00 •a a o o a- < P d B > •< Teabs. - 1 ^ ►« •< : "^ : ; : \ • • J 1867.68.... ....1 ... 2.55 7.91:3.84 3.65 4.67 1.671.82 l2n.49 1868-69.... .... 0.80 U.i0 3.2.>i4.C.0B.13|3.l'7 1.06 1.15 '18.16 1859-70.... .... I.n6 0.6lI,0.69,1.87 4.3211.4 J l.8D0.4!l|i2.&4 1870-71.... .... 0.60 0.2ol:1.19,2.iy3.13|0.Kl 2.55 0.4J 110.55 1871-73.... 2.2516.94l2.6il 6.32 2 17,0.80 0.30 120.40 1872-73. . . . 0.12|7.C9 1.12 4.67 30,0.45 . ..',11.35 1873-74.... ....!.. . 0.14|4.19 3.92!2.32 2.yl,l.lV,....||l4.<)3 1874-75.... 0.1ol3.E2 3.64 0.11i2.30'....Ul.4lio.£6 ....l;lu.';9 187»-7tf.... ....:o.4o 10.58 1.98 5.63,2.2513.88 0.67IO.4S1 25.87 1876-77.... ....0.65, 0.48 ....|2.5y!o.45 0.6l,....ll.ii6' 6.74 1877-78.... . .. 0.6S l.H I.I2I5.C8 6.64,3.0911.67 0.04 li>.OJ 1878-79.... 0.0510. yj; I'.Eo 0.20 1.9:12.39,2.16 2.30 0.97 11. Mi 1879-80.... ....12.35' I. 01 2.-18 0.6012.63,1.70,6.04 2.04 li.oe 1881.81.... ....0.16 o.«a 4.21l4.58,3.b2a.53l 14.92 DROUTHS. J Drouths occurred here In the seasons of 1850-5l7i 1S62-C3, 1863-64, 1870-71 and 1876-77. Three Ot theso occurred before farmliig had received much at- tention. The loss to stockmen was great; their stOJk perished in large numbers, and left many ot them without any. since the reign ot Agricul- ture, coalmen ing in 1S69. we have h id three drouths, resulting In total failures of the crop. Wiihlu the last few years our farmers have adopted more systematic methods ot tilling the soil— Suaimer-faliowing, double cross plowing and a tiioroutrh pulverization of the soil, having taken tlie pi ice of tuo slip-shod manner that ex- isted not many years ago, when the surface was merely scraicheJ over. It has been thus demon- strated that by a proper and t borough cultivation our soli win produce good crops with very little rain. This Is especially true ot the sindy loam s ill, and, while It requires but Utile rain, an ex- cessive umout is readily absorbed by it, and ,doea no harm. K.4PID GROWTH. The county, since its organization im854,has mainiaineJ a rapid and steady growth. For many years It was a lululn':; and stock county, during whl3h pei-iod Us agricultural resources remained uudevelopea. in 1S07 more attention was given to larmlDg— tue broad fields around Paradise, 'i uolumne Cl y, We.stport, and where the town of Mode-ito now stands, were sown In wheat, and yielded b -yond tue expect uions of tbe most san- guine. Since thea, tbe wealth and population ot the county have rapidly Increased, until few counties in the State cau show a like ratio la In- crease ot wealth, In proportion to population, a3 Stinislius. The following table shows the assessed value, ot property for twenty-eight years: I.SCREASE OF WEALTH. 1854 $ 677,973 1868 ....$1, 1855 642,983 186.<». 1», 1856 -. 6-l2,422ll870 3, 1857 6o5,lS2ll871 3. 1858. 1859 1860 18S1 1SC2. 750.000,1872 7 736.6S2.1873 6, 969,870|1874 7 851,9l2il875 7 861,912,1876 6, 18J3 t,fl,217il8;7 1864 824,15211878 1865 883,419 1879 6 1866 l,03t.561|1880 9 1867 a,412,3o3il831 11, 994,173 ,047,(63 4J3,8ll8 097,971 ,105,963 441,864 ,449,560 ,436,470 ,991,605 ,425.116 .441 ,100,069 ISiOlO ,477,93* Sr.4TE AND COUNTY TAXES. The foUowlDg are the rates ot State and county taxes levied upon the people of Stanislaus for each year since 1863 : 1864 (on eachJlOo) $3 33 1873 (on each $100) $1 66 1865 3 05 1874 1 65 1866 2 ilght (Democrat) received 451 ; Georsre c. Gorbam (uepiiblican), 219; Caleb '1'. Fay (Ind. Republican), 3 ; total vote, 673 ; Ilalght's majority, 229. 1871— Newton Booth (Republican) received 527; Henry II. Halght(Ueiiiocrat) 817; total vote, 1,344; Ilalght's m a jorliy, 290. 1874— William Irvpin (Democrat) received 788; T. G. Phelps (Republican), 382; John Bldvvell (Inde- pendent), 137; total vote, 1,307 ; Irwin's majority, 269. 1879— George C. Pertlns (Republican) received 693; Hugh d. Glenn (N. C. and Democrat), 994; Wm. F. White (Worklngman), 74; scatteiins, 3; total vote. 1,664; Glenn's majority, 324. For tho new Ccnstltutlo ■, 1,183 ; against, 423 ; total vote, 1,611 ; majority for, 765. PKESIDENTIAL TOTE SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. In 1856, the county gave Buchanan 187 majority over Fremont and FlUmore, out or a total vote of CSS. In 1860, Breckenrldge had 266 plurality over Lincoln, 201 over Douglass and 366 over Bell, out of a total vote of 899. In 1864, McClellan received 69 majority over Ltncol i, out of a total vote of 623. in 1868, Seymour received 292 majority over Grant, out of a vote of 992. In 1872, Greeley received 202 majority over Grant, out of a total vote of 1,130. In 1876, TUden received 295 majority over Hayes, out of a total vote or l,S99. In 1880, HancocK received 397 majority over Gar- fleld, out or a total vote or 2,247. EDUCATION. The educational facilities offered by this county are most excellem, as evidenced by the number of school districts luto which It Is divided, tne llbeial salaries paid to teachfrs, and the number of school months in the year. According to the estimates of Professor Bungs, in 1855 the whole number of school chiUrea in the countv was 84; number of scholars enrolled, 25; cash received from State apportionment of school moneys, S95; from c ui.ty taxes, $150; iiunitjer of schools in the county, only 2. In ISSO our school children had increase 1 to 1,845: our enrolled scholars to 1,683; cash received from state apportionment, $11,928: Irorij county taxes, $2,973; miscellane- ous sources, $606. The valuation of our school property is estimated at $52,375, and our number of schools have im reasea • to 47. Therw are torty-nine school districts ; the high- est salary paid Is $125; the average salary to male teacUers is $75 40, and to female teachers 13$67 19 ; and the average number of months taught la eight. There are seven teachers having lite ai-;| plomas, fifteen holding State diplomas, and twenty-seven male teachers in the county. The State apportionment for tne thirtieth fiscal year, ending Juno 30, 1879, amounted to $11,739 42. This is distributed to the different school districts la the county. The total amount paid the State for school purposes from interest on State school 1 ind and from property tax, for the year ending February 18, 1879. is as follows: Interest on school lands, |i,490 78; property tax, $12,331 96. Total amount, $13,822 74. The Teachers' Insti- tute, which meets annually, is always well at- tenaed. and a lively interest seems to be taKen In educational matters. TOWNS. Modesto, the county seat, is situated near the centre of the county, on the San Joaquin Valley Division of the Central Pacific Railroad, twenty miles from its junction witn the C. P. R. R. at Lathrop, thirty miles from Stockton, and one hun- dred and two miles trom San Francisco. The town was laid out by the Contract and Finance Company, in theyear 1870, being now eleven yeara old. It 13 situated In the centre of one of the finest wheat-growing Bectlons in the Stare, and has made rapid progress within the last few years, now having a population of about 2,500, which is lapldly increasing. Buildings are spring- ing up on all sides, and no town In the State can to-day show a like prosperity in proportion to population. Tho town contains many very beautiful build- ings, both public and private. Among tne former Is the elegant Court House, erected at a cost of $60,000; the Modesto School House, the original cost or which was $18,otio; the Odd Fellows' Build- ing, a handsome brick building on the corner of Tenth and II streets, costing $22,000 ; the Modesto Bank Buiidlug, GroUman's, Chapman's, and Braun's brick buiiaings, the Ross House and Premiss Hotel, also a hiindso ne structure. Among the latter are the residences of many of the most prominent farmers of thecounty, who have taken up their abode here, with their families, to avail themselves of the educational advantages af- forded. The town now contains fifteen stores, five ho- tels, six warehouses, lour restaurants, three boarding houses, four drug stores, six olack- smlih and wiieelwi'lght shops, four livery stables, three hardware stores, thirteen saloons (exclu- sive ot hotel bars), three paint establishments, t»\o furniture and upholstery stores, two tin shops, two brick-yards, three draymen, six laun- dries (a majority of which are Chinese), three butcner shops, one bakery, two breweries, two photograpiiio galleries, five millinery and dress- making establish-,;. ents, six barber shops, three varletv stores, four boot and shoe establishments, three jewellers, four tailor shops, two harness shops, two undertakers, one soda factory, one barley null, one coal-yard, two lumber-yards, a brjnch ot B. M. Derby & Co., of Alameda, an Ab- stract Bureau, containing, when completed, a lull abstract to all the lands in the cour.ty, under the Durtey system. Mr. George Perley la tne pro- jector of this enterprise. 'I hreo dailies, located near the town, afford the Inhabitants a sunply of first-class milk. The various professions are well represented— tho Gospel, Physio and the Law ; me ttrst by seven stationed ministers, the second by six prac- tising physicians, and the tnii-d by ten practising attorneys. 'I'he township hus two Justices and two Constables, who are located here. The Fire Departn.ent consists of a Hook and Ladder Com- pany, composed ot the '^stalwart3" or the town. Modesto wfil Boon realize the necessity ot the ad- dition of an engine to her Fire Department. There is a sclentiuo association, which has col- 100' STANISLAUS COUNTY. lectea quite a number ot volumes la its library ; a " Literary Social." wlilch meets once a week. All of iliese 1 faliiutlons ure literary in tlielr na- ture, aud coujposed ot many ot the best citize s of tbe town. Tliere are seven cburclies— aCutbo- Uc, two Metbodlbt, Episcopal, Presbyieriuu, Clirls- tliin ana Baptist; ouo Grange of tbe Order ot Patrons ot Ilusoaudry, one ALisonlc and one Odd FtUows Lodge, vvliu Encampment, one Good Templars Lodge, one order ot United Workmen, one Grove or Ancient Order of Druids, one Post Grand Army ot lUe KepubUc, one Lodge ot Knights ot Honor, and Cue Piirlor ot Native Sons of tue Golden Wesi, a Llber.il League, tbree Sun- day scUools, three nowspapeis, tue ytaulslaus M'cckli/Sctcs, (dUed and puuliaued by J. D. sipfnccr, ibeJ/oc<'fs«.)/it'raM, owned lud publlsbed by a. E. AVaggsiaff. Tbe former Is tbe Democratic organ ot tne couniy, and tbe latter tbe Republican. Also, tbe Mudesto iitraw Buck, piibllsbed semi- weekly, at iModesio, by 11. L. Bradford. Inde- penueni lu pullilcs. Tbe town has an excellent Bupply ot guod, pure, fresh water, pumped dally, and f urnlsbej at low rates by tbe Modusto Wat r Company; the rates are as low as fl 50 oer month for family use, aiidltlonai charges being" made tur Irrigating purposes. 'J he town is illuminated with coal gas, and its many advantages are en- joyed by the inhabit ints. The latter is furnished by the JNiodesio Gas Works, which also keeps on band coai, coal tar, coke and lime, at the lowest market rates. Por these two commodities the town is indebted to the enterprise, the energy and Inaomliablo per- severance ot a young man oy tbe name of Chas. F. Leavenworth ( i nephew ot Dr. Leavenworth, of Sonoma) a-id his associates. The main streets of Modesto were graded by the llallroad Company several years ayo, at an expense ot Jo.oou, rendering them high and dry. A system ot drainage is needed tor the town. It Is now larue enough to be incorporated, and many ot the citizens are In favor of that project. There is a giove factory, a candy factory, a maiiutactory ot ploughs and agricultural Imple- ments, a planing mill, a flour mill, and a steam laundry. The warehouse cipaclty of Modesto is 15,000 tons. Between 450,000 and 500,000 bushels of Wheat arc handled here during a season, cousiderablo activity has beeu maniiested re- cently in real estate. One hundred lots changed Hands In one day at prices ranging between $20 and $40 per lot. The usual price ot lots owned by the Kaliroad company is $73 to $V>5 per lot. Lois can bo had at iiom $jO to $150, on easy terms, by applying to the writer ot this article. Keal es- tate Is a good investment, both in town and country. This is the nearest point on the railroad to tho great Yosemlte. Many go this way, and express luemselves well pleased. Tho town is very healthv, being located high and dry on the piaios, about a quarter ot a mile from the luoluume Klver, free from malaria and all other local causes ot disease, society is good, and an excellent class ot people are continually settling hire. Tho Sunday law Is observed, and peace and quiet relau on the sabbath day. 'iurlock, another agricultural town, is situated In tbe southern part ot the countv, about nfte'?n miles irom Modesto, ou tho line ot the sau Joaquin Valley ro.id. It Is situated in tbe centre of a large aid fertile section. The town was i;ild out a few years ago by John \T. Mitchell, the largest land-owner in the countv. In the luldsc of his broad acres he here rcslaes, displaying con- siderable executive ability in the ma:. age.iicnt of 1)13 large estates, embracing in all over 100.000 acres. Mr. Mitchell owi s the 1 irge warehouse at ihis pLice, having a capacliy ot- 100,000 bushels. The town contains two hotels, one 1 irge store aud two soialler \ariety stores, two blacksmith shops, several saloons, one tin shop, two livery stables, three warehouses, one boot and shoe establish- ment, oie (I rusf store, a public school, a Grange of Patrons of Husbandry, post and express ofllce. It Is making great progress, and during the har- vest season exhiolts considerable life and activity,. From 12,000 to 15,000 tons of wheat aid consider- able wool are shipped from itere annually. A great deal ot merchandise is sold at this point acnuaily. Farmers in the neighborhood are pros- perous, and are now busily engaged in preparing lor the gi eat harvest ot 1SS2. Lund can be had in tnis section at prices between $5 and $16 per acre, and on easy terms. OAKDALE. Oakdale, a thriving agricultural town. Is situ, aied in the northern part of the county, near the baiksot I ho Stanislaus River, and is the present terminus ot the Stockton and Vlsalla Kaliroad. Tho objective terminus of this ro.id was Visalla, but it has reached no further than this point. Tbe inhabuanis of this lovely little town number about 700. ihe town derives Us name from its beautiful situation among groves of innumerable oaks. It Is a favorite resort for picnic excursions and pleasure parties trum Stockton, Sacramento and nearer points, co siderabie business is oone here, it being the freighting point to many ot the Interior inlulnir towns. '1 his is a good location for health and general prosoerlty. It, contains two warehouses, one ot which Is a large brick, with a capacity of 4.000 to s; 1 public school, with two teacbeis; 5 stores, 8 saloons, 1 Union Church, 3 blacksmith suops, 1 plousrh factory, 2 hotels, 1 resiauraiit, 1 newspaper published weekly by H. E. liootbby— tho Stanislaus Wheat-Groicer, l livery stable and feed yard, l barber shop, 1 millinery esiabiisbment, 1 butcher shop, 1 tin store. 1 hard- ware score and agricultural implements, 1 drug store, a Fire Company, and many beautiful resi- dences. Lots are sold very cheap and on easy terms. Land la the viclhity Is held at from $20 to $25 per acre. Oakdale is tho great storehouse for the grai .-product, g country of the northern and cortbeastern part ot the county. Kiilghi's Ferry.— iwelve miles directly north- east ot oakdale, in the extreme northeastern por- tion of tbe county, is situate the old mining town ot Demville (after Captain John Dent), commonly called aid generally known as Knlghi's Ferry. It Is beautiluily laid out, on the banks ot the Stanislaus Klver, aid contains many cosey and handsome residences, nearly all of which are sur- rounded in prolusion with the foliage of the tropics. Here oranges, lemons, the dale paim, tue cocoi and the citron obtain a luxuriant growth. Many orcnarus abound, and vineyards, weighed down in too pioper season with the choicest of v.irletles, bedeck the surrounding hills. The celebrated Ked Mountain Vineyard ot A. Schell is located near this place. W. E. t^tuart'a orchard aud vlne.vard. co iiuianding a flue view from the prominence of its situation, adds to the many nttraclo .s otlh.s little village, 'there Is one large Ilourlngmlll, three stores, two hotels, a blacksmith shop and a livery st.ible, a brewery, three saloons, a puOllc library aud a Masonic and Odd Fellows Lolge. This town b is become somewhat renowned as ther endezvous lor a short while, luUSSS, ot Captain U. S. Grant, ot the Untied Slates Army, who has since become so celebrated lathe history of our country. Captain Graiit pild a vlsiHn that year to his relatives— the Dent family— who lived here In early times. Many ot the old residents of the place j-emeuiber him well. It was the county se it ot Stanislaus County fro. II 1SC2 to 1S71, When It was removed by a pop- ular vote tJ Modesto. The first agricultur il fair in the county was held at this place. : he agri- cultural interests surroun ling it are good. It has been generally considered a mini g town, but these two industries are nearly equally divided. STANISLAUS COUNTY. rnr It has one of the best water powers la the State, ana needs only capital and enterprise to put It lu to use. Tills would oe a most excellent location for tbe eataOUshment ol woollen mills or otuer man- ufacturing industries. A railroad Is badly needed through tuat section ot the country, leadlajc on to Sonora and over the icountilns. Wbeu such is effected, tuis towu will at once revive, and be- come oue ot iha moat Important In tUut section ot the county. La Grange, commonly called In early days French Bar, Is a little mlnlog town, situated In the eastern part ot tbe county, near the Tuol- umne, Mariposa, and Merced Couuty line. In early days it was a tlourlsiiing mining camp, con- siderable trade belcg centred here. It was the county Beat of btaclslaus County for several years. The town Is atUlkept up by the raining inter- ests around it. The La Grange Ditch and Hy- draulic Mining Compaoy, organized In San Fran- cisco, has been operating exteuslvely m and around the town for several years. M. A. VVheaton, of San Francisco, and others, baveexcelleut water privileges on tbe Tuolumne River, a few miles above tue town. Gravel min- ing is carried ou extensively In this region. A re- cent rich discovery In quartz was made a few miles from ibis place, on the Olsen Ranch. It has passed into tbe hands ot John B. Ilatrgln and otber capitalists, who are busy at work lu devel- oping Its resources. La Grange has several stores, two hotels, three aalcous, two blacksmitu shops, one barber shop, a Catholic Churcb, and many residences. Tne mining Interests, which have sustalLCd this towo In the past, still promise it equal prosperity for the future. There are several flne vineyards and orcbards In this iielghborhood. They do well, and are sources of proflt to their owners. Waterford— a small town situated on the Tuol- umne River, about twelve miles east ot Modesto, lias two stores, one hotel, one saloon and several residences, a public school, a Grangers' hall, and Is a purely agricultural town. Hurs Ferry— Is In tne southwestern part of the couuty, on tbe San Joaqulu River, aud near tbe Merced county line. The town site is laid out on the old Mexican grant known as tbe "Orestlmba Kuncho." Ic was at one time considered tbe head of navigation on the Sau Joaquin, but steamers now venture considerably further than tbla point. This town is maintained by tbe agricultural in- terests 01 the great "West Side," whkh district coutalns wlthla Its limits an area of the most fer- tile sou in California. Tbe town has suown fresh signs ot progress wltbin tbe last few years. A new stimulus h-is been added by the great Irri- gating projects of Miller & Lux aud others. Canals have been cut through the region of couu- try surrounding it, causing the brightest hopes lor the future. It contains two large stores, two hotels, two livery stables, Ave saloons, a brewery, an exten- sive lumber yard, two barter sbops. a drug store, a Masonic Lodge, a blacksmith shop, two shoe- maker shops, a carpenter sbop, a suversmltb, a public scbooi and three warehouses. " Dutch Corners," an Inseparable part of HlU's Ferry, aud situate but a short distance from the towu, is a retreat kept by a lively Dutchman by the name of Brnest Volght. Largo quantltlea of grain and wool are sblppcd by steamer frooa this point. R. M. Wilson, an exteneive farmer, ownli-g over 6,000 acres of the fertile la> ds of tbe "Orea- tlmba," has been making large expenditures re- cently m perfectmg a system of irrigation for bis large tract. He has made a success ot tbe ex- periment, and now contemplatesoiviaingnls la d into small farms, and selling off to bona flde set- tlers, on reasonable and easy terms. A noted day In the history ot California will ic be when her large land-owners consent to such a subdivision of tuelr irnmense estates as will en tble tbous tnaa of settlers to avail themselves of theopoortunity of procuring humes for themselves and' famlUea at reasonable prices and oa easy terms. GraysonvlUe, another agrlcultur il town of the " West Side," occupies a beautiful site on tha tanks of tbe San Joaquin, about twenty inllea below HlU'a Ferry, and flfteen miles from Mo- desto. It was settled at an early day, bpiug built oa a portion of the "R mcho el Pescadero." Tha same character ot resources surround It that en- able Hill's Ferry, Turlock, Oakdile and other ag- ricultural towns In the county to malnrala their prominence. J. W. Van Benschoten, Thomas A. Wilson. Mrs. R. B. Smith, J. D. Patterson, and other large land-owiers, have their tracts near here. Vast herds of cattle aud flocks ot sheep are kept m tbe coast ranse ot mou' lalns, a few mllea distant. 'Ihetowncontiilnaono hotel, one store, one large warehouse, one livery stable, one res- taurant, five saloons, and otber business houses, a post II nd express office, a public school. Grang- ers' Oraer aud hill, aid many private residences. Tbls Is tbe ofllcial bendquarters ot the " WesC Side Irrigation commission ^ers." A stage line affords communication between here and Hiil'a Ferry and Bantas. The Calirornla and Nevada Railroad will cross the Sau Joaquin about six miles below Grayson. ceres, a small town situated on the railroad, between Modesto and Turlock, was laid out la 1874 by R. K. Wbltmore, who owns a lar?e tract ot land lu the neigboorbood, and the large ware- house In which 13 stored immense qu.ulltles ot grain from tbe surrounalng country. There is a store here ani a blacksmith shop, and a resident minister, also apubllo school, Sallda, another small railroad town. Is situated near the Stanislaus River, between Modesto and Lathrop, on tbe vast oomtilii of Jobn Murphy, another one of the large farmers of tbe county. There are two large warehouses here, a Post Office, restaurant and blacksmith sbop. Tbls completes the number of live towns in Stanislaus County. There are several dead ones, which flourlsbed in tbe past, but whose names have now passed into the history of the county as "what was, but are no more." Thev may re- vive lu tbe progress of events, and tbe future his- torian of tne county maybe compelled to write tbe names ot "Paradise," "Tuoiuaine City," " Westport," " Empire city" ana " Adamsvlile," but we are obliged to leave them for the present with the dead. PIONEERS. Stanislaus, like all other counties In the State, contains many old pioneers. To be a '-iQer, or the son ot one. Is as proud a title ot iiobillty as any American could wlsb. There is an organization of pioneers in the coui.ty. Those wiio onca occu- pied prominent positions, and whose names aro ideiitided la the county's history, are Hon. Robert McGarvey, now ot Ukiab, Mendocino Con tv. who was tbe flrst County Clerk and afterward C junty Judge; S. I\ Scanlker, iiow ot Sacrime^io, wbo was tbe flrst District Attorney. William H^lden, atterward Lieutenant-Governor under Haight, was the flrst Representative. P. B. Nagic, attor- Lcy-at-law, now of Sau Francisco, wjs District Attorney of thiscountyin 1863 an i a i-loi.eerol the county. Hon. J.w. Robertson, now or Meroea Couuty, came here when a boy, and was one of our Representatives to the Legislature. A. B. Anderson, now ot Bodle, was an e .rly settler In the county and elected Cuu ty Clerk In 1861. Halleck, Peachy, Billings nud Stone and General VV. T. Sbermaa had early 1 iierests nere ii a Mexican grant. Dr. Jobn Strentzel, of Martinez, was aa early settler. Hon. Clurles M. cr^a ler, now of Sau Joaquin, was District Judge in IS.54, and there are many others who have passed away.} 102 PUBLIC LANDS. PUBLIC LANDS^ HOW TO OBTAIN THEM-TIMBER CULTURE'jv^ETC. Compiled by G. FITZGEBALD. To fvnythliig Uko a deflnlto understanding ot tho rlgbis conferred tj- mo public hind system ot tbo Uuued states, an explanation ot some ot the terms used, and or a few tacts lylQg "t the ttase ot tlie svstoui are IndlspensaWe. Commenc- ing, tuen, with tUo very l^ist, all land In tHe United States 13 cubei* puWlc or private; private lands bcinsj ownea ty private individuals or cor- porations, derlvinK tUelr titles cither from the OODer.il Govornmeut or a foreign power. All lauds owned by tho United States are public landii. though usually only those nro so termed which arc for sale or other disposal by tho Gov- ernment, under general laws. There are also tracts ot land donated to tho several States by the United states, cr obtained otherwise, as in Texas, which are called State lands, and are noC Bubjeci to disposal under tho Laud laws ot the United states. Tho public laud States an.l Terri- tories are divided Into districts, in each ot which Is a land oflice, with two officers lu attendance, a Kecelver and a Ueclster, who act as ajreuts for tho Government, Iiom whoa all patents issue, either dlr< ot or throuj^u the L>c il oiiu-es. Ot tho dllTereut, descriptions ot public lauds open toeeitleuient or p.^ssesslMi are agricultural lands wulcU are adapted, as tho uamo implies, to tho raisins; ot crops. They arc to bo obtained un- der tho laws relating to public sites, and pnvaio entrv, and tho homestead, preemption aL>d tlniDer cullnro laws: desert lands wnlcu will uot pn dnco crops without Iriicatlou or artiticlMl water supply, and are to bo obtained by p uvnaso as hereaiter descrliKM ; timber lands, untit for cultivation, but valuablo tor tho tlmb^^r growing on thorn; stone, coal u ineral, and saline lauds, all to b.^ oDtamed lor scttleuiont, cultivation, and ether use under different .\ctsot Concress. lit the business conueoted with tho taking up ot laud tho expression •' public sale" iv.eans a sale ot lands at auction. Wnei\ larco bodies are to bo sold a proclamation is Issued in the 1 resident s name. describlQsr the tract and stating ti>e tia.e and placo ot sale. When only a fe a- isolated tracts ct land, not embraced la the retrular proj- limatlon, are to bo sold, a notice to that effect is pubilshed in a rewspaper lu that vicinity. Tho land Is sold to tho Highest hlcder for cabU onlv, whlca mvist be paid on the same day, the buyer uot belug compelled to settle on or cultl- ^'WluMO lands are offered tor nubile sale and find ro bidders, thev nay bi? bous'ht at any time thereatt r at the local Land 0:Tlce. If not wlth- dn\wu from market or reserved for some ctner purpose. This is called a "private sale 'or ••entry," a "location' being a transfer ot laud paid for by a warrant or laud scrip, which 13 Is- sued by tho Government, in return for milltarjr or other service, and to promote certain publlo undertakings. " Offered lands " are those that have been ad- vertised or proclaimed and offered for sale, but that were nor, then sold. If not withdrawn or re- served luev remala open to private entry or loca- lion. " Unoflered lands " are such as were never offered at puulic sale. Tho terms "minimum" and "double mini- mum" lauds refer to tho price of them, rne lowest-priced or minimum lauds, when sold^ brins' $1 ia per acre, tho lowest price they are al- loweil to bJ sold for at puWlc sale. Double mini- muiu linds arc rated at$'2 00 per acre. ,„t>\}^}i ;\r^ even-numbered sections, located within railroad limits, and supposed to be more valuable on that account. All nub'.lc la-d is not surveyed, althougu un- 8urve\'ed land may be settled upon, and the set- tierti'ierehy obtain a prior cl.Um to the land upoa certain conditions of settlement on its belug sur- veyed and coining Into tho market. ,,,..=,„ But oetoroftuy l»nd can bo entered, a fair idea of thosvsteni ot surveying and lavlug out land bv t no Government Is necessary. Surveying dis- tricts are divided into parallelograms, these into townships, and townships Into sections, m lue dlviJiUs'Ot a district Into parallelograms a stait- lu'- point is determined upon, and a ••principal bise ll.ie," so called, is surveyed on a true pai- aileiot latitude eas-; and wcstfromlt. From the same point a line called the •' principal meridian ' lino is extended due north an i s..utu. J^l^a avv reoulres tnat the meridlauai Hues shall bo run on the true meridian ; iheret'oro, to correct the error that would result from tho couverK-ency of mer- idians as thev ruu to tho north pole, and alao to correct errors aiisli g from inaccuracies la mea- suremenia on meridian Hues, "standard narallels or " correct ;oa lines" aroruuandiuarkedat every four townships i r i«euty-Iour miles rorth of the ba>e, and at every live townships or thirty miles southot icaudranuln;: parallel with the base. At interv.als ot forty-elgut miles east and west ot the principal meridian, what are cal kd "guiao merlJiaus" are ruu north and south, starting north ot the base, in tho ilrst 1. stance, and run- ning up to tno tlrst standard or corrocti u line north, then starting again irom the first staudara north, but further east or west, according as it lies east or west ot the principal meridian line, andrunnluK up to the second standard nortu. The Kulde meridians southot the basj lice stare from the first staudard south, and run north to the base lice, but makl; g tne junction 1- sl^ « or nearer tho principal meridian Uuo than tne a-art- mg polntol the former guide ^-eridlan mentioned as running north from the base Hue. In bl» way a set cf double corners is established at tho inier- PUBLIC LANDS. 103 section ot the standard parallela nucl pruldo raerldl- ans, vvlilch are known aa " staudard cornerd " aud ** closlii"^ corners " Tlieso'parallelugrams, lylntj between the guide Dieridiaii uml prlncloal meriulan east aud wear, and prl ciyal base 'lliio aud Urst stundaid lines DortU and soutli, tliosenoitli being twenty-four by lorty-olgut iulk3 In extent, aud iliosesoulli lUlny by loity-eiglit-tUcro being one tier or tovvnalUps less on tlio norib— from llio frame- work of tUerectangularHysiem ot surveys. TUoy are divided imo lownsiiius lylug In tiers and ranges, aid contalnl g (is no.irly as practiciblo 23,040 acres eucli. Tuo townships are i-umbend according to tier and range, and are divided Into thlrty-six sections, ono mile square, contii^ning 640 acres OHCU, and these again are divided Into quarter sections of 160 acres, aud tUo latter Into quarter sections ot 40 acres. Be'i'innlng in the northeast corner, the sections of a townaulpsaro uumberea from lio36, num- bers 10 and 3G being reserved for school purposes. The section on tho northern and western bounda- ries do not conuiln exactly 640 acres. Tho smaller subdivisions ot a section are called lots, and are numbereil from i upward. The law does not re- aulrothat any areas ot land smaller than a sec- lion shiiu bo surveyed, tuough smaller surveys, at the application of the intending setiler, may be made at his expense. The boundaries ot these legal surveys are marked at tho corners by posts, trees, stones and mounds, accordlog to tho most explicit aud care- ful directions by law, oy which tho different sub- dlvlblonu may be recognized. United fetates puD- Uc land njuy he obtained by cash purcbase at public auction, by private entry aa before de- scribed, and by nomestead and preemption settle- aient. But lUtle land Is now sold at publle auction, as the policy ot the Government Is to encourage preemption and homestead setilemeut and tim- ber culture. Tho manner of tue sale, whlcu la very brief and simple, has already been given. In a cash piirehabe, by private entry, tho appllcmt flrst crestnia a written appllcailon to tho Uegis- tcr for tue district m which tho land desired Is sltuatea, tlving Us location In v/hatever townsuip It may 00, the area, aud an agreement to p.>y lor It at the leg ilrate. accordlntf to a form furnished at the local Land Office, the Register certifying to tho fact ot tuo lot containing tho number of acres stated and the price ner acre, and an aflidnvlc to the fact of Us not being mineral land. After Which the Register, If It bo a vac mt tract, will so certliy to me Receiver, stating rho price, and the aupiicant must then pay the purchase money. A rei eipt Is then Issued by tho Receiver, who gives tne purchaser a duplicate ot it. Tho Reg- ister and Receiver will mako returns ot the salo at iho cioso of the muiith to tho General Land Office at Washln.;ton, from which, when the pro- ceedings aie found regular, a patent or complete title will be Issued. In tho making ot homestead settlemenis the laws under which such settle- ment 13 made, give to every citizen, a head, etc., or lothoao wuo have declared their Intention ot bocoaili.g citizens, the right to IGO acres ot mini- mum laid that has been surveyed and Is not min- eral In character, or IGO acres ot tho oven sec- tions ot townshirja, or tuoso designated by even numbers within "railroad or mint iry road gra'.ts. Which laiterdonailons are given by tho General Governcneut to aid in tho construction of those roads. , .. , , In applying for land under tho homestead laws, on application Is mado according to a form fur- nished from thcloual offlce, giving tho location cf the tract and tue nuniberot aeres, wtdch ap- plication, an'i certain facts rel.tlng to the lai d, are ceriifl'd to by the Register, and accompanied ■with an aflidavU certifying his eligibility ua a set- tler, that tho Application Is mado for actual set- tlement, cultivation, etc., according to form fur- nished as before, after which ho pays tho legal fees and that part ot ihe commlssluns which 13 duo at Iho tlmo ot entry. Those fees and coni- mlsslons In tho Paclllo States and Terrltorlea are : Upon IGO acres of double minimum land, $12 when tho entry Is made, as commlssioo, aud $lo as Gov. ment f^e, and a further commission ot $12 when tho certillcate is Issued. Upon 60 acres ot tU9 same Class of land iho commissions and feesara Just one-halt thoso upon 160 acres, and upon 40 acres iho commissions are one-half those upon 80 acres, but luefeo Is the same. Upon IGO acres ot minimum land tiiecommlsslons are $G when entry Is mado, $0 on Issuance ot certificate, and $10 fee. Upon &0 acres c f land of this clasa the commis- sions and feo aro Just onu-halt that upon 160 acres, and upon 40 acres the commissions are one- halt that upon 80 acres, and tho fee tho same. IIo Is then required to live upon and cultivate the land for Qvo years, unless ho preter to purchase it, In which case he maydobo uponujaking the necessary proof ot at least six months' residence and cuUlvailon, which Is called commuting a homestead entry. No longer residence after the completion ot the Ave years Is required to entitle him to a patent; for his land. Within two years alter tho comple- pletlon ot the live years the settler must tlio a written notice ot hla Intention to mako a Ilnal proof of hla settlement, and fuitllmencot tho re- quirements ot the law, in whicii ho mustdescrlba tho land claimed, and glvo tho names and Post Oillco address ot tho wimessea by whom no la- tenda to prove the facts as to settlement, cultiva- tion, etc. A notico ot such application will bo published by tho Register ot tho local Land Oftice, ODCO eaclx week, for a period ot thirty days. In a newspaper publlssied ne irest the land described, and poste 1 in somo conspicuous place in his offlce for tho samo length of lime. At tho tlmo of hllng the notico with tuo Register, a sum of money must bo paid In wl'.h It sullicleut to cover tho cost of such publishing. Upon thecompleiionot such notice In the Land Ol'tlco and publishing in ihe paper, a certlilcato of those facts, accompanied by a copy of tho notico and the affidavit of the publisher or foreDiaiiot the newspaper, Is Issued by Iho R9?istoraa proof that legainotlco has been given. Tho appllcailon to mako riual prcot. the notico thereof, etc., aro all mado acooruing to prescribed forms lurnlshed at the Lan i Office. Final proof may then bo rn ido at tho limo and pi ice desiijnated In tho previous notice, by ap- pearing 111 person with his witnesses, whlcli proof, duly authenticated by the Court seal. Is re- quired to bo transmitted to tho Register and Re- ceiver, together with tho tee and charges allowed by law, which charge la tvveniy-two and a halt centa per ono hundred words. I'ho proof re- quired Is an allidavlD us locltizenshlp, wiui record proof of his naturaiizaUoD, If foreign born, alle- giance, fact ot settlement, cultlvatloo, and itne of residence, together wlih tesumony ot tho claimant and witnesses, in response lo an oEQ- claiformot questlonaas to ide.iiiy, family, set- tlement, charaeierof land, I'nprove reutn, etc. If tho proof bositlsfactoryihe offieera receiv- ing It will give or sei.d a receipt for tno feo charged, aa tno balance ot paynient for the entry ot the land aud patent issued for tno same, of which tho settler U now tho legal lord. Prre.nptlon settlements may be made upon eltuer surveyed or unsurvejed lands, by the henda of faujlileH, widows, or slmio persoi a over the ago of tweut)-one, who aro or havodeelared their Intention ot becoming ciilzena of the United States, excepting inoian.s, who liavo not ceased their tribal relailons, and become citizens. Per- sona owning 320 acres ot land, or who have left laud of their own In the same btate or Territory, 104 PUBLIC LANDS. or who are only settlli g tor tne purpose of specu- lation, cai'iiOt prceiupti. Nor can a party lioia putUc laiul, as a tenmir, for a claimant. A quarter section or lOO ncres of mlalmum or doui le inliilmuiii land, may be pre-empieJ, but wbere tiiest'iileiiieiii l3 niaiie upon unsurveyea land, to wiilcii tue lnaiaii title u^ust b ive teeu exunguisbed, noproceeiirngs can be bad toward obt intnif a title lo tue land uutU it b ts bee.i 8urve>od and returned to tbe lociil Land Office. Kottiing Is paid beyond tlie fees aud com- missions for b mesio d land. wblieSi 25 or f2 5u per acrt' In n ouey. or Us equivalent, must be paid forpieouuned laud, tbout;UsucU setilement ujay bo cljant;ed Into a bomestoad entry it so deslrfd. If tliesettit ment Oenuivle upon offered laud, tiie settler n ust llie a declaratory stateuieot cf tbo fact ot bis settiemei.t wuliin thlity days from tbedateot setileuient, and wliblb one year from tbe day ot sueb setilemei t must appear beiore tbe UcKlfeter and Keceiver, aid malce proiU ot bis actual nsldeuce and cuitlyatlon ot tbe tract, and secure it, by paying tor ic la casb, or war- rents, or scrip. If the settlement be made upon surveyed but uuotlered land, tbe statement must be tiled wllb- lu tbreomontbs from tue dateot setiiement, ai.d proof aid payment made \vltbln tblrty-ibree uiODtbs from tbat date, or. In tbe case ot uusur- teyed laud, tbe statem'Ut wltUin tbree moi.ttis and tbe payment wubln tUirty-tbree mouibs from tbe date ot tbe receipt ac ibe Land Office ot tDe approved survey, sbouid be not make bis claim before tbo day ot public sale of suchliud, for wbkb be \vi;i bave time todo, bisciaim 13 forfeited. At tbe time of proof aid payment, ot wblcb publisbed notice must be givt-n, as In bomestead case?, an affidavit and lesilu.onT in u-ony 11 , ai a person before tbe Register or Keceiver, ai d ot witnesses, wblcb may be taken by any oflicer autborlzed to atimlnister oatbs, is made by tbe settler, aid tue ili.al papers are ibereupon Issued by tbe Heglster nnJ Recelver.lt tue trsil- mouy be aaiisr.iciory to tbem, and a duplicate given bim i f tbe reielpt for tbe money pjUl lor tbe lai d, tor wbicu in due order a patent la Issued from tbe General Laud Office, and sent to tbe local office lor delivery upon surrender of tue duplicate receipt, unless oiberwise directed by ibe settler as allowed by law. Tbe tluider culture law was enacted wltb tbe ob- ject of eiHOura!:iug tbegrowtbot timber by as- sisting tbo settler to become possessor ot tbe land, on condition ot growing trees for a certain time, and to a certain estenfi prescribed by law. Tbe bead ot any family, including a womau duly quallfled, or any person over twenty-oue ye.ira of age, a citizen, or wuobas declared bis Inten- tion of becoming one, may setile upon at tl ei ter 160 acres ot land (tbo cialm to it attacbiiigrroin tbe day ot emry). by appllcatloa ace ordinit to a f urnlsbed form, accompmled by an affidav.t ns to oltizensblp, cbaraLterot land, object of settle- ment, etc., upon wbicu a duplicate of tbe receipt signed by tbe Keceiver tor tbe money received toy bim Is given tbe applicant. Tbe fees and commissions for entry for eltber minimum or double mlubnum binds, upon eltber of wblcb be may enter 100 acres, are$3eaeb to tbe Register and Receiver ac tbedateot entry, aiid also at tbedateot Bnal proof, and a com- mission or flO for a tr.ictot overSO acres; for a tract of under so aeres, fj. As not more tuau ICO acres In one section can be ei tere.i. a previous entry existing upon wblcb tbo conditions bave J)eeu fuiuued, no subsequent entry can bd made by otber parlies, nor can more than one entry be made by ibe same person. A few scattering willows and stumps, or a few trees and busbes. do not cbaracterizo land a3 already timber land, wltUln tbe dedultlon ot tbt) law, but a I elgbty-acre tract upon which are trees, many of ibeni n\e Incbesinrtlameier, may not bo entered tor timber culture. Tbe lanrt mus6 be naturally devoid ot timber. LamJ acquired ns timber laud 13 not. lii any event, liable for debt contracted previous to audi final acqufsltion, nor Is bomes eaJ bmd mbie for debts incurred previ- ously, 'ibo varieties of trees tbat may be culti- vated aroesrabUslied by law, and are mostly wbat are kuown as timber trees, or sucb as are com- mo' ly used In tbe ccnsiructlon ot bouses ami sbips. Tbe law requires tbat at iea.--t oue-six- teembot tlie land, unless ic be less tbaa forty acres, siiall ba broKeu and planted before patent can be obi alued, oue-baic of wblcU slxteentu Is to be broken iboilrsc year and oue-half tbe second year, tiiou^;U ueiiberbalf need be pi intedla treea till tbe second year aiter tbe breiUlogot eacb. For a tract under forty acres, one-slxteentb ot tuat area must be so brokeu anu plamed. Tbe destruction of tbe trees, seeds or cuttincs by droutb, grassboppers, or otber enemies, entltlea tbe eettkrto aaexteuslon ot one year'3 time for planting tor every year ot sucb destruction, upoa bis lurmsblng proof ot tbe same. If at t no expiration ot eigbt years from the data of entry, or wlihlD Eve years from such expira- tion, tbe party milking tbe entry, or bis or her heirs. It tbe party be dead, can prove by two credable wiinesses that ho or she has for a pe- riod of elgbtyears cultivated and protected the required number and character ot trees; th't ac tlie time ot making flUiil proof there shall be growing 073 healthy trees to each acre, not less ibjn'-'.TOO to each acre having been originally planteJ, beorsbo shall be entitled to receive a patent f^r such land, and thereby become owner. Wbat l3 know. I us desert l.ind may bo acquired by tno settler to tbo exteuc ot one section, by a declaration ot Intention of reclamation, and tbe testimony cf two witnesses as to tbe fact ot" Its being deserc land. This proof being made, tbe setUer paysasuuiot money upomho laud, nc the rate of tweniy-flve cents per acre, aid will re- ceive from tbe Receiver and Register a duplicate ot a certiliC'te ot the foregoing proceedings. At any tlir.e within three years after the Issue ot tno certlDcate, provided ibo laud has been oQl- claliy surveycii, tbe settler m.iy make satistac- tory pivot by tuo testimony of hlmselt ai d that ot ts\o credible \vitnesse3 as to blscompUince with tbe coi diilo:, sot tbe law lo- Jave Desert to the east, there is but a short period of calm In the twenty-four hours. These la;ids lie, besides, in a basin, with a lower elevation than tue two plateaux above mentioned, and In consequence, the drainage is all directly towards Lakes Elizabeth and Castac, forming the centre ot tho batin. Conti ulug southward through the Soledad range ot tlie Sierra Madre, on a sttep descending Incline, and passing the mlniiig camp of Soledad twenty miles to the East, the upper end of the valley of the Santa Clara Klveris reached. At Newhall, the terminus ot the Santa Bartara and Ventura stage line, the nucleus for a large town lias been established. 'I his village is situated In the San Francisco rancho, aud was projected and laid out by tho owner of that tract, H. M. Newhall, of San Fran- cisco. It contains a large hotel, a finer and more completely lltted hostelry thnn any between Mer- ced and Los Angeles, two large grain warehouses, blacksmith and carpenter shops, livery stables and evety adjunct to a thriving and prosperous village. In addition there aro located hero tho farm-house, barns and outbuildings, used by Mr. Newhall in connection with tho cultivation of hl3 rancho. lie haa not yet offered the laud for sale in small lots, but is at present engaged lu wheat- raising on a largo scale. Lust year, a very unfa- vorable one for small grain, he harvested between thirty and forty thousand centals ot wheat o.i an area ot tiiree thousand acres. Tnls season he haa seeded over tea thousand acres in wheat. Onward to tUe south, but now ascending^ tho iiortli face ot the Sau Fernando range, the road passes through tlie petroleum alstrlcis, now being thoroughly developed, ana giving promise of quiet and proiitablo ruturns. Tuo suaimit la re iciied still in the oil country, the. :Co tin'ough tho ^au Fernando Tunnel— the most dii'licuic of construc- tion and tho longest, but one, work of tho kind in tho United States— on a steep downgrade to the head of tbe San Fernando Vall/y, and the train stops at tiiest.itlon. Closo by la tho old Mission ot San Fernando, interesting now as the torn, er home and headquarters ot Andres Pico, the gener- allslmo of Loa Mcjicanoa ot 1S4G, whence the army of defence marcl'.ed forth to spend one long Sninmer'a day In a bluodltss combat with the Pathflnder, on the sloiio of El Gabllan, and whence, at a later date, the same vallia:-tcabal- lerosrode to redeem themselves la tnohoiriaol their seuoras, by the disastrous attack upon Kearney's dragoons at San Pascual. The valley la now, par excellence, the wheat held of southern California, and lu an unbrouen expanse of green, spreads out, east and south, from tue Mission, for miles and miles. lu the rancho proper ot the same name are more than six townships ot land, and, beskles, in tue plain, are the ranches ot L.i Providencia, i^os Folia aud El Enciuo. Last year 1S0,000 centals ot wheat was considered scarcely half a crop, althou^di at the rate ot sixteen centals to the acre. 'J'hia year the acreago seeded is fully Ility per cent addi- tional. It la claimed, and 1,0 doubt tho assertion Is well founded ou fact, that there are no better wheat lands in tho State. Tho rainfall rarely, if ever. Is so slight as to cause an entire failure of tho crop; and the soil and location, by reason of Us Isolatloa from the sea coast by tho Intervcidng Cahue;.ga hills, la adiiilraijly adapted for the suc- ccssiul harvesting of this cereal. L:;st season Was an exceptionally bad year for farmers; sUU, the result cf the h avest— sixteen centala per acre— In some localities would have bee i con- sidered good. These uudican bo purchased la small loafrem twenty acres upwar.i, and upon the usual terms- a small cash p'aymenr, say one- fourth or oue-utth of the purchaso price, and the balance en long tlmo vviih ten percent 1 iterest. Yli.eaand semi-lropical fruit trees aro also suc- cessiully grown, but this cannot bodor.e oa a very large scale on account ot tun indifferent faclUtlea for Irrigation. Immediately around tUo Alisslon, wliero laouc o£ the oldest and largest olive orch- ards in Southern caliioinla, aro lands which can be covered by tho existing supply ot water, and which, having especial water privileges, aro rated above the oidinary prices, it is possible thut in the luiure the deUciency may be supplied by means of artesian wells, but as jet no experiments la that dlrectiou have been attempted. Other sections In the south- era part of tho county, around Westminster, centralia and Arterla, have overcome the diffi- culty by this method; but all attemuta hereto- fore to develop artesian water on the hlgtier 106 LOS ANGELES COUNTY— Northern Part. levels, Immediately adjoining the foothillg, liave toeea la a measure failures, Flowing water was ODtalned m some Instances, but not in sufficient quantities to supply tue demand or to justify the requisite expenditure. It Is possible, too, tliat the plan, suggested by Assistant State Engineer Schuyler, esueeially with reference to Los Ange- les and 8an Bernardino counties, may he Instru- mental la \ he development of an Increased sup- ply, as all the larger canons, Inclining to the San Fernando plains, contain a small flow of water near their heads which Is wasted by absorptlda In Its passage. Froai i-an Fernando Station In a southeasterly direction, still on a down grade, and across the Sau Fernando Plain, the Los Angeles River Is reached, and on Its north banli, and at a distance of from eight to three mlies from Los Angeles City Ilea the san Eafael Raucho. This traclv Las been partitioned between the owners in largo subdi- visions, one ot which has been further cut up in small parcels and put unon the market. The part so divided is owned by Air. Anarew Qlassell, a gentleman who, la connection with a former partner, originated and built up the settlement of Orange, In the southern end of the county. In offering the land for sale, the Orange plan has been again adopted. Ditches leading irom the Tejunga Creek and froni the L03 Angeles Elver laave beea constructed, and each acre is given a water riijht and an interest iu the conducting ditch. Any portion ot tho unsold lands can be rented, and in addition to tho ususual method of Belling, land Is sold by being planted ou shares. Any one wishing to purchase by the latter meth- od makes his selection and enters nt once into possession, agreeing to plant the same in vines, orchards, etc., and to cultivate It for an agreed period. At the expiration ot tho contract time the purchaser is given a deed for hla portion of the land so improvea, and thus need not expend one dollar iu the purchase of his homestead. Tho nearness ot tho lands in question to Los An- geles makes them very valuable, wlthanordinary demand readily commanding prices, varying from ^0 to $70 per aero for uulmoroved lands. By this method, however, it has been rendered in a great measure unnecessary to fix a value tor all, as the land is paid lor by labor alone. The oblectlons, urged against the low lands, lying south and west from iho city, that, being on a lower level than tho town, they are subjected to tho mias- matic evils arising from a detective sewerage draining into them, do. not apply here, this tract being located en a plateau, elevated between thirty and forty feet above the town. There are no lands in tho county at the present time for TVhlcu ihere is such an active demand. Passing this point, our train enters the city and thence a trip by rail will conduct us in four ditrereut directions: Southwesterly to tho seaside at Santa Alonica; southerly to Wilmington har- bor, nineteen lulies distant; southeasterly to Ana- heim, passing Florence Junction, Downey City and Norwalk on tho way ; and northeasterly on the transcontinental line, to the eastern limit of the county. Let us first tako the through line. As tho train on this route crosses the river to East Los Angeles, It enters and passes through the Dolntof junction of three converging ridges, two of which to the west enclose the San Fcruando and San Rafael plains, and the ra^ge to tho east and south dividing- the San Gabriel section from tho coast valley, extending past Downey City and Compton to Wilmington. Through these low roll- ing hill.?, now used as grazing lands, but which eventually will be transformed into valuable vineyards, a few miles' travel opens to view the most lovely and picturesque landscape in the ■whole of Southern California. In front the eye Is first caught by tho Kew Mission of San Gabriel— new only in comparison with the older Aiisslou of the same name, situated on the Elo Honda, ten miles to the southeast— whilst all around the picture is dotted with handsome and costly vNlas, embowered la tho perfume-laden and evergreen orchards of " seml-troplcalla," and encompassed on ail sides by fruitful vineyards. To the southeast, almost equl-distant from the city and tho Mission, and Bufflciently remote from the railway thoroughfare to maintain Ita Arcadian renose, lies tho settlement of Pasadena. Started in 1874 by a ci lony ot Indians and located on the high undulating mesa ou either side of the Arroyo Seco, its rapid ana successful growtli has demonstrated that there are no better vine lands than these— a mooted question before its settlement- andfurther that an economical and systematic use of water in irrigation will go far towards increasing the capacity of tho present supply. Within the limits of the colony are contained twenty thousand acres, ten thou- sand of which it is claimed can be irrigated by the existing water appropriation. It is now proposed to bore into the mountain and obtain a further subterranean supply, which, if the theory of tho projectors should bo borne out by fact, will affora a sufficient quantity of water for the entire tract. Between Pasadena and the Mission, and constituting a prominent feature in the landscape as seen from the rail, are Mound Vineyard and San Marino. The first named prop- erty was the home of the late Hon. B. D. Wilson, an American pioneer of the county, and to whom more than any other person is due the credit of having originated and given an impulse to grape and orange culture. It was, also, by the exercise of his wise judgment and owing to his individual effort, ably seconded and assisted by his son-in- law and partner, that the San Gabriel Valley has outstripped other localities In this section in its settlement, and has kept well in advance in its approach and entrance to that more re- fined and thorough social civllizatioa whicU is not generally characteristic of new countries. The Mount Vineyard brand ot wines was the pio- neer vintage presented to the connoisseurs of tho Eastern States from this part or the State ; and Us excellence, which has in no way deteriorated since the property passed under the sole control of Mr. Wilson's Bon-in-law and successor, still maintains the pre-eminence which it acquired primarily by reason ot Its early introduction. Twelve years agothese properties andSan Gabriel were synony- mous terms: but now. from Pasadena in the south- west to the Santa Anita raneho in the east, a dis- tance of fifteen miles, the country has become almost one unbroken vineyard and orange orchard. To attempt Us description In detail would occupy too much space, and besides it has time and again been written up. It is the place of nil others for health-seekers who desire to make a permanent residence on this coast and who have tho means to pay for Improved places. The Mission Fathers were wise in their genera- tion, and It Is well known tnat the sltcsof the old Missions were located with especial reference to the comfort and convenience of tho physical man. This new Mission was the most important one here. The Inference Is natural, therefore, that to Its location more than ordinary care and atten- tion were given. From San Gabriel Station the road turns almost east, bearing very shghtly to tho north, and has a §.teady Incline upward from Los Angeles to tho east boundary of the county. Between four and live miles from the last station, we come to the villages ot Savannah and Lexington, the business centiesof El Monte settlement, and being in Its northern portion. This section forms properly a part of the San Gabriel Valley, being bounded on the cast by the San Gabriel River, and there be- ing no topographical line of demarcation between the two localities. It was ac one time the great malze-grovrlng region of Southern California. In- dian corn is still the staple product ot the farms, and tho yearly yield now is much greater than when it controlled the market; but it no longer holds a inonopoly in Its cultivation, Downey City and Gospel Swamp being formidable and aggres- sive rivals. The settlement extends from a short distance north of the railway southerly to El Paso do Bartolo, a break In the ridge, dividing the valley from the coast plain, through which the San Gabriel River passes, and has a length north and south ot about ten miles, with a greatest width of seven miles. It Is en- tirely settled In small farms, ranging In size from 20 up to 100 acres. In its lower porUoa on the Rio Honda, and a short distance above the Junctloa ot LOS ANGELES COUNTY— Nobthekn Paet. 107 that creek wltli the rlver,l3 the old Mission of San Gabriel, now a crumbling ruin. 'I'he principal residents at this mission, and In its Immediate vi- cinity, are native Callfornlans. The balance ot the population is American, chiefly Irom the aouthwesteru states. Wortti ot the railway and next above El Monte lies the Azura Duarte Eancho. This Is a tract or about 9,000 acres, ly- ing on an Inclined plain, with slope to southward, Immediately at the loot of the Sierra Madre, It was subdivided in small farms about ten years ago. Since then almost the entire tract has been purchased by different persons as subdivided, and It now 13 one of the most thrifty and pros- perous settlements In the county. It la splendidly adapted for the cultivation ot tlie praoe. Semi-tropical fruits also do well. The temperature of the daytime, both Summer and Winter, is pleasant and equable; but the nights are always cool, and occasional frosts In the Winter season render orange and lemon cul- ture somewhat precarious. There are a few small orange and lemon orchards, but, as a general rule, the vine and northern fruit trees are the staple Industries. Although twenty miles from Los An- geles, lands sell readily at prices varying from $100 to $200 per acre for improved places. Each farmer, having but a small holding, has Improved his place to the utmost extent, and no one will sell at all unless the full value of tlie property can be realized. One especial advantage here is, that helng situated in a pocket in the mountain, the settlement is entirely exempt from the dry and hot east wind which periodically blows in other lesa sheltered parts of the county. From Lexington the road continues easterly across the San Gabriel River, distant three miles, and enters La Puenie Kancho near its north- western corner. This rancho contains a large amount of valuable farming land, but It has not yet been placed upon the market, being now held In large parcels, and used chiefly as a stock range. Continuing la La Puente, the line passes to the south of the dividing ridge between Mud Springs and San Jose valleys. This ridge is iso- lated irom the hills surrounding the plain, com- mencing at a point In the valley about three miles east of the San Gabriel River, and ending as abruptly about two miles northwest of Po- mona. San Jose Valley, through which the railway has heen constructea, Is the narrower of the two, but Is well watered by the San Jose creek, which runs through Its entire length, emptying into the San Gabriel at El Paso de Bartolo. This valley is gen- erally under cultlvatiou, maize, small grain and gotatoes being tho principal crops; although flax as been quite extensively experimented in dur- ing tho past lour years, and is now taking its place as one of the leading crops. The hllis on the south, dividing the valley from the Anaheim section, are used for sheep pasture. At Pomona, the next station after Spadra, the Bhippiug point ot San Jose Valley, our railway trip will properly end, the eastern limit of the county being only six miles further on at the crossing ot San Antonio Creek. This is auite a large village, containing, among other essentials, livery stables, where teams can be obtained to visit its surroundings. Pomona itself sprung up under the homestead association system, town lots being located in the ceaire ot the purchase, and the farm lots increasing in size as they were located more remotely from the village. It was Intended originally to be devoted to the culture of oranges, lemons, etc. ; hut there arose one drawback, in the shape of Irosts In the Winter and early Spring, which ne- cessitated a change In the first intention. The BOll Is well adapted for the growth of those va- rieties of vines whose fruit can be used in the manufacture of heavy-bodied wines, such as port and angelica. The.class ot land is the same as In the celet)rated Cucamonga Vineyards, which are distant about eight miles from the village, Just over the line In San lieinardlno County. The water facilities are not perfect, the priocipal sup- Ely of water being obtained from the San Antonio reek, and the land being of such a leachy de- Bcriptlon that a great waste necessarily occurs in the carriage of water in an open ditch. Several larmers, however, have tried for arte- pian water, and with a good measure ot success. The flow obtained, although not near so large as In the settlements around Westminster and Norwalk, if properly economized, will be sufllclent tor small larms. The strongest well that has been bored will dis- charge an amount of water equivalent to ten miners' inches, or 0.23 cubic feet per second. At Pasadena this is considered sufftclent for their lands, and is the basis upon which it is estimated that ten thousand acres can be covered by their present suoply. At Riverside. San Bernardino county, tweniy-flve miners' laches, or 0.585 cubio feet per second, is considered the unit ol service. Lying soutueast from Pomona flrst comes El Chin! RancCio, a larj^e tract of plain land with scant Irrigating facilities. It is now occupied and used by sneep-ralsers. Then comes the Rincon settle- ment, just at the head ot the pass In the hills through which the Santa Ana River enters the Anaheim Valley. The farmers here raise small grain almost entirely, having an abundance ot water furnished by Rincon and El Chino San Creek. Prom Pomona northeasi lies the An- tonio canon, heading on tne southwestern siopo ot San Antonio Mountain, and containing a small quantity of tillable land. The residents therein, however, are principally engaged In bee-keeping, tilling the land merely for domestic uses. In fact, in every canon aud gulch, and all along the south slope of the sierra Madre, from San Antonio to the western limit of the county, are to be found settlers on the wild lands who, as bee-keepers, are engaged in developing and building up a very profltable and, in the future, important in- dustry. In this canon there is also a company at work In hydraulic miuinif, and at its head small placers are profltably worked. Xiounding the base ot the foot-hills on the return towards LosAngeleSjWe pass the San DlmasCafion at the head olMud Sorlngs Valley. Here again come wheat lands, the crops of that cereal very rarely failing. The rainfall Is good, and no irri- gation is attempted, except on a very snail scale. A large portion ot the valley is still open for set- tlement, aud would furnish a very eligible loca- tion for a colony. Next, the settlement known aa the Dalton Azusa 13 reached. This trace was oc- cupied about ten years ago by settlers cldming the land as belonging to the public domain. IE was also claimed by Mr. Dalton, the owner ot the Azusa Rancho, as subject to purchase by him un- der an Act of Congress, the laud in question sur- rounding his rancho, and being within its original limits. A long and protracted litigation has resulted in a victory lor the settlers, as regaras the outside lands, and additionally, by reason ot loans and mortgages to obtain means for legal expeuaitures, in aespoillng th© owner of property to which his title was without question. Tho tract is valuable, being very simi- lar in character and description to tho Azusa Duarte, aud now that litigation has ceased, is rapidly fllllng up with a farming population. The two Azusas are fortunate also in possessing large water privileges. Being situated just below the poiut Where the San Gatjriel River debouches from its canon, the entire surface water of the river Is appropriated and divided between each settlement proportionately to Its number of acres. In the canon ot the San Gabriel aud the tributa- ries thereto, placer mines are worked on a small scale. Taking the rail again at Los Angeles, south toward Wilmington, for several miles. In fact until Florence Junction is reached, the scene from either window Is almost tropical in Its sur- roundings. A succession of orchards of th© orange and lemon, hedges of lime and cypress, are broken only by Interposing vineyards. At Florence the Anaheim Branch Railway leaves tho main line. At this point, too, commences the artesian belt of which Compton, a few miles below. Is the central point. These two settlements are distinct only in name, merging the one in the other, and occupying th© lower portion of the plain commencing in Los Angeles City, and extending westward to Include 108 LOS ANGELES COUNTY-Northekn Part.-ALPINE COUNTY. the rancbos La Ballona, La Clenega, Sausal Ke- donda, aucl Li Centlnella. The two localities are not cllsslmilar In other respects, the principal In- dustries iQ each being growing saiall grain and preaching temperance and prohibition. From Compton down, the road passes through the San Pedro raiicho, owned by a Call- fornla:i, and used for pastoral purposes. At Wlliiiiii'^to I, the southern terinlous or the Los Angeles a d sai Pedro llallroad Is tiie princi- pal sbipplug port ill the couiity. The bieakwaier and other works developing the harbor, cou- structi'd under Federal supervision, have made material changes iu Us facilities for receiving shipping. The worli is as yet in an unfinished conaitiou, foraier appropiiatlons having been ex- pendetl ; but the re5.ulC thus lar has been equal to the most sangul.e expectations. H the works should bo coniiu lied to compleilon, and ihei'e is BO dnubc that this will be done, Los Angeles Coun- ty will possess a check upon freights and fares far more potent for good than the most incorruptible commissiOD. 1 have already exceeded my limits, however, and there still remains much territory to be tra- versed. The settlement around Downey City, with its crops of maize, pumplilDS, and hogs, and its irrigation system, one of the most complete la the county, the valuable grain and vineyard lands ortue yan Antonio Rai.cho, a township in Itself, lying north of the Anaheim railway, and adjoin- ing the pueblo lands o£ Los Angeles, the artesian belt encircling Norwalk and Artesia, and the clenega lands lying to the west ot Los Angeles are all deserving of more than passing notice. Santa Monica, too, the Long Branch of the Paeltlc, with its villas and bathing houses and Us new wharr, and the section, un- known and unsettled as yet, adjoining Ventura County, should not be omitted in the enumera- tion. But the subject requires a book in which to be even concisely written, and In any less space ' much that should be told must be omitted. ALPINE COUNTY. By G. E. LUKENS. Alpine County Is located in the eastern partot Caliiornla, boiderlngoa the State of Kevaaa,the Eoithern extremity comnienelogat the elbow, or where the dlvMing line between the two States turns Irumauoi'ih andsouthtoaneasterlv direc- tion, and islocaiedliithesiunmitand on theeast- «riisloj;eof theblerraNevadaMountalns. Itwas organised under an Act of the Legislature ot 1863-64, from a ponion ot the counties «t El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras and Mono, anl uei'lves Its name from the Latin word "alplnus," meaning high and lotty inountaii.s,which no one alter traversing through %he count V will doubt but that l: was appropri- ately christened. The people of Alpine county ean pride themselves of being "above" many other citizens ot sister counties of the State In altitude, which averages from 4,000 to 11.000 feet above the level of the sea. The county was tlrst settled at a small villa lu the northeastern part of the county called Woodford's, at the base of the mountain on the old emi- grant road leading through Hope Valley from Carson City to tho then-called Hau.^'town. The date ot this settlement was In the year 1S55. Soon afterward there was a small water-power saw mill erected at this place on tho bank of Hope Valley Creek, where lumber was sawed and tur.ilshed for building materli.l at Genoa in Car- son Valley. Nevada. Thesettlement ot the county was very slow from that time until the years of lS63-'64, when the excitement ot the Alpine gold fields c lused many people to emigrate here from all parts of the Pacific Coast lu search of the hidden treasure. At that tine, and since, many claims have been located and worked, showing rich prospects ot gold, silver and copper; but, as the sayli'g is, it takes a gold nilue to work a sliver mine, and vice re/Mi, and as the mines here are of quartz, and to operate them retiuires considera- ble capital, whicn was at that time and since somewhat lUijided by the owners of ledges and claims, consequently the mines of Alpine are In what may be termed an aln.ost undeveloped state; ot which I shall speak ot more fully here- after, the population of the county diminishing as the mining excitement subsided, until the county is at present very sparsely settled, and contains less than one tnousand inhabitants, EXTENT. The boundaries of the county are somewhat Irregular, especially ou the north and west, and are about seventy miles In extent from north to south, and about fopty miles in width from east to west, enibraclug an area of nearly 2,000 sauare miles. TOPOGRAPHY. The county Is a succession of mountain ranges, with high and precipitous peaks, Interspersed with numerous lakes, rivers, creeks and beautiful valleys. Sliver Mountain is the highest peak lu the countj-, having an altitude ot 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, and Is located near tho western boundary of the county and about eighteen miles south ot Woodford's. The town of Sliver Mountain Is situated at or near the base of this mountain, from which it derives Its name. Kound Top is another one of Alpine's tower- lug peaks; it is 10,600 feet high, on the summit of which is located one ot the Pacific Coast's signal service stations, which has been under the sunervlsion of Professor Davidson during the past Summer. There are numerous small lakes throughout the county. The water of these lakes are clear, cold, and the most beautiful of all waters. Many of them contain the mountain trout. Of these are Blue Lakes and Caples Lakes in the western part ot the countj', near the Amador and Hope Valley Wagon Road, which are visited by many people during the Summer season. The county Is bountifully supolied with brooks, creeks, rivulets and rivers, many ot them heading high up in lue mountains, led by the numerous lakes and the melting snow which keeps them running through the Summer seas n. Almost all these streams are bounilf uliy supplied with delicious mountain trout. These numerous ravines afford plenty of water for irrigation lu the differenD valleys, which Item Is looked upon by the ranchers as a great advantage over many other localities where there are net these advantages. The Carson Klver heads in the southern part of the county, and flows from south to north through the coun- tj-. It is fed by numerous streams, viz.: the East Fork Oi East carson lUver. West Fork ot Carson Klver, Wool Creek, Sliver Creek. Monitor Creek, Smith's Creek, Mogul creek and Indian Creek. Among these mountains are numerous valleys. The largest and most noted are Diamond, Hermit, Pleasant, Hope, Faith and Charity \ alleys. Diamond Valley lies on the northeastern part of the couiity, and contains some very rich proauc- ALPINE COUNTY. 109 tlve TttDChes, producing wheat, toarley, liay, oats and potatoes, and as lliero is no great amount of these cereals and vegetables raised la the couuty, the farmers ol Diamond Valley find a ready home martet tor their produce at good remuueralive prices. The three sister valleys of the couuty are Hope, Faliu and Chasity— vallp.vs which are lo- cated In the iiorihwesterii part of the county, at an altitude of about 7,500 leet above sea level. These valleys are luhablted only during the Bummer mouilis.aud ttien by stock raisers ana dai- rymen. The dairy interest lu theseihree valleys Is of considerable importance, and more than 30,- 000 pounds ot butter of au excellent quality is produced annually, which Is readily uiarkected on this Bide ol the mountains lu the cities of Carson, Gold mil, Vjrijlnla, and other towns of Nevada, which are much better l)utter markets lor the mountain dairymen than the cltl s of san Francisco or Sacramento. The merchants of Gold Hill, Carson and Virginia cities also prerer this mountain-made butter irom dalrymci;, whom they purcnase ol from year to year, and seldom tail lu getting a good article. Backed lu filty and one hundred pound fiikLjs, lor their winter custom. Pleasant valley Is near the town ot Markieevlile, where con- siderable hay Is cut and marketed to the rebldenls hereabouts. There are many other small valleys tnroughout different pans of the couuty where sheep and cattle are grazed during the ISummer season. The uutruious buncu grass which grows so luxuriantly in tliom mountainous regions Is 0£ an excellent qu illty, and stock lattena very rapidly upon it. The larger amount of the stock which are grazed in Alpine County durli'g the Summer mouths are migratory, driven here from adjacent counties. VALUATION. . The statistics ot Alpine county, according to the assessment roll ot the years 1878 and '(9, snow as tho value of real estate ol the county a total amount of $3GS,9G8, with a totil amount of real and personal property of $405,039, and of migra- tory from other counties, the Treasurer's books foot UD to the amount of $143,962, of which Amn- aor County furnishes $9030; Mono county, $8,000; Calaveras Couuty, $34,105; El Dorado County, $700; Stanislaus County, $25,711; Kan Joaquin couuty, $26,142; Sacramento Couniy, $39,090. The assessment ol ine same year shows 29S head of horses, 1,539 he id of cattle, 3,325 head of sheep, and 19,559 cordd of wood, 69 tons hay and 25 tons grain. The number of migratory stock of the same years were: Horses, 219 head; cat- tle, 2,995 head, and 104,879 head of sheep. The reader will notice from the above statistics that our migratory list is large; conseciuemly, many of the inhabitants of the country during the Summer months are of the misratijg class of persons, who spend their Winter mouths in the warmer climes of the loothills of the Sierras. SCHOOLS. The latest school census gives the county only 108 children between the ages of 5 and IT. The apportionment for the present year from the State Treasury is only $603 96. The county is divided into lour school districts, each of wliich has a very comfortable school house, where BChool Is kept during the Summer mouths. POPULATION. The population is small considering the extent of the county, but this is c.isily accounted for, considering the undeveloped indu-stries and the Eituaiion ol lue county, as there la but a small proportion of its area tillable, and its population principally have to depend upon the mining and timber resources, of v/hlch Alpine County will probably have some day a bountiful incume of wealth, alLhongh there are unoccupied Government lands In the cotmty which might be cleared ot Its sagebrush by the industrious man, and made to produce grain and hay in a profit able way. But as this county Is la her youtn yet, we look forth to the future with encouraging prospects to the devel- opment of its mines, the improvements of the un- cultivated tillable lands, and the time when a large revenue may be added to the county's wealth, from the vast timber forests of fir, tam- arack, spruce and pine, which are In- terspersed In the valleys and ou the moun- tains throughout the county. And as the Comstock mines are reaching out for wood and lumber, their supply Irom the Lake Ta- hoe country will soon be consumed, and then no doubt this couuty will furnish those mines with timber and wooa, as Alpine County has a great advantage over many other timbered sections, for transporting wooa In drives down the Carson Itlvcr to Empire, where it is taken from the river and snipped by the Virginia and Truckee Rail- road to Gold Hill and Virginia. These wood arlves are run during the Spring of tne year, while the water is high, and ro freight for transportation is paid. There has been many thousands of cords already cut Irom Alpine's lorests, but there Is so much timber leit untouched that there might be over a mlliioa cords of wood cur and siiippea down the river. The mining interests of the county have been ia somewhat ot a dilapidated and undeveloplng state tor the past few years, up till about eleven months ago, when work was recommenced in our mines with renewed energy, some of which were opened and worked years ago, and as thla Spring opens, the mining Interests ot Alpine are of greater promise, and the people are more encouraged than for several years past. The mining interest Is the promise of the future on which largely depends Its prosperity. Colo- rado No. 2, lor the last ten nionths past (the twenty-stamp mill of Colorado No. 2) at Monitor has been running sieaaily and working in good paying ores of gold and silver. This mine was opened and worked several year ago, but under some financial embarrassments tbe mine was shut down and mill idle, until last. Spring the property changed hands, and the present company commenced work with encouraging prospects, and has made regular monthly shlpmcuis of bullion tor the past ten months. This company gives employment to over forty ijjen at present. In Monitor District are several well-deuned ledges just being opeued, one of which is the Lincoln Gold and Silver Wining company's ledge, located west ot Colorado No. 2. and a very promising ledge, although the ore Is of low grade, averaging from $S to $12 per ton. These assays have been made from feeders al- ready struck la the running of their tunnel, which IS finished iii a distance of 200 leet. The croppings of this location are ot mammoth pro- porLions, and so situaieu that rock irom tne Lin- coln gold and silver mine may be very cheaply worked. The Olympic Company, of Monitor District, has succeeded in discovering a gold-bearing ledge between solid, well-defined walls, which seems to be related to the quartz bowlders lound oa Bowlder Hill; those bovvlucrs showing rich in line gold, caused quite an excitement at the time of their 'discovery some years ago. ftlany pros- pectors searched for tbe ledge, but were unsuc- cessful until the OlympiiX Company made itii dis- covery a short time aao, and now oelleve that they have found the true origin of these bowl- ders, and as the advance water-power quartz mill is in close proximity to thene\vi> discovered lecige, which gives It great advantages for the crushing of its ores. There are numerous other claims lu Monitor District, which Oiily await caiiltai necessary for their dcivelopment. Stiver Mountain district had considerable nntorleiy a few years ago as a mining camp, where consid- erable Uilninghas been done. The advantages of wood and water in tuis district are excellent. Tne most noted mines here are the 1 X L, Exchequer and Isabella G. & S. M. Co. TbelXL has been a gold-producing mine, from which ovcr$l00,009 ot bullion has been shipped. There are two good quartz ujIUs near these mines, only awaiting tne developments of the Isabella tunnel, wnen the now noiseless mill may again commence tne crushing of quartz. The Isabella G. & 3. M. Co. (limited London capital), under tne mau- age.iieat of L. Chalmers, Is excavating a tunnel, which is at present completed in from the base of the mountain, a distance of no ALPINE COUNTY. 2,S00 feet. When completed It will tie the longest tunnel la California (6,0U0 feel) where the Coin- paiy expect to Birlke the ledgces of the isaDella, I XL, ana Exchequer, at i distance of abouL 2,000 feet from the suriace. The company commenced this tunnel about ten niontha ago wiih a work- ing toiv e of tulrty-tive to forty men, running lilghtand d ly shifts, and excavatlug an average of over 200 feet per month. The California Illinois Company, composed of Chlc.igocariil.illsts, are prosecuting the work In the running of their tunnel, which is now com- pleted In a distance of 1.550 leet. 'i'his Company expects to strike some rich rock soon, as the rock touiid already indicates. This mine is located only a few miles west of the town of Markleeville.' TOWNS. MarkleevlUe is the county seat of Alpine Coun- ty, and Is located on the banks of the nest fork of Carson llivci-, and about eight mliea soutu of Woodford's. It has a beautiful location at or near the base of the mountain oi us east- ern slope, where almost perpetual snow can be seen looking to the westward. The Legislature passed an Act for Us incorpora- tion a lew years ago, and soon afterwards a fire conpany was organize! for the protection of the city, but thac was 111 the palmy days of the coun- ty, when MarUIevlUe was quite a business centre of traffic forihe cuunty; now the population has decreasea until at present the towa contains less than '200 Inhabitants. There are two iiotels, two stores, school house and many good swelling houses, some ot which are unoccupied at present. The I. O. O. F. have a large two-story frame building; the lower story the county uses for a court-room and offices for county offlclala. MONITOR Is a pleasant village of about 200 Inhabitants, and Is eight miles southeast Of MarkleevlUe, located In a narrow gulch, called Monitor Caiion, on Mon- itor Creek. Jt has two large and commodious hotels, two stores, blacksmith and shoe shops, several saloons, with the large and powerful Col- orado, No. 2, quartz-mlU'ln her midst, and In fact l8 a lively little njlnlng-camp. The Monitor .«* SUTTER COUNTY. Ill SUTTER COUNTY. Sutter was one of the twenty-seven counties Into wMcli the State of California was aivlaed in 1S49. At that time, however. It comprised parts of what are now Placer and Butte Counties. . BOUNDARIES. Its present boundaries are: On the north, Butte County; on the east, Yuha and Placer Counties; on the west, Tolo and Colusa Couutles; ai d on the south, Yolo and Sacrameuto Counties. The county Is Bituated lu the Third Congres- sional, Twenty-fifth Senatorial and Tenth Ju- dicial Districts, in the valley of the Sacramento, the Sacramento River foroilng nearly the whole of the western boundary, while the Feather Elver, after forming two-thirds of the eastern boundary, flows through the southern part of the county Into the Sacrameiito. NAME. The county was named In honor of General John A. Sutter, Its flrst settler, who, la 1849, had been living for several years upon his estate, Known as Hock Farm, on the west bank of the Feather Elver, then called the Rio de Lo3 Plumas. General Sutter was widely and favorably known, having received with u.uch hospitality at his lradln?-post, known as " Sutter's Fort," many of the immiiiraats of 1849-50. TOPOGRAPHY. The Buttes, a collection of mountain peaks, are situated in the northern part of the county, rising to the height of over a thousand feet, and occu- pying an area of twelve by four miles. A num- ber of lich and prosperous farms are situated among the foothills of these mountains, which are almost desuiute of timber, but which lurnlsh «xcellei.tgrazin;< ground. The water fuciliiles, for Irrigation and naviga- tion, are unsurijassed, comprising ttie Sacra- mento and Feaiber Rivers, ana the Bear River, which Hows lu the southern part of the Statu into the Feather. With ihe excepiloa of the Buties the county is eutirely level, and a portion ot ir, on tiie Bear and feather Rivers, is subject tu annual overflow. But: the farmers settled here have already expended considerable sums in levees, and these lule lands need ouly to be thor- oughly reclaimed to be among the most valuable In the State. MEXICAN CLAIMS. While the towns have grown slowly, the county Itself has advanced greatly in wealth and popu- lation. Bat a few years ago It presented only slight evidences of permanent settle^ ent and Improvement. The only land tnen thought worih cultivating was that situated along tue water courses, ard w^as all claimed under Mexican grants. The actual settlers, therefore, seldom expended much upon permanent improvements, for fear ot some future claimant under a Mexican grant. But these difliculties are now removed, and the happy result Is apparent everywhere, While tne ouco worthless plains are to-day amons the most valuable farming lands. TRANSPORTINd FACILITIES. The California and Oregon Railroad, touching at Yuba City, passes through the northern part of the county. When the California Paciflc Rail- road was flrst flnlshed it ran through the county, crossing the Sacramento at Knight's Landing, lii Yolo County, and passing through the tule lands by about four miles ot piling, terminating at MarysviUe. But tuo flood of 1872 washed away part of the tule section, and the road at present extends only to Kultjht's Landing. '1 he Sacramento lilver is navigated by steamers at all seasons ot the year, thus givlui,' the tzreater ponlou oi: the county good market facility by water. Freight steamers run regularly irom Yuba City (ou the Feat.ier River) to San Fra Cisco, transporting the county products at cheap rates. DEBRIS. In 1850, Bear River was a clear and beautiful stream, flowing between wooded and well-deflned banks, from the toot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, through some twenty miles of me plains, into the Feather River. The original channel, however, has been almost obliterated by means of the hydraulic mining car- ried ou at its source, about sixty miles distant, thus fllllng the stream with the " sllcklugs " from the mines (coroDosed of coarse sand ai.d gravel), to an average depth of twenty feet, and covering me land on each side of the original cliannel, for an average width of one and one-half miles, to a depth o£ two feet and more. A levee now crosses the old channel lu beveral places, materially altering tue course of the stream. This poriiou of the county, densely settled In 18C0, 13 now very tiiinlypopulated, owing to this continual encroachment ot ocbris. Mr. dames li. Keyes, who owns a large tract of land on the south side of Bear lilver, in ISTG instituted a suit In the District Court of the coutity, and in 1873 was granted an Injunction enjoining the mi jcs (the Little York Mining and Water Company) fioui fouling this river or its tributaries with ibeir washings. But the case was appealed to the Sunreme court of the State, where it yet re- mains undecided. SOIL. Most 01 the soil of the county is a rich loam, and is capable, with the well adapted climate and the abundance of rains, of producing profitably nearly every product of the teniperate and semi- tropical zo.es. 'ine average yearly rainfall la about twenty Inches. POPULATION. Sutter has a total estimated population of 6,500, of whom 1,427 are registered voters, and 1,571 cen- sus school children. TOWNS. The flrst county seat was established at Oro, a city which existed only on paper, consisting In factor a bare and treeless tract of land on the bank ol the Bear River. A county court house, the first building in town, w-as erected, b'lng a zinc structure, twenty leet square, with a floar of rough boards, and with apertured.sliutterlebs and glassless, cut lor the doors and windows. Tuls houbo was, however, sj intolerably waim, tliat tlie tollowlngyear(ls5u) the county seat was re- moved to Nicolaus, on the Feather lilver, and then, as now, a town of about tour huaared in- habitants. YUBA CITY. In 1856, the county town was established at Yuba City, where it still remears In sucCf'Sslon, on the san.e vmes. One pi^ce of ground will ylt- la five crops or Irish pot»tces In thirteen months, and sweet potatoes have been raised welgblng from fifteen to twenty-five pounns. All berries do well, the Etr iwberry ex- celling, this fruit attaining a very large size. Fur raisins the table varieties, known East as hot- house grapes, are raised here with less trouble and two or thiee hundred per cent n ore profit, than a field ot corn there. Peaches gmw finely, there never having been a failure In ihe fruic crop, nor any trouble at all v\lth worms. Al- m )nds are of a fine quality and grow rapiuiy, be- ginning to bear at two years irou; the bud. Eng- lish walnuts, limes, lemons and ora ges oo equally well. 1 here are over '^o,00O oraik^e trees now grovviiig here, some on the hit;h mesa la ds, aud all showing a splenaid growth, six-year-old trees bearing two hundred fine oranges. OLIVES. The olive excels in every respect, In rapid growth, early uiatiirity aud yield, all other trees raised here, its natural home seeming to be on these rolling or mesa lands. It is raised frona cuttings as easily as grapes or willows, and bears the second year, the third year the yield being considerable. The finest olive orchard In the United States is at the old Mission of san Diego, and a single tree iu this orchard has prouuced 192 gallons of fruit at one crop, which, selling for 60 cents per gallon, wholesale, realized $150. Eighty to 100 olive trees are set to tho acre, a, id one mau can start the cuttings and take care of twenty acres. As a^^e Increases the yield aud the trees are long Uvea, the profits become e. ormous. Shade aud other ornameuial trees do finely lu San Diego Couuty— the eucalyptus, acacia, pep- per and Monterey cypress beiug among the most rapiu growers. BEES. In the Fall of 1869 the first bees were Drought Into this county by one of the most scientific and best apiarians In the country, the result bei g the development of this Important industry to a most praiseworthy extent. In 1S75 there were 10,000 stands in the couijty, and in 18S0 there are 2C,000. Mr. Harbison, the pioneer apiarian, h ta six apiaries and over 2,C00 hives, employing twelve n.en continually. He produced 100 t u.s or 2U0,uu0 pounds last year, and sdpped East fjr himself and others twenty car-loads, 'j ne foot- hills in this county are pruoabiy the best uee range la tue Uuitea states, aud haruor many apiaries. SAN DIEGO. There are, lu reality, two !>an Diegos, the old adobe town with Its tile-covereil roots being situ- ated four n.iles Inland, and quite distinct from the more recently ei'ected ciiy, with its expen- sive and substantial buildings, aid widestreeis leading down to commodious wuarves upon the bay. This bay was first entered by a white man in 1542, by cabriUo, wno called the place sa . J\ug lel Viscaiiio. 'Ihe second visitor, iul6u2, remuineilhe.e tea days, and clia ged the name lo SanD.euo. In lTt)9 the Dominicans, under Faiher Junlpcra Serra, made the first pTUianent sectlcmt nt of Caliiornla by establisulug the SanDietioMi^sio i, ■ which ancient monument ot early days Is^till standing, about flva miles east or ih') town. Father JuDlpera describes this "goodly country" in glowing terms, speaking of vines hung wltU SAN DIEGO COUNTY. 117 grapes, and roses " like the roses ot Castile." The l..aians, bowever, weren lUed aua degraded, sub- eistl-g on eeeds and by csulug, golaii a couslJer- able distance to sea la tneir rusli DuiU or tule canoes. Sau Diego proper, or the new town, Is the county seat, a^d la a beautiful city, pleasantly situated U[.ou the bay, and destined to be a great one, when tue rallruad, at some future day, and a iurther developiueut of the natural advantages of the adjacent country, shall make it a large com- ujercial centre. It 13 distant from ban Francisco from 482 to 60T miles, accordiuu to the fouie travelled, by laud or by water. The city Has a fine sysie;:i ol water works, a weather sig- nal Btailou, a military station, and a Custom House. 1 he Hortou House, a fine hotel, Is well kept. The Sun Diego News, daily and weekly, and the daily Unioii and world, are pubiisned here; and there are Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal, Baptise, Unitarian and Catholic churches In town. The tlsheries of the port and vicinity are ot great importance, whaling being carried on off the entrance to the Day. This entrance Is easily distiijgmshcd from the sea, and la safeiy passed, there being at all times twenty-two teec of water over the bar. There are excellent public schools. In good con- dition, in city and county, besides two select BChools in the cltj^— Miss Surah tiunu's aan Diego Academy and Mrs. Gates' Point Lomo Seminary. Its salubrious cUmute, which Is very mild, and certainly the most equable In the world, has made Sau Diego a noted sanitarium. It has a very exceptionally low death rate, and In mid- winter the tuberoses are seen blooming In the gardens. BANNER Is a new town about fifty miles northeast ot San Diego, in the San Felipe Canon. Gold mining was commenced here in ISTI, and the place grew rapid- ly. It has now good hotels, schoolhouses, a Post Office, etc. The town is situated at a great eleva- tion, and Has a splendid climate. Grain, fruit and vegetables of all kinds grow la the neighborhood. JULIAN Ja a very pretty mining town, torty-flve miles northeast ot San Diego. It is situated among thickly wooded hills, in a grazing and agricultural eection. Its scenic features are magnlflcent and Its climate unsurpassed. FOET Y0MA. One hundred and ninety-nve miles east ot San Diego Is the extreme town of the State. The fort was established in 1849, when the territory across the river belonged to Mexico. The post is on the right bank of the Colorado, 180 miles from its mouth, and directly opposite the mouth ot the Cilia. 1 he fort is, from its position, one of Impor- tance, thougb jc is generally occupied by a very limited number of soldiers. The town ot Yuma, tomierly Arizona City, is on the ooposlte bank, in Arizona, the river beli g crossed by a ferry. Yuuja is about the hottest place on the coast, the sun being unclouded some 350 days out of tha year. OTHER TOWNS And precincts of San Diego County are : Alpine, Atkinson, Bear Valley, Ballena, Bernardo, Caion, Descanso, El Casco, Fall Brook, Forster City, Hope, Hoffiestead, Jamul, Jamasha, Lyons, Mon- ument, Malava, Mount Falrvlew, Mountserraite, MUquettay, Nutlo.ial City, Olay, Oak Grove, Po- irero, Pala, Poway, San Diegulta, Sau Jacinto, Saa Luis Key, Spencer Valley, Sweetwater, Valley Centre, Tia Juaua, Temeruia, and Vlejas. STATISTICAL. Two thousand Ave hundred and thirty-seven acres of land are enclosed, and 14,039 acres are cultivated in San Diego County : Acres. Yieldin(r. Wheat 6,'.2d 104,2oa busli Barley -2,tii;9 62,748 busli Kye 72 l,205busii Corn 294 6,485buai» Beans 15 l&lbush PotatOtiB 4U 68 tons Sweet Potatoes 7 7 tons Onions a 32bush Hay 4,697 6,613 ton.s Tobacco 1 300 Iba The agricultural products also embrace 14,130 pounds ot butter, 2,900 pounds of cheese and 495,- 420 pounds ot wool. The value of the fruit crop is estimated at $4,035, there being. In addition to the ordinary orchard trees, 417 lemon, 2T1 orange and 433 olive trees, in matured orchards. There are 216 acres in grape vines, from which are annuiliy made 4,240 gallons of wine and 3,840 gallons ot brandy. There are also in sau Diego two breweries, whlcU make annually 45,000 gallons of beer. The live stock numbers 5,202 horses, 555 mules, 18,362 horned cattle, 191,174 sheep and 2,075 hogs. '1 he improvements include l steam-power grist mill, making 6,735 barrels of flour, and grinding 36,548 bushels ot corn ; 7 saw mills, C steam and I water-power, sawing 1,875,120 ieetof lumber and making 70,000 shingles; 6 quartz milia, and 1 rail- road, 165 miles in length. The assessed value ot real estate is, In round numbers, $3,000,000; that of improvements, $4'<0,- 000; that ot personal property, $100,000, making a total ot $3,500,000. Sau Diego has a population of 13,278, of which number 4,2S0 are registered voters, a d 1,693 are census school children. The county went Demo- cratic, by a Blight majority, at the last State election. San Diego was organized in 1850, and contains 15,156 square miles ot land, all but 60O square miles being government land, imd the average value ot land la the county being from $1 25 to $2 per acre. (?0 118 MONO COUNTY. MONO COUNTY. Mono was organized In 1861, with Aurora, now Included In Esmeralda County, Nevada, as the county town. It Is a long and narrow county, its length lying along tbe boundary line between California aud Nevada. It contains 4,176 square miles, all but eighty of which are still Govern- ment lauds, the average value of land, however, being $3 or $1 per acre. BOUNDARIES. The length of Mono runs from northwest to southeast, tbe State of Nevada, or rather the boundary line between that State and California, bounding It on the north and east. Inyo County Is on the south and Fresno, Tuolumne and Alpine on the west. TOPOGRAPHY. The western portion of the county lies among the sierra Nevada Mountains, the heights being clad in snow, and tlie slopes of the range covered with forest trees. Among tbe highest peaks in tbe county are Mt. Dana, 13,6JT feet hlgn, Mt. Lyell, 13,21T feet high, and Castle Peak, 13,000 feet high. Among the mountains in the western pirt, particularly In the vicinity or iirldgeport, to the nonh, are a large number of valleys, which coasiiiute the agricultural or cultivated lands of tue county. The eastern portion of the county, which is usually sDokea of as a strange, mysterious coun- try, is of adesert-lllce, volcauiccharacter, abound- ing m^lc pools, alkali and volcanic table lands, the ch iracterlstlcsot this portion of the county being slgiiiQcantly indicated by some of the local names, sucli as Hot Springs, Geysers, Sulphur Springs, Bl'>ck Luke, Sooa Pond. Volcanoes, Obsidian Mountain, Deep Canon, Volcanic Table- laud, Kea crater, Adobe Meadows and Oasis. MONO LAKE. Mold Lake, situated in the centre of the county, Is about Otteen miles long by ten miles wide, its waters being a somewhat unusual compound, various chemical substances being found in solu- tion in them. This lake has the appearance of having once been the scene of volcanic action ; the country surrounrling it, as Bodie, Aurora and Benton, abounding in miufrals. A number of volcanic cont'S uaviug esiinct craters lie to ihe Bouih of tue lake, una a great portion of the for- mation of the district may be considered vol- canic ; debris, cousisUug of porphyry, granite, llme-s'LOue, aud a re.uarkably pure oosidian, while deijoslts of lava are found at Aurora aud Table Mountain. The flres of the ancient vol- canoes may not yet be all extinct, tor'upon the Islands la the centre of the lake jeis of hot vapor escape, ana there are a number of boiling springs of Water. The great bluffs and rocky ravines of the Sierras come almost to the western shore of the lake, while upon the western side salt deposits and lines of drift-wood mark the plain, showing very ciisilnctiy what were the former more ex- tensive shores of this sheet of water. ForiDoon the bluffs or the western side are watermarks, whlcii u>ake It seem highly probable that tne waters were once almost a thousand feet above their present elevation, spreading out over the plains to the east to form a great inland sea. The lake receives a number of small streams, but is without a perceptible outlet. Owens River la the south, which takes its rise la a high peak of the Sierras; Mt, Kitten; and Walker's River in the north, bein^ the nrincipal streams in the county; the one passing through the southern part of the county luto Inyo, the other continu- ing its course, after rising in Mono, to the stata of Nevada. SCENERY. In picturesque variety and grandeur, the scen- ery ia the mountainous region of this county sur- passes many of the celebrated views in the Alps. Some standpoints above the western shore of Mono Lake are very grand, the mountains lolliag off, one beyond the other, to the horizon, snow which never melts being upon the highest sum- mits, wuiie the pine forests form a dark fringe upon the outlines of the It- ss lofty ranges. It is predicted that tourists will eventually ex- tend ilieir trip to laclude wl h Yosemlte aud iha Big Trees a portion of this mountainous s enery of Mono county, when the tour will, indeed, be unsurpassed in natural features by any similar journey in the world. TRAVELLING FACILITIES. There are comparatively few roads as yet in the county. One, by way of which the mail is car- ried, leads from Aurora, Nev., through Blind Springs and Owensvilie, in Mono County, to Inde- pendence, Inyo County. A wagon road, which cost a large amount of money, has been con- structed from Bridgeport, the couaty seat, over the mountains by way of the Soi.ora Pass, to Stockton. Bridgepoit may also be reached by way of the Central Pacinc Kailroad and Aurora ; The Carson and Colorado Railway opened 150 miles of its line to Bellvllle January l, 18S2, and from the station called llawthorae (lOO miles from Mound House, on the V. & T. R. R.) a stage con- nectioD is made for Bodle. Tne V. T, road also propose an extension to Aurora, and traveling fa- clllUes are improving rapidly. BESOORCES. The eastern part of the county, which has been mentioned as of an alkaline nature, with volcanic traces, and which is little known and almost en- tirely unimproved, yet without doubt possesses much undiscovered richness, of a mineral charac- ter and otherwise, which will yet be developed. The western portion, among the woodeJ slopes of the Sierras, contains a great number of val- eys whose soil and other advantages adapt theca for gr.:zing and agriuultur il purposes. At Bridge- port, which is situated in the norihern part ot the county, on the eastern fork of the VValuer River, there is an extensive valley of this fertile nature, known as Big Meadows, aud from who-:e farms a considerable country around is supplied with hay and vegetables, while flour, barit-y, corn, hay, beef, and other stiple articles are proJuced ia abundance in the Adobe Meadows District. Tuere l3 also considerable rich alluvial land along ine streams that empty into Mono Lake, yet farming- is necessarily limited by the extreme elevation or the county, many grains aud vegetables not beings sufflclenily hardy to be successfully cultivated. Fruit trees do not do well in the county, but honejr MONO COUNTY. 119 l3 produced from tbe flowers, atoout Ave hundred poiii.dabelug averaged annually. Fliieeii iDousand acres are made productive by me. ma or Irrigation, and tho grazing and agrlcul- tural Interests are, on the wliole, lucreaslug, but tUelumuer trade Is destined to be one or even greati-r impurtance, there being already several sa\v-iuiU3 at ^Y0rk among tUe torests near Bridge- port. Nut pine, yellow pluo and tamaracli are ab;;ndant, tlie former being used for fuel, and the two Later for building purposes; The Mono Lumber Company Las Eeeuicd a valuable tract of timber laiidsouib of Mono Lake, with a view to furnishing lumber to Bodie, where tbe price Has been very nigh. The tiiiiber will be carried by flumes to Mo:.o Lake, floated across the lake, and then co:iveyed by a good road to Bodle. wliicli town will be greatly benefited by the enterprise. However, tne weaUn of Mono county is, of course, la Its minerals— gold, silver and partz- wick, Willi traces of copper, iron, zinc, jasoer, cliaLedony, and oiber metals and stones being found, and a great number of silver veius lu dif- ferent portloi.a of the county being in tbe process of development, the principal mining districts be- ing Bodie, Blind (Springs, and Castle Peak. Mills and reduction works bave been established, and tbe yield from the silver ledges of the county, al- ready considerable, proiates to be greatly In- creasediii the luture, wneu ibe management shall bave beconio inure experienced and economical. Gold is lound in the county equally wltu Bllver, the Bodie bang a gold mine, tbe quartz yielding also a small percentage of silver. The mines are especially lortunate in knowing no lack of fuel and watei-, the latter being supplied in suflicient quantities by living springs. When tiie agricultural a id timber interests are considered, in addition to the mining advantages, it beco.nes evident tuat Jlouo County will yet be uiUeh more thoruUi'hly developed, and her popu- lation augmented by the establishment Of numer- ous permanent; and prosperous homes. BODIE. Bodle was originally prospected In 1859 by Bodie, or rather, Body, and three companions, who pushed on from JSIonoville, which was being worked as early as 1857, being one ot the first placer mining districts located east of the Sierras. W. S. Bt^dy came to Mono fiom Sonera, Tuolumne County, but he was a native of New York .state, of Butch descent, and of an easy, lazy, not atailenergetlciemp>rament. Helosthls lifo durin; tula Winter atBedie, la the midst of a proloncred Bnow-storm, 'i wo of his companions of thistiip are still living, neither of tuem, how- ever, any rleber for their discovery of this mining disir CI, lis wealth being little guessed by them attiietime. The "oiiu'inai shanty," orcabln.of Body 13 located, by various traditions, upon sun- dry aiid several different; sites in una around Bodie— for of such is the nature of tndltlon ; and it is surn is il tnat many of the anecdotes related ot this, the oriuiaal Bodie miner, are due largely to tl'.o leriUe imaginations ot his successors. Thetou..iy was al .cisc totally atjandoned after thepiaeer mtnLigot 18C0-0T, until ISTT, when iho Standard miiw attracted atf^ntion, a rush of pros- pect .rs, the investment of capital, and ri h de- velooinenis in the mines following e,:ch other in quick sue ession, and making mis what It has Blnce been, one of the most active ujlnlng districts on the coast. Bodle town site was laid out la 1S77, in rather an unshelieied situation, there being no trees on the spot, but this aspect is common to the towns eastot the Sierras, and waier, which is more im- portant, has been tuppliedin sufficient quantities py wells and springs, 'i he first building in the new tuwn was a wooden structure which was moved over from Aurora to give shelter to an ex- press ollice, a post, office, and a store of general merchandise. In two years' tiino tiie town had risen from inslgniflc mce to be tho most consider- able mining town la the State, inrapldily of growth being entirely unequalled in the annals ot cities, unless, perhaps. In the instance of Leadville. The town is a wooden one, but contilna many im- posing and substantial structures. In addition to the houses couiprlsluir the town proper, there are more than one hundred additional structures about the mines, there being upward or two dozen mining oiv an izatlons working tneir claims in the district and employing several hundred men. All the arts and Lidusirles needful to ad- inlnlsrerto the necessities and co dorts ot the mining pnpulatlon have quickly colLcted, until the town numbers seven thousand miiabit nts, of exceptional enterprise, energy and inielllgence. There are in tho town several banks of large capi- tal, good hotels, dally papers, and the United States Land Office, which was removed from In- dependence, Inyo County. Aline of railroad to Carson, soon to be established, is very much needed. The distance from San Francisco, via Keno and Carson, to Bodle is 433 miles, the last 113 miles of the journey being performed by stage. The fare from San Francisco Is about forty dol- lars, the trip occunyii g thirty-six hours. The altltuie of B die is the highest of any town in the United State, being 9,000 feet above the sea level, yet the climate Is exceedingly healthful, the Winters rarely being rigorous, and the Summers never being too warm. OTHER TOWNS. Bridgeport, the county seat, depends mainly upon the mining interests for support. It is llT miles distant from Carson, and is reached from that city by stage. It contains two hotels, a Post Office and express office, schools, a nuaiber of lawyers and the county officers, three general merchandise ana grocery stores, one contractor and builder, one blacksmith, stable, liquor deal- ers, etc. When this county was organized. In 1861, Au- rora was made the county seat, and in four years it had become a prosoerous city of 3,000 inhabi- tants. But when a new survey was made, iMono County had the misfortune and mortification to lose at one stroke this valuable portion of iier ter- ritory, which was found to belong to Nevada, and Aurora is now the county seat of Esmeralda, in that State. Benton lies seventy miles southeast of Bridge- port, and Js the largest town, aside from Budle, in the county. It is locally known as '■ Hot Springs," on account of the occurrence of those natural phe- nomena at its site. Mammoth City is a considerable town, having a newspaper, a stage line, three hotels, a brewery, a flour mill, a steam sawmill, siveu lawyers, a mining recorder, an assayer, two surveyors, a doctor, a photoc.rapher, o le general merchandise and two hardware stores, a butcher shop, two stables, three saloons, one tobacco stand and two restaurants. '1 lie leaser towns are Bishop's Creek, coleville, Dogtown, Dexter's Well, Leavitt's, Monoville, Montgomery, Oasis, Partsville and Koachvllle. STATISTICAL. Mono County has 21,578 acres of land enclosed and 25,000 acres cultivated. Of these, 25 acres ol wheat jlelded 500 bushels, 200 acres of barley yielded 4.000 bushels, 23 acres of oats yielded 50O bushels, 2 acres of beans yielded 100 bushels, 200 acres of potatoes yielded 500 tons, 15,000 acres of bay yielded 15,000 tons. The list of live stock includes 2,500 horses, 100 mules, 11,000 horned cattle, 13,0U0 sheep, 1,200 goats, and 750 hogs. There are 50,000 pounds of butler churned annually. 'ihe improveme. ts Include one water-power gristmill; four saw mills, one steam and thi-ee water-power, which produce annually 25O.00O feet of lumber; live quartz mills, which crush 3,000 toris of rock annually; three mining ditches, fif- teen miles in length, and 100 Irrigariou ditches, valued at $10,000, which are used to irrigate 15,000 acres, the lai d b^lng valued at$-15,000. 'Iho taxable property iu jMouo County increased in value one-third during tho ten years between ibCSaiid 1SV8. It is now estimated at something over $1,500,000. There is a population ot abou^. 10,000, of which number 3,000 are voters. 120 TOLO COUNTY. YOLO COUNTY. Yolo County, eltuatea In the fine farming coun- try ot the Sacramento Valley, liavlng the river of that nanae flowing along Ua entire eastern limit, Is bounded on the north by Colusa County, on the east by Sutter and Sacramento Counties, on the Bouth by Solano County, and on the west by Napa and Lake Counties. THE KAUE. The county was organized In 1850, and It was originally called Fremont, the name being changed to Yolo on the suggestion of Jonas Spect, a settler la the county, who was then at the State Capital. Mr. Spect desired to perpetu- ate the name ot a local tribo ot Indians, tlie word being a corruption of their name, "Yo-doy," which means rush or tule lands. At that tlir.e these Indians had their principal settlement on the Yo-doy mound, on the present site ot Knight's Landlne. The boundary lines of the new county were afterward considerably readjusted. EARLY HISTORY. The first white man to settle In the county was William Gordon, who came here from Los An- geles In 1842, and built himself a house on the banUs of Cache Creek— then called Jesus Ma- ria River— by setting poles in the ground, plas- terin;; the spaces between with mud, and cover- ing the structure with oau branches. The follow- ing year the Gueslsosl grant, covering a tract ot land a league wide by two leagues long, was given to Mr. Gordon, who resided here many years, dying, however, in Lake County in 1876, aged 75. Mr. Gordon's grandchild, born la 1846, was the first white cnild to lie uoru in thecountv. In 1843, Nathan coombs, Thomas J. Shadden, Thomas M. Hardy and \Vm. Knight added their names to Mr, Gordon's as Yolo County pioneers, followed gradually by others in the succeeding years, several grants ot laud being made to these early settlers. In 1845 Mr. Gordon raised seven acres of wheat, which in thirty years he saw increased to 196,847 acres sown In wheat in the county. In 1846, it being the custom in those days to capture the Indians by lorce and make slaves of them, sev- eral of the pioneers of Yolo County joined lu Buch an expedition, going to make a raid upon some Southern tribes. During 1848, gold having been discovered, almost every inhabitant ot the county went to the mines. In 1849, Jonas Spect sailed up the Sacramento River with a schooner loaded with mercandise for the mines, but not belijg able to go any further on account o( low water, he deemed it advisable to establish a trading-post at what was the head of navigation, and accordingly landed on tlie Yolo side of the river, opposite the mouth ot the Feather River, pitching a tent and opening in it the first store and hotel kept in the county. A rancheria of ten or twelve Indians was already there, and later lu the year arrived one A. R. Lovell, from Sydney, who with his wife opened a saloon lu a tent. W. J. Frierson, " with Blx companions, in a wnale-boat," and a couple of families, from Oregon, soon followed, maiciug a population, all told, of from thirty to thlrty-flve persons. During the Winter, however, men came |n Irom the minea, and tlie town grew to number some 1,500 inhabitants. Unfortunately for Its prospects, higher water came into the river, and ill another year the "heail of navigation" was moved on to where Marysville now la, schooners with iiiercna dlse for the mlnprs leaving Fremont (for such was the town founded by Jonas Spect) behind as a mere way station, and berore the end ot 1850 tnere were not 300 people left, such being tUe vicissitudes ot those mining days; ana althougu Fremont was for a while the seat ct the court ot Justice, which Court was afterward removed to Washlngto >, It finally succumbed, and there is not now a soUtary house to mark its former site. These were exciting and lawless times, in this as in other portions ot the State, and cattle and horsestealing, prevalent crimes, met tne penal- ties ot whipping, shooting and hanging. One stocii-raiser had tbe vexation ot discovering that an enterprising fellow had been skinning his calves and shipping them to market as venison. la one part of tiie county a man was whipoed for killing bis mule, whlcii he stiboed with a knife while in a fit of passion, but another man was not even arrested for shooting and killing a comrade. One man came very n ar being banged, accord- lug to the records of the first Justice of the Peace, for the stealing of two mules, of wnich crime ho was quite Innocent, buc found great dlillculty nevertheless In clearing himself; wnue another was severely whipped for luaklnif oil with one ot the same animals, though ho proved his Innocence of the tuett some time after the whipping. 'ihe State poll-tax In 1850 was $5, and the county poll-tax being $2 50, the male settlers in Yoio paid that year $T 50 poll-tax. The sumo year potatoes were 15 cents per pound, flour $10 per sack, and a wooden faucet cOiC $3, while $16 was paid by a settler in the county for a p.ilr ot sours. Ill 1850 tho first Fourth ot July celebration was observed on thecache Creek, where his neighbors had been assisting Wm. Wadsuorth to build a small log house. It was finished about noon, and it was then decided to celebrate the d ly. JVn American flag, the first to float In the county, was temporized out ot an old blanKCt, a shirt contrib- uting the stripes and oat leaves being utilized as stars. The fiag pole was nailed to the gable ot the new house, ana the ceiebraters, Mr. Wadsworth, D. P. DUgs, John Morris and J. J. Esteil sat down to a picnic dinner of pickled pork, codtish, a bottle of pickles, pancakes and molasses. TOPOGRAPHY. The county is a prosperous and beautiful one, occupying one of the most fertile sections of the Sacramento Valley, having the river of that name along its eastern boundary and the foot- hUl3 in the western part. Alon,' the river is a belt, some miles wide, ot tule or overflowed land: but this land is singularly productive and richly repays the work of reclamation, much having already been accomplished, particularly ill the vicinity ot Sacramento city, to the south, and Grand Island to the north. The levees and otner expenses of reclamation in the county have already cost nearly $14,000, the vaiue ot the reclaimed lands, however, making it a very profit- able investment. Cache Creek is the outlet to Clear Lake, in Lake Count}', and enters the county at the northwestern corner, fiowlng for a number ot miles through a rocky canon, beyoacl YOLO COUNTY. 121 \Thlcti tne mountains widen out, formlijg Capay Viiiley, wlilcii 13 tie flnest wnear, lanU In tlie btai4; alter wiiicU tiie Stream continues, In a general Biucneasterly direction, tnrougli the coujiy. uiitiUtla lo^t In tlie lule lauds Blcirtlng the ^aciiiiuento River, 'ihe wHole county is doued Willi uiOderate-Hlzed and hlgUiy prosperous far.i s, witu ttielr comiortaOle and substantial buiiaii-gs. KAILROADS. Tne California Paciflo Railroad extends across tbe souilaeasiern part oc tlie county, I'rom Davls- viUe to Sacramenin, while a branch or the same roaa passes north, through Woodlaud, the <;ouniy seat, to Kulght'3 Lauding, and a second branch extends on irom Woodland, through the northern p^irtor the county, luto Coiusi. i^roi^perous lit- tle towi.s are alo.iii tuese lined of railroad, while everywhere ihe vjluoof tne laud Is greatly ci;- lia ceu, li.ivlniradvanced Li soiue pLices irom ten to 0. Q ininai td dollars, now thatgrain is shlpned so reauiiy and mpidiy to ban Francisco, 'ihe county roads are all In good conditio. i, and con- siderable traffic Is also carried on by way o£ the SaLramento Elver. CATTLE-RAISING. The land In this county was considered worth- less, at first, except tor grazing, and the high prices paid lor beef and luuttoa la the mines, together with the abuudance of grass all Winter, made it originally a great herding country, the price or a saddle horse or a mule, la 1S40, being ten dollars, while a cow or an ox brought live dollars. Ten years later the prices had gone as far the other way, and a pair of oxen brought $500, with other prices lu proportion. During and Immediately after the flood of 1861-2, 800,000 cattle were starved to deaih, and their skins were sold. 2,000 ekii,a per week bel ig shipped to the bay durinir this period. Tne next year being dry, slock went down to four dollars per lit-ad, and farming began to receive more nitentlon. How- ever, btock-ralslng hag ever since been profitable, and Bhcep-raisiug, horses, cattle and the dairy Interests aieiillcf injportance now, there being nearly lUO.OoOOslieep in the county at tho present liuje. The loliowing table will give some infor- matlon.concer: lug these occupations, the middle column showing tho highescnuniber of any one year between 1S37 and 1S52. There were in the county, Horses in 1852-1,808 1870— 9,773 1879—7,124 Mules in 1852— yi4 1866— 1,976 1879— 76/ Cattle in i»52— 9,626 186J— 2:j,480 1879—3,401 Sheep in 1862—1,835 1876—92.477 1879—79,921 Hogd i II 1852- 2,6U7 1835- 35.0U0 1879—19,960 lbs Butter in. ...lSa5-5u,(Jt)0 1874—186,920 1879— 8J,llUU ttacneese m...lb55— lii.tOU 18i7— 135,9J0 1879—18,126 as Wool in 1856— 45.5t0 1877-823,761 1879—36,300 FARMING. As has been said, Mr. Gordon raised seven acres of wheat and five of corn, In 1S45, this being the first fariiilug done In the county, and Mr. Gordon harrowed his fields by dragging over them a brush made of tho branches of an oak tree, tied to the pommel of a saddle horse. This was the harrow commonly used la California at that time; tne plough being a crooked s'ick, tipped with Iron, and drawn by an ox, scratchins the ground (tor the earth was never turned over by it), first from north to south, ihtn from east to west, and some- times a third and fourth tune, from northeast to soutnwest, and from southeast to northwest, flarvesiing was do e wiili a sickle; threshing aecomoiisned by lurnli.g unbroken horses oa to the gtain, in a corral, where they trampled it out, a -U tne chaff Was separated fromthegrain 4)y lossln-f into tho air on a windy day. T he farm wagon used at that day was equally prlmliive, the wheels being sections sawed from a loar, the tongues extreniely heavy, and fastened by yokes and strips of hide to the horns of the oxen— the whole being an exceedingly painful, heavy and clumsy affair. Since that lime the whole valley has been made highly p.'oducilve, Uliy bushels of wheat to the acre being irequently obtained. It i^i, neverthe- less, an undeniibla fact that the farmers are slowly exhausting their land, for want of preserv- ing,' a wise rotitiou of crops. However, .summer fallow is found to produce astouibhing results. In case an acre producing sl.x bushels of train wiihout and thirty bushels with the use of that system. There was formerly an extensive organization of Granges m tms county, and they wuj probably be reorganized in the iiCsa!i Luis Obispo". The site is au admirable one, the cU ..ate ad the surf attr icting visitors, and the teriiie farms of the surrouudlugcauutry Bupplviiig iiielo.al productions of hay, potatoes ana tiio dairy product.-. '1 here is staa;e cjmmu- nicatiou fioiiitiiis point with all the neighboring towns, and the steamers from «an Francisco touch regularly. CayuciSlsasmall but nretty town, ISO miles from San Francisco and seven miles north of Morro, siiuaied oa the coast, with a good wharf, where tue coast steamers touch, and from which the d Iry and other pioaucis of the country back of the town are snipped. Sau Slmeoa Is a Post OfSce town on the sea coast, la the northwestern part of the county. IC is the principal landing-place for Cambria and the n'-lghijorlug district, aud lia3 also quite an ex- tentive'whaie flshery. ban Miguel Is la the northeastern part o£ tbe county, about forty miles from the town of Saa Luis Obispo. It was flrst settled in 179T, when the Mission of San Miguel was establislied by the Franciscan padres, the old buildings standing (although considerably dilapidated) just as they were erected almost a century ago. The town lu on the Salinas River, and the innaDltauts of the surrounalog country are extensively engaged in stock raising. Paso Robies Is a well-known resort, favorably noted for its hot springs. It is pleasantly situ- ated In a grove of trees, thirty miles irom San Luis Obispo. The visitors, who are especially nu- merous in Summer (though the place is not de- serted during any month in the year), are con- veyed to ana from Soledad, on the southern Pa- ciflc Railroad, by stages or the coast line, which makedaily con -ectlons. Newcoui'a White sulphur Springs, about four- teen miles south of San Luis, and the Pecho Warm Springs, litteen n.iles northwest of sau Luis Obispo, ai d two miles from the coast, both attractively situated, are among the numeroua mineral springs having valuable medicinal qual- ities in the county. OP LESSER NOTE Are Arroyo Grande, Adelaide, Blddells, Cholame. Cuyama, Estrella, Flint, Josephine, La Panza, La Playa, Los Osos, Nlyonia, Old Creek, Osgoods, Oso Flazo, Pledra Blauca, Potrero, Pozo. San Marcos, Santa Margarita, Sauta Rosa, Salsipuedes, and sulphur Springs. ^ STATISTICAL. There are 201,000 acres enclosed In the county, with 60,000 acres cultivated. Of these— 80,000 acres in nay yield... 16,000 tons. oO.uoii acres m barley yield 9ou,(i0o bushels. 6,000 acres iu wheat yield 150,000 bushels. 1,000 acres in potatoes yield 4.t!00toiis. 3o0 acres in corn yield 100,000 l)UBhe''s. 200 acres iu beans yield 4,0u0 bushels. 200 acres in sutrar beets yield 1,200 tons. 20 acres iu onions yield 1,200 bushels. 20acresia pease yield 4U0 bushels. Hops yield 1,000 pouncs per acre, and buck- wheat yields 50 bushels per acre, i here are 100 acres planted in oats, and 25 acres in rye, used as hay, and 50 acres are planted in flax. There are also produced 2,000,000 pounds of wool, 600,(00 pounds of cheese, 500,000 pounds of butter, 5,000 pounds of honey, and 500 gallons of wine. '1 he fruit crop is valued at $10,000, the lemon tries numbering 50, the olives numbering 2,000, and the grape vl;,es covering 30 acres. 'ihe live stock inciuaes 200,000 sheep, 30,000 homed cattle, 9,000 hogs, 5,500 horses, 1,000 cash- mere and Angora goais and 200 mules. The improvements include lour gristmills, two steam and two water-power, making 7,000 bar- rels or flour and grinding 10,000 busuelsOf corn annually; onesteam-povver sawmill, turning out annually 100,000 feet of lumber; one brewery, making annually 30,000 gallons of beer; several irrigating ditches ; and one railroad, eleven milea lu length. The assessed value of real estate Is ^,000,000; the value of irprovements, $1,000,000; the value of personal property, $1,500,000; making a total valuation of $6,500,000. The population of San Luis Obispo County, which 13 constantly Increasing, is estimated ac 12,000, including 3,000 registered voters and 3,009 census school children. PLUMAS COUNTY. 125 PLUMAS COUNTY. Thl3 Is one ol tbe meaium-slzed counties, or- gaDlzed In 1854, and having an area of 2,736 square miles, and Is in tlie northeastern part of tne state, quite close to tue boundary line between Califor- nia find Nevada. Mountain cbains deflue Its limits on several sides. Its bounding counties be- ing, on the north, Sbasta and Lassen ; on the east, Lassen; on tbe south. Sierra and Butte ; and on the west, Butte and 'Jehama. TOPOQRAPHT, Plumas I8up among tbe mountains, lying In the midst of the sierra Nevada range. Its scen- ery 13 among the wildest and most picturesque in tbe state, snow covering tne summits ot tue mountains; tbelr slopes being clothed la raagnlQ- cent forests or pine, fir and oak trees; and high ridges alternating with abrupt cbasms and deep canons, through which tumble runnl g streams. There are grassy valleys of considerable extent througbout tne county, which are cultivated by agriculturists, among them being Big Meadows, Mouniam Meadows, Indian Valley, Genesee, American, Beckworth and Meadow Valleys. Big Meadow Valley, flf tee u miles long by four miles wide, Is the largest of these moimtalti valleys, and Is Immediately adjacent to Mountain Mead- ows, of nearly the same size, and also to several smaller valleys, also cultivated, the whole con- stituting a plateau high up In tbe mountains, the elevation being 4,500 feet. Indian Valley, an Im- portant and prosperous district. Is eleven miles In length by two miles in width, Amerlcau Valley being of atiout tne same faize. Both connect with smaller valleys, and support several s.uall towns, as well as the farms scattered over their extent, andbilng fertile and weu-wutered, are capable of Bupporilug a mucu lar^'cr population. Among the Uigbest mou .tarn peaks In Plumas are Buite Mountain, Beckwith Pe ik, Goodwin's Peak, Mount Adan.s, Mount clarenont, Mount Oiijuii.s, Mouit Taylor, Mount VVelUuglon, Pen- man's Peak, Pilot I'eak, and EojU Creek mil. Among the mountalusln tiie extreme north ot the cuuniy are two s nail lakes. Lake Annie and Lake Louise, and several boning springs. STREAMS OF WATER. This county has an abundance of water, moun- talu rills falling through every cafion and ravine, and streams of more or less Importance taking tbelr course tbrough every valley. Two Im- Eoriani iwancijes ot tbe Featber Kiver (El lilo de ,.3Mum,is), the lar-est tributary ot the s.icra- meiitci, take their rise In tne Sierras, I'l tuis cuumy, being fed by numerous leader streams, Tbe North Fork of tuis river rises In Lassen's Peak, and waters the valley of Big Meadows, being lu that place a rapid stream, one hundred yards wide. Uush, Indian, Spanish and Cherry creeks are all tribut uies ot the North Fork of tue Feather River, flowing through cultivated val- le.vs and Important mining districts In their course. These streams of water are all highly Import- ant 10 the county, making the valleys through which they flow most Inviting In the sight of th© busbandmnn and herdsman, and being used In Irrigating the land, la ttie agricultural districts: to construct flumes for the transportation of lumber. In the ilaiber country; and la the fur- thering ot extensive operations among the hy- draulic mines. CLIMATE. This county has the finest mountain climate la tbe world, invigorating, healthful and dellgutful. It 13 extremely pleasant In Summer, and only moderately cold in Winter, although there is an abundance of snow, of course. In tbe mountains, and tbe average rainfall Is 40 inches annually. The valleys of Plumas wilt yet bo counted among the most desirable Summer resorts In tue State, abounding, as tuey do, in game and mountain trout; having cooi, dellgbttul weather, so much pieasanter than tbe excessive beat of so many of the n-ineral springs of California, extensively patronized In Summer; having, also, good water, buudreds of romantic and shady retreats, with tue novelty and plcturesqueness ot mountain scenery; and, withal, good hotels and cueap accommodations, it being practicable to spend a month In some of tbePiumas valleys for almost what it would cost to remain at home. Undoufit- edly, this county will be extensively sought by Summer visitors when railroad commuulcailon Is established. BESOURCES. Though having a comparatively small area of level land. Its fertile and well watered mountain valleys made agriculture practicable In this county, and farming Is extensively carried on, and tbe farms are highly prosperous, while In feomeot the adjacent mountain counties none of tue cereals at ail are raised. In addUiou to grain and vegetables, this Is a;i Important fruit county, orcliarus many miles in extent, making of the footuiusa continuous belt ot fruit-bearing trees. The average value ot land Is about$5Der acre, but a considerable portion ot tbe v.duable land bus oeen taken up, and Is held, according to lo- cation and improvements, at from $10 to $50 per acre. I'Ue moimtalns, as have been said, were clothed by Nature in this country with the most raagalfl- cenu forests In the world, and although there are oistrict3 where lugging is carried on, the ilmoer transported by means of flumes and the saw- mills furnishing several mlUlonsof feet of lum- ber every year, there are extensive sections where tbe trees are not yet percepuDly thinned, and It Is evident that Plumas, for many years, will possess a valuable lumber Interest. 'the wealth of ibla county, however. Is claimed to be m its mines, tue hills having a great many gold- and copper-yielding claims, and extensive operations being c?.rriea on in many different places, both by placer and hydraulic methods, by those in search of the gold-bearing gr.ivel or quartz. Ihe auriferous gravel is occ isionally found in drifts a d ridges hundreds of feet In depth, and aithougn it is someiimes loose and easily washed, it is oiten Incorporated with an obstinate cement or hardened volcanic matter, and blasting has to be resorted to. The mining interests have brightened considerably during the 126 PLUMAS COUNTI. past few years, operations wliicn had been aban- doued since early times having in many instances been receutly resumed. COMMUNICATION. There are, as yet, no railroads In Plumas Coun- ty, aod alUioiigh there are numerous good wagon roads aud estaoUshed stage Hoes, and although there isan abuodanceof water for transportlug lumber, there Is no doubt that railroad communi- cation win De most important ana valuable to the county. The mines have sometimes been worked at great exijense, owing tu the lack or coaveulenc transpurtuigiacUitles, and 10 tourists and triv- ellers, and in some measure to enjigrants and settlers, any county remains uore or less un- known, however impoitanc its attractious. It travelling is not conveniently rapid and cheap. All or the piinclpal towns are connected by Stage lines, and have communication lo the west 31th Oroville. m Butte County, and to tUe east ■With Reno, in Nevada. Some of these eastern counties or Callfori la may, Indeed, more readily communicate with Nevada than with the western portion or their own Mate, owing to thegivat altitude of so ne of the mount. in passes In the western ranges of iho sierra Nevada, tnepass un the road to btocktou from Alpiue eounty, which Is also on the eastern bjundary of California, but considerably south of Plumas County, ^elne almost 10,000 feet high. vuuuij, ucmg Q0INCT. This town Is the county seat, and Is equilly de- pendent upon its mining Interest and upon a'^rl- culture, being situated In the American Valley which has an area or 5.000 acres or arable land ' producing grain, vegetables, and all the temper- ate-zone fruits. The location of the town Is pleasant and attractive, as it Is in the midst of the Sierras, covered, as they are here, with dense loresis, and clad in snow during half the year iheclimaie, which is vigorous a,, d healtnful is notamo.g tue least attractive features of the pLice, Which is comfortably reached by stiig-e from Oioville, sixty-live miles distant, and also from liCiio, the latter trip being made in a day and the Qulncy and Reno st.ge line passi.io- througu la Piumea County, the towns 01 Lon° valley, Jamison, Eureka, Johnstown, Beckwith and summit. Qulncy has, In addition to tue coiinty othcers, a weekly newsioaper, three phv- slcians hve h.wj^ei-s, one de. list, one insurance agent, two surveyors, a church and a school, a Lod.^e or the I. o. O. R, A. O. U. W., and also of inei;. ana A. Al.; a telegraph agent and Post- master, two hotels, two stores of general mer- chandise, one market, one variety store, one Dootmaker, one barhei-, one carpenter, one iew- eller, one painter, two blacksmiths, one drus 8toi-e, one clothing store, one brewery, aud two saloons. ' LA PORTE Is a mining town, situated at an altitude of 4,50Q feet, upon the divide between the Feather and Yuba liivers. It is about thirty miles south of Quincy, aud is situated upon the Oroville stage line._ Placer mlnmur, and also lumbering, are ex- ten.^ively carried on, this b 'ing the same nlace that was lonnerly called Rabbit Crcdk. Snow talis in Winter, sometimes attain! g a sreat deptn, and travelling being carried on by means of snow .snoes. 'i he town has a b i, k, a hotel a nour I, 111, a livery siabie, a gunsmith, a tailor, an and'two^l^iloonsr^^'''' ^ '*°""''' '''''' ^^^^'^^''^ TATLOKVILLE Is the principal town in Indian Valley, one of the most prosperous agricultural regions In tbe county. The valley has connection with several emaller but equally fertile vaUeys among the hills, the most Important being Genesee Valley, and the whole constituting a large acreage of productive and valuable farms. The mountains are high and steep in the vicinity or Taylorvllle, but good roads nave been constructed, and a stage runs regularly to Reno, on the line of the central Paciflc Railroad, distant seventy-Hve miles, the stage road passing through Red Clover Valley, Silver Villey and Beckworih Pass 'inere isalso communication wltu Q,uincy, twenty miles uistant. There is a st ige line also irom Orovlde and irom Cliico, by the way of Big Jiead^ws. Ihe town hns a flour n ill and a saw mill, wuila In the neighborhood ar.i quartz mills a d valu- able mines of gold aud copper. MEADOW VALLEY Has a flne situation, on a stream which Is tribu- tary to the North Feather River. .It Is In a ravine, at the foot of high mountains, fi'om whose sumi mlts the snow scarcely melts during any part ol the year. The town is several miles from Qulncy on the road to Oroville, and has also ^ood roids constructed to vai-ious towns and rich mining lo- calities of tue county. Summit Is a small town, situated in the south- eastern part Of tue county, upon the range wuich forms the ea?teni boundary of tue couniy 7 ooo ff^*;i,^'^°.r'^ the sei. It consists principally of a hotel, a Post office, three farmers, a st'ck raiserf a sioeraaker, a blacksmlih, a wholesale butter dealer and a store of general inerehandlse. Oreenvlile Is nut an Inconsidei-abie town in the Dothern part of the county, having a hotel, a bank, iron works aud a tin shop. ^ OTHER TOWNS Of less Importance are : Antelope, Buck's Ranch Bedsworth, Buckeye. Crescent Mills, Carrlboo' Clover Valley, Coppertown, Diamond Sprlu-s Eureka Mills, Greenville, GlbsonviUe,' Hot Springs, Island. Indian Bar, Jamison City JohiDstown Junction Bar. Lincoln, Lassen Bultes iLa Porte Lon-vllie, Mouawk. Meadow Valley Marion Flat, Nelson Point. Praftvillo (Big Mead! VI^^\^^S"^^'^'r/'^°^ *^reek. Rich BaV; Ipmish Ranch, Soda Bay, summit. Sulphur Si3rln er's Bar, Scutt lUver, seiad Valley, Somes Bar, Willow Creek, and Yocumville. Smaller villages and pre- cincts, and their number would almost forco one to 1 elieve that in re i otoSlsUlyou theinhabitanta live in towns— are Bolce,Butterville, Bali's, Balle- vllle, Bestvllle, i oitouwooJ, ceaar Park, Dorr"s, DeaJwood, Doue.las, Falrchild, FranUli i, Eisc Fork, GlUem, Galllon's Bar, Huuibug Creek. Haw- klnsvllie, Iloopervilie, Jones, Johnso'.i, Lincoln, Llitle Miasta, Moffitt, Ohio Ilou^e, (Quartz Valley, Scott's Bar, South Fork, Table Rock, Upper soda springs, Vlneland, Von Bremer's, and Washing- ton. STATISTICAL. There are in the county 134,000 acres enclosed and 29,455 acres cultivated, of which— 13.-200 acres planted iu wheat , yield IS'8,000 bushels. 8,300 acres planted in nay, yield 12,525 loua. 4,6U0 acres planted iu oats, yield 115.00.1 bushels. 2,oOU acres planted m barley, yield 46,U00 bushels. 4UU acres planted iu potatoes, yield ... 6uOtoiis. 250 acres planted in corn, yield 3,i 00 bushe's. 75 acres planted m rye. yield 3,7i;o bnshels. 75 acres piauted in peas, yield 1,125 bushels. 70 acres planted iu beans, yield 1,4U0 bushels. 60 acres piauted Iu buckwheat, yield. 900 bushels. 25 acres piauted iu onions, yield 1,500 bushels. There are also produced 9', 000 pounds of wool, 8,000 pounds of butter, 3,ooo pounds of honey, and 2,500 pounds of cheese. The fruit crop is not counted as a source of rev- enue, but It may surprise some, considering the distance north of Siskiyou, to know that 50 acres are piauted In grapevines, from which are .nnu- aiiy made eoo jjallons of wine and 900 gallons of brandy, 'i here are also three biewerlea In the county, makingauiiually 35,000gallo isof beer. The live stock includes 50.000 horned cattle, 40.000 sheep, 5,000 horses, 2,000 hogs and 600 mules. An.ong the Improvements in the county are 7 grist-mills, 2 with steam and 5 with waier power, which h ake 22,u00 birrels of flour, and gri id 3,000 bushels of corn: 13 saw-mills, 3 with ste;im and 10 with water power, which annually saw 4.000,000 feet ot iumberand make200,oooshl igles; 6 quartz mills, which annuany crush 42, ooO to s of rock ; 93 mining ditches. 600 miles m iciigtu ; and 20 lrrl2:atl g ultcnes, valued at $30,000, and used in lertlUzlng lO.ouo acres of laud, valued at $100,000. The assessed value ot real estnte in the county is $1,000,000; the value ot improvements, $500,000, the value ot personal property. $1,500,000; mak- ing a total county wealth ot $3,000,000. The population "of Siskiyou Loanty is 8,;iO, in- cluding 2,000 registered voters and almost 2,000 census scUool-oniidren. MENDOCINO COUNTY. 131 MENDOCINO COUNTY. Mendocino, In the northwestern part of the State, Is bounaed on the north by Humboldr, Trinity and Tehama Counties ; on the east by Te- hama, Colusa and Lake Counties; on the south by Lake and Sonoma Counties, and oa the west by the Paclflc Ocean. TOPOGRAPHT. The nature of the county is extremely moun- tainous, the Coast Eango occupying Its entire ex- tent, and rising, within Its boundaries, into so xe of Its highest summits. Among these mountains are Mount Linn, 4.000 feet high. Iron Mount, Cahto Peak. Sanhldrlm Mount, Hull Mount, Snow Mount, Blue Rock Mountain, Mount John, Sanel Peak, Elll'3 Mountain, and Two Kock Peak. Amonj the mountains are many attractive and arable valleys, cultivated by the agriculturists. Innumerable streams flow Into the ocean, af- fording very good harbors at their moutbs, which are used by steamers and coasting vessels during a greater part of tbo year. Still, the coast line ot Mendocino Is, upo:i the whole, a tolerably un- broken one. these numerous harbors not being very extensively land-locked, and tti« c.ipes and promo itorles projecting belugfew In number, and not particularly marked In character. Among the most prominent; points upon the coast are Point Arena and Point cabrlllo, while the most, Important of the inlets, whlca In some cases are beiiutltul sheets ot water, and lu all afford safe and commodious shipping points to tbe coasting trade, are Shelter Cove, cuffey's Cove and Fei-gu- eon'a Cove. A great deal ot shipping Is carrk^d on, the couL,ty exporting lumber and the farm pro- ducts, and having a constantly increasing trade. The rivers ot tue county are almost too numer- ous to be counted, so many are the lesser creeks tributary to tbo more Important streams, and the rlveraof ail sizes flowing from the mountaius Into the ocean. The well-known Russian River, which flows through so lovely and ftrillo a furming country, rises In the mountains lu the soiitheasieru parcot Mendocino, taking Us course In a south- erly direction Into Sonoma County. Eel River, which also waters very valuable agricultural lands. Including Eaen Valley, rises very near the source of the Russian River, and flows north, en- tirely through Mendocino and Into Humboldt County. Besides tbese rivers, are the Navarro, Walballa, Albion, Noyo, Rio Grande, Garcia, Ten- mile and Lliiienvers, with the Puddln?, Salmon, Greenwood, Alder and Brush creeks. These are all good-sized and important streams, mostly lu the umLer districts, ahd useful in the transporta- tion of lumber. COMMUNICATIOK. Besides the coasting vessel?, which carry on an extensive trade with the seaport towns, trans- porting to Sin Francisco great quantities of lum- ber, besides but5er and other farm productions, communication Is maintained by way ot the North Paclflc Coast Railroad, whose present ter- minus (Cloverdalo) is in Sonoma County, only a mile or two south ot the Mendocino County line. Stage travel connects with Cloverdale. the dis- tance between that point and Uklab, the county Beat ot Mendocino, being thirty-one miles. The line has also been surveyed for the San Francisco and Humboldt Bay Railroad, wlxlch, when com- pleted, win traverse the entire length of Mendo- cino county, connecting Cloveruale, in Sonoma County, with Eureka, the county seat of Hum- boldt, and following the general cotirse ot the two great rivers, Bulsun an.! Eel, wnich flow through 80 manv beautiful and fertile valleys. For private convenience In transporting lumber from the redwooas to the coast, Mendocino haa also a number ot short nulwuys— probably being richer in this sort ot private property than any other county in the State. Among tLieni are the following: The Salmon Creek Railroad (narrow- gauge), coniiectlutr the mouth of Salmon Creek wlth'lermlnus, Inthe wooas, and having a length ot eight miles; theGualula Mill Company's Rail- roaa, connecting Bowen'a Landh g with a ter- minus situated on the north fork of iheGualala River, and having a leuyth of six miles; the Mendocino Railroad (nurrow-gautie), from Cuf- fey '3 Cove to Greenwood creeK, a dibtanca of four miles; Jackson's Railroad, between Casper Creek a; da terminus In the woods, havluK a length of Ave ar a three-tourths mllea ; and Pudding creek Railroad, extending: between Noyo River and Pudding Creek, with a length of one mile and a half. RESOURCES. The chief resource ot the county is, of course, its great lumber trade, more than twenty saw- mills being constantly employed In annually saw- Ipg the astonishing quantity of something over 50,000,000 feet of lumber and 15,000,000 shingles. It 13 equally true that the hills are being slowlr denuded ot their forests, and the sheep ranges thus gradually widening, the number ot sheep la tue county, now over 300,00, constantly Increas- ing, the annual yield ot wool being over 1,000,000 pounds. About 60,000 acres are under cultivation in the county, and three llmea as much is enclosed by leutjes. Considering tbe mountainous character of Mendocino, lia showing aa to agriculture la most excellent, andmanyot Its valleys, along the water-courses, are among the garden spots of the State. Several hundred acres in thla county are planted in hops, producing several hundred thousand pounds annually, and thua making this one of the few counties which furnish to brewera a home supply ot a i.eeded commodity. The greater portion ot the county is still Government land, while the average value per acre of all the laud Is from $3 50 to $1 50. CLIMATE AND POPUT.ATXON. There is a snowfall in Winter over a great part of Mendocino, but the cold is never severe, the average temperature for January being 40', while the Summers are extremely pleasant and without excessive heat, the average temperature in July being about 60*, making the annual mean a very moderate one and the utmost range between heat in Summer and cold in Winter of a limited na- ture, securing a mild and equable climate for the year round. The annual rainfall averages about thirty Indies. The population of this county la estimated at 12,000, and It may be said in passing, In conueo- tion with these figures, that there are here two inhabitants to the square mile, while tbere are fltty-elgbt to the square njlle In the t)ay counties. Ihe average in the state la six persona to the square mile, but thla average rate varies very greatly intact. In different localities, San Fran- cisco county having 8,000 persona to the square 132 MENDOCINO COUNTY. mile, wblie an area of nearly 15,000 square miles In San Diego aofl San Bernardino Counues Has seven square miles for every -wlilte laUabltant. It may also be stated tnatODlyoae-fourihof Call- lornia lias passed Into the hands o£ Inulvlduals, while ODe-twelttli is fenced and one-tweoty- lourtn 13 cultivated, in Mendocino County a little over a third o£ the governmeutlind Is sold. while of this Irttter portion, again, a llitlo over a third has oeea inclosed by lences, whllo scarcely more than a fourth or that which Is fenced In is under cultivation. These figures, which are not widely different from those ot most oc the other counties, show what a vast amount of land In Calitornla remains to be utilized when the press of population renders it necessary. tJKIAH. The town was established as long ago as 1856, and It became the county seat in 1S59, still occu- pying that position and having increased, steadily and substantially, in size, during the whole time. It is situated on the Russian River, In the centre ol a beautiful and fertile agricultural district, known as Ukiah Valley. It is also In a central position in thecountv, andis the depot for the ex- port of the wool, dairy and farm products of the pasture and farming country around, 'ihe dis- tance from San Francisco is l'2l miles, ninety miles being by rail and thlrty-oneby stage from Cloverdale. '1 he climate is healthiul, the location pleasant, and the town in every way a prosperous and well-built one, the Court House having cost something over $40,001). Five mail routes centre here, 'there are quicksilver mines in the neigh- borhood, and valuiible medical springs of both hot and cold water abound, these springs beincr of pariicular value to sufferers from rheumatism, as well as effecting complete cures in cases of cu- taneous disorders. The town is la an excellent sanitary condition, the inhabitants number about 1,500, some 500 being voters. Two newspapers are supported, the secret orders are all in a flourishing condition, and the dlECerent churches are ail represented. MENDOCINO CITY Is situated on the coast, flfty-flve miles northwest of Ukiah. Itisseventy-tlve miles by stage from Cloverdale, and is reached also by the N. P. C. E. R. to Duncan's Mills, and from tUere by stage, a distance of ei=:hty miles. Communication with San Francisco is also maintained by steamers and sailing vessels, the distance north from S.iu Fran- cisco being one hundred and sixty miles. The population of the place is eight hundred, and the principal denendence is the lumber trade, which 13 extensively engaged in In tho vicinity, impor- tant quaititles being shipped yearly to San Fran- cisco. Mendocino Bay is only a slight indentation In the coast line, and affords an excellent harbor In Summer, but is too exposed for a Winter anchorage. The Noyo or Rio Grando River empties inio the bay near t he town sice. Fisheries and saw-mills are almost equally numerous upon the river and bay, and the district contains good pasturage, in addition to the pino forests. The town is a prosperous one, supporting a weekly newspaper. LITTLE LAKE Is situated twenty-two ml'es from Ukiah, and Is a town which was laid out in ISTS, and has a population already of three hundred. It is an enurprisiug lltiio place, the principal street being graded and gr.i veiled, and the grounds of tho eounty Agricultural Society luivin,' been es- tablished near, through tho efforts of tno Little Lake citizens. The town is in Little Lake Valley, which 13 some four miles In diameter, but is the trading post for some twenty-tlve square miles In the vicinity. It contains a hotel, a cnurch, a Post Office, a flour mill, a lumber mill, lour gen- eral merchandise stores, two stables, a carpenter Shop, a drug store, a restaurant, a butcher shop, two blacksmiths, a wagon factory and two sa- loons. COVELO Is a highly prosperous town, located In the centre of a farn ing district, in the extreme norm of the county, and which Is seven miles in diameter la any direction, and Is, therefore, call d Hound Valley. It is a trading centre foraret-'Inn flity miles m diameter, and has 250 luhitntams. it contains a hotel, two stables, a 01 cksmuh, a dressmaking establishn enc ana two saloons. CAHTO Is forty-flve miles from Uldah, on the Cloverd.de and Humboldt stage read, and is the dlstrlbuti g point for Long Valley, la the northwester. i p rt of the county, for malls a d general mer- chandise. It has a hotel, a Post Office, two gen- eral stores, a blaLkStnith, a harness-maker ana three saloons, cuffey's cove Is a well-known shipping point, being on the coast, and reached by the Paciflc Coast steamers and by trading vessels in Summer. The town his three hotels, a Post Oiflce, a st ible, a shoemaker, a butcher, a restaurant, a barber, a dresT^maker, a blacksmith, two general stores and two saiuuns. POM A Is a small but lively town of tifty inhabitants being the centre of trade lor Potter ValUy, and distant eighteen miles from Ukiah. It contains two hotels, two general stores, a Post Oflice, a blacksmith and a bootmaker. OTHEK TOWNS Are: Albion, Anderson, Boouvllle, Big River, Bridgeport, Big Rock, Buchanan, Beall's Land- ing, Blue Rock, Calpella, Caspar, ( hrlstlne, Comptche, Caroll, Carper, Central, Cow Creek, Cottonobee, counts, Coyote, Eel River, Elk Creek, Fort Bragg, Fai ley. Fish Rock, Gravelly Valley, Gallow.'y, Garcia, Gaskill, Gualala, Hopla d. Hermitage, Hot springs, Indian creek, Kibesiilah, Little lUver, Low Gap, Lima, Long Valley, Man- chester, Miller, Mill Creek, Mavarro, No>o, Ocean, Oriental, Potter Valley, Port Vaiiejo, Putita Arenas, Rancheria, Redwood, Round Valley. Sherwood Valley. Sanel, Sawyer's, i en Mile River, Thnber RUige, Union, Westport, WilUtts, Weight, Walker Valley, Whltcomb, Whitehall, Williams Valley. Willow and Yerkvilie. STATISTICAL. Fifty thousand acres are under cultivation, o£ which— 15,120 acres planted in hay, yield 2l),148 tons. 12.350 acres planted iu wlaeat, yield 252,700 bushels, 9,(j80 acres planted iu oats, yield 186.30.) busbels. 7,92u acres planted in bariey, yield 194,240 bushels. 1,880 acres rlanied iu potatoes, yield ... 5,3i.O tons. 480 acres planted in hops, yield 72u,yiiO pounds. 480 acres planted in corn, yield lu.lou bushe a. 2ao acres planted in rye. yield 4,200 bushels. One hundred acres are also planted la grape- vines, and two breweries In the county make an- nually 24,000 gallons of beer. Tho live stock includes 310,000 sneep, 20,ooo hogs, 15,000 horned cattle, 0,000 horses, COO mules, and 400 Cashmere and Angora goats. The farm produce includes 1,300,000 pounds Of wool and 16,000 pounds of butter. Among ihG luipiovemimis are twenty-one saw- mills, elehieen with steam and three with water power, making I5,ooo,ooo shlndes annually, and sawing 53,000,000 leec of lumber; five railroads, twenty-one miles in length, valued at $121,000 ; two toll roads, valued at $io,500: two telegraph lines, valued at $3,500; one mluihg claim, valued at $1,000, and Ave flour mills, three with steam and two with water power. The assessed value of real estate In Mendocino is $3,000,000; the value of improvements is $1,000,- 000; the value of personal property is $2,500,000 ; making a total wealth o£ $6.5uo,ooo. 'Ihe county was organized in 1S50, and cental 3 an estimated total population of 12,000, 4,000 bt^ing registered voters, and 4,000 being census school childreD, ALAMEDA COUNTY. 133 ALAMEDA COUNTY. la 1853 Aiameaa was organized by tne Legisla- ture out ol portions ot COQtra Costa and Santa Clara counties, and ilie county seat established at Alvarado. The county was, and Is, bounaed on tlie nortb by Contra Costa County, on the east by San Joaquin county, on the south by Santa Clara County, and on the west by San Francisco Bay. In 1853 the county was an unsettled and unculti- vated region, where wild cattle roamed and wild mustard grew rank, and lu ISSO it stands in Im- portance and In public and private wealth second only to the county of San Francisco. Thirty years ago its own settlers, for the most part, little foresaw this amazing growth, for many a man in Oakland at that day refused to purchase for $300 blocks of land that are now worth more than $30,000. NAME. Alameda Creek, the largest stream of the county, rises in the mountains of the Contra Costa range, starting across the plains from* the cafion near Mies, and so lindlug its way to the bay, near Alvarado. This stream was, between 1850 and 1853, the dividing line between Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County. Its banks being bordered, then as now, with Cottonwood and willow trees, la the midst of an otherwise ecarcely-wooded plain, made the stream appear to be a shadea avenue or walk, called in Spanish an "Alameda." At any rato, so it appeared to the Spanish pioneers who flrst entered this re- gion, searching for the site for a mission, and they knew the territory as tue "place of the Ala- meda." This circumstance gave to the new county, which was created In 1853 from portions of Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, and which included the Alameda Creek, its name. EAKLY HISTORY. Under the Spanish rule, the Mission of San Jose, in what is now Alameda County, was estab- lished by the padres on the ISth of June, 1797. In 1820 Don Luis Peralta, of the Presidio of San Francisco, was granted the San Antonio Rancho, five leagues ot land, in consideration of his long services as a soldier, and of his large family. In 1842 he divided the whole rencho between his four Bons, who already lived upon It, occupying an adobe house together, near the present site of San Leandro. The residence of Don Luis himself was upon another grant, near Santa Clara. The father with his sons rode upon their mustangs over the territory, deciding upon natural laud- marks which might serve to designate boundar- les, and make the four divisions as nearly equal as possible. The four sections ran from the ioot- blils to the water. In parallel strips. The site of Berkeley, Oakland. Brooklyn and Alameda was at that time oue vast oak-studded plain, growing mustard and wild oats, and ranged over by the vast herds ot Peralta's cattle. Jose Domingo Per- alta received tor his share the most northerly section or division, which Included the oak grove then called the Euclnal de Temescal, now Oakland; Antonio Maria received thethlrdsec- tlon, now comprising Brooklyn and Alameda; and to Tgnacio was given the last or most south- erly division, extending to San Leandro Creek. Other grants In the adjacent Contra Costas were At tbe eame time made, and these scattered Mexi- can families occupied their ranches' peacefully, meeting together seml-occaslonally lor some fan- dango, a bul'.-flght, or to transact some business. In 1835, a most interesting petition, still In exist- ence, was made to tne Governor by the settlers of these ranches, praying that they might be put un- der the juriscllctioa ot San Jose de Guadalupe, in- stead ot remaiuing under thatot Yeiba Buena (San Francisco). As a reason was set forth the hardship ot abindouins^ their lamlUes foi' an en- tire year, to make the trip to attend to judicial business. The distance by land— a journey ot forty leagues— was pointed out, and that to go by sea exposed them to tiie danger of being wrecked. And the impossibility ol taking their lamilles was mentioned, on account of the heavy expense of transporting them, and of the inability of Yerba Buena to shelter or otherwise accommodate them. And tills only forty-five years ago I The Urst white men to ci'oss tue bay and settle where Oakland now is, were the Patten brothers and Mr. Chase, who estaoiished themselves In 1850 in that part of Brooklyn once called Clinton. In 1851, Jas. B. Larue, a little east of them, at the embarcadero of San Antonio, settled ana opened a store. Men, too, at this time were engaged in cutting down the redwoods which then covered the bills back of San Antonio. In all the county these were the only white men, excepting a lew settlers at the Mission ot Sin Jose. Others fol- lowed, however, fast; enough, althoush these pioneers had trouhied times. Questions soon arose between Government land and Mexican grants, and many paid twice tor their land. Wild cattle, too, attacked their tents and knocked down their shanties. Necessaries wei'e hl^jh and supplies uncertain, and in 1853 the fare upon the ferry to San Francisco was one dollar, and a toll was collected upon the bridge between Oakland and Brooklyn. In 1852, Aaams,Moon and Carpen tier, well known attenvard, had appeared In thenevr town, which, several hundred havii g already collected, was Incorporated before the end of tha year and at the same time other points m the eounty began to be rapidly peopled. TOPOGRAPHY. The county features are of every variety, from the salt-marsh laud bordering upon the bay, to the Contra Costa Mountains, rising in some points almost two thousand feet above the sea level. There are some thlrty-flve thousand acres of marsh tide lands belonging to the county, nor are they among the least valuable of her possessions, specially if one may judge by the fierce and wordy warfares which have been waged over them. Alameda Is suited In every way to agricul- ture, besides being, by virtue of picturesque sur- roundings and near vicinity to the n etropolis, particularly well adapted for suburban homes. From the bay is level land to the toothllls, and these rise Into the Contra Costa Mountains. Be- yond these, and parallel to them and to tne bay- coast line. Is the Mount Diablo range. Between the two is a splendid extent of valley land, and innumerablesmaller but equally fertile snots are among the hills. The most elevated summits are Brusha Peak, 1,742 feet above the sea. Mount Lewis and Mission Peak, m the southern part ot the county. The two ranges are each about ten miles In width. The county was once much more heavily timbered, but It is not entirely denuded yet, the oak trees abounding, and buckeye, wil- low, madrona, sycamore, laurel and other trees growing thickly along the water courses and Bomethnes covering the hillsides. 134 ALiMEDA COUNTY. . — ^ bags, and having 250 employes; an Incorporated cordacre t^ctory, witli $200,000 Invested, malang 2,500,000 pouutlsof rope annually, and employl ig 90 men ; two tanneries, having invested $50,000 and employing '21 men; au incorporated irult cannery, wltli $100,000 invesieJ, a capacity of 4,00(1 duz. cansdally, employing 175 men; a SLiiCU- lim worlcs, with $75,000 capital, reducing 30 tona per day and employl g 25 men ; a borax refinery, with $10,000 Invested, a capacity ot 1)4 tons dally, and live men employed; au Incorporated Ije manufactory, wUh $10,000 capital, making 120 tons tiionlhiy, and employing lO men ; two breweries,. reDreseuiIng $55,000. and making 10,000 barreOs of beer annually ; a steam laundry, with $100,006 In- vested, washing 18,000 garaieuts dally, and em- ploying 100 men ; soap factory, with $500,000 In-' vested, and 40 men employed ; a water company, $1,000,000 Invested, and 120 men employed ; and a easUsht company, the cost or whose worka was $500,000. COMMUNICATION. The county has notuing to complain of In this- respect, being fully provided for. The county: roads are ail excellently keot, and furnish, in the vicinity of Oaliland and also in the mountainous districts of the county, some magniflcent drives or a highly picturesque and even wild character. ( Oakland has eight street railroads, intersecting he city and its suburbs, and the local and general lines o£ tue Central Paclflc, Oakland being tue terminus for the overland trains, furnish the county with convenient transporting facilities^ There is a line oy tue way ot ban Leandro, Nllea and the Mission of San Jose, from Oak- land to San Jose, and also one between these two points (narrow-gauge) by the way ot Alameda, San Leandro, Han Lorenzo and Ravens- wood. 'Ihe overland road, by the way of Stockton, goes through Brooklyn, San Leaidro, Nlles, Pieasanton, Llvermore, Aitamont and Midway, IQ this county, and the line by way of Martinez goes along the norihwestera bou jdary of tho county, turough Oakland, Berkeley and West Berkeley. There are two local terry routes across tha bay between Oakland and Ban Frcnulsco, and one be- tweea Alameda and San Francisco. As early as 1650, a Snail ferry ran between San Antonio em- barcadero and san Francisco once a day, the fare being $1 per trip. In 1863 tne present Kvstem ol local railroad was completed as'far as Broadway^ Oakland, and six round trips were made every day, the fare being fifty cents per trip. Tho far© is now fltteen Cents per trip, l we nty- three round trips a day are made, ana communication is estab- lished, not only lo Broadway, but to Brooklyn, t* Alameda by two different routes, and to Berkeley., TOWNSHIPS. The county is divided into six townships— Oak- land, Brooklyn, Alameda, Eden, Washington and Murray. Oakland Township, outside ot the city,' extends north through several miles ot farming country, to Berkeley, the University, and West Berkeley, the town; to the Oakland race trade and the grounds ot the Deaf and Dumb and BUnd Institute, Brooklyn Township, including the town ot Brooklyn, now East Oakland, contains twenty- four thousasid acres, and extends from Luke Mer- ritand the Plough to San Leandro, a id from the foothills to the bay. Just eastot the town limits, Ada ns avenue, has some ot the Bnest private res- idences ot Oakland, and Fruit Vale has some famous orchards of apple, cherry a d other i rees. Among them are those of Mr. Ulmond, .Mr. Khoda, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Webster, Mr. Shu.naker; and, near San Leandro, that or Mr. Farrelly. Graiti and vegetables are raised in me tow .ship. It contains extensive manufacturing interests, and the well-known ladles' school— Mil is's bemniry. It has also the shlpolng b.isi i at the head ot San Auionio Creek, which will be a great commeroia The bay encroaches upon the county in the form of very numerous sloughs on so called salt water creeks. Alaaieda has no large rivers, but lesser streams are suftlclenily numerous. The most Important Is the Alamtda, and others, also rising in the hills nnd flowing into the bay, are the San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Antonio, 'lem- eseal andSunol. Artesian wells are numerous in this county aid flow abundantly, while tne San Leandro stream supplies the great reservoir of the Contra Costa Water Comp my, situated two miles b nck of San Leandro, where an extensive dam is built, forming a lake several miles long, from which San Leandro, as well as the whole city of Oakland, twelve miles distant, is supplied. In the southeastern part or the county is also a small lake, called the lagoon, into which Alamo, Tassajero and I'ositas Creeks empty, and from ■which the Laguna Creek flows Into the Alameda. RESOtJKCES. The land is very generally a rich black loam, Bometimes varied, however, by loose, sandy soils, and by districts where tho adobe predominates. The cereals are all raised profitably, and in the Livermore Valley and Dublin vicinity are two dis- tricts which are unsurpassed as grain fields in the State, and with a yield of seventy-five bush- els to the acre. A great deal of wheat is raised 1q the county, and vast quantities are shipped annually from the end of Long Wharf, Oakland. Some years" ago the experiment was tried by a farmer of chartering his own vessel and shipping his grain direct to the foreign market, without the assistance of any middlemen at all, and this plan is now frequently followed, though perhaps this Is tne only county in the State where such a facility is afforded to and taken advantage ot by the agriculturist. Fruit is a leading product, many ot the orchards being far-famed, especially in Eden and in Alameda 'I'ownships. some ot these fruit farms return the remarkably high revenue of $i,ooo per acre. Grapes are raised in the southern part of tue county, and several hun- dred thousand gallons of wine and several tuou- sand gallons ot brandy made annually. Veget- able gardens, tilled by Portuguese and by the Chinese, as well as by American-born settlers, are also very numerous. There is quite a popu- lation of the Poituguese in Alameda County, they having come at the early day of the falling of the redwood.^, and being, for the most part, comfort- ably located now ou small but well-tilled and productive farms. The hill slopes are used as cattle pastures and Bheep ranges, and are also situ ited among these broken Imds, covered so luxuriantly, tnrough some seven months of the year, with young and nutritious grisses. 'Jhe price of the land aver- ages about $60 per acre. Mineral discoveries have been made m different parts ot tne county, and doubtless some of the coal claims located and already satisfactorily tested will some day be profitably worked. Alter san Francisco, this county engages more extensively than does any other in the manufac- turlnu Industries— sugar, salt, soap, pottery ware, leather, coal oil, gunpowder, nitro-glycerine and other articles being made, and swelling the coun- ty's wealth to a very high figure. Including tue railroad works, proDably some $5,000,000 are rep- resented In this Interest, alone. The following is a p.irtial list of lactones, without at all reckoning the smaller wagon, boot, and shoe, and numerous other estabUshments. In Oakland and suburbs are: Three flouring mills, having a dally capacity of 320 barrels, representii g a capital invested ot $130,000. a id employing 28 men; two potteries, represeniing an invested capital of $40,000; a marnle works, representing $100,000. and emplov- in-.c20men; an Incorporated sioneco.npa .v, with $10,000 invest d ; aniicorporated jute factory, with $100,000 invested, making yearly 3,000,000 grain ALAMEDA COUNTl. 135 advaiit ige when tue harbor imrirovemeuts are compieteJ. Ala. i.eda Township Is tlie smallest In tliecoui- ty, ana consists ot a oenlusula lour miles long arido u Bide W i^au Anio.:lo Creek, ana on the otiier by the toy. It Is a level plan ot sandy soil, cove.ed with oak trees, a diheciimate bel geveti milder thiiu In Oakland, is f.isc becomlni^ a favor- ite lucailon for prlvaia residences. Vegetables and 8 nail irults are extensively ralspd, undl ind on Bay Island larm. a lenlle Island beioygin^ to the township and lylug wUhiu the bay, realizes $500 per acre, when planted In asparagus and ctuer early vegetables lor tue San Fr > uclsco mar- keis. 'i'lie town is a prosperous cue. a suburb bother O iklaud and ot San Francisco, many ot Its residents being In business across tiie bay. Eden'lownship 13 In the centre ot tiie county, and has a milder climate than has Oakland, hav- ing less tog, and l3 tbe frult-ralsing district ot llie county. The soil Is also unusu- ally rich, on account of the annual over- flow ot the streams which flow down from the uountalns. The County InQnnary, with Us farm of 124 acres. Is In tnis towusnip, between Its principal towns ot San Leandro and Hay- wards. 'Inese are bnth pretty and prosperous towns of oae iliousand inhabitants, San Leandro liavlug been lor eeveuteeu years the county seat, aud Haywardslsihe resort for Summer visitors, ancJ Is the point of departure for the best roads leading into Contra Costa County, to Mount Diablo, and into the Amador ana Livermore val- leys. Salt making la a leading Industry, the ponds tor coUectioj and evaporating the brlue oeiug very numerous alons: the tnarsu lauds. VVashingtou Township Is in the southwestern part 01 the county, and is, lu extent, eleven miles from north to south, and twelve miles from east to west. Like Eden^ It has a marsh iroutage on the bay, and rises up Into tne mouotulns. Mis- sion Peak, the hlgbest of the Contra costa range. Is an abrupt and iinijular summit 2,300 leet higii, and Alameda canon, through which the Btreaiu flows and along wuicb ihe railroad winds, is also anoiewortuy natural feature, on accountot the abrupt steep ess ot its cliffs and the beauty of its scenery. The Mission ot San Jpse, settled la 1797, Is ill this township, tbe old Mission Cburch still Btaniiiig, altuough bavlng been partially rebuilt at various times, as, recently, after the great earthquake of 1868, which was more severely felt tbun elsewhere la this ni^lghburbood. Otuer towns In Washington Township are Alvarado, Cenirevilie, Washington and JSiles. S lit works abound, ad productive grain farms. Fruit is raised for shipment, and suiron's and Clough's nurseries have more than a local repu- tation. Tiie hills are used as sheep ranges, and there are nearly 50,000 sheep in me township. Grapes are also successfully cultivated by a large number cl farmers, among the largest grosvers being Messrs. Beard, Ellsworth, Palmer, Stan- ford and tue Missijn. Mr. Palmer nas 150,000 vines, and is constantly Increasing the number, and his admirable and substantial vaults have storing capacity for luo.ooo gallons of various bra: ds of wine. Governor Stanford, at Warm Sprmgs, has some 100,000 vines, making about 50,Ono gallons ot wli.e annually. This farm, of some ouO acres, is also cultlvatiig the orange and othir tropical trees. The climate ot this township has been found well suited to the mul- berry tree, and silk-worm culture will probably at some time be en^jaged In. Murray Township Is la the southeastern part ot the county, and hasuo trouiage oathe bay, but is lu and between the two chains ot the Mount Diablo. Ic measures twenty miles from north to south, and twenty, also, Irom ease to west, and it comprises oae- third ot the entire county. Its scenery Is very tine, the roUiig coun- try covered with grass and dotted with magnifi- cent trees of the white oak, sycamore and other varieties, having often all the appearance ot an English park. Brusha Peak, near Livermore, la one ot the highest eminences, though steep and rugged hills ore not wanting li other p irtsot the townShlD. 'i he principal valleys are the Liver- more, Amador, buuol, Alamo ad 'lassajera. These vallcjs have a grav^'Uy soil and are very productive, seventy-flvo bushels of gial i to tue acrebei g sometimes obtained. Theceieals, wlih fruit and vegetables, ure all proiitably raised. Amo;.g the mountains are situated Ihe Livermore PassandthegreitCentralPaciflcIlailroadtunnei. There are several cual mines lu t.ie township, among them tne Corral Eoliow, the Arroyo Mccno and the summit, the two latter belug succes^tuily worked, while others, althou^rh ot a good quality of coal, are permitted to be Idle. Livermore, on the railroad, with its thousand Inhabitants, Its hotels and other fl e buildings; Pleasauion, with Us delightful location, at the loot ot the wooded mountain; a d Dublin, set down in the ml iso of level yellow graln-tlelds, are the principal towns la Murray township. OAKLAND CITY. Oakland is growing more rapidly than any city In the State, and has reason to he proud of Its progress In the past, and prospects for the future. In 1850 it did not exist; In 1S60 it was but a handful ot houses on a very promising she, and lu 1870 was a prosperous city of some 12,000 Inhabitants. Butlu 18S0 Oakland is a fair young giantess, attaluln-< her growth at a tre neudous rate ot speed, ller population Is about 60,ooo. Including her suburbs, sue has 200 miles ot ooemd streets. She has $5,000,000 invested in manufac- tures, supoortlug 3,000 people; $9,000,000 worth ot property changes hands yearly ; several mlliloa dollars are annually invested In street Improve- ments and new bulldmis. Oakland has the finest climate and lowest death-rate (12.60 per 1,000) in America; with 23 churches, eljht street railroads, and nine p.TloJl^als— dally, weekly, aud mo.ithly— a dozen most excellent free grammar aud high schools, fliteen private institutions ot learning ot a high stand- ard, and a university, with magniocent buildings and the siuales of eight colleges complete, the whole course free to any schol.ir, man or woman, with no charge for tuition what- ever. Oakland is the county seat, and has even agltatedthe question ot being the State Capital. Last year there were i,200 houseserected in Oak- land, including tweuiy-nve large business blocks, $2,600,000 belug expended in buliaing, and $25,0jO In street Improvements. Among the rece.it im- provements in the city are— the new public build- ings, the free library, with Its three reading- rooms, the free postal system, and the free street- market; and they are ot a nature to indicate the prosperity and enterprise of the place. The total valuation of property Is $42,822,870, ot whicu $39,105,894 is real estate and $3,716,983 per- sonal property. The new depot of the C. P. Road Is a magnlQ- ceot structure, upon which, with the tracks lead- ing to it, a vast amount of money has been ex- pended, aud facilities tor passengers greatly incieased. The town is very generally looked to by the business men ot San Francisco, and peo- ple ot means elsewhere, as a most desirable dwelling place; and this on account ot the edu- cational advactages, fine climate, the picturesque scenery ot the vicinity, and the general architect- ural beauty aud horticultural attractions ot tue place. There are a great number ot flue drives lu and about the neighborhood, each several miles In length, and a moug them are the shaded and mountainous drives to the Fish Rancn, and to PiedmoitSprlngs. Oaki md, la truth, is essen- tially a cUy ot homes, aud for hoine-llke resi- dences combines every requisite to make it a most charming suburb to Saa Francisco. The Increase in Oakland's population since 1S73 has been at the rate ot twenty per cent additional every year, and this ot a most desirable class ot residents. Four large churches have receatly been 136 ALAMEDA COUNTY. erected, at a cost of $120,000, the First congrega- tlODalist being tUe Quest In ilie Stale, Having nu audltorluoi 90 feet sauare, ana Uavins cost $SO,000. Otlier costly bulWlugs recently erectea are: The Galliido Hotel, on Eighth and Franklin Btreets, cost $iuo.ooO; the nre-prool llail ot liez- ords, on Uro.idway, $75,000; iho Cenual Pacinc passenger and freight depot, foot u£ lil-^hieenth street, $30,000; tho cainron block, on Fourteenth etreet, $-2o,ooo ; the MiHer tiloclc, on Twelfth and Franklin streets, $23,000; the Uanultln block, on San I'ahlo avenue, $-25,000 ; iho City Hall, rebuilt. $20,800 ; ihebnyaer block, on Ninth street, $20,000; the Dutiu block, ou Washington street, $15,000; the Orr block, on San Pablo avenue, $15,000; and the Atkinson block, on Seventh street, $15,000. A large nuuiber of flne resldoncea, costing froai $5,000 to $15,000, liave recently b'eu eieoted, the favorite location being upon the heights, back of town, couimancUng a view ol the bay and the Golden Gito. Duilnp one year there have beea erected 13 business bl icks, costing $35T,00t.'; c pub- lic buildings, $175,000; 41 flrst-class dwellings, $375,000; 313 second-clasS dwellings, $783,000; 050 thlid-cldss dwellings, $505,000; 105 shops, etc., $215,000. Total, 1,103 bulldlnirs, costing $2,470,000. Tlie Masonic Temple, in course ot construction, on WashinLjton and Twelfth streets, is one ot the finest bulidlncs of the kind In the State, tho lot costing $19,250, and tho estimated cost ot the building being $75,000. The public school buildings are eleven In num- ber, $47,000 having bc!en expended in buiLiin;s and sites during tho past year, and 112 teachers being employed at an average monthly salary ot $78 to teach 10,000 school children. The Flro Department lias four steam engines, four houses and lots, six companies, 115 hvdiams, B3ven cisterns, ihlrty-Uve miles ot lire-alarm tel- egraph, gonzs la the engine houses and thirty- three automatic flre-boxes. The railroad company, from local passenger tramc : lu 187! realized $2,500,0;i0 Jn 1874 realized S.UOO.nOO ] a 1875 realized .... 4,i!i'0,000 In 1876 realized B.OiO.iwO Ju 1877 realized 6,5lKi,CU0 In 13;8 realized ClUO.uuu During the past year a total of something over 0,500,000 oass'-ngcrs were carried. Tho cby has a Post OlUco and two branch ofilces; Ave banks, four theatres, mne Lodges of the F. & A. M.; litteenLodges of thel. O. O. P.; thirty-one Lodges of other prominent secret so- cieties, and twenty-nine miscellaneous local so- cieties. The cemeteries are four In number— Mountain VL«^w, St. Mar> 's, I. O. O. F., and Hebrew. Tho proailuent iirlvate Institutions of learning, ot the city and vicl ilty, aro Mills' Seminary, De- gau's Classical nud Puglis'i Pciiool, Morgan's Con- servatory ot Music, the California Military Acad- emy, JlcCTurc's School, Golden Gate Academy, Isnell Semiiary, st. Joseph's Academy, co.ivenc ot the Sacred Heart, Convent ot Our Lady of Lourdes, the Pacitio Theological Seminary, St. 3^tary's Academy, isilss Fiela's You'ig Ladles' School, the cier.nau School, and the State Deaf and Huaib and lUlnd Institute. The Uuiversliy ot California, at Berkeley, Is four and a halt miles from Oakland, and Is reached by horse-cars, by ferry and by railroad. Two luindred acres, with an avcia-;e elevation of 4)0 feet, watered by mountain pprings, aid nil easily irrltrated, beioug to iiio llnlversity. The water supjily Is la a reservoir of SS.OOO gallons capacliy. in the oafion, at a buillcient elevation to carry Witer over any building contemplated. Thesltoli;i3 a dlversliled soil, suitable for ngrl- cultural experlmeuis, and a most mng iflc'eut view through tho Golden Gate. The University liasal.irge endowment fund, comprising nppro- prtatlona'ot over $200,000, the income constantly iucreaslDg with tho rlso ot real estate. The South Hall 13 of brick, 152x56 feet, and four stories high. It coutilns 34 room?, six of which are 32x43 feetl i size. The North Hall is of wood, 162x60 feet, and lour stories high. It has 23 rooms, tue assembly-room measuring 43x53 leet. 'ihe A-riiculiural and Mining Departments are very complete, and at present ei^ht colleges are coinlMiieit in the courses presented. They are the Scieutltlc, AcrricultuiMl and Medical Colleges, una the colleges of Mechanics, cf Engineering, of Chemistry, of Mining, and of Law. The College ot Letters comers the degree ot A. li., the college of Science that of B. of Pii., and the c oliego ot Medicine that ot M. D. There is no ciiarge lor tuition, 1 niies are received, and pupils need only to b) at lease sixteen years of aue and to bring satisfactory test imonl lis. Including all the courses, there are 514 pupils now studying, Including a large percentage of ladles. 80BUKBS OF OAKLAND. Berkeley, Alameda and Brooklyn are all so closely lilentliled with the city, as to be rightly considered as suburb in seitiements. IJerkeley, to tho north, his a delightful situation, at the footot the plcinresciue Sin P.iDlo ran^e of hills. Tho climate is admirable and tho view Is very flne, Willie the site his a splendid growth of oaks. During the past few years a great deal of tho land has been sold for residences, and tho place has become onu of those favored Incitlons cliosen by business men of S.m Franclr,co to reside in. The town Itself is not an inconsiderable one, as it has live schools and three papers— two being Col- lege journals— a post office, a LoJge of Odd Pel- lows, and three ot A. O. U. W. Neir the bay are also quite a number of iiianufaciories. Includ- ing a boot and shoe factory, n soao factory, acid works, gunpowder works, a nitro-glvcoriue factory, a giant powder factory, a co il oil factory, two chemical works and a sulphur mill. Alameda la a pretty town u noer the oak trees, wltha i)opuiatioii of live thousand, wnlch has lately beeu Increasing at the rate ot 20 per cent annually. On account of ti.e che.pnessof Its property and its mild climate, it Is being Bou::ht for residen purposes, while the bathing estab- lishments nlong the biy, recently flited up at great cost, aro atir.icting every summer a very largo number of transient visitors. The towa has 2 weekly newspapers, 6 churrhes, 5 public hails, 4 public find 3 iirivato s hools, nnd4 largo bathltig est ibllshments. Among rece it Improve- ments are the Park Hotel, rebuilt at a cost of $35- 000; tue Kohlmoos Hotel, costing $40,000, and the 1. O. O. F.'a Hall, costing $ltt,000. During the past year 280 private resiliences have been erected, at ail average cost ot $2,000, a-id these, with the ex- pensive additions to the bathing and pleasure grounds, mauo nn expenditure for the year la im- provements of $l,000,UUO. Brooklyn is no longer a separate town, but has beco ne the Seventh Ward of oaklmd. But ad- joining Brooklyn, to the nortunnd cast, aro sev- eral beauillul ana i>opulou3 districts, containing highly cultivated juivaie property. Among those aro tho I'ledmonto District, Highland Park, Adam's Avenuo and Fruit Vale. This part of Oakland has nlso Badger's Park or pleasure gar- dens, 'iubbs' Hotel, the jute mills or bag fac- tory, a jd iidng mill, flouring mills, two potteries, two tuincne.s, and several other ma.iutac- lurlng establishments. It hag also tue site, lu the foothills, of IMiiis' Seminary, with Its line and c istly bulUlings, Its cultivated grounds and pri- vate chapd or church. This Is a private scliool, under the direction of a Board ot Trustees, and, having ,s.'ciuslon, a convenient and heaithrulloca- tion. a high course of f.tudy and cfflclent teachers, is tho finest ladies' school upon the c iast. The assessment rolls show that the value of all the property la the county is $59,726,000. Mort- gages, however, are to be deducted, leavlns acash valuation of $40,299,000, being still an Increase of $5,850,600 over the valuation for last year. SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY. 137 SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY. The county of San Francisco consists of little else toesldea tlie city. But tliougli the smallest county la the State, It is by far the most im- portant, containing, as it does, the metropolis, or chief commercial city or this coast. The county 13 a hilly peninsula, of sandy formation, contain- ing forty square miles, and bounded o;j the north by the Golden Gate, on the east by San Francisco Bay, on the south by San Mateo County, and on the west by the Pacldc Ocem. The average value o£ land in the county Is S'220 per acre. EAKLY niSTORT. In 1769, nearly one hundred and twelve years ago, a party of Dominican padres, travelling by land and looking for Monterey, got so far uorih fis to discover the bay of San Francisco, which re- ceived its name at that early day, being consid- ered by Father Junipera Serra (who, with de Portala, Governor of the calltornlas, led the ex- pedition), worthy to be named in honor of St. Francis, the founder of tne Order of Dominicans. It Is possible that the bay had already been en- tered by Sir Francis Drake, or by Viscaiiio, both of whom had already sailed past the spot, In ex- ploring the coast; but if so, there is no record of the event. In 1T76 the Mlssio:) or Dolores was established, the old chiu'ch siUl standing, uud the rresidlo, which still keeps its former name, fixed on the flat land near the harbor entrance. An Interesting occurrence of 1T96 may well be men- tioned here. 'Iho Governor of GaliforDla, Diego Borica, had determined lo establish in upper California a third pucUo, or town, in addition lo San Jose and Los Angeles, already ex- isting. He therefore dispatched Don Pedro de Albernl to examine tUe Kjrrltory and select a suitable site. Several localities were inspected, ana Santa Cruz, near the present town, was chosen. And this is tha opiuioa of Don Fcdro, as cmbocued la Lis report, elglity-iour years ngo, concerning San Francisco: "In the district of the Presl Hoof San Francisco, fort or battery, or at the Mission, a league distant, there Is wholly uantlnsiirlgabie laud, and very llitle la suttaiilo fur grain. Water is so scarce tnat there is barely sufflcl-nt for tue few fanjiUes that reside at tne PrcslUl", iney supplying tiicmselvcs from the few holes, from whicii, at 1 tervals, and •with great 1 iDor, they obtain it. Timber or wood is twelve or lourteen leagues away, and even enou'.'n iiasiuiageior the little stock of the gir- rlsoii'is nve or six leagues Olsiant. All the wocd tliat can be obialnea lor cooking is the scanty underbrush growtli of the sandnllls, and therefore 1 am convinced that the worst place for a town in California ia tian Francisco." 'fiie place, with its handful of soldiers and its mlislon estLiblishment, retained its quiet, reli- gious character until 1S36, forty-four years ago, when, untier the Mexican Government, the vil- lige ot Yeiba Biicna was founded. In 1846, thirty- four years a'4;o, tne place was i iken in the name of tne Unlteu states, by Commodore Montgomery, war tneii waging between the United stales and Iilexico ; and the plan was laid out of the present 8an Francisco. But it was tne dlscoviry ot gold, two years ago, that made of It a city Indeed ; for men arrived overland and through the Golden Gate; snips with their cargoes came, and the city was built up. street after street, tne city front fliied in ana substantial bnsluess blocks erected on the made land; tUe Pacific Mall and other steamship lines iucorpuraiei, and the passenger and freight iralTJc on the bay and rivers rapidly increased, 'fhe city is plainly still in its In- lancy, for all these dates uro recent ones, and it was not uniil 1SC9, eleven years ago, tnat tue Central Pacldc Kallroaa unlied the two seaboards of America. It is when wo realise how wonderful is this growth whicu has built a city in thirty yeais.iiiat we ask, What niay not the future bring us? For i allroads are multi- plying, traffic wiih tne nations Is increasing, a vast territory, capable of snpportlng pro-perous. millions Is around, and that most llourisningot theeias, tlie mauuiacturingera. Is hardly entered upon as yet by ihe young city. However, this town upon the Paciilc Coast, like any other, has had its tsetbacks, more serious tliau the fires of early ilays; Itsseasonsot stagnation auddcnres- siou, its years when real estate unl otner values have oepreciaied, when more travellers have gone away than nave come to our shores, and when the co . p irlsons of expenses with treasure have borne rather a discouraging aspect. Tne city seems to be now just e uergiug from such a period, but though the figures do not show that great annuAl Increase In riches o\er all previous years which San Franciscans expect to see, yet, perhaps, the siirlukago in values is more in min- ing stocks tian in wcaiin, and a more substantial and a less fictitious basis is beligestabilshed, and doubtless some valuable lessons have been learned by each of those sreat factors, labor and capital. SAN FRANCISCO BAY. The bay of San Francisco Is sixty-five nilles la length, forty miles belug south of San Francisco, and twenty-five mli*s, known as tne San Pablo Bay, extending north. Sulsun Bay, conuecteil with and extending cast of San Pablo Bay, Is twenty miles long, and the average wiath of san Francisco Bay, as a wnole, Is eight miles, the bay shore-line belnsr over tbree hunared miles Id length. The entrance to the bay— tne Gol leu Gate— which is a aato of gold indeed, framed ii' crimson and roofea over wUh palf green, when the observer sianus to the cast aad waicnes th« sun se;tlug through it, Is a strait, six mile i lonj. and one mile wUle, a Utting entrance to tne mag- nlilceiit sheet of water, the finest harUor la tue would, witnin. There are several islands in the bay, being Government property, and Goat and Angel Islands have tneir garrisons, while rocky little Alcatraz, just oppusite the Golden Gate, has tne Government I'rison, and is still more ixte siveiy fortified. A commencement at lortifleatious vviilch it would be extremely well at sonio time Bull ably to complete and equip, has also b.'eu made at tne entrance to tlio bay by earthworks at Fort Point, Bi ick Point and Lime Point, 'i he great rivers, b icramento and San Joaquin, e npty Into sulsun Bay, and the bay and river tr lUic, witn its steamers, Its growing towns and Us wharves, is an exte islve trade or itself, ihe most Important bay Inlets, afiordlng auchoraga 138 SAN rKANCISCO COUNTY. to vessels of large size, are at Oakland, Benlcla, Vallejo and sauceUto. SDBURBS. Tbe environs of San Francisco are charming In tne extreme, ana include Oakland, v/itli Alameda and Berkeley, a suburb and a rival city In one ; ana San Rafael, SauceUto, and otber lovely sites oa the Donli bay line, tliese spots being reached by ferry ; while down the peninsula, and reached by railroad, are San Mateo and Belmont, contain- ing some of tbe most famous and costly residences of San Francisco millionaires; and the fair Santa Clara Valley, with its Garden City of San Jose. Over all this extensive territory have business men fixed tbelr homes, going and coming morn- ing and evening, the establlsbed conveniences or rapid railroad travel being such that some of these distant points are reacued as QulJkly as would be a house In some points of the MltjSion and Western Addition or the city, by tne owner, who so enjoys a two-told, or city and sylvan ex- istence ihese neighboring country places are also tlie resort or Suinmer excursionists, private parties carrying luncheons, and pleulc parties wltu their bands of music, going In tbe momlaer and returo- inff In the evening, almost every day In the sea- BoTi; sometimes spending tbe day upon a quiet beach or hlli-slope, sometimes In one of tne pub- lic girdens or parks, Willi Us dancing floors pro- vided, n dozen of wnlcu are located at tbe differ- ent towns around tbe bay, within a few hours' trip from San Francisco. West of the city limits, upon tbe peninsula, are tbe famous Cliff House und tbe well-known Golden Gate Park, The former Id reached by a drive of somo lour miles, having a f.ne view or the Golden Gate to the right, and of tbe ocean in iront during most of the way. Theballdlug Is a long, low wooden structure on the cliff, whicb is at t&e water's edge; and a tew hundred yards in front of it is tbe Seal Rocks, just out of tbe water, covered with tbe tinny tribe, clambartng clumsily about or taking plunges into Iho breakers, and all the time uttering their strange cry— a howling bark. A favorite way to return from tbe Cliff Is to follow the road by tbe beacb, and so come through Golden Gate I'.irk, with its miles or fine drivl ig roads, Us picturesque paths ror pedes- trians, Us conservatory siocked with tbe rare and the beautiful among growing iblngs, and Us otber attractions, so rapidly and wouderfuUy wrougbt out among tbedi'ifting sand dunes. . The rocky Faraliones, thirty miles outside of the Eeads, ou,'ut not to be entirely overlooked, well-known landmarks as tUey are. Tbey are frequently visited by excursions or yacbtl ig parties, whose members tlnd amusement In climb- ing about and noticing tbe thousands of sea fowls ihit make ihelr homes on tnese rocks, or In Watching ibe sea lions in their haunts at onesiue or ihelslands. The Faraliones are also visited by men whjgatiier for sale great quaniUles ot tbe sea-bird eggs, and by iiuiters wiincapture tbe sea lions to sbip tbem Ease and to Europe as curiosi- ties, tbe price reaUzed for tbe clumsy monsters being gen^^rally In the neighborhood of a thou- sand dollars. THE MONGOLIAN ELEMENT. In speaking of the curious features or San Francisco, Chinatown must oe given a prominent place, occupying as it does a nuajber ot blocks in the very centre or the city. During the last montb of the present Summer, nearly five hun- dred Chinamen arrived In tbe city, somo destined, however, for interior localities ; and about half as many left for China, some returning to their na- tive land with their acquired fortunes, but more being domestic servants and others crossing the. ocean on a visit. There are 185,000 Chinamen la the United States, 00,000 being in this t>taLe and over 32,000 in tbis city. There are in this city about 500 Cbl .ese business firms, a'.no ig tliem BO ne 95 Chinese cigar factories, employing over 6,000 men. Besides these 500 firms, tnere are about 400 cblnese lau 'dries or wash-bouses. The Chinese pi ices of business, such as tbe bazars aud teahouses, are not strictly confined t > ('ul- natowo, being scattered tbrough tne business portions or tne town ; but almost ail of the Mon- golians, Including many or tbe household ser- va its, goinio Cninatown to sleep at ul^bt, and aliboUo'h the several blocks occupied by them constitute a considerable slice of tbe middle por- tion of the city, ic would be a matter of wonder to know bow. wltbln Its limits, they dispose of their 32,000 bodies. But a visit to Just one bouse would go a very long way toward solving the problem. Ordinary rooms, twelve and sixteen feet square, are redlvlded by frail partitions, windows or other apertures for tbe ad- mittance of light, being deemed wholly unne- cessary, and dark closets, holding each, fmrn floor to celling, some dozen narrow aud sballow sbelves. And each one ot tbese shelves is the dressing- room, the bei-room aud the bed of a Cblnaman. Thus an ordinary house, well packed, will hold quite a number of these swarming humans, and since they are accustomed to utilizing space, com- ing from a country which is itself over-crowded, ihey burrow and dig in the ground, and extend- ing under tbe house already containing hundreds or people, are dark and narrow passages in tbe ground, often not paved at all, and opening Into more cramped and box-like rooms, with their rows or shelves, this whole underground depart- ment reeking alike with noisome odors and drip, pins, uncleanly moisture. Chinatown Is very cu- rious, with its chaiterlntr, scant-garmented and queue-bedecked denizens, asid has irequent visi- tors to Us queeriy-decorated theatre, its Joss House, with the hideous almond-eyed gods aud the fine specimens or bronze carvings. Its restau- rants, wltu their massive black oriental furniture, or the pawnbroker's quarters, with every curious Chinese article under the sun, from the peculiar musical instruments, perhaps locludl g the fa- mous bandoUn, to the Innocent looking fan, which sheathes a sharp da^'ger. But the most careless visitor cannot go away unconscious of eome of the peculiar unpleasantness ot the Chinese quar- ter, for the broadest streets have a strange, un- wholesome odor, and the most lespectableor the side alleys, where flsh-stails and other markets are established, are so strongly redolent of the unpleasant, thatthey arealaiost Impassable, even It the daring visitor have not of small-pox and leprosy sudden visions sufficient to make nlm flee. KEAL ESTATE AND BUILDING. The assessed value of real estate and personal property in the city Is $253,000,000, which la a slight shrinkage In value In a year's time, but the decline In mining stocks alone would account tor this difference and leave the real wealth ot th» city unaffected. And if the $12,000,000 paid out by San Francisco during the past year In stoclt assessments had been raised by direct taxatloa on her property, it would have amounted to a rate of $4 75 oa every $100. What Interest, la- vested In manufactures, this sum would hav* speedily realized Its Investors, It is hard to say. The real estate sales in the city last year wer© over 2,600 In number, and realized a sumof nearly $15,000,000. The present nuiiber of buildings la the city ia estimated at 30,000, of which c.ouo are of brick. About 60O dwelling houses arc put up annually, with the occasional erection in the cIl'- vated portion of theclt> of one of those private "palaces" or canltallsts, who expend sever.'l hundred thousand dollars ai:d emcloy a smUl army of mechanics in bunding and furnishing i heir ¥ SAN FKANCISCO COUNTY. 139: tomes. Several private buUdlngsof this expensive character are now about to be erected. Among the recent costly public buuaings are the Coaroy & O'Oounor Block, on Market' street, which cost $110,000; the New Dashaway Ilall, on tho corner ot Post and Dupont Btreets, and mauy more sub- Btaotlal and expensive edifices on Dupont and R"ODt streeis, with still othera la the course ot erection on Market and other business streets. The new Church and College or fc>t. Ignatius, IrontlDB on Hayes street, Grove street, and Van Ness areoue, i3the largest building ol the kind In tue state, and ol a lotty and imposing appear- ance. The church will seat 3,ooo people, and the Hall for lectures will seat 4,000. The coit Is nearly one nillUoa dallars. In the near lu- ture will be erected the Phelan Block, a hand- some and costly structure, on the corner ot Mar- ket and Dupont streets, and will also be realized the projected extensive and complete sugar re- finery, which has already been coutracted lor by a capitalist ol the cliy, who will make It the lead- log enterprise ol the kind in the country, and one 01 tlie foremost manufactories of the city. FOPULATION AND CITY DEPABTMENTS. The population of the city increased 65,600 In 18T5, but the yearly gain has been less marked since that time, the probable present population being 830,000. Nearly 9O,O0O passengers arrive by land and sea annually, while the departures are generally considerably less. During the last month of the present Summer there were 3,681 ar- rivals In the State, 2,689 being by sea and 992 by rail; 8,e09 departed, 2,930 by sea and 679 by rail. Ot the arrivals by sea, 4T3 were irom China and Japan, and 225 departures were for those coun- trlea It is supposed that there will shortly be gains in the arrivals of white immigrants, as New York bas had thli year an imusually large num- ber of Bucu arrivals, many of whom will doubt- less come to California. On the other hand, there Is reason to believe that the Mongolian immigra- tion will largely decrease In tne near future. Tnere are in the city over 6,200 census school children, and over 88.600 enrolled in the public Bohools, which is an increase in enrolment. In a year's time, of over 1,300. several thousand chil- dren in the city, probably nearly ten thousand, attend the private schools and colleges. In the public schools 672 teachers are employed, an in- crease of tony in a year, and $674,000 is the an- nual amountpald iu teachers' salaries, an Increase in a year of $74,600. i he total school expenditure for the year is $970,000. The business ot the mall carriers, which always bears some proportion to the population, iiiCludes 8,864,000 man letters and l,554,0uo city letters de- livered, and 4,564,000 mall letters and 2,000,000 city letters collected, durlngthe past year. The cost ot street work lor 1 ist year was $1,242,- 000, of which $912,000 was for tne permanent Im- provement of the public streeis. The rollce Department ot tne city has 5 cap- tains, 12 detectives, 25 sergeants, 12 corporals and 273 regular patrolmen. The Fire Department has 276 officers and men, 63 hordes, 21,000 feet of carboUzed hose, 1,247 hy- drants, 55 cisterns, li steamers, 8 hose carriages, 4 hook and ladder trucks, and the flre-boat Gov- ernor Irwin. EXPOKT AND IMPORT. The foreign trade ot the cliy is continually in- creasing, and la excelled only In New York and Boston. Between $34,000,000 and $35,000,000 in value Is annually exported, the principal Item being the breadstuffs, some $15,000,000 being re- ceived annually for wh;at. It may be interesting to know that last year our flour went to the fol- lowing countries, in the order, as to quantity. In which they are named: Great Britain, China, Centril America and Panama, the Pacific Islands, Japan, Australia, the Russian possessions ot Asia, British Columbia, Mexico, Germany, New York and South America. Wheat was shipped to tho following countries, arranged in order according to the amount which was sent them : Greac Britain, Belgium, France, Australia, Spain, south America, New Zealand, China, Germany, Ha- wnllan Islands, British Columbia, Tahiti and Mexico. By this list it is seen that we contribute breadstuffs to nearly every country ot the gloQe. The gold and silver export last year amounted to nearly $35,000,000 sent away by sea, while $23,- 000,000 worth of merchandise was sent East by rail. There was a decline last year of nearly $19,- 000,000 in the value of our total exports, but the gain In the export of merchandise was over $4,- 000,000. Nearly a thousand vessels enter the port In a year, and over a thousand are annually cleared, tho total import duties amounting to $8,000,000 an- nually. The receipts ot treasure in the city last year, silver bullion, gold dust and bars, and coin, amounted to $70,000,000. The coinage ot the Mint amounted to 2,037,800 gold pieces, with a value of $36,209,600; 01 silver, there were coined 14,088,000 pieces, valued at $13,977,000 ; the total value or the year's coinage being $50,186,500, an increase over that ot any previous year. HOTELS AND OTHER LOCAL FEATURES. The city is famous for its hotels, and there are seventy-seven within Its limits, besides the still more numerous boarding houses. The Palace Hotel, which was planned and built under the auspices of Messrs. Balston and Sharon, and which is sometimes called "Kalston's Monu- ment," Is the most remarkable building ot its kind in the world. It is a huge, massive and yet elegant structure, measuring 304 by 275 feet, and occupying a whole block in the heart of the city. Its peculiar feature is a carriage court In the centre, entered from the street by a carriage en- trance flity feet wide, rooted with glass ac the top ot the building, and being surrounded at each story by a gallery twelve leet wWe, upon which the rooms of the different elevations open. The dining-room Is 200 by 65 leet In extent, the pave- ments 01 black and white marble tiling, the win- dows ana other enclosures ot large plate glass, the doors and other woodwork being solid and cabinet finished. The building is seven stories higu, with ample accommodation for 1,100 guests, with sunshine la every room, and the gas and ice used in the establish Lent manufactured in the cellar, and the water supplied trom two artesian wells. The Baldwin Hotel, though not so large, is fully as elegant In its lurulsulngs and conveniences, and Is famous lor Its cosey and beautiful little theatre, with special entrances, aside irom the public entrance on the street, from the dlEferent floors ot the hotel, lor the particular convenience of the guests. The Lick House was opened in 1881, being sub- stantially built, and as well kept and patronized as when first opened. The Riiss House was also opened in i86i, though Christian Ituss, its foun- der, landed In tue city In 1846. It cost $200,000, and is LOW worth$l,600,000. The land upon wnich it stands, two fltty-vara lots In the very centre of the city— but in 1846, before the city front was filled ill, belnir very near the wharves— cost only $16 each. This Is one of the best paying hotels 111 the city, being frequented by tho miners, farm- ers and business men ot the coast. The Cosmopolitan was opened in 1862, and had. in 1870 the first elevator la the city. ' The Occldentil was opened in 1862, but has been i lately refitted, and its bllUard-rooms, reading- ,,1 rooms and office have no superior in the city ho- ' 144 THE VINE. THE VINE. By M. W. CURTIS. Calirornla Is so new a State that tier resources nave hardly commenced to be developed. It 13 thought, however, that sne will soon know the activity anU prosperity of a manufacturing cen- tre, and, in the meantime, ner agricultural inter- ests are heina properly fostered. Of paramount Importance among tlie State industries are the vul and vinlculcural Interests. Twenty years ago, and more, the farmers in the State began to turn their attention to the grape, and their first vineyards were planted. The history of their ex- periment is the history of many others— one of diicouragement and comparaiive failure, for the Mission or Calitornlan grapes, wnich had already heen introduced by the Spanish padres at the Missions, were largely planted, and they proved suitable lor only certain sorts of wines. Experience had yet; to be gained as to localities and soils, and more particularly as to methods of manufacture, tho first wines behisj often of inleilor quail; y, and serving, unfortu- nately, to prejudice unfavorably wliatmarlcetwas secured for ihem. Butifie experiment was not by any means abindoned. Thequuiityof native wiijes sceadlly Improved, and aurins? ilie past lew years tney have louud a reaay mariiet, competing successfully with foreign varieties, andiciso.iiy to be hoced that other espurliueiits, as those with side worms, cotiou, etc., may yet result f.s successfully and profitably. Tue Mate Legisla- ture has just establlsued a Board of nine Couuuid- Bioners, with funds at their disposal, in the viul- cultural and vitlcultural interests, und U is ex- pected that valuable iniormation will be acquired and widely disseminated tiirough their efforts. The quantity of wine made and tho prices real- ized have steadily increased, 'i nero was a dull season about two years ago, but since tuut tiiuo higher prices than before have been realized for the grapes, and new vineyards, as a result, are being rapidly planted all over tho State, while the wine-makers have the encouragement of a nrm and established market. The vines are grown successfully in almost every county in tho State, from Siskiyou to San Diego. It Is a weli-known fact, indeed, that we have, at a certain heignt along our fooinilis, run- ning from north lo south, what we call our semi- tropical belt, Avhere grapes, lemons, flgs and oranges grow, untouched by frosts, while uardler fruits are being desiroyed by cold on either hand. This safe altitude is from 700 to 1,000 feet above the sea-level, upon the sldehills. In Siskiyou, which is on the northern boundary of the State, there are something' over fifty acres planted In Vines, producing annually 500 gallons of wine and 900 galioijs of brandy. Alaueda County cultivates grapes In its south- ern portion, and makes annually several hundred thousand gallons of wine and several tnousaud fallens of brandy. There are some hail-aczen urge vineyards In Washington 'lowuship, about 150,000 vines being planted, and tne owners stead- ily increasing their acreage. Ex-Governor Stan- lord has one of the largest vineyards, with stor- ing vaults of great capaciiy. An.adur, El Dorado, Suianoaud Santa Clara are also among tne v\iue- producing counties. Yolo, two yeara a^o, had over a tuous.ind acres planted, producing annu- ally over '2uu,00t) gallons of wine and 4,uuo gallons of brandy, 'this acreage has been greatly in- creased ill the past two years, aid tne cuunty has, besides its wineries, seven vineyards wboso grapes are devoted to rai&in-moklig. One vine- yard, wUicli realized from raisins and grap' s tins yi ar the sum cl $70,000, is now beii g grea iy en- larged, wbiio gr.ln ai.u Slock 1. nos 111 Yolo, Su- lautj and mai y other counties whero me sou and cUmatu are suitable, are being converted into vineyards. Sonoma and Los Angeles are the Oldest grai^e counties, and have siiil the mosD imoortant wineries. Los Angeles has neai ly 0,OUtJ ucfe.-i, tiio yield Of the present j ear, wuich Is an unusually largo one, averaging five to s to tho acre, while ii.nny vineyards bore ten tons to the acre. About 29,000 tOiis wero produced in tiie county mis year, and it is estlniaieii ihatbOO.Ouo guliuns ot wiue will bo made. Klver&lde, the irri- gmed colony, has many small vine>ards, the fa- vorite grapes being the ]\iiiscai ot Alexandria, ilie ^>uscatel, and Gordo Blanco, a very fine rai- sin, besides wine, being piOLiuced. Los Ai.geles will soon ship her wines airectly East— a great aeivaiiiage to that part of tne Siaie. In Los Anueles County mero are some six large wine- houses, besiaes numerous owners who press und tern. ent their own wines. Grapes grown to sell to wine-makers liave cleared |90 per acre, or over $-10 terton, and some $l,0uu,000 worth of wlno and urandy being made. Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Siu Diego counties are all buying and planting the bestj varieties ot cuttings, ban Bernardi -0 has several vineyards, amui g them the cucau-onga, of a couple of hundred acres. Vineyards are planted or propagated by mea s of cuttings ot the desired variety, some owners placing me cuttings directly in the vineyard, tne better method being, Lowever, to first, ruot them in prepared beds, planting them In 1 he vineyard wiien ayear old. In mis way, tuose vines wnieli 010 are replaced by others ot the same ago from tne propagating bed, wnile to reolace the cutti g wnicu nas failed to take root In" the held with another cutting, often places through the vine- yarn isolated vines which are a year behind li beailng. it is an unnecessary labor to dig holes nnd plant the cutting as a tree would be planted. Many vliiculturlsts use a crowbar to place the cuttings, but a lighter implement is eablly made, having u handle, a foot-rest and a blade, by 1. cans of which tne opening is made lu ibe ground, ihe cutting is placed by hand, with its end quite at tho bottom ot the hole, wnen me biado ot ihe im- plec.ent mentioned presses tne soil evenly against the cutting all the way from tue root to thesurface ot the ground. It Is thought tliat the grapes do better and ripen more rapidly when tne vines are placed at good distance apart, say at least Bis feet. THE VINE. 145 The lavonte grapes for planting are tue Mus- catel, Gordo Blanco ana Muscatel ol Alexandria, tbe&e being specially adapted lor raisins, wuiie Zlufuiidei, Berger, Blue Elbe , 50 to $100 per acre, the best laud for the purpose being that or light soil on the hill- sides, while the heavy bottom lands are nowcom- mandlng the higher prices. U'he higher-priced lauds generally include Irrigating facilities, but the grape grows very well witnoui irrigation, and it is even questioned if deep tillage is uot cheaper, and at the same time equally as effective us irrigation. An average price paid may be said to be $25, while the cost or plaijtiug a, id maintaining a vineyard until it arrives in bearing will probably be about $T5 per acre more, culti- vating, gathering and shipping the grapes is estl- mateuat a yearly cost or $20 per acre, the yield averaging probably four tons to the acre. It will thus be.seen that those vineyards which came into full bearing in ISSO, ai.d which obtained $30 or more per ton tor the crop, paid for themselves la lull up to date the veiy first year. Placing the probablelntereston the Investment per acre at $10, and the expenses per acre yearly at $20, a vineyard bearl ng tour to as to me acre, and selil ug grapes at $l8per too, will pay all the expenses aud $42 per acre net over and above a very guod Interest ou the sum Invested. It Is more than probable that when a good wine can be produced sufficiently cheap to pay for transDoriatlon to France, to be sold at a moder- ate figure there, that a market will be found lu Europe lor our wines, the unbounded possioiiitlea of which future are undoubtedly la store lor Cal- ifornia. ' ^' SMALL FARMING, ETC. 147 SMALL FARMING IN CALIFORNIA. A Talk about what Grows m this State— ^A^here it will Grow— Useful Information from Many Sources. That tortn of farming wnicb l3 most common In Oalltornia l3 a form found In no otber country, and, In some of its peculiarities, in no other state. Wheat 13 planted In large tracts, tuousands of acres— ten, twenty, forty and more— In extent. The ploughing Is done with gang-ploughs, which are from four to eight ploughshares fastened to one wooden frame. As many as eight horses are employed to draw tbls implement, and with it 8ome ten acres a day are ploughed. A seed- sower, fastened in front of the plough, scatters the seed, and the plough, which receives no guid- ing, but requires ouly a man to drive the horses, covers it with earth. After the sowing is accom- plished, the teams are taken to otner flelds, which are to be summer-fallowed, where olcen are seen ten of the gang-ploughs, each with eight horses attached, ploughing a furrow a mile long and forty feet wide. Afterward, in July, comes the harvesting, and the farmer, with a force of per- haps twenty men and eighty horses, three "head- ers" (which cut off the heads or the wheat stalks), eight or nine wagons, a thresher undtne sacus for hlsgral i, goes into his fieiaand cuts, threshes and puts l^to sacks the grain, at the rate of con- BlderaDly over a hundred acres a day. After the harvesting is completed, and the bags of grain are left slacked at ine side ot the field until It Is convenient to haul them away, the horses are harnessed to great brushes— half-a- dezeu horsestoa iweuty-fuot brush— which goes over the fields to scatter what seed has been dropped upon the ground. The ground Is then ploughed two or three Inches deep, to cover the Bcaitered seed, wiilch Is tuen lelctosprltig up and lonii a second or third "volunteer" crop, which Isoiten us heavy, and always us sure, as the first. J hougii tiie yield ba only a few bushels per aero, the fariuer or the thousand or the twen- ty thousand acre tract counts coufldehtly upon maklig a smaU fortune in a single year, and If the year be a dry one, he 13 Ireque tiy ruined. And In the me mtlme, on this glguntlc tami or "ranch," there is no vegeiahle garden and no orchard. Tne house, at best. Is a slight and Insuf- flcle it redwood structure, aua scarcely o.je of the ortlliaary coiutoris Of lite is provided for la the farmer's familv. Tills is what is commonly termed farming in Oalilorula, a d thousands ot acres of wuat Is really garden land |are annually planted in grain, leaving the ground, which might have attained a priceli^bs value under another method, at the end of twenty years, exUausied, and really less valu- able than" it was in the beginning. That other meUiod icls, which we have ciiosen here to term •'sujali farming," wliose advantages are no*v ur^ed. The man who has from eighty to one liundred and sixty acres south ot San Francisco, or 111 soii.e loiation north ot that place, and who carefully tills hla ground, Dlantlug an orchard ot temperate and semi-troploal fruits, a vineyard of the best varieties for wine or raisins, with beets and alfalfa for his cattle, and a vegetable garden ror his family, will i.ot only live more com- fortably, but at the end ot ten or twelve years win actually be wortu more money and o^n a more valuable place than does his nelghfuor with ilie ihousand-aere wheat-field. And in the begin- ning he wrtl have requirea a much less capital, and have run a proportionately smaller risk. There are thousands ot acres ot desirable land la the State avallaOle to the small farmer, with a sufficient variety ot location. North ot San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma Valley lands are not as suitable tor grain us they are tor the seuil-trODkai fruits, and specially for the vine. The soil is red and gravelly, and was formerly thought to be unfertile, but It is precisely the soli required by the vine, and the grape attains perfection. Laud in the vicinity of Sonoma, costs fro n twenty dollars upward, and Is perhnps a little cheaper o i the siae-hiils. One man with a horse can cultivate aione twenty-five acres of vineyard, requiring help only in picking the gripes; and an average size of vineyards Is perhaps twice as many acres, though some, of course, are very much larger. Fencing la the same vicinity costs about four hundred dollars per tulle, tor a four-board fence. The work necessary before planting the vine- yard, that is to say, tne plougnlng, to bre.ik the ground, the harrowing, the •' laying off " and the digging ot the holes, costs eignt or nine dollars per acre. The vine cuttings cost five or six dol- lars per thousand, and a thousand or less are planted to the acre. The cultivation ot tne vine- yard will pi obably cost four dollars per acre for tne first year, ten dollars the second jear, and fif- teen dollars the third year. But tills year the vines wlil begin to bear, proauclug about ten dol- lars to tne acre. The fourth year there should be a pront ot ten or twelve dollars per acre, and with the flftu year tlie vines come into full bear- ing. ■ Thecostotpicklng the grapes Is about; one dollar and a half per ncre. Tue yield of a culti- vated vineyard, a thousand vines to the acre, ougut to be four tons to t he acre. 'jhegr pes may be sold for from fourteen to twe ly-elgut dullars (on an average, for they have brought as hiah as thirty-five dollars) per ton. Some viticuliuiists prefer to make their own wine, but this win scarcely prove the better way, requiri.'g as it does large addlilonjl expen- ditures lor celljrs, press-houses, casks, l■ru^hers, presses, vats, nose, pumps, eic, and experience and skill also in mauing u high-grade wine. The vines are grown suceessiuily and tue grape prop- erly matured lu all but five or six ot the lorty. tour counties ot the state. Irrigation Is resorted to in many districts, but It Is claimed that it is not needed lu any locality where the grape is raised torwlue, the wine being of a better quality where water 13 not used. The Sacramento Valley Is an Immense fertile plain, CO tainlng about 5,000,opo acres, having a n.ilder than tae Kastern ciidiaie, producing baua- tlful crops almost throughout Us extent vrltuout 148 SMALL FARMING. ETC. Irrigation, and In every way ntied to tbe small lariner. In lUe TlclQlty of SuUnasClty, HolUster, Wat- soiivllle aid Santa Cruz, 13 land of uusurpasaed fertility, IrrlgaUon not being needeJ, exccptluf? In gardeiiS. '1 be soil Is a deep, Sdndy loam, Due wltu irequeut patcties or adooe. TUe cereals are prin- cipally raised, and the average yield over the ■whole regloD is— ot wheat, lorty-Qve bushels per acre : ot barley, sixty bushels per acre ; of oats, flliy bushels ; ai.d of potatoes, two hundrea to three huudrtd bushels perucre. Flax jleldscjver fourteen hundred pouuds to the acre, and hops are profltuUly grown. The peach tree dues best upon the hillsides, apples bear In three years from the yralt, the plum yieldslargely four years from tuddlng, and lue strawberry attains Its highest perlecilon. Lumber Is very cheap, as this Is In ihe midst ot lue redwood reglou 01 s iwmllls, and the railroad gives ready access to the Sau Fran- cisco market. Land brings irom thirty to one liunUred dollars per acre ; that upon the hillsides, however, while li Is luliy as desirable aud fertile, being obtainable lor irom tea to twenty-live dol- lars per acre. In all ot leouthern California the climate is most mild, healthtul ano dellguttul, and It can scarcely be termed too warm, even when the mercury reaches 82 degrees and more In tue daytluie, as the Lights foUovviug are always cool and refresh- ing. Ill the Los Angeles Uower gardeus over twenty varieties bloo.u all Winter, includlDg the tuberose aud jessamine; while the heliotrope grows to the height ot twenty feet, when trained over the piazzas. Peach trees bear each a peck or fruit tiie second year from the pit, vines yield iu two years, apples give a full crop In Ave years, while the kitcuen gardens are productive and the orange ripens all tne year round. (Shade trees, as the pepper and acacia, bear iransplautlng at a large size, grow amazingly, audfurmsh a grateful shaoe immediately. Btrawberrles ripen In abund- ance the JlrsD season, whlla of the grains two crops are taken In a year Irom the same acre, on the irrigated lands, while no manure or fertilizer is used, the land not deteriorating wheu water Is used. Of the alfalfa hay, twelve tons and more are cut every year to the acre. The soil here Is very generally a rich, loose, sandy loam, with occasional adoDe. The price Is from $30 to $100 per acre with water, ana perhaps $2 or $3 without water. And $50 an acre is cer- tainly not a high price to pay for laud which, after five or six years,wlth little additional luoney spent, will yield at least $500 annually for a life- time. Near San Bernardino, sixty miles east of Los Angeles, are over 30,ooo acres ot productive valley land, 'there Is an abundance ot water for irriga- tion, which Is also supplied from artesian weils. Lumber costs a moderate price, and farm horses and cows are cheap, as they are in all this paro of California. Two crops a j ear are commonly taken from the land, and very high averages yielded. Land Is cheaper than in Los Angeles coimty, and the foothills are, perhaps, preierable. Unim- proved land, near the town, with water enoush for irrigating at a convenient distance, costs Irom $3 to $10 per acre. The famous cocamungo vineyard Is between Los Angeles and San i3ernardlnO; while Dr. Ed- gar's well-known vineyard is 2,000 feet above San Bernardino, In the San Gorgonlo Pass. There is a market lu Arizona for the farm products ot this Tlclnlty, aud a market garden near the town is a very remunerative investment. Klverslde colony, with some 8,000 Ungated acres of land, is near San Bernardino. The laud Is held at about $40 per acre, and water costs about $2 per acre per annum. '1 en acres In ralslu grapes in this coluny yield a very handsome Income. The fences here, aafrequeutly iu the southern country, are con- veniently made by planting long cuttoiiwood, aycamore or willow roas, which quickly take root and grow, and after the second year will yield the farmer every year a sufQcient amount of firewood. In the vicinity of Bakersfleld, in the S'HUhern partot the ban Joaquin Valley, isaienllcs iland a warm climate, tbe frosts being very slight in Winter, and all the se.iil-tinpical fruit-s with hops, tobacco, and cotton, flonrlshl.,g. Opium, madder, and castor oil are also raised succeasiul- ly. Land here may be bought for $2 50 pi-r m re, the Irrigating ditches ot c .urse lelny; made ait r- ward. And with proper cultivation, nd ucip- ploughing, Ihe San Jo .qui 1 Vainy will always yield a very good crop In tbe driest year. 'ihe hogs 111 the vicinity ot Lake Tuiare feed al- ternately on the acorns from tbe oaks ami the sbellQsh in the shallow p .rtsot the lake. Keepin^' tat all the year. Aid hoists are often fed no grain, but pastured all the .\ear. The whole San Joaquin Valley knows a pretty high detiree ot heat la the summer inontbs, bui as the atniosDhere is dry aud tbe iiigbts cool, tbe people do not suffer from prostration as they do L the Eastern States. This great valley extends from Stockton to the Telon Pass, a distance of three hundre 1 miles, and contains about 7,000,000 acres, besl tea the foothills, being peruans the most desirable lo- cality in tbe btnte for tbe establish i,e t of s nail ai d carefully cultivated farms. Tiie Government and railroaa lands are pernaps tbe cheape^t and most desirable, a d a very good idea of locitl"n» may be obtained at the Government 1 md oiUtes, or at tbe land offlces of tbe various railways. The railroad lands are from $2 50 per acre, with five years' credit, aud tbe G.jvernmt-nt lami 13 from $1 25 to |2 69, with the terms Iso verv easv. Ei^;hty acres may be oreempied, and, by th& making of speclilei.1 improvemenis, secured gra- tuitously, under tue Ho 1 estead law. And it mlt'bt be said here tnac clghtv acres la Buflielent fur wise and prohta'le working by the small farmer. One hundred and sixty ncns are ptrnaps preferable with abunuant mems, but lo no wise should tbe latti r size be exceeded. Tbe unsetUed habits, com rortiess living, aud c relesa tdllngot tooujauyof the great grain f uii;ers,vvba strive to own too niuch Laid, are greatly to tbe detriment ot the Slate's prosperity ; and even, forty acres will coaiioitabiy support a larmer's family, and at the end of six or eignt years give a very handsome income. 'ihe purchaser shuuld select his land In the Summer or Fall, as tbe country will then loot certainly its worst, on account or the dryness and dust; while at the same time the harvt^sting, which is then lu progress, will indicate the de- gree ot the soil's productiveness ; and it land la bouEht In tue Summer in tbe Sau Joaquin Vaiiev, as there is no clearing ot u derbrusu or getting out of bowlders to be done, the plougbluir may be commenced with the Wiuier rains, and the brst crop sown at once. Uncultivated land, witli water convenient, but without ditches, can tie 00- tained at from Government prices to $-1 or $5 per acre, and when the ditches are constrm.tea, the value will be more tuan doubled, aliho'igh tue cereals are profltablv grown wlibout irrigation, ahout seven good years or lull cr ps ii ten years being counted upon. Farms in the colonies pos- sess, no douot, some advantages, but tbey are held at a higher figure, aud are besides commonly too restricted in size. The sou in the San Joaquin valley varies from light sand to a heavy aciobe or black clay, and each e.xtreme possesses Its advantages. Tbe crop Is larger ou the heavier i.md. but the cost or cul- tivation is very much greater. Tue smd has borne very good yUlQs ot wheat la veiy dry years, but a is better lor grain th iU lor anything else, and alter a time may oe reniUred unprofita- ble or uuprodnciive. The heavier boilissuiied to varieu products, and yielis, with the right treatment, very muchtne larger 1 .come. Oma- slonally ou the uuculllvatea plain Gun be seen the white trace ot alkali, but even thia is so SMALL FAEMING, ETC. 14a f ■ treated tbat It makes productive land. Barley straw 13 plouglied in, ana rots quickly, and so de- composes ilie alkali, or fertilizes ilie soil, tiiat la tUetoliowiDg Winter grain la proQiaoly plauied. It Las been rigliUy said mattue quantity of water bouglit is more important tuan the quan- tity ol land, as California, except la a few fa- vored localities. Is uDdeulably suoject to droutbs. Water is also required In tae cuUivatloa of seml- uoplcal fruits, as the orange, cltroo, lemon, etc., and also, except in exceptiOQaliy wet years, to obtain two crops aunually per acre. Wlta irri- gation It Is easily and commonly done, lue crop of wlieat or barley, planted In December and reaped lu May, being followed by one of corn, planted iu May or June, wliicU also ripens fully. A very small scream Is buQiclent to supply a large tract wltti water, and la very easily and clieaply tapped, and the water led into a reser- voir. Ditches are sometimes dug by companies of capitalists and sometimes by the farmers of tbe neigliborbood, wiio quickly and easily double their lucomes and the value ol tlieir properties by tiie Introduction of Irrigating facilities. It the ditches are already constructed upon latid.it is only necessary to ascertain the cost of the water, which Is geneially $1 25 per acre per crop, or perhaps $a per acre, per annum. 'I'hls la cheaper than tue cost of a teriiUzlug agent, of which it Is uolver- saliy conceded to nil t he place, the soil of irrigated lauds never deteriorating. Artesian wells, where flowiug water can be oDtained at a small cost, aLSwer every purpose, and are commonly used in the San Bernardino Valley, east of the saa Joaauln. Artesian wells are made hero by tho sinking, by meaus of the pressure of a lever, ot a wroUi;ht-irou tube, several inches lu diameter, which is the size required to obtJln water suffi- -cient lor irrigating. A sai.d-pump Is used to bring up the conteuts of the pipe, and the coring costs $1 per foot for the first hundred feet and flity ceuts additional for 'every hundred leet additional. The Iron tube costs here $1 per foot, acd the water has generally sufticlent force to carry it through the house and other two-story )l)ull(]lag3 of the farm. And irrigatiou Is not the difQcult and troublesome process which at a dis- tance it may appear. An orange orchard is wa- tered every six weeks, and ploughed alter each Ir- rigation, one man irrigating and ploughing some twenty acres without inconvenient haste. The land always requires to be turned by the plough after the water has been turned upon It, or it bakes in the sun and is worse than before; and CO doubt this cjDStant tilling may be thanked for many ot the good results or irrigation. Nor Is it troublesome to an Industrious and methoaical farmer, who enjoys the aspeut and the produc- tiveness or his smoothly cultivated place. Tho farmer who has secured, by purchase or by preemption, his eighty acres of land, has his house, outbuildings and fences to make. If. as is often and pleasantly the case, he has several neighbors, men who have bought adjoining lands at the same time ana in company with himself, lie can have this cheaply done by contract, and a new farmer very often also has his flrstcrop put In in the same way. The fences in a good part of the southern country are more cheaply made by the simple planting ot willow or coitonwood sticks, three Inches or more In diameter, which, la two years" time, make living fences, from which all the lirewood lor the fan-ily may be cut. The outbuildings need not be specially substantial la this climate, as sheep are not housed aC all, ana cattle and horses are pastured almost exclusively the whole year round. The grain, also, need not be stored, but is commonly lelt stacked iu the sacks by the side or the field until shipped away. But tho house ought to be a comfortable ana con- venient structure, as a cryli;g shame on the beau- tiful and fertile farms of California is the btyie of rough-board house or shanty In which, year atter jyear, the owner lives. In the BoutherD part of California, Indian labor is obtained at from 50 cents to $1 25 per day, with- out board, aiid larm laborers work at aoout $30 per mo'ith and board. The farmer might very proQtably plant ten acres in vineyard, and ten in ihesemi-iroplcal fruits— the orange, lemon, lime, citroa, alu.ond, English walnut and others. Five acres should be planted in alfalfa, and ir live or more be plmted 111 olives, the farmer, and his sons after him, can scarcely, iu the course ot time, miss an indepen- dent income. An orchard and a vegetable gar- den should be provided, aad a couple of acres in beeta for the cattle. Five acres or more should always be planted with eucalyptus, which grows here as much as twenty feet in a year, and which, besides affording a beautiful shaoe tree, and se- curing the neighborhood against malaria. Is valu- able as limber. These trees, as well as cotton- woods, are also often planted by the farmers as wind-breaks, for which they are safflciently grown la two years' lime. The balance of ihe land may very profitably be sowa In barley for hay, followed by a second crop of cora, and if the year is a good one It is certain that the first year's product will go a long ways toward paying, the year's expeiises. Horses here cost from $20 to $S0, and milch cows about, $50. It Is well-known that deep ploughing, say tea inches deep, which Is too seldom resorted to, will secure a very good crop, wiihout irrigation, in the dry years; andsumnier-laliowi.ig, or the plough- ing ot the land in the Spring, and alloulng it to lay until the first rains, when the seed is sown, la known to give the best results, adJinghO much as a third to the crop. Sowing la commenced with the first rains, and continued aa late as March, i reea are also transplanted during tuls season, and la this climate eucalyptus, pepper and acacia trees, six inches in diameter, grow rapidly atter trans- planting. Grain fields are here Irrigated before sown, and the wisest method seems to be to seat tho field and do the ploughing and planting before the rain, so that the first showers come as the grain is sprouting. Thirty bushels ot wheat and forty ot barley are averaged, with somethlag less of corn, Airalfa yields as much as fif teea tons to the acre, and la fed to cattle, hogs, sheep and plough- horses. Ten acres In airalfa and one or two acres in beets, replanted as they are used, will sup- port, without other expense than that of cutting the feed, a span of horses, five or six cows, twen- ty Sheep ana a dozen pigs. Apples, pears, peaches, aulnces, apricots, nec- tarines, plums, cherries and the small frulta all grow ranidly, mature young and are free from dis- ease. And this Is 1 he proper cU .ate fur drying and preserving fruit, which will no doubt be here a considerable Industry ot the future. Wool and cattle-raising, as adjuncts to farm- ing, are very profitable. Sheep are neither fed nor housed, out herded, and the wool pays the expenses of the flocK, the lambs, for which there is ready sale, being clear profit, Thesemi-troplcalfruUsplanted are the almond, olive, walnut, chestnut, citron, lemon, orange, pomegranate, and fig, the latter giving two crops a year. There are lu the southern part of the State orange trees tnlrty years old, olives eighty years old, and English walnuts forty years old, all bearing largely and proving the adapiahility of the soil and climate. Certain It Is, that the area for raising these irults la a limited one, be- ing almost confined to California and Florida la the United States, France and Italy la Europe, and the raciho Islands. On the other hand, the marker, is universal, and the iruita are not gener- ally perishable In their nature, but may be and are shipped to a considerable distance. For a number of years there will be nu lucreasln^' de- mand lorus to supply In the States rapidly Llllng upwestof tho Mississippi, so It is very far from likely that what tropical fruits caiUOr. la may raise will ever become a drug on the market. 150 SMALL FAEMING, ETC. Tbere are several varieties of the almond planted, some belny: seedlings wlilch were orlgl- uaied In California. A comuiOJly planted variety, bowever. Is tlie Languedoc, coming from some trees wtilcii vyere liuported from France. They bear heavily, tolossoni late, aud have a tolerably sole sliell, iill of which are desiderata. It does best on a sindy loam, one huudred aud eight trees beiDg planted to the acre. They bear at three years irom the hud, yield twelve pounds per tree, or about two hundred and forty dollars per acre, at live years, and at eight years yield twenty pounds to tue tree, or about four hundred dollars per acre. The gopher and the squirrel are its enemies, and are usually destroyed by poison. When the nut Is ripe It drops to the ground, and the husk opens and falls off, or Is easily removed. The native seedlings are generally hard-shelled, and do not bring so high a price. The olive is propagated toy cuttings, and grows slowly at first. It will sometimes begin to bear at four years, but does not come to lull maturity until the tenth year. Sixty trees are planted to the acre, and the mature orchard yields an aver- age of twenty-five gallons of olives to the tree. They bring about sixty cents per gallon, which is a gross of $900 per acre per annum. The olives are of moderate size, but very Juicy and well fla- vored, a^d are, when carefully picked, much su- perior to those brought from France and Spain. Pickled olives bring seventy-five cents per gallon, tout It la 1. ore profitable to use the irult for mak- ing oil. Six or seven gallons of ripe olives will make one gallon ot oil, and the process Is a very simple one, all ot the necessary machinery usu- ally standing under a shed In the orchard. The pulp Is crushed from the pits and put Into strong rope nets, which are pressed, the oil running down IntJ a tub ot clean water, on the surface of which It collects. The refuse and the seeds yield an oil ot an inferior quality, which must be boiled to clarify It. The olive is easily raised as to soil, aud does not require Irrigation. The gopher Is its deadly enemy. The English walnut Is a very tall and beauti- ful tree, a slow grower, maturing at seven or e'lizht years of age, and Increasing in productive- ness after that. Thirty trees are planted to the acre, aud a tree twelve years old boars over flity pounds ot nuts, while a tree fifteen years old bears upward of 100 pounds. The nuts fall when ripe, and have only to be sacked. The only cost Isfor cultlvailijg and irrigating, and one man can eare for thirty acres. The nuts bring about ten cents per pound In Los Angeles, the price ob- tained per acre from a twelve-year-old orchard belnsr about $300. The Spanish chestnut, at fifteen years, bears one hundred pounds ot nuts each, and is being largely planted. The citron, a tall shrub, bears In about five years, and Is very profitable. Plants In Los An- geles, without being greatly cared for, have borne ftt four years ot age $15 worth of fruit each. The lemon, which becomes a large tree, bears at ten years a valuable crop, generally about six hundred lemons per tree. A tree In Los Angeles some years ago bore, at fifteen years old, two thousand lemons, which brought in San Francisco $30 per thousand. But the orange Is considered profitable above all others. It requires Irrigation, and does best near the foothills. Wind-breaks are a benefit to It, and young trees should be covered from a heavy frost. Sixty trees are planted to the acre; it bears at eight years from the seed, and gives a good crop at ten years. It Is safely transplanted at three or four years, If the air Is kept from the roots. It Is a very prolific bearei", trees fif- teen years old commonly giving 2,000 oranges. Trees ten years old from the seed give l,ooo oranges, which bring $15 per l,ouo in San Fran- cisco. As one man can care (or twenty acres of an orange orchard, and the expenses or buying, Bhlppmg, etc., are covered by $5 per thousand, the net profit per acre Is almost $900. At ten years old the trees are saiely counted on to yield a profit of $10 each, which, with sixty trees to the ucie, is a very comfortable sum. And the trees constantly increase in fruittulness with age, Uvlns to be over a hundred years old and bearing over 2,000 oranges. The pomegranate is a beautiful shrub, and the fig gives two crops a year. The vine is, ot course, very profitable, and the better method Is to sell the grapes or grape Juice to the wlne-makers.l he farmer com monly sells Ills grapes beforehand to the wlne-mauer, a d, under his directions, picks and presses thegrapeanUcar- rles the juice through the first process of fermen- tation, the wine manufacturer taking this musB to make Into wine. And it Is very Justly claimed that the Oallforulan wines have an Immense ad- • vaiitajje and recommendation over those of Eu- rope, in the more cleanly and intelligent methods Of the first processes as carried on in our vine- yards. The cellars hero are commonly above ground, and better lighted and ventilated, and the wines are pure, not being adulterated, tor tue very good reason that a luanuractured article would not be as cheap or pay as well as does the grape Juice. When brandy is added, as to tue ports aud some ot the angelicas, it is the grape brandy, made in the vineyard, as is the wine. Raisins, however, are more profitable and less expensive than the wine, and an acre In raisins Is five tla.es as profit) ble as an aero la wheat. The white Malaga, which Is the true rals n grape^ having a thin skin and small seeds, should be planted, and the process ot curing Is a very slm- pie one. The grapes must be picked beiore toe ripe, and the Imperfectfruitcutfrom the bunches, wlilch are then dried, first in the sun aud after- ward under cover. Experience and care are nec- essary, but It 18 a very prontable Industry, as the California raisins have already made the-nselves a market at good Qgui-es. The vines yield five tons to the acre, and four pounds of grapes com- monly make one pound ot raisins, and these latter have broui;ht in san Francisco recently the price of twenty-five cents per pound. cotton of an excellent quality is raised in the San Joaquin Valley, twenty acres being planted and kept in order by one man. A crop lu 1873 averaged $75 per acre, of which $47 per acre was clear profit. Attention is ag.iin being called to this product, and It only a market at home Is pro- vided for the cotton, there is i.o doubt that it will rapidly attain large proportions in this part of ihe State. Silk is profitable when properly engaged In. It is true that there have been failures with tue sUlc worms, but it is also true that the most absurd mistakes were made, such as planting au entirely wrong sort ot mulberry tree, or planting it lu an entirely wrong locailou, or feeding the immature leaf to the worm, toy men who planted by the huudred acres, hoping to multiply In the same proportion the profit which had been realized from one acre. It Is recommended, aud no doubt wisely, that a dozen trees be planted near the house, ana the farmer's family permitted to care for the worms, when a very fair success Indeed will probably be met wlih. The hops raised here bring a higher price thaa those ot tue East, being strohger, and gathered m better condition, owing to our dry Summer. Rice, fiax and hemp, together with the ramie, are all successfully raised, giving sure and prooiaole crops. The castor bean has been very success- fully raised In large tracts, the nlant belrghoed like corn, and a press in the fi'eid making the oil. Sugar beets yield a very large per- centage ot saccharine matter, owing to the long rainless season, and are very prontably worked in this State. At present, the factories raise extensively their own beets, but there is no doubt that when the farmers raise a sufflcieut supply, u win be found the better way and highly remunerative to the farmer. About ten tons are SMALL FARMING, ETC.— THE POMEGRANATE. 151 raised to the acre, whicb la lessttnn In Europe, probably because we do not cuitiv^ue our s 11 wltu sutTIcleMD tliorouglii;es3, nnl tlie beets litre yield generally tliree per cent more sag ^r tli n la Europe. A ton ot Deeta ouiut tJ .vieid a b-trrel of BUtrar, and iln refuse of me beeta is fed here, ua InFrince. tocaiDle. T be cork tree Is not yet a product ot tbeSt'ite, altliuu-'H It 13 knowQ tiuit it will grow here. Now, some 100, ooo botiif-3 of champ isne nreciir- rleJ elu.ultaneously ihrougb the prouesaof inu:> ufucture li Ohe Sin Frauclsco wi je house, and for eiichof these Dottles two corks are used, the flrst cosilDg two ceuts and the second sU cents. Here alone are 200,000 cork, costln; $s.ooi), whif-n goes to show tiiMt our wme- akin^ veiy namr- ally inakfS I m irket foratroo ilv imint er o c iik.s, wiilcu win perl)f,p3 lie 8Ui)plied, m a lew years II ore,irom the same la;.ds'fio u whi: hthe grape comes. Fin illy, on the list of Industiles pioiltible for thes :ali, or. In other wor. 3. tue wise 'ari.erot CallfoinLi, 13 tb p of keeijlug bees, und these bri ,er80 u.uch n cney thit It h.s feen know . to p ly their owners to move st-veral buudred hlvea from ol 'ce to pla /e over large tracts, that the llttie Insects n l?ut have untried fields from whlcb to gatber tbelr honey. THE POMEGRANATE. Bt Ex-Gov. JOHN G. DOWNEY The orange, lemon, lime atid citron have been ■well written up (not exh iustei3) by practical men who have devoted much time to these ladustrles as a fcO'irce of living and profit. My observations oil thes*! m tters have bee:i limited to pleasure and recreation, 'l he pomegranite has not re- ceived merit' d conslleratlou. Puncia Granatum, Eaccoe, Tunica Exterior, Jiadicis, Cortex et Flores, have recelvtdihi' recog;iltlon Of thet,o doii.Edl - burs;h and Dublin colleges as a valuable mealclnal plaut ; It cau hardly be dlgnltled wiib the name of tree, but in good soil will reach the height of tweuty feet, we kno.v it nere as a beautiful orna- me lal bhrub, bearlug a beautiful fruit. Our Cas- tlllin frlen 13 upprecl ite It, 113 they have experl- e ce 1 1 lis c'lliivtiioii aid uses. They know it as the Granada, i.nd have giveu a beautiful city Its name. 1 I our rcystlc circles it Is recognized as the em- blem of si.unla le, »nd Justly S). Apart fro n the treatise en this beautifil plant by excellent nedlc 1 huthorlt y, our Spanish friends have long lear e 1 from the >ioor3 a d their a .cest >rs alon^ boiii sides of the Medlterraueau, to value tils lovely shi ub for Its beauty and usefulness. In ahot Suiiimer's day there Is nothli.g so charm- ingly delicious as a saucer of the pomegrauate seed, spriukled with pulverized sugar. It is cool- l-gand refreshing, and a most agreeable febrl* < fuge. 1 1 orchard or hedge It Is pleasing to the ejeof the cultivated tasie. It Is a hardy plant, easy of prop iga; lou— from the natural seed, or from the slip or cutting. The latter Is the easiest, as you are faS sure of tue cutting as you would be of that ot the willow, and with this advantage, that it does not require the moisture tiiat the willow does. I h ive seen the ctiar.i.liig plants 1 1 BOme of our deseited djIs- bluns, cilngl g to life without care or cultivation, a genei atlon alter the gooJ old Fathers that pla, ted them had passed aw^y. In foilaue, flow- er or fiuit, It Is a beauty. It Is of ti.e myrtle fam- ily, but must stand at the head, as tije fruit I3 valuable, win keep forever, almost, and will stand irausportatlon to any corner of our vast country. It can be planted with success, from eigntto ten feet api.rt, In orchard and in hedge, the same as the Os.ige orange, and will beur any an ount or pruning. It will do well In any por- ilo 1 of the State, and this notice of It is particu- larly dedic ited to our lady friends of the northern counties, who may not be faujillar with the hab- its and uses of this charming, beautiful and use- ful plmt. The rind of tue fruit Is used here aa a useful astringent in sore throat as a gargle, the seeds as a febrifuge, and the root and bark In di- arrhoea. If this notice will call the attention of our reflned and cultured people to tbla beauUfui, 1 ndustry, I will feel highly repaid. 153 EAISINS, GRAPES AND CURRANTS. RAJSINS, GRAPES AND CURRANTS. Valuable and Practical Information for Producers. By M. W. CUETIS. The experlmenta In the drying of grapes, with a view of produclnff the raisins of commerce, were at flrsc undertaken under such extraordi- nary conaltlODS, th it the wonderls, not that there were failures, but that there was any measure of success atall. Every variety of grape, even to the thick-skinned an J large-seeded native Mission, was planted, without regard to soil or atmos- pheric condition, the vines being cultivated in every Imaginable way and the grapes dried Into BO-called raising after any meihod, or no method at all. t?o:ne of the results, with little wonder, were not gratifying, and a rew of the pioneers In the new departure were discouraged from further attempts. The majority, however, had learned the lessoQ that knowledge and skill were abso- lutely necessary to success In raisin -manutac- ture, as In most other branches of business, and tney devoted their eiergles to overconrilig the ob- Btacles which were In the way to their success. And, In the remarkably short time of scarcely more than four years, our vlneyardists have pro- duced a raisin of handsome appearance and pood taste, and of such excellent keeping qualities that It has already se- cured full recognition at home, a id si- perseded In our market all but the finest orands of foreign raisins. That the vineyards liave become of importance as an aerlcul- tuml factor in California i ije figures umply'prove, lorlnlSSUihe sum of $3,GOO,ooo was realized by the vlul and viiicnlturisis from their products, ubout $10U,000 or tills sum being realized irom raisins, and more than $100,090 from table grapes. The estimated value of the raisin crop fur 18S1 is froai $150,000 to $'200,000. And in 1880 nearly 10,000 acres of new vme.vards were planted, and it Is ex- pected, fro a present Inalcations, that the In- crejsed acreage in vliies will be for ISSI very nearly or quite 20.000 acres. A great part of these vineyards will produce raisins, as tuey are a less expensive production, and tuereforea more vjIu- able one tiian are wines and brmdy. Almost every county In the State Is busy setting out vliieyards, and we hear froni most of them that ralsl -curii.er Is to be eugaged In. Alameda County, besides planting viueyaros, has estab- lished a nursery at Pleas. >mou of 350,000 cuttlugn. Lake County dried and sold In ISSO from three acres of grapes, six and a half tons oi ralslus, i ci- ting over $500. 'i uolumne, s icramento and Cuito Counties are planting large vineyards of liie ralsiij Variety. Ten lu s per ucre is very properly considered a lar^e crop, but a vineyard iu Nam County, in 18S0, yielded 107 tons from six acres, being almost eighteen tons per acre, of wnich, boweser, blxty-ave tons, or ten and a. half tons oer acre, were irom the first, and forty-two tona from a second crop. Some of the grain lands all over the State are being planted In wine and raisin grape-. 'i'lils Is, ot course, but the first step towards the future which the viiiculiurlstg cunfldently ex- oect. but His a sten firmly taken 1 1 the rluht di- rection. In 18T9 the'United States paid for lorelgu raisins and currants $2,600,000, which shows wuat a large market we ouj^ht to Jiava at home for our Increasl g raisin crop, particularly if the phyl- loxera pest anu the decaying of aged vines 1 1 the district of Malaga, Spam, where most of our raisins come rrouj, snail cause a laiung off In theirexport. Asour product Increases in excel- lence, no doubt we shall be able to compete with the higher gr.des of iruit used lu the Eastern Slates. At present our ralslus find their mirliCl mostly lu our own State, where the finest bra ids are not extensively used, and have a large held lu the southern states aud Western Territories, wnlch Use largely, like California, the middle grades of tue fruit. THE VINEYAKD. It Is true that the real raisin grape will not grow la all Of California's varied soils, nor in all of her different climates; yet there are alinost numberless districts 1 1 the State where the pro- cess of ralsln-growiug and curing Is successfully carried on. The price of the land varies from less tiian $10 to $100 per acre, yet there Is so much excellent land for me purpose to be obtained at the former price. $10 per acre, that it may be tikeu as the average one. Asa rule, iheblai.k loam valley lands bring the nigiiest figures, yet the rolling land adjace it, while itlstije cheapei', is really the most desirable, not only having a soil better fitted to the requirements or the vine, but being belter drained and drier during the curing season, and having better exposures to the suii for the proper tarrying on of tiiac process. A vineyard may be uUnted and main- tained, no to its first productive year, lor con-ld- erably less than $75 per acre, ad tue yield, aiter )t has cou.e into bearl'^g, may be safely set down at always$50, and generally $100 per acre. It has been stated that the expense ot a vineyard per acre for the first year Is $20 per acre, and $15 per ticre tue second year. '1 he ihlrd .\ ear should pay expenses, aud the lourth year be prontabie. Ids cei lain that a vin?, ard richly repays all the c ira and outlay expended upon it. The n.ore caretul and thorough the c dclvation, the earlier and heavier the yield will be. A sandy loam seems to be the best lur ralsl, .s, with a moist out warm climate. The climate should, at all evenis, be so War a asto ihorougbly lip^n the grape, as upon Its sweetness ciepenus inequality of tue raisin. 1 he air, wuether naiurally or artlflclaliy heated, should not be hotter iha 1 130 degrees, aud If it la cooler than luo degrees, the process oi curing will EAISINS, GRAPES AND CURRANTS. 153 be slow. Eala ana moisture durlDg tne cure are an Injury to tlie raisin. It proper cultivation Is bestowed upon the vines, tht y will Increase In the yield from ttie sec- Oi;dyoai-, for iweniy years afterward. But the quality o£ the grape, its flavor and flue appear- ance, are of vastly more importance than the qiiaiiilty or large yield, as It is the lormer censid- erutlons which secure tor the raislu aname aud price In tue mirliet. Therefore, the vines lor raisin culture should be set wide apart— twelve feet racuer than six, a distance which for.nerly prpViiiied. This wide distance will Insure a higher grade of fruit, handsomer bunches, and lar^ior, sweeter Ijerrles. It Is also agreat-con- venience aud saving of labor and expense In cul- tivallDgand caring for the vines. If the ground h;i3 the rUht exposure, it becomes possible to diy the grapes between the rows, where the distance Is ten or twelve feet, without transporting them to another locality, which is also an advantage. Irrigation Is or importance, although there are districts where It is not necessary, and 13 there- fore not resorted to. It Is. however, otten an ad- vantage, a3 well In Winter as In Summer. aiid submersion at tho former season will rid the vines of phylloxera. Care In these respects, as regarJs Inigailon, cultivation, wide pla.tina: and proper prunlg, insures a healthy vine, v\ 1th tlie vi^or to resist injury from disease aud parasites, producing a lartje, delicate, sweet berry, with that essential— a thin skin, Where ruiiiilDir water is not tobe procured, an artesian well is otti-n obtainaoie, and It has been discov- ered that burface wens, which almost invariably Strike water, and near the surface, are cbeaply dug, and, with an engine and pump, will suopiy an abundance of water ror alarge plantation. When Rraftlng is employed, It is important that like woods should be selected— that Is to say, a vine having a coarse wood and being a largo grower, suould be grafted into a Ptoclc having tue same nature, while a vine of fine fibre and slow growth Should have Ita nice stock, and not vice versa. In the raisin districts of Malaga the pruning is very close, leaving only o e eye, and this is prob- ably an importunt facior In obtaining their hlgn quality of fruit. They prune freely, sacrlflcing the large yield to the Improvement In quality, their yield, in profitable vineyards, being otten as low as two pounds to the vine. METHODS OF CURING. The white Mus^atella, the Gordo Blanco and the Muscatot Alexandria are planted for raisins, the white Muscatella being the true raisin grape, and the one which is planted in the vineyards of Malaga. Different methods of curing prevail In different districts, etc., the world over. In Eu- rope, they are commonly aun-drled, and this Is ac- complished by twisting and partially severing the bunches, afterwards allowing them to dry upon the vine. Ralslnsso produced are consider- ed of a superior quality. In other Instances tbe bunches are suspended by the stem from lines, and so hung to dry in the sun. Whether tUe pro- cess IS carried on out of doors, or in heated rooms, when about half cured, they are dipped in a lye of wood ashes, barilla (which is a vegetable al- kali, used In manulacturlug soao ana glass), a little oil and salt. After being dipped once or twice they are left to become sufflclently cured. luMalasa, In Spain, are raised tno Muscatella raisins ot Europe, tlds district shipping annually 8,000,000 boxes, whlcu have been strictly graded Into eight brands of fruit. Or these eigbt brands, our O.ilitornla raisins are said by the merchants to Deequal to tlie sixth grade only, whlcn shows U3 th It we have room for much Improvement in the tutuie, wuich will probably come with expe- rience. And we are able to command a market so 60on. because the cheaper brands find a larger cocsu . ptlon, though, of course, a poorer price, than do the three or tour higher grades of rais- ins. In Milaga, when tho grapes are perfectly ripe, which Ism theflrst part of August, aiidthey must he so ripe as to show a yellow, trausparenC color, they are carefully picked into willow baskets, and carried to the drying-beds. These beds have a sun exposure to the southwest, it possible, and a natural or artificial slope of about 45degrees. They a re a bout 45 feet long by 14 wide, and are protected, by tiles around their borders, from the soaking in of water from the surround- ing ground In case of rain. The earth they are composed of Is loose and dusty, and the tjrapea are dried In this dust, the Spaniards ihl king ihat It serves to preserve tbe bloom, so Impor- tant to the fine brands of raisins. lialsinsand currants are dried upon the ground in Soui h Aus- tralia, also, and so dusty and dirty do they be- cou;e tuat they are actually passed througii a winnowing machine betore being marketed. The drying beds li Malaga have water-' ight covers of boards, whicli, alter the third or fourth night are placed over the erapes every evening, and in the day tluie, if rain threatens. The climate ot Malaga Is not any warmer thm that of Southern Caiirornla, bur, through covering their grapes at nl'jht, they are e^abled to complete the cure in fourteen or fifteen days, 'l he grapes under cover are found to be warm ana dry in tue morning, wbereas our grapes are so chilled by the night air and damp- ness as to require several hourd' sun to bring tiiem Into good condition again. At the end of eight days, tho raisins in Maliga are Cirefuliy exam- ined, and those which are drying rapidly clloped out with s ;issor3, us thev would becoaie worthless If left on the buncn. The grapes, however, are not turned over, a id at the enci of anotiier week tne raisins are tuUy cured. If tbe beds are level, however, the process will take a few days longer time. ;They are then assorted and packed, which process Is a very careful and ihornu/h o le, the raisins being strictly graded. To the United states alone Malaga sends annually over $2,000,- 000 worth of ralsms, and nearly $100,000 worth ot currants. In California, artificial heat Is commonly re- sorted to, and Is undoubtedly a valuable aid to large growers, of skill and capital. The business l3 one, however, fitted above all others for the small farmers, being, us it is. one of careful de- tail, and It seems probable that the Cailfor: la raisins are destined to be supplied from the mode- rate sized plant iilons and hoaicsteads. To such farmers, tne sun-cure Is lot only less expensive but much more satisfactory. The custo a'here Is to pick the fruit, when sufficiently rlpei.ed— a' d this point is an Important one— on tra^sot ll.'htj wood, made about two feet by three feet lo 8ize, andhoidingsome twenty DOimdsot grapes. Great care Is taken in handling, both to preserve the bloom and to keep ihe bunches Intact, as a grape broken olf the stem during curing becomea valueless, drying away to worthless skin and seeds. The dr.\lug trays are exposed to the sun, at an Inclination; It nosslble, on a hl?h hill Slope, with a southerly'aspect, possibly be- tween the vine rows of the vineyard. When half dried, the grapes are turned over— that is to say, an empty tray is placed on top of the full one, and they are quickly turned over, leaving ihegrapes, wlthiho under side up. In the new tray. 'I'hese tr-ys ousht properly to have covers for tne night time, that the process might not be so retarded as to necessitate the use of artitlclal heat. Grapes dried Iti a continuously dry ai nios- puere, with no dampness as of the night dews, iDake also a higher gride of raisin. After the grapes have been turned, and when sufflclently cured, they are slipped from the trays into 1 ir^er boxes, every twenty-five poun is of irult being sep irated by a sheet of thick paper, and are left in the store-room for a fortnljiht. These are called sweat-boxes, and the process of sweating Is for tho purp;iseof equallzl g tiio moisture, at the end of a fortnight it being found that a me- dium la established between the very moist and 154 BAISINS, GRAPES AND CURRANTS. the very dry raisins, and also beiween tbe raisins aod tue stems, tue former beins: now sort and tlio laiter tough lustead ct briuie. It will be observed tuac in :Malaga, where no Bweat-boxea are used, si net care in grading takes the pluce of any equallzlug process. From tiie swetitiug-box the raisins are boxed lor market by means ol Iron packing trames, liavln<^ a separable bottom. Ahaiidsoii.e layer ol lalsmsls laid in the bottom of the packing frame, five pounus ot fruit placed In on top and pressed flrnjly down. The paper Is placed around, the wtiole slipped Into tne ralsla box proper, and the sides and ends of the Iron frame \\ Ithdrawn. The bottom ot the frame is pressed down upon the ralslus before it Is removed, to crowd them Into the box ; any hol- lows lu wuat has become the top layer are Qlled •with large, handsome single berries, tne paper is folded over, and the box cover nailed on. if tne raisins are i ot to be sun-dried, or If the process Is to be hastened, the trayf, after being turned as described above, are placed in waeons and taken to a drying-room where tiiey can be exposed to strong currents of hot air, continual drafts being oD- tulneo, In some cases, by the use or a fan. The inaoor process takes only one-third ot the time required to dry uncovered grapes out of doors, and the coat of the nece.ssary appliances varies very greatly, one outflt, Lclualng the drying- rooms and a packing house, costing $2,000, which was considered very moderate. It may also be stated that three pounds of ripe grapes make one pound of raisins. Kalslns dried slowly witn- In doors, with no sun exposure at all, or not suf- ficiently cured, have a nner bloom, or rather, bronze color, and a more delicate flavor, butiuey do not keep well, and would not do for iranspor- tatioo to cold and moist climates. The faults of our domestic ralslna are of a threefold nature, lu tne first place, they are not evenly cured, some being dried too mucli and some not enough. This Is to be obviated, not so mucli by the sweat-box, as by going over and carefully sorting tUem wblle they are dry- ing, a. d by grading tuem properly when tliey are packed. In ibo second place, tne bloom, flavor and a ppearance suffer from tbe nlgnt dews and the fact mat tne drying grapes are not covered from the chill and ujoistnre. ThlrJly, tue raisins are loo siuall— a fault of the pruning, which Is not close enough. If fewer tons to the acre were grown we suould have a fluer berry, but a vine which bears fltty pounds of fruit cannot supply us with handsome raisins. SEEDLESS VARIETIES. The seedless grapes, whlcii are almost unknown liere, are bound to receive attention, and to be- come very valuable, if they do not entirely super- sede the commoner varieties. The seedless Sul- tana raisins now come principally from Smyrna, while the currant of commerce Is a small-sized grape largely cultivated la Zante, Ithaca, on tne southern coast ot the Gulf ot corlnth, and at a few other places. These Grecian currants are dried and stored in solid masses, whlcn are dug out for shlpplngwlth picks and spades, and then again compactly treaded Into casks, and the demand for ihemln the United Stales la very large. When tne wholesale merchant in England, and presumably lu the United states, receives nis cask, ne la oblli^ed to knock it to pieces, to break the mass of dried currants apart wltli a pickaxe, sometimes to pass tuem through a machine, to separate them, and to hang them up in a bag, throuyU which a sinali quai.tity ot oil Is allowed to drip, and wnicu afterwards, no douDt. serves to attract ifla: coating of sticky dust with wMch the currant is clothed when ii cornea to the hands of tne houspKeeper. It is when we com- pare the dirty foieign methods employed witti wines, ralslna and currants, with tuose at our ow.i dlspoa.ii, that we mnst fervently iiope to see our V)ne> aids superseal. g and taking a topmost rank above tuose ot tne whole worlii. The Zante currants, In tueir uailve place, ar© grown on valley lands and submerged during two montnsln the Winter, The mode ot culiivatlou lu Greece, and the pruning, are entirely cliEfeienC from our methods, and should, no doubt be stu- died by us, It we are to make a success, of tbft seedless varieties. However, some aitenapt at th© growth ot Zante curranis has, doubtless, been per- severed in to some extent in souiheru California, for at the Riverside Fair this year were exnibUed two glass jars of dried Zante currant?. The Zante and tneCorluth are nut Identically alike, althougli the differences in flavor and lu growtn are not material enough to make any difference lu their market value. 'J he land for the seedless grapa suould be thoroughly well prepared, being plough- ed and then cross-ploughed, and one-year-old vines eet out and plantea very wide. In Soatu Australia, where they are being Introduced, they are put iwenty-rour feet apart, and the shoots which are left alter pruning each .year are tralnect or irelUsed along wires, which are run througii the vlueyard. 'l he Zante does not bear so young aa the Muscatella does, and lu pruning the Zante tne old wood is cut out and the long, bearing rodsot the last year'3 growth are leit. It has been very sisinlQcautly "said that " there is a for- tune lu store for the man who succeeds in grow- ing the Zante currant In California," and doubt- less with a great deal cf truth. Hitherto, this va- riety, when triei), has been planted in viueyards and treated and pruned like the Mission grape, which was tar from beinirthe proper neaiment. No grower yet having flooded It In the Winter and pruned it long, It Is not by any means proven a lallure here, 'i'he Zante is a bl ick gr.ipe, and, under the right conditions, very productive, but pernaps the Sultana will be still ujore valua- ble to us, as It bears largely a good-slzeJ fruit and Qnda a very ready market. It is prfeml- nentiy the favorite v\ith housewives, and is al- ways deaanded ill excess ot the supply, aid la sure to be planted largely by our growers when once they 'lave learned lis good qualities. From the seeds ot grapes, it may be well to mention, isoDtnlned grape-seed oil, which has a value in commerce. Probably the grapes would yield a higher per cent of oil here th^nihey do in soutuera France, tne yield bei g there from ten percent to fltteen percent. This product is better and sweeter than nut oil, and is burned In lamps, giving a clear light, without odor or smoke. It Is ot a light yellow color, and will make soap readily, but so far the soap so made has lacked hardness. It la discovered that the black grapes yield the most oil. In Europe, and la Australia, they have com- menced to plant native American grapevines, upon whlcn stock to grait other varieties, secur- ing, in this way, a stock which, up to the present; time, has seemed to be phylloxera-proof, or un- injured by the proximity ot that parasite. It would no doutjt be well for us to try tne remedy ourselves, and, until such time wban our native vlLes succumb, enjoy Immunity from the scourge. It tne American vines do finally becouiO Infested, no doubt the viticuliurlEts of the State will unite, as they are now uryed, In quarantining the affected vines, burning them and their surroundings out, and, by concerted action, ridding their vineyards ot every diseased root. In this connection an aid, valuable in pre- venting the incoming of winged phylloxera, is ti.e Ledge or double hedge, ot any one of "several varieties, and the buhac plant, which, both grow- ing and In a dried state, is sucu a sure insecticide. OLIVE CULTURE. 155 OLIVE CULTURE. The olive tree is supposed to be a native of Asia, but It wasltitroduceii very early Into Europe, and the ireea supplylnsr tbe olives arid tue oil ot com- merce are all, or very nearly all, contalDea In those couutrlea of Southern Europe and of North- ern Africa which border on the Mediterranean Sea. Tue tree was Introduced Into South America from Spain In the elxieenth ceniury. From there the seed was sent lo the Spanish padres, who founded the Missions In California eomethlug more than ahundred years ngo, and Dy Iheai were planted In tha Mission orchards, still in bearing. This Mission oUva has a small fruit, and Is not a proline bearer, and is supposed, from Ita being correctly reproduced from its seed, to be the ori- ginal wild olive, and doubtless will be valuable to graft other varieties upon. Tne olive has come to be an important product, and it has a vast future In this State, considering the price which is realized and the increasing supply ol oil and ot olives which is yearly marketed. CLIMATK REQUIRED. The olive tree requires a climate whose mean annual temperature Is not less than 57°. It is also necessary that the mean temperature of the coldest luontii la the year shall not be less than 41*, and that the inermomeier at no time drop to 14° above zero, as that degree ot cold immediately destroys the young vood and tlie fruit, or chance for fruit, for the year. A greater degree ot cold than that lusti -dlcatedmny, of course, be borne by the olive, but the culture will not be pront- able. This requisite climate Is somewhat a pecu- liar one, having as it his only 16* difference be- tween the coldest month and tbe mean annual heat, and is not by any means a universal one, and the conditions are not found to be fulfllleil upo 1 the Atlantic Coast. It was orce the popular belief that the oUve would not grow at a distance from the sea, but experience proves that it the cllmaiio conditions are obtained la the itterior, tho tree grows there as readily as upon the sea- board. In San Francisco there are only 8« difference be- tween the Summer and the Winter averages, and hardly more at the alffertnt points from Monte- rey to San Diego, on the coast south. In the in- terior ot tbe Slate the variation is greater, as: 19° at Los Aijgeles, 24« at Sacramento, and 34° at Chlco. It 13 probable that the tree is not injured by a comparatively hlgii degree ot heat, since it 19 grown lu Egypt and other hot countries ot North Africa, The territory in California over which the olive may be grown is a considerable one, as is seen bv this partial list ot the places in whose vicinity the cllmaiio conditions are fuiiilled, towlt: Eed- alng, Tehama, MarysvlUe, Colfax, Sacramento, Stockton, Merced, Sumner, Vallejo, Benlcia, Llv- ermore, San Jose, Holllster, Salinas, Los Angeles ana San Diego. In addition to the adaptability ot the southera part 01 tue state for the growing ot semi-tropical fruit, It is also claimed that there is a belt having no frost running along the footbllls and extend- ing to aa elevation of two thousand feet. Some farmers, however, deny that there Is any such Beml-troplcal zone extendlugr through the State, and claim that tho belief has grown from the fact that the frost In Calltornla appears in Btreaks, striking in one place and sparing an im- mediately adjacent territory; which latter epor. However, will be the sufferer at some other time. The toUowlog comparisons ot temperature be- tween some foreign and bomo" points^' trill bd lound Interesting: Mean. Sacramento (R)68°. 60", Home and Alexandria and Los Angeles (A)66» 61'* Florence and I'ortTejon (F) 59= 68' Lisbon andLivermore (L) 61" 61" Marseilles and Benlcia (M)68" 58^ Algiers and San Diego (Al.)64" Sif Jerusalem and Merced ( J) 62'» 6S* The means are similar, and there la not a differ- ence ot 8* in the means ot the coldest months o£ the two places. BOILS. Our climate In California is in every way flttetJ to the yearly growth and time of bearing ot the olive, but the temperature is to be considered be- fore soil, as the tree is a hardy one, doing better la a poor soli than la a rich one. In a warm and dry climate the fruit Is best matured, and where there Is suEBcient rain to grow the hardier grains, the olive win thrive without irrigation. The tree is, however, affected by a soil absolutely unfltted for it, as one contain Ing superabundant moisture, and la rich, damp ground, will put forth a great number of leaves and brancties, but the oil win be ot an Interior quality. A warm light earth la perhaps the best ot all, as on a dry hillside or a sandy plain. Loose, gravelly and stony places are all eminently suitable, and it the ground is not naturally dry, it should be well drained. IG may be stated that the yield of the trees here promises to greatly exceed what Is realized In Europe, which is probably due to the newness of our soil. However, there are European varieties of the tree bearing a much larger and finer fruit than is the Mission, and it would certainly be profitable to propagate selected imported stock. Thorough fertilizing has the most Important re« suits Oil the oil yield. Perhaps no other tree will more amply repay a constant and friendly care. It should also be stated that when Irrigation is not resorted to, the cutting or young tree must bo frequently heed about during the Spring and Summer, the ground having been well prepared before tiie cutting was put In, and at least so dry as to leave no mud. PROPAGATION. An olive orchard seems to be something which once possessed, is possessed tor all time, for the tree continues proQtable to an exceeding great age, trees In Europe known to be several hundred years old being still in bearing. It is true that Where the tree is neglected it will bear less, and only on alternate years; and where the yield Is excessive one year there seldom Is a crop the next. But In France the thorough cultivation and pruning adopted secure a continuous yield every year. The tree may be propagated from cuttings taken from the branches, or from the roots; from suckers, from certain little woody knots tnat grow oa the tree near the ground, and from the seeds. When the latter are used the ripe olive Is selected, the pulp removed and tho seed soaked In strong lye, when It Is planted in sandy soil. In a sheltered place, and occasionally watered. Grafting and budding are performed on this as on the apple or pear tree. When th© seedlsplaniediaFebruary, the young tree will appear in July, and these Utile trees are kept six or seven years la the nursery. When grown from seed, It is necessary to bud or graft on the desired variety, as the seed will not produce a tree of as Improved a variety as those now prepared in or- chards. When the cuttings are planted, they are taken 1B6 OLIVE CULTURE. from healthy trees during the Winter. They ehouldbe iibout aa Inch li diameter, and some- thl gl B3 ihana rootaml a halt long, rney are trlmmej una put In a suaded place, in sandy soil. 'Ihey are perm neatly pU..ted early lu luo Spring, alter the muds are dried, and while a Siijall per cent of tiie shoots win proDably be lost, thegieaier umber «lii reaaily urow. They are planifd twenty leet or more apart, and nearly covered with tne earth, the place belny: marked by uicans or a stike. In thtory, It Is perhaoa belter to nlways pioi)a:ate by means or the seed, a better tree, butter rooted, Del g so obtiilned; but 1 I praciue, so lar as the olive is concerned, it lafouna moie sure aua convenient to resort to cuttings. Iheiree, as a general thing, is irom sevmio te i jears lii coming Into bearing, but the Spaniards are s lid to pi uit large branches, some teij feet lo g nnd two or ibree inches in dlameier, BUi k tour or five leei lu the earth, and surrounded Willi a couple or feet of clay. 'J'hese brauchea tben lake root and bear lu a couple or years. CULTIVAIION. The trees here are commonly set twenty leet apart, ajid at tlie e d or ten years the trees touth, and at the same lime win De In lull bear- ing, and wiu now ueed Cunstant cutting back, and tuese su.ail'.'r trees are considered more con- venient lor gaberl.g fruit from man the very large ones stanai.g at a greater distance apart. In Europ ', the trees are Bomeiliues planted In small clumps or clusters, t-ervlug as wlud-breaUs 10 each oiuer, a d facilitating tiie pruning and other cuitlv.iilou. Trees iroui the cutting gener- ally bear u unit' the fourth year. The sixth year about nity gallons of olives will be yielded by each tree, or by each tree In good condition. However, the yield is very likely to bo large only ou alternate years. Constant pruning Increases the .\leld, not only of iruli, but of the percentage of on obtained. An aero ot trees, planted twenty feet ap.irt, has borne, after the seventh or elghih year, some 4,000 gallons o£ fruit. This, however, Is a very large yield— 40 gallons lo every tree— and, It a quarter as much is obtained regularly eveiy year, the crop will be a very profltaoie one. Isolated trees, ot sufficient age, bear as much as 160 gallons of fruit ; but to obtain this result, they must, be Bet wide apart, and attalu a very large Biia ; and such trees, only a few to the acre, would probably not be more profitable than the orchard or snialler trees, twenty feet apart. The yield continues to increase every ye.ir, up to twemy. or even thlny, years of age, but seams to be unequal in quantliy, varylnt; between differ- ent years, and between different trees. It Is es- timated that eight gallons, or tliry pounds of ber- ries, will make one gallon of oil. A mature or- chard In Europe is expected to yield two gallons or more ot oil to every tree, every oiner year ; and the percentage of od obtained from the berries will be much less without thorough fertilization. The oil here Is worth from live to ten dollars per gallon, the variation being according to the grade of oil obtained, and from dve to ten gallons of oil per tree is counied upon. The cutting that is placed in the ground will send up several shoots, which should be leit undisturbed for a year, that the roots may have a synjmeirlcal and undis- turbed growth. The Spring of the second year, all shoots but one are cue off close to the ground, and the one retained la generally tied properly lo a stake or post driven Into the ground. This tree obtained Is pruned very little, or not at an, for a year or two, the mere object of any pruning at this time to be to contlne the main growth to the trw k, it too iiuuierous branches seem robbing it. Afterwards, the branches are all cut away, to the Height or live or six feet, that the i trees may be cultivated with implements drawn by horses. When the tree is onee lu be irlng, the yearly pruning determines, in great measure, the yearly crop, the berries growing from the newer wood. THE BEKUY. The tree blossoms m the first part of tbe montb of May, and the fruit forms during the first part of June, 'i bus, It Is seen that the weather at that lime In this State 13 In every way suitable to the time of blossoming and fruiting of the tree, 'l he berry is usually ripe in November, and some- llmes picking for plcklli g is commenced a inonth earlier, while on the other hand, a large and early rainfall in our southern counties has occa- sionally delayed the maturing of the fruit as much as two mouths. If the fruit is gathered as It becomes purple, and before fully ripe, the oil, though somewhat less in quantity, will bo of a superior quality, color and fragrance. In Eurone, the berries are commonly gathered by women a'nd Children, beln:^ shaken or knocked lothe ground and then picked up. This is a very objection- able method, as It bruises the olive, and it Is more economical here to pick by hand, one man picking several hundred pounds per day. The sacks and ladders are carried along the row, in the best orchards of Santa Barbara, In a wago ', and the man remains In the wagon, to pick the fruit, which enables him to proceed wltU threat rapidity, and also to retain the nerry lo Its best possible condition. A winnowing machine Is used to separate the leaves and imperfect ber- ries. The best olive for picking, and the favorite In Franee for that purpose, is the richoUne. For pickling, the fruit Is gathered in good season, the fli.est berries selected, and these placed la a weak solution of soda and lime. They are left for tea or twelve hours, or uitil It becomes possible to readily detach the pulp from the kernels, when they are removed and put Into cold water, where tuey remain a week, the water being changed every day. This process removes the tannin, and when the fruit is no longer bitter. It is bot- tled In a brine which has usually been spiced, THE OIL. After the berries are gathered. It they are to be crushed for oil, they are first dried for as loug aa two weeks, or nearly that length of time, that the moisture may evaporate. If the weather will not permit rapid drying out ot doors, it Is better to resort to artlQclal beat, which will comoleie the process In forty-eight hours. The heat re- quired Is from 110° to 130% and should, at least, be under the latter degree, and not over. There Should be no unnecessary delays in the process ol drying, crushing and pressing, as the lapse ot time during tue different stages will make the oil rancid. The fruit IS Invariably crushed by means of a large mlll-stone, rolled by horse-power around upon Its edi^e, the berries being in the trough la which It rolls. If the edge of the wheel is ser- rated, the kernels or seeds will escape crushing, and they will afterward yield tannin and a lutle of a lower quality of oil. The Btoue working In one orchard lu Santa 'Barbara 13 four feet blgli and six Inches thick, the dla neter of tlio trough being six teet. t'he beam through the stone to which the horse Is fastened Is liiteea feet long, and ihe whole crusher, which stands under a cov- er, cost fifty dollars, and is sufflcleat for a tliou- fiand trees. The press, which, it it Is a cedar press, will cost about $150, may be operated by the same man who attends the crusher. The oil dipped out from the crusher is generally kept for enriching the poorer grades, 'i he mash, or pomace, Is put lni;o crash-Unen bags, and the bags put Into the screw-press, wooden slats separating every tew Inches in thickness of the crushed olives, and the power applied. The oil obtained Is ot me flnest grade, and is left In covered tanks about fllty days, when the oil separates from the water in the fluid, rises to the lop and is drawn off. The poniace Is pressed again, a second grade oil beioff obtal iCd, andlt asilU Inferior quality Is desired, the pomace is broken up. hot water turned over It, aid the fermentation will liberaie the re- maining oil, which maybe burned, used on ma- chinery and la the mauufacture of so.ip. What- ever pomace remains alter all ilie oil is extracted OLIVE CULTUBE.—FEUIT RAISING IN ALAMEDA CO. 157 is either fed to pigs or used as fuel. Tne oil be- comes clear by standing, and Is kept covered In a place huvlng an even temperature. FIGURES. TUe following are a few ot tte desirable varie- ties of tbe olive : Tbe Olivier Amygdalln. Aglan- daou.PlchollLe, Olivier Pleureur, and Olivier du- Lucque. TUe United States imports annually over 300,- 000 gallons ot olive oil, valued at over $400,000, aside from tne pickled olives Imported. Sun Irranclsco imports over 45.000 gallons, valued at nearly $93,000, and paying a duty of $1 per eallon. Bail Francisco I'lipotta, in addli Ion, $13,000 wortb of pickled olives nnnually. Great Britain uses annually 6,000,000 gallons of tne oil, and at present tbls all cornea from Soutb Europe and Mortu Africa. Italy has over a million acres planted in olives, and Spain annually exnorts some $10,000,000 worm of the oil. France does not export more than a nfth as much as Spain. Many ot these orchards In the Old World are extremely old. In many cases the methods em- ployed .'ire antiquated and the soil beco ulng Im- poverished. It 13 already knowi) that the yield which we can obtain la California Is nearly double that of the European orchards, and, wlili the great value of the co(umodlty and tne wide market, combined with the circumscribed limits of production, It is seen ot what great prospective value to the State are the young olive orcii«rd3 already planted, as well as the large acreage which win certainly be devoted to that tree wltli- in the next ten years. FRUIT RAISING IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. iBi "W. E. MACINTIRE, In the level and fertile valley from Haywards to San Leandro and Fruit Vale, the eye Is greeted with some of the flnfat and most productive farms to be found m any portion of the State. Almost all branches ot farming are carried on with proQt, wheat-growing and the cultivation of orchards belntc the most important In the level parts ot the valley, while the hillsides, sloping toward the sun and well-watered by perennLil springs, afford more favorable locations tor the growth of vege- tables, Including all kinds ot garden products, and also locations for the larger luaustrles, such as stock-raising, dairying, etc. All of these are lier© prosecuted with the accustomed vigor of our people, always with fair success, and In a large number of Instances with highly profitable re- turns for both the 0;ipltal and labor employed. But It Is to the great trult cultivation carried on that the present article is confined, and to that Blone I aUall devote almost exclusive attention. Having lived In this section some three years, and observed its enormous natural wealth, as oppor- tunity favored, I shall give some of tne facts as I know 'hem, and some of the results direct irom the rarmerd themselves. The Boll Is very fertile, being at the first a de- po.-it from the washings of me hills, and since watered by many small streams, such as the San Leandro creek, San Loreuzo creek, and others. Tnese, from time imineniorlal, have overflowed their banks and formed on each side a rlcu allu- vial soil, which extends to a considerable dis- tance. 'I'his overflow has now ceased, and Is only to be found In very rainy seaso. s, near the mouths of tue streams ana uiong the snore ot San Frai Cisco Bay. In this soil, wuich is perhaps ele- vated from eight to ten teeo above the rest of the valley. In wavedke form, tne best orchards are to befou d; and It one were totakahisstind on ihe bills behind the cou ty larm a d just above Lake Cuabot, he could quite distinctly trace the San Lorenzo creek by the great orcharos wnlch skirt It for more than halt a miie on either bank throughout Its entire course. Here are the farms ot Messrs. Henry Smyth, E. T. Crane, Henry Mar- lln, c. W. Hathaway, William Meek, Ell Llewel- lyn and others, all of whom have valuable and productive orchards, among the largest and beso m the county. Mr. Meek alone has some 2,000 acres ot land, about 600 of wulch are covered witU frult-bearlng trees. The others have orchards varying trom twenty to 100 acres. In splendid condition, tue trees being trom tea to twenty years old. The cost of this land is indeed high, when com- pared with thatot most parts or the State, but exjminatlonoi the facts will show ihttt, la pro- portion to iiie returns, the price Is a much more proiitable Investment than any lu land In the old Atlantic States. The bare unimproved land within two miles of the railroad la held at from one hundred to turea hundred dollars per acre, accoraiug to quality. Tuehlllslies are usually stocked with cattle, or BOWD vvuh wheat and barley for buy, and are worth from fifty to sixty dollars per acre. Tea acres ot this valley land make a neat and com- fortable farm. It can be bought tor two tbousand or two thousand five hundred dollars, and atonce set out In trees. In this part nearly all the usual varieties of fruit are to be round— cherries, apples, pears, apricots, plnt'iis, prunes and figs— all trowing well and yleidliig pieniirully. Of these tne cherry does best, and on the average pays the oest, belne more convenient to market than any of the great cherry orchards of the State. Fron one hundred to one hundred and fifty trees are put out to the acre, and In n good season tuey will average four and five dollars' wortnot cherries to a tree. Some have even yielded bix aollars' worth, but from this, or course, niust be deducted cost of picking and packing, and transportatloa to S>n Fran- cisco. '1 uere are numerous Instances of cherry orcnards averiglng two hundred aollars to tue acre over allcoat ot piokl g and transportation, Ot course, the value of the property has ihea much 1- erejsed, and the land, that originally Wi.a worih two hundred and fltiy dollars, now, wun a fifteen-year-old orchard upon it, lawortli from eight bundred to one thousand dollars per acre. 158 FRUIT RAISING IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. When tlie orchard Is first plautea, most farmers also Bei out cunauis benvec-u the joung iree.-i, &i d cultivate iheui while the orcuard la grnwin,'. Ihe ihiid year ibey will clear Iron fllty lo eeveniy-iive dullaia per acre, und during their loun h, fif lU and Blxtli yeara will aver.,ge at le.ist cne hu .dred doUara to the ucie. About ihe s v- enth year theybegli lo die, and li the elguih 3 e ir they are usually dug (jUt. Some eveu re- plaut ihem, ai d duiins tue next five or six j ears gather boLh cherries and currauts rrom the same land. In planting curranis tbe farmer cuts slips about twelve lucued loner. the i bads tuem, leav- lug tour or five buds ut tue lop, wheu luey are get ouLbtstweeu therowsor young trees. Tiiey usually grow wiihuut trouble, unless annoyed by thiir tnen.y, lUe currant b.ig, anJ have paid well all who have rai?e J ihem. Tue currant sea- son begins In tlie latter part ot May a d lasis about elx w eeks. The pickiug Is mostly dooe by Chiuameii, who worli for seveuiy-flve cents a day and bo ird themselves. Apricots h ive als j done well in this valley, and last year sold at live and six cents a pouud. Mr. BliCKwood, t Hayward, cleared (U is said) in a sluglo J ear (ISSO), ei^ht huudrid aoilars pt-r a jre; but usually yn acie of good trees will average two iind three hundred dollars. 'J he MuparK, Ble laguam and Goldeo varieties are all to ije found here, and do well, although the Mop .rlt Is la 60 . e seasons greitly iroui^led by bugs. Whetuer or not scleuue win be able to match these pests, remalus to be seen ; b it there are those who thinli that hiimiu wit will yet devise means for tueir desiiuction. Tue peach does not hourisU so well as in many other parts ot tue State, especially in Sono ..a County, und the mai.y varieties of urapes which are ulsoabuudantliuiiatcju illy, f.ill uere. The pear, however, comes luily up to an\ thing In the state, and this last year lui(,,enst> quinti- tles were sold to Porter lirus., whosuippea tuem to Chicago, und eveu to New Yurli and Boston. Tuey bring aoout one dollar u box at tueorcuarus. 'ine plum grows well in tbiacUiuate, theculef variety produced being tue yellow-egg. Prunes otlmiuense size are mIso raised In 1 ir^e quanti- ties. The Hungarian is the most important kind, and 13 shipped largely, both for canulug and arylng. To give results more closely : A good apricot tree Aviil prouuce nine or ten Doxes or fruit, each box coi;tal,iln^ about lUlrty pounds, wulcu ge . - crally is worth three cents a pouud, and has sold the last two jeais at six ctuta. Achcny tree, when cherries are tioai Qve to ten cents a pound, win averaye about SIX dollars. Ago duppietree produces about ten boxes, of nity pounus each, w rtdfiomfclxty ctnistoone duiiar a uox. B.at- leic pears usually sell at one dollar per box, but this year, on account or scarcity East, rau up to two dollars. The means of transportation from tins valley are gooJ, San Leauuro being o Iv nine n lies from o Kla d, san Lure zo t.\eive, and Hay- wards lilteea ; to San Fianclsco it U six miles luither. Tue irelgut by rail is oi e dollar p r to I irom San Loieuzo t) San Frauclsco. a d to Sacra. ,e to tureedoU irsand slxiy ce ts. Tiieie Isabo a bi earner running to lioueris' LindUg, Wiilch isonly two iiilies oistant, at themouihot San Lore zo crerk, una the cnief buli< if ihe gral 1 1 nJ veget bles iio a over to ."^a i Fnnclaco bytuis Hiuie somewh^.tcueaper than bv r.U. iG will bo seen iioui lue above i xa . ination ot flgunsthat B Jiall farming i an bemaue to pay, and iheiearemiiny l.^staniea hero of ten acrea net'ln/ an iini.ual incoiiio of ir.'ui two tiiousind to thiee tUous.ind doll us. Of course thia la rot ConoiityCCd: the fanner lias to wait two years forcuiTa IS, aud ei^utto le . forcheiries; but tue Invistment lu any c.ise la cenaluly a safe anJ piofliauie e. if clrcu nstancea are sucu tnat Le uiUsC have an immediate return, he can put out, pan i'l trees ooe year aid cultivate thereat from year to year, raising wheat, vegetables, or whatever he m ly prefer. Certainly no luvest- mentof tiiree thousand dollars would bring any sucu return in tUe liasitrn states, and if tue average 1 m.Jgiant buikiie.v tue reasourcea and capacliiesof tuiagieat siate, he would doubtless avail blmseir of Us advautdges and cast nls lot witu us. There are in this vlclnltv abundant chances for settln;,MJUt new orchards, aiio work of tuiskind la belD:^ Bieidily puslied forward, with prospects ot lart;e success, i no trees grow lo a size altogeth- er unknowa in tue Eist, aud at a dlSCdliCt! StllKe a u observer as bel g some grdt foreot, beauil- lully laid out in squarea for iifteen or twenty miles, ihe cU ate Is temperaie, seldom very war^u in Summer, as it la le , pered bv a steady west wl. dfio 11 tue bay most ot lue season. In Winter, abuniaiitriu falls lor all purposes, a .d frost Is Only an occasional occurrence, i he great convenience of tnlaolsirict to a good i arket cer- tainly gives It manned iidvaijiages over the more remote parts of lUe State, and lor its peculiar pro- ducts tuts conve lenee Is entliely i eces.'iary. Many of the laimers drive to Oakland, and bo get lull returns for all ihatthelr farms produ e, with- out lUe intermediate cuarges of commission u er- chaiiis, deduc'i lua ot freight and othireoils. With steady Industry and prudence, i o enterpris- ing man need lear failure; and as a merei.vest^ ment to iho capitalist, few chancea prese.t so sure, regular and profliable in all respects. The small f rmln;,' lecomme aed above s ems, per- haps, to lUo strager too lucousiuerable to re- quire tUeeffons of a lifeiime, but tnereare uere today son e ot iiie iiust cunioriabe and lude- penueni homes I bave ever seen, deriving a sub- st.inil il and regular income from tweuy acrea, at least equal to tuai from 300 acres in New Eng- land.-; To the (lalrynan, splenilldopportuidtlesare pre sented la th' Imnense hlUsldei lavoraoie for pas- lurasre, and cool and valuable sprint's are lound In abundance ru nl g throu^hnut tue dryeao Summer, 'ihe nearness to tue cities re- marked above also favors bis business and offrrs abuuiiant sil'^ at cheap and ready conveyance for his '. lik, butter ahu cheese. To the small capitalist, who baa only five or six hundred oollira to InVcst, tuere are good oppor- tunities for starting poultry ranches on tho hills, wueenecai make on l mependeit livng aud good w i^es, with a probability ot rapioly Increus- 1 g his capital. E4ga sell here lordonbio the price ot thu East, and many a thrltty and econom- ic ii f MiiUy have acquired a competency in twelve or fliieen.vears. Strawberries are easily raised, and Just novr tueie c 111 be seen a lartte au intlty ot vl ,es on ibe farm ot Mr. II. Nielson, ot San Lore zo. i hey require lirlgai on to keep the pi mts alive, and olbO to drive worms away from the roois. Most of the work required I i atteudlntr lo thmi Is done by cuinaan'ii, or whom Mr. Nielson has some sixty or seventy itiroush mt tue se iso i. The berries attain agrowtu, f.iralllar. of tour.-e, to all Caiilornlans, but iiiucu larger lUan tiio.-e ut the E isi, and all actual surprise to tUose woo fur the Ursi, II e visit ti.e loast. Blackberrit 3 aiKl ra-pberrlea are also raised by the ton bythi's-ame gentle nan, and piv about the s mie agiurrants. He has several acr s out in buaues, an i in ihtlr season they are onj ot the pret lestbUutsi ilU;v llev. '10 one vvuo has lilsuie to stop I i tbis village, an I wiio would wish to seeacuerry o cu ird in No. 1 condltii'n, 1 woulJ i eco •imend a Vislt to the orchard ot Henry Sun tu. Esq, tUe p opi letur ot lUe Alamed I County Agricultural uo ks. Mr. Si:yth Uiaaspleuuid tractor land south ot tue San Lorenzo creik, andawalK lUrougii nia or- chard woulJ satisfy the moot eniuusi atlc ad- mirer of fruit trees. Tbese treea are kept la spleudld coudltlou and are a mouei of neatness, PRODUCE COMMISSIONS, EXPENSE, ETC. 159 care and bealthlul appearance. They were sec out iQ speodia grouhd la regular rows from ail directions of lUe compass, and ilieir arraugement would gladden the eyes of the sirictest mathema- tlclan in seeing nearly all the rectilineal Ogurea known to Eucua thus sketched out with ma- Ipstlc orchard trees. Parallt-lograms are here— triangles, equilateral, Isosceles and scalene, rho . buses, rhomboids and trapeziums, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, and, making a complete circuit of the orcbarJ, the visitor Is surprised to fiida radius poluUug at him at every lootstep. But the order Is a secondary .matter, although it, cannotf all to attract attention. 1 he stout, sturdy stems of these trees, and cherry trees, too, ure Blmply among the marvels of the land, and when the luscious fruit covers them la tons, la May ahd June, tuen 13 seen the perfection oi their beauty, ttie ripe, red fruit swaying about among the green leaves, a flt sight for tlie gods of oiaen lands and a flt scene for their hymeneal Joys and festivities. Nor are the great orcuards alone on tue banks of this stream; they are to be lound iitr away la other pans of the valley, almost equally prolific, and certainly as beautiful. Nearly two uillea north ot this creek, and along the county road to San Leandro, isihe larm audorchariof Leonard Stone, Esq. A visit here would also repay the traveller, and from Mr. Stone himself any facta connected with the orchard 1 .teresis of tne place could be easily obtained. His large tracts ot cur- rant land are Indeed a flue slglit In dune, and many busy hands can be seen among the shrubs, gathering the berries for market. They yield him a handsome protlt, and show the great possi- bilities of the soil Itself when intelligent heads and swift hands are applied to its cultivation. W. E. Macimtibe. San Lorenzo, October 15. IsSl. PRODUCE COMMISSIONS, EXPENSE, Etc. Farmers In general— unfortunately for them* eelves— are frequently seriously embarrassed for the want of ready money. They may have its equivalent in the guise of land or prospective crops, but these are not double eagles, and a cer- tain number of the latter must be forthcoming or the crops cannot be liarvested and sold. The fact may also be noted that they— or the majority ot them— are more or less remote from the great markets ot their State or section. These two truths, added to the one that no market absorbs Itselt all that comes Into it, but acts as a distrib- uting depot tor other points, thus requiring the farmer to sectire a foreign outlet for his product, Lave resulted ia bringing into existence the mid- dlemen—now recognized by farmers, and interior merchants who handle produce to any extent, as an absolute necessity. They are better Icnown as commission merchants, are alwaya ready to help their shippers, though In every case through an interested motive— that ot securing their ship- ments— and are frequently looked upon by the rus- tic as a sort of licensed highwayman, though as it win appear belore the end of this article is reached, this Busplcloa of dishonest dealing Is quite fre- quently unfair. There are a few farmers in Cali- fornia who sell their own crops In this market without the aid of a middle nan, but they are very tew and far between, and almost all the grain, wool, honey, dairy produce and fruit, which I3 placed upon the market or exported Is handled by the commission merchants.who recelvelfor their abars from nothing to eight per cent of the gross amount of a sale before f relent, drayage, siora^e, or any ot the licldental expenses that beset the farmer's co:/Slgnment, are delucted. It will per- haps prove Interesilngto take a few of the prin- cipal proJucis ot ihebtate and explain, not ouly Lokv they are placed upon tbe market, out some of the expenses whluu are Incurred and tUelr relative amounts, which may also furnish a key to tne proposlilun why many nrtlcles which cost little or nothlg to grow or raise should be held BtBuch comparatively high figures iu the market. The cost of production, it is proposed, shall not be considered, as that is an entirely diEferenC question. Tue Idea is simply to show how, through various ciiarges, the cost of an article increases frooi the proaucer to the consumer. THB COST ON WHEAT. Take wheat, for Instance. After the final act of production Is completed It is sacked, which represents a charge of Bomethlng less than tea cents per cental or hundred pounds. Then the farmer wants uioney immealately, and the wheat goes Into a warehouse near wuere It was grown, the warehouse receipt journeiSby mail to soma middle nan in the city who advances the money. Now must bo added the cost ot storage in that warehouse, and the premium paid for Insurance. When It comes to S m Francisco, or Vallejo, or Oakland, or Port Costa, or to any other point available to deep sea vessels, a charge must be added for freight to that point, and It it comes directly into San Francisco, then still another for drayage to the warenouse. Then in order to de- termine tue exact quantity it must be welshed as It enters the warehouse, for which anotUer toll is taken. Then follows another charge for storage. While lying there, samples are taken to tue Pro- duce Exchange every mornl.ii: by tne commission merchant In whose hands It Is, nnd it is there sold, probably for shloment to England. Now It is removed to some wheat ship at an aadltional expense ot some fifty cents per ton for truckage. Then more insurance and some Ineiaental ex- pe ses, and an outlay ot troin $15 to $20 per ton nel'-'htto Liverpool, and there morecbarues, ua- tU It finally dls i upt- ars in one form or another into the mouth ot the cousuiner, whopaysauout twice as much as U, could be obtalied lor fion me pro- ducer. Out of the raniicr's pocket comes everyiiem of expense on account ot his wheat uni 11 alter it leaves the hands of the iiilddlemen III San Fran- cisco. Aside from tne coatot sacks, sior ge, li- houses tor tiie a i.ount of grain proauceu, some surance, drayage, and Interest on borroaed money, he must; pay tne co mnisslon firm five ce tson every dollar ot the gross am lunc of the sale, where tue iransaotloa does not reach above $1,000, and 2» fi^. ure above the highest inarket quotations, a d he considers himself as justly entitled t) half « f inls extra prohtas areward lor hlaBuccpS^. Paren- thetically the opinion may be ventured that lue farmer would always be willing to divide 1 eases like these If he were asked— which he never is. It was only asbort time ago that a dairyman came aorosa a retoU market report in ono ot the PRODUCE COMMISSIONS, EXPENSE, ETC. 161 dally papers, and Decause tbe butter quotatioa rangea iroiu iliree toflveceuta per pound above wUac be bad beau receiving, be raised a storui about tbeearsof bis commission tiierciaant, and was about to cban?e bis Bbipmenis to anoiber House, wnen be cbanced lo be enllgbteued by bavlbg tbe wholesale report laid before blm. INCIDENTS OP UNJUST SUSPICION On tbe part of tbe sblpper could be multiplied by tbe column, and oa ibeotber band Ic would not be bard work to Had a number of sly little irlclis played Dy tbe commlsslOQ men wheu tbey wane to luaJie tbe best or a bad bargain, or save tbeai- Belveslioiu alossoceasicined by some error in a sale. But even if tneBuspiclonson tbe one side aye sometimes well founded, still it Is by no;means be case ibat tbe meicbants are Dlanjable for low prices received for goods not up to tbe stand- ard represented by tbe uigbest quotiitlon, tbe Bblpbers believing tbat tbey are. i\ow, after an extensive digression from tue subject, ic will be proper to get bade agald into tbe p itb, and tak- ing up tbe tbread, couslder uuutber braucb of It. If tbere Is any one tbing- tbrougu wblcb tbe pro- duce coLumlsslon men bave made more luoney tbl3 year tban anotbor, it Is tiie very practical proiluci— Deaus. Tbere are sonie firms— two or tbree In any event— vvbo bave made wbat a mau lu moderate circumstances would call a baodsome toriune. Last yeurinese same nruis were ihnr- ouguly In tue " dumps." i be market was unusu- ally listless m tbe Fall, it obstm iiely refused lo advaice to any great extent, and tbese gentle- meii found tbemselves unable to ulsilose of beaus tuey bad purcbased outrlgut, or else by retarulng tbem to tbtlr sbippers, save at a con- Bldirabie loss. So tbey took tbelr ware- bouse receipts to tbe banks, borrowed money on tbem, or ratber wbat tuey represented, paid lutei'est. Insurance and storaae, and waited pa- tiently torda.Ulgbt. riiontb after montn passed. Lima oeans— tbe blgbesb priced lu tbe market- went Qowu from $5 perbuudred in UeceuUerto $2 111 June lasf, and oven at tbat Qgure tbey were unsalable— tbere was actually no demand. In early September tbe maricetsbowed slsns of lite. It began to advaiice, It cou tinned to advance, until to-day Lima beana are quoted at $fi 50 ner bundred pounds, and tbere are tew to be bud' at tbai price. Even at such a dKure all tbat come In go East, wbere tbe consumer pays ten or twelve cents per pound for Lima Deans wblcb cost two la Ventura. Otber beans went up In tbe same proportion, aad tbe "beau men," as tbey are known "ou tbe street," now wear bappy and contented smiles, smoke four-bit cigars, and "take a 8pln"oui to tbe Cliff House atier four o'clock every afternoon wben tbe weatuer Is la- voraDle. It cannot De denied tbat, even If tbe commission mercbants do make tbelr livings out Of tbe result of tbe labors of tbe farmer, tbey are at tbe same time a necessity to tbe latter and one tbat cannot be got along wItbout,lor tbey areat once banker, salesman, purcbaslng agent, market review and Guide to tne Metropolis lor every farmer wbo deals wltH tbem. ir a farmer wbo Is a " regular sblpper" and sends all be produces for sale to one commis- sion bouse, applies for a loan, be is sure to get It, unless bis request la for too large a sum. If be wants a uew carpet for bis parlor, be sends a ala< gram and measurement of tbe room, with 8060©" description of tne general style and color of tbe carpet, to bis commission mercbant, ana lortb-: wltb be receives It, probably for a little less tban ] be could make tbe purcbase blmseU. If be baa some prospective sbipments to make, and wants frequent aud correct reports of tbe state of tboj market, be forwards bis request to tbe mercbant,g wbo sends blm quotations as often as desired. ■ THE GEANGER'S RECEPTION. If, after tbe crop Is barvested and dlsposed^of.l be visits tbe city for a little recreation, be strays naturally Into tbe store or office of bis commis- sion mercbant, be Is certain to meet wltii polite [ treatment, aud is at once taken lu cbaige eitber by a member of the firm or one of tbe clerks, wbo Is supplied wltb money to be expended In amus- l;ig blm. He is taken tbrouab tbe streets aud sbown tbe protulneut places or Interest; be goes tbrougb tbe Park to tbebeacb; to tbe tbeaire oue evening, tbrougb Cbiuatowu auotber, aud perhaps geueraliy sees Han Francisco by gaslight ou another. It be so elects. Perbaps be la a strict cburcb memoer. If so, be Is never permitted to see the luterlorof saloon or tbeatre,or led into any by-paths, unless be shows an unmistakable de- , slro to visit tbem. In short, he is sbown tbe pic-' lure from but one standpoint, always being taken home to dinner by oue or tbe firm, and to church i twice on Sunday, and perhaps to Sunday-school also, If he desires. Above all, tbe closest watch or blm Is keut, to prevent bis falliug into tue nets spread by the otber commission merchants. In certain seasons of tbe year these pilgrimages to the city are more frequent than at oihers, aud at such times tbere are firms lu tbe city who detail one uian in tbelr employ to entertain their visiting sblppers, and they may tbeu be seen with two or tbree of tbe grangers lu aback, showing them "the sights." And all these courtesies have a very marked effect upon the farmer. He bas|re- ceiveti a good price for bis sblpmeuts, remlttinces bave teen promptly made, and be is convinced that the rlahc men are conducting his business. In adoitiou, be Is so courteously and handsomely treated during bis stay in the city, tbat be goes home full of tbe pleasantest recollections of tbem, and feeling that if it bad not beCii for them, hla visit would have been dull and uninteresting. Tblnking ibis, the agents of otber houses may plead wltb him, but vuinly, lor so long as be finds nor bint; to complain about, he will never send a single sbip'oent to anotber firm. Even a positive assurance that by changing be can get better prices, will oe regarded by blm as a snare set to catch blm, or ratber, bis shipments, and he will no more permit himself to be moved tbau a rock. Every device is practised to secure bis trade, and tbat Of every otuer farmer and sblpper. He 13 offered tbe most liberal advances, and la some Instances this proffering of coin becomes al- most an auction sale of tbesuipment, the one of- fering tbe largest advance securing It. The com- Detinon between tbe commission houses is very- great in tbe effort to sfecure new shippers, and the result Is always beneficial ito tbe farmer, as tue bouse wblcb captures blm will do almost any- thing, save yield up its proflts, to bold him. Tbe two are mutually dependent upon each other, and neither will ever be able to get along 8atlsfactor«iji lly wltbout the other's asslatance. 162 OUK CEREALS. OUR CEREALS A careful study of the tables showing the cereal production or tlie Unltpd States, by coun- ties and Stales, as returned at tue census or 18S0, on 1 fur Islivd by tue uommlsslouer, reveal mucti that ciilir Tiiiii may feel pruuJ of and much that may encoura-^e us in tiioaevelopraent of the re- Bourcea o( our ujlghty State. Altnougu HmoDg the youL'sesc or the Stites, ond still younger than iha date of aliilsslou into me federaUon In thb matierot a/rlculture, iiie tables show ihatln the production of wheat and b;irley we have at- tained an envliDle posliion. In thi matter of brtrU'v production California takes tiie lead— 12,- 679.561 bushels for the year, upon 580,340 acres. New York siands next, product g 7,792,002 bush- els, up .11 356,629 acres. Then come Wlst;onsln, 6.043.113 bushf-is, upon 204,335 iicres ; Iowa,4 022,- 688 busiiels), upon 198,881 acres; Mlnuesoti, 2,972,- 965 bnsuelH, upon 116,020 acres; and Nebraska, 1,744,GS6, upon 115,201 acres. L ulsla a, Wyoming and tue District of Columbia produce no bar- ley. The lowest State on the tables is Delaware, where but 19 acres were planted, the yield being 620 busueis. Now, the total yield ot barley In the Untied States was tor 1830 44,113,495, grown upon 1,997,717 acres. ONE-THIED OP ALL THE BARLEY GROWN. Referrlns; to the production of Calltornla— 12,- 679,561 bushels on 586,340 acres— 10 will be seen that this Slate produced nearly one-third ot all the barley grown on about one-third of the total acreage employed. This will be a revelation to most calllorulans, who have been wont to reckon the standing ot the State solely on the Wheat crop. In the matter of wheat, while Calltornla is but the seventh upon the list, with 29,017,707 bushels to her credit, from 1,832,429 acres. It must be reme nbered that the state comoetes with Buch great wheat-growing States as Ohio, Tn- aiana, Illinois ai d Michigan. The total yield of wheat for all the States was, In bushels, 459,479.- 605, from 35,430,052 acres. Heading the list of States Is the great wheat-producing state, Illi- nois, which produced 51,110,502 bushels from «,218,542 acres; then, In order. Indiana, 47,284,853 bushels, rroni 2,619.695 acres; Ohio, 46,014.869 bushels, trom 2,556,134 acres; Michigan, 35,632,- 643 bUfhels, from 1,822,749 acres; Minnesota, 34,- 601,030 busnels, from 8.044,670 acres, and Iowa, 81,154,205 bushels, fro n 3,074,288 acres. Then fol- lows California. Il Is Instructive to note that, whllo Mlcnlgan and Minnesota proluced nearly thesameiiuii.berot bushels, u took 3,044,670 acres of Minnesota land to produce 34,601,030 bushels of wheat, vvuue 35,532,543 bushels were grown upon but 1,822,749 acres of Michigan laud. A LESSON FOR FARMERS. Thia Is a whole book of sermons to careless rarmiTs. Michigan wheat farmers cultivate their ground, while the Minnesota wheat-growers ox- bauat, the soil and farm In a shiftless manner. Then ngaln, Michigan, with 1.822,749 acres, 9,680 acresless than the area employed in Calltornla (1.832,429 acres), produces over 6,500,000 bushels more wheat man this State. Analogy would seem to Icdlcate that the same causes which eperated to decrease the yield per acre In Mln- Qesota, are at work bere. Witb an equal yield per acre— the Michigan yield being but a fraction be- low twenty bushels— Californlashould have pro- duced 37,648,580 busuels Of wheat. \Va-hln^tou Territory, with but. 81,554 aores under wnear, pro- duced 1,021,322 bushels, or a siu.ui tracuoa less than 23>^ bushels to the acre. But wiin the un- favor.iDle snowing as compared with vvasliliigton, as compared with the averarfelortlie wh iiecouu- try— leu bushels to tne acre— Calif irnU is well ahead on the list. Oregon's crop of 7,48J,010 bush- els, from 445,077 acres, averages a trifle less than eighteen busuels to the acre. Taking up, now, the lesser cereals, California stands iwenty-secoi.d on tiie list ot buckwheat- raising states, with but 22,307 bushels grown on 1,012 acres of land. New York, which stands iiumbertwo in the production of barley and num- ber mree In the yield ot wneat, takes the lead la buckwheat, growing 4,461,200 busuels on 291,223 acres. Pennsylvania st.inds next, with 3,593,323 bushels from 246,199 acres, and Utile New Jersey thlni, with 446,414 bushels from 35,373 acres. But when we come to compare the ylwid per acre, we find California produced over 22 bushels of buck- wheat, and Washington produced 2,498 bushels off or 106 acres, or 23.5 busuels to tnaacre. New York, with its Immense yield of 4,461,200 bushels off of 291,223 acres, shows a ^ leld ot but lo.a bush- els to the acre, callromla's 22 busi'.elsto lueucre compares most favorably with New York's 103^ bushels. The average yield of all the Siates per acre was but about 13 bushels. The entire yield was 11.817,327 bushels of buckwneat, produced upon 848,389 acres. THE YIELD OP INDIAN CORN. During the year of 1880, 1,754,861,535 bushels ot Indian corn was produced in the United states from 62,868,869 acres. Of this amount, Callrornla produced 1,993 bushels from 71,781 aeres, Oregoa 126,862 bushels from 5,648 acres, Washington 89,- 183 bushels from 2,117 acres. Oalltorula stands No. 81 on the list. 'Ihe greatesr, coru-proaucl g States In their order were: Illinois, 825,792,431 bushels from 9,019,381 acres; Iowa, 275.024,247 bushels from 6,616,144 acres; Missouri, 202,485.723 bushels from 6.588,265 acres; Indiana, 115,482.30() busuels from 3.678 420 aores, and Ohio, 111,877,124 acres Irom 8,281,923 acres. A most rem rkaule disparity In the yields of two States Is offered in North Carolina and Ohio. The former, with 2,305,419 acres, produced but 28,019,839 busuels of corn; while the l.itter, with less than 1,000,000 more acres, produced 111,877,124 bushels, or nearly four times as much. In compirlson with Ohio, California produced 27 bushels to the acre, to the former's 84 bushels. A curious coliiCidence Is found in the fact that Callior- nla Is the thlrty-flrst state on tue list lu the oroductlon both of corn and oats. During the year 1880, the United States produced 407.858,999 bushels ot oats, from 16,144,593 acres. California's production was 1,341,271 bushels oU ot 49,947 acres. Oregon produced 4,385,650 bu-hels from 151,624 acres, or aboutthreeili es our crop, and Washington produced 1,571,706 bushels from 87,962 acres, or 230,435 bushels more tuan Cali- fornia from 11,985 acres less than were planted m CaiUornla. Tbe greatest oat producing states OUE CEREALS. 163 r werer lUlnola, 63,189,200 bushels from 1,959,889 aoree; Iowa, 50,610,591 bushels from 1,507,577 acres; New York, 37,575.506 bushels from 1,261,- 171 acres. 1 lu rye production California stands twentieth on the list. The enilre proauct for tue year was 19,831,595 bushels from 1,842,303 acres. Call- lornla produced 181,681 buabels trom 20,281 acres. Oregon 13,305 busuels from 841 acres, and Wash- ington Territory 7,124 busiiels from 518 acres. In this order come the great rye producing States : PeiiDsylvanl;!, 3,683,621 bushels trom 398,465 acres ; Illinois, 3,121,785 buaiiels from 192,133 acres, and Wisconsin, 2,298,513 bushels from 169,692 acres. The average yield lu California for rye was about 9 bushels per acre, while la other States It was as lugh as 30 bushels. In the yield of wheat Oregon and Washington Territory were omitted. The former produced 7,480.010 busuels from 445,077 acres, and the latter j[j»2l,322 bushels from 81,554 acres. COMPABISON OP CODKTIEa. In the following table will be found the yield by counties of the State, in barley, corn and wheat. As of less Importance (oq this coast), buckwheat, oata and rye are not Included In the tables. The heaviest crops, however, of these gralrjs were grown as lollows: Buckwheat- Sacramento, 7,953 bushels, from 264 acres; Ala- meda, 4,027 bushels, from 228 acres ; Sutter, 2,703 busuels, from 119 acres, and Santa Cruz, 2,280 bushels, from 100 acres. Oats— Humboldt, 554,- 785 bushels, from 8,817 acres; Sau Mateo, 132,473 bushels, from 7.376 acres, and Siskiyou, 106,360 bushels, from 3.268 acres. Rye— San Joaquin, 76,433 bushels, from 8,334 acres; Stanislaus, 22.619 bushels, from 4,646 acres, and San Lula O0180O, 20,300 bushels, from 1,023 acres. The staples— barley, corn and wheat— need no com- ment, the following table being all suEQclenC l* the student of agricultural production Counties. Bushels. INDIAN CORN. Acres. I Bushels. Acres. I Bushels.s Alameda Alpine , Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa.... Del Norte El Dorado , Fresno Humboldt Inyo Kern Lake Lassen Los Angeles Marin Maripoaa Menaocino. Merced Modoo Mono Monterey l^apft Ifevada Placer. Plumas Sacramento SanBonlto , fian Bernardino SanDietfo , San FrancijBoo... San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo , Banta Barbara.. Santa Clara , Santa Cruz , Shasta.... Sierra Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter •Tehama (Trinity Tulare |ffuolumn6 .wentura. wolo Saba. ^/ The State.... 89.075 U3 3,291 23,288 1,926 39,939 19.674 64 t,137 9.eil4 2.629 1,686 6,151 4,551 1,960 88,823 1,499 1.314 8,544 10.181 8,956 295 85,428 6,763 543 6,694 16 80,647 10.469 4,076 8,573 349 82,669 9.658 16,705 13.693 29,613 6,946 6,762 S91 3,698 82,222 11,116 19.559 14.830 14,967 M 8.661 2,558 28,171 18,320 11,057 1,213,820 3,410 101,(154 516,474 47,294 899,558 501,880 1,630 22.911 118,627 94,848 35,845 119.571 134,300 37,073 405,708 87,554 26,239 101.829 88,036 91,325 3,926 835,550 180,844 10,632 68,275 535 660,443 192.463 82,663 45,330 3,600 796,409 205.869 849,614 245,667 716.860 176,804 87.303 1.173 114,013 671,493 872,007 312,882 865,086 861,838 220 69.200 41,018 651.289 619,479 218,468 1,139 8 1,191 1,:;25 2U6 861 55 42 13 414 624 1.683 1,694 755 15 83,771 299 774 440 37,573 235 ' 40,695 31,210 7,295 15.735 1,360 1,710 414 10.053 16.313 83.213 85,046 19,277 830 763,104 80 720 884 20,526 674 15.716 18 440 483 14.978 1,664 41,723 33 665 160 4.879 149,550 6,720 23.186 8,017 3,333 463 118 8.167 I 261 1,768 69 113 443 6,.<)61 378 1.&9S 24 80 2,635 24 9,121 714 ] 603 ' 68,890 13,503 1,380 123.795 10.391 43.873 1,590 3.016 16,685 168829 13.655 38.935 reo 980 46,255 373 148,425 10.090 12,220 686.340 12.679.661 36,032 179 3,388 127.189 8U7 261,381 71,870 66 1,360 211,474 3.437 1,525 6,887 8,296 4,773 29,349 2.603 337 8,899 67.975 4,301 11 69,022 83.653 804 11,761 1.129 44,123 83,223 2,658 8,929 2U1.461 10,613 10,767 18,493 88.623 12,060 6,267 803 6,330 107,588 89,820 172,445 74,338 84,254 1,071 £8.131 4.056 8,479 115,369 28,134 620.758 2,936 : 48,8^' 8.244,770 16,256 4,537.604 l,267.016^■ 995." 20,777 , 190.923?' 84,532 80.004'. 85,682- 173,843' 3 75.361 816.043f 65,630 4,478- 168,666. 296,808^- 78.335^ SPO;, 779,286;' 611,445. 8,285. 183.64T 81,217 804.63r 837.271 45,683; 60,650 3.529.611 173.631 sio.osi 265.955 643.065 291,049 99.610 689- 98,370 3,043.633 742'123 1.642,893 1,205,883 1,386,228 14,185 871,081 62,824 113,497 8,086,55U 869.g6T 71.781 i 1.903,825 1.832.429 129.017,707. 164 QUARTZ MINING IN NEVADA COUNTY. QUARTZ. MINING IN NEVADA COUNTY. By a. BUBROWS. Tne western slope ot the Sierras, extending for afllstance of some sixty miles nortb of the line of the Central Paclflc Railroad, and In width from fifteen to twenty miles, constitutes an auriferous telt that ever since earliest times has malutained a high reputation for the richness and per- manency of lea gold-bearing quartz lodes. In some of these localities, as for instance In the Meadow Lake and Iron Mountain districts, the rock, though assaying hundreds of dollars per ton, has never proved ot any value, because of Ita being so-called "rehellious ore;" that Is to say, ore that refuses to surrender its gold to any ordinary milling or chlorinating pro- cess. Science and capital comhined will, no doubt, provide a remedy for this ohstacle. So tar, however, they have simply done nothing. Some of tills belt Is so high uo that prospecting durlns: tbe Winter months Is Impracticable, but throughout the greater parr, the most delightful cilmate prevails. Grass Valley, which 13 the chief centre of quartz mluing, rare- ly receives snow enoueh to remain througnout a single day, and Btaudsj In what Is, perhaps, the nnesc orchard couniry In the S-^ate. ad abundance ot scnools and churches everywhere abound in the most thickly settled ponlous of this mining belt. Tne average Intelligence is high. It 13 almost Impossible to find a home or a miner's cabin where dallyor weekly newspapers are not pare ot tne regular " supplies." With the excep- tion ot aa occasional st:jge robbery and shooting scrape, few acts of violence are recorded. Bret Hart's Ideal miner, so far as sense ot humor, pity and cnivalrous deportment toward women is con- cerned, Js true to lite ot the miner of to-day. In its grosser characteristics it is, however, gro- tesquely unreal. Quite a large proportion of the Inhabitants, perhaps one-tnird, are of foreign , birth. Nearly all are, however, PRETTY THOROUQHLT AMERICANIZED, Having scent many years in the country. Nevada County contains the most Important portions of this mining region. Ita northern half, however, is mostly devoted to hydraulic and drift mining. The historic mines known aa Eureka, Idaho, Allison Ranch, Rocky Bar, North star, and many others, are all within two miles of Grass Valley, a town of some 7,000 inhabitants, stanaiog on the line of the narrow-gauge railroad that connects with the C. P. R. R. at colfax. Strangely enough, all tbese famous mines stand on tbe bank ot a small stream called Wolf Creek. This rivulet literally " wanders o'er sands ot gold " for several miles. Copper, iron and limestone are found in paying quautliies on the borders ef the Bear Elver, but this Is what Is called the I •• iron belt." The iron ore consists of red and brown, nemitlte and magnetic. i.It. in some localities, yields about 65 per cent metal. So far little has been done with these ores. A copper mine, emnloylng some thirty hands, is in operation at Spe"ncevilie, while exten- sive works for the production of iron have been Just completed at Clipper Gap. There are also several unprospected mines of chrome. There have not been a huir a dozen of aiiy sort of min- eral claims recorded in Nevada County outside of gold mines. This last inierest overshadows alloth- ers. Onereasouot this is because Itcai) be started without capitui. Quartz mills are plentiful, while lurnaces can only be erected at 1 irge expense. For all this, the immense iron deposits or Kevada and Placer counties will sone day be esteemed at their true value. Gold mining has many fascina- tions, and is no doubt a precarious pursuit. la tne section we are now describing, while lew for- ttinesare now made, a very lartio percentage ot the population make a good living, even out of tnelr mining claims. Uuwn to about 100 feet these claims can be worked without any more machinery than a windlass. THE LEDGES Are from ten inches to ten feet thick, and carry from Ave to fltty doll jrs per ton in gold. So soon as the miner takes out lif I y or a hundred tons, he has It hauled to the next mill, and in a few days receives his gold, less cost ot n.iiiing. There are hundreds of prospect mines that pay $3 per day and over to each miner. Partnerships in uorklug a claim are common, and working -'on tribute," or shares, is getting more co nmon every nay. Many mine-owners put up hoisting and pumping machinery, and then let the mine to be workal on tribute. Tne average of any ledge of quarto seldom has pay in it throughout. A small etrealt constitutes the " pay rock." To discover ibii pay Chute, and to follow It up througnout the ledge, is about tbe most Important partof gold mining, those who work for wages lii the large mines obtain $3 per day tor underground work with pick and drill, and fifty cenis less for common work. Heretofore underground work wasalmost entirely performed by foreign- ers, but since the introductiou ot dynamite pow- ders, Americana have, in many cases, taken their place. Dynamite has revolutionized raining in this respect. The Chinese have nor, as yet. Intro- duced tuemselves to this pursuit. In this respect quartz and placer mining differ. There are not over eight per cent of tbe Inbabitanta of the quartz region Mongolians, 'i here are about 2,000 quartz mining claims worked in Nevada County. Of these. Grass Valley District has over one-half. New claims are being located every day, and old ones abandoned. Anj clUzen on finding a ledge, or an abandoned claim, can go to work and post a notice ot location, claiming a piece of eround in whlcn his ledge exists, i,5uo teet long by 600 feet wide. He must plant his comer- stakes and describe his claim so that its bounda- ries can be easily traced. A copy of his notice must; be recorded In the County Recorder's office. To retain ma claim be must do one hundred dol- QUARTZ MINING IN NEVADA COUNTT. 165 lara' worth of work eacn year. If be falls to do this bis claim Is liable to be Jumped by some other person. He must also obey " local customs of miners" ia force as to the time when his work Bhall begin, etc. As a rule, these local rules now are A MYTH. Outside of observing the congressional law, each miner "does that which seoraa right la bis own eyes." Of course, when a custom ceases to be generally observed. It ceases to have any rorce whatever, and Is no longer a law. Many claims are located and held to await a purchaser with capital. When a sale is maae, the pri-e paid is generally clear profit. Pew claims are sold for less than from $io,ooo to $20,000. Most of them could be obtained for mucU less; but sales are ujostly made by middlemen, who sell at high flgures, bee luse of percentage. Capitalists make a great mistake in not purcuasinor directly froji the owners, and, inndditiOD, run far less risk ol purchasii.g a "salted claim." Wiihin a reasonable distance from the railroad, livlDg and mt-'rcnaniilso cost bun Utile mnrothau they do In sacraj onto. House rent is moderately iileh. A cottage with four or five rooms rents for about $iu per moutb. Board is worth from $20 to $30 per moiitl). There are everywhere numerous vegetable and fruit gardens. Fresh meat can always be obtained, even at the remotest camps, except In a few places up towards the summit, where snow often reigns supreme. The law does not require that those who "locate mining clsilois shall either fence In or reside oq their claims. Hence, many locators reside in the towns and villages, miles away from their loca- tloiiS. Nor does it place any limit as to the num- ber of claims that may be held by any one man or company, provided, that on each claim, the annual espenaiture of $100 Is faithfully made. If the boundaries are properly marked out, the lo- cators' rights to exclusive possession and enjoy- ment extend, not only to the ledge discovered at Che time of the location, but to all ledges whose top or apex exists Inside of his location lines. Before 1872, the Mining laws did not permit of this advantage. Since that date, however, sec- tion 2322 of the Revised Statutes of the United States expressly guarantepa this rleht to the lo- cator, lu a region so intersected with A NETWORK OP LEDGES Aa that which we are describing, the Importance of this law can hardly be overrated. In a space 1,500 feet long by 600 wide there are freauently eeverai ledges, any of which may prove valuable. One and a half month's labor is generally admit- ted to be equlvaleot to one hundred dollars' worth of work. After performing this the locator, If he desires it, can generally obtain employment for the balance ot the year working for others, or he can file a preemption or homestead claim on some tract of land a few miles away, and, after erecting a house or cabin, devote his ime Jointly to both mining and agriculture. Some fine vine- yard and orchard land la yet open to the public in the Bouthera parts of Nevada County, within twelve miles of Grass Valley. Good common aense and ^Industrious^ habits^, are . ol^ aa much imoortance to the mining prospector as mining experience. As ola miners say,"noone can tell what Is under the ground un- til he sees it." No man can earn $3 per dav wages at mining who bus not had lots ot experience with mining tools; but, sofaras pioso-cung la concerned, more depends upon "good lui:k"iniiii OD good guidance, it requires but a shi at experi- ence to learn enough about gold-bearing quartx m order to work a mlniag claim. Free guid is not dimcult to discern with the caked eye. 01 course there are valuable claims that con- tain little or no tree gold, but tuey re- quire much cipltal to even test their value. When we come to woricmga quiirtz mine oa a largescaie, with all suitable machinery, skiUai d experience count largely in favor ot success. This 13 a face that foreign capitalists, to iiielr great loss, continually lose sight of. We kiow a score ot cases where good prospect m>D-'s, after the expenditure o£ thousands ot dolrtrs, have been botched and ruined by the Incomp'tei cy ot their managing agents and supenntndents. In many cases men havo been put In ciiaige of such mines who never before saw a gold mine. All their operations were marked by incapacity, aud after WASTING ENORMOUS SUMS, Their mines were abandoned or sold under the hammer. CapitaUsta ana etockholdera snould Always require that none but tuoiuuy. nlv experi- enced and intelilut-nt gold miners should have charge of their works; that tne devidopme itot their mines Should be conducted with rairecon- omy, ana that all UQnecessary displays should be suppressed. If carried on after tnls manner, ihere are scores of claims to-day obtal labloalrect from the owners, at a fair pnc«, that will In all probabilltypay very large dividends. Not even a rich gold mine, however, will stand unbounded extr ivagance or incompetent management. The statistics for 1830 give the following flgurea In relation to Nevada County: Value of real estate $6,925.0011 Value of ruinintr claims 2.358.640 Number of fruit treea 60,377 Population 20,534 Number of Chinese 2,8UU Numberof quartzmilla C8 Contaiuiug Btamps 57S Among these mills may be reckoned several appliances for the reduction of euiphureta by concentration, chlorlnailon and other processes. There can be little doubt but that 1q a short time there will be Introduced a practical plan for the working ot rebellious ores— an event that will add not less than one-third to the value ot quartz mines In this and the adjoining couniles. Of recent years considerable Interest has been maniresc in the culture ot the grace throughout the southern portion ot this auriferous belt, the red warm hillside soil having been found adml- rabiy adapted to some varieties. It la not an unusual thing to And valuable mining operations going ou right under fine orchards and vice- yards. The mountain (raits produced in tuli part of the State are highly esteemed, and bring tbe highest prices la San Francisco market. I A. BUBBOWS. 1166 THE CLIMATE OF CALIFOENIA. THE' CUMATE OF CALIFORNIA. , There are famous bealtb resorta In every part ot tbe trorld, and people In delicate bealth go, for the sake of tbe benefit to be derived, to little and crowded towns in France, wnere tlie drainage 13 bad. wbere It Is excessively warm in Summer, and where, in Winter, it is very cold, snow upon the ground and prolonged rains prevailing. In the towns of Italy, also, there are fierce winds And snow iQ Winter, with enervating heats and •nnhealthy surrouDdlnga in Summer, the death rate, even among tne natives, being surprisingly high. In Spain, perhaps, is the best cUoiate la Europe for the invalid, and yet there, too, the ex- tremes are great, and many times the invalid la reduced to bad accommodations la a dull town ot the worst sanitary conditions. Northern Africa, which has also its health resorts, is of a variable climate, damp in the wet season, with scorching winds from the desert, and, as a rule, the Euro- peans who settle there are not long lived, and their families soon become extinct. Island cli- mates are often lilghly extolled, and Australia Is specially recommendei, and yet there, while the Summers are deDlluatlngfroia the Droxlmlty of an equatorial current, the Winters are damp aud made extremely cold by tue south winds from tue Antarctic regions, and the changes are most budden, tne barouieier often f lUlng a degree a minute during halt an houror more. All Island climates are more or less damp, and not at all favorable to turoat and lung or rheumatic ar- fectlons, tliose which Unow a BufQclent degree of heat passing the medium required and bew ulng la Sumoaer decidedly enervailng. The Canaries, and other islands, much visitei by invalids, have not an equable cUniuie, but are swept by the nerce African winds. The sandwlcu Islands, which are so much resorted to from this coast, are said to have a perfect Island climate, and there l3 not, indeed, a great number or aegrees difference between the average Summer ana Win- ter weather; bus the saroenebS Is theeamenesa of a hot climate, and is round debilitating and not healthful to Europeans or Americans. The town of Ho lOlulu, which 13 the only spot on the Islands Sreparea for the recepiloa of visitors. Is not a ealtniul one, and is periodically swept by epi- demics. These foreign places just mentioned have the additional disadvantage ot offering no Induce- ment to Americans to settle permanently, being at best but reiugea where an invalid may stay a lew weeks, feeling, durl' g allot his stay greatly at a disadvantage on account ot tiie strange cus- toms around him, the unusual food, the different goverument, and the unaccustomed language, KESOKTS FOB rNTALIDS. In America, invalids resort principally for health to Florida, Texas, Minnesota and to Cali- fornia. Ot these, the Summers In Florida are hot iind dangerous, being deoilltatlng, and, for eeveral ye;tr3 at lenst, bring chills aud fevers to the 81 ranger. Texas, also, la addition to her cold weathers and nerce wlna-storms, has hot Summers, a ingerous to the Invalid, while Min- nesota, on the other hand, knows an extreme cold, the temperature remaining often ItTwigteF! below zero. J In Florida, in almost every portion of the State, ' chills and fever follow exposure, and the soil i» too poor to allow the small far.uer to settle and to become prosperous, while his health is im- proving. 1 he writer says, of a man who should make such an attempt, that "he would require atleast ten dollars' worth ot quinine for each of the first two years." Tnls same writer, I believe. Who has farmed in Florida, says that he easily raised sweet potatoes, cow peas, sorghum and Watermelons, but tuat beets, parsnips, peas, rad- isues, beaiiS, cucumbers, squashes, tomatoes and other products, refused to appear. This reporB should be compared with the showing of our southern region, where not only do the same trop- ical fruits, as oranges, lemons, citrons, olives, etc., grow, but the temperate fruits, grains and vege- tables, flourish at even an aatoulshlng rate, as to size and yield. The following partial table, taken from tho Semi-Tropio Calif ornian, and true for the Whole State, win perhaps convey an Idea ot the growth of fruits here : c urrants are 1m season from May to July; plums, froai June to November; cherries, la June; raspbenles and blackberries, from June to September; gooseberries, In June; watermel- ons, from July to November; muskmelons, ditto; peaches aud apricots, from June to Christmas; apples, from July to Christmas ; graces, July 15th to December; new raisins, on October 20ih; oranges, from Christmas to July; lemons, limes, guavas, strawberries aud almost every vegetable-, all of the year. CLIMATIC PECULIARITIES. California alone has a climate which Is cer* talnly and la every way suited to those who must search for a spot in which to find health and a long life. Over every part of California (unless in tho most extreme regions north and south,) are woru thin woollen clothing all the year around-, with blankets at night. During every day Is a gentle breeze from the sea, and one from tho mountains every night, tempering each season la turn, aud preventing snow in Winter and sun- strokes In Summer. Tue seasons are only twot the wet and the dry, and the wet or Winter sea- son cau best be compared with one ot the pleas- antest of the Eastern Springs, as it Is our season 01 green grass, wild flowers, budding trees, and mild, delightful, out-of-doors weather. This is specially true ot the central and southern parts oJ California. In the mountains and to the extreme north of the state, snow is on the ground la Win- ter, and there is a more marked difference be- tween that season and Spring; but the mountain air la not less favorably known than that of the more central and southern parts ot the State, and is resorted to, even in Winter, by some classes of persons who are seeking to regain their health. And lu by far the greater part of the State, in all the counties bordering on the bay, la the gre.it Sacramento and San Joaqulu Valleys, and to the south, no snow falls lu Winter, and no frost Is seen at any seasoa when the sun is two hours high. We have a tradition which points, mdeed, to the vicinity of Loa Angeles, the City of the Angels, as the site of the very Paradise, and tho graves are actually shown ot Adam aud £vec THE CLIMATE OF CALIFORNIA. 167 lather and mother of men, and (through some er- ror, douDtless, since U 13 disputed that he died) or the serpent uiao. Aud this tradition la hardly less modest la its claima lor thatportlO:i ol our Slate than are the claloisot Its citizens, many of the farmers having gone there Invalided, and louud what they soughr, a renewed life, with robust health la the Interval. And It Is not dis- puted that Southern California has during all the year a climate which Nice and other sanitaria liave only tnrough three or four months. It Is true that In Midsummer In Southern California, and In the interior valleys, pretty hot weather la known, and yet It la not weather which pros- trates, and latoorers have worKed in the sun at a temperature of 80 deg. without Injury. We have sot, indeed, la any part of the State either sun- Btrokes, hydrophooia or lightning. The air la dry, not humid, and there are very few cloudy or sul- try days. The nights are always cool, and lassi- tude, therefore, is not felt m the heat of Summer, and the balmy, kindly air Is the beat In the world tor consumptives and those with bronchial troubles. The health resorts of the South Atlan- tic coast are In South Carolina, notably Aiken, And m Florida, but California has a stlmulatlag atmosphere, commonly called "glorious," which Is Invigorating ana tonic; like In Us effects, be- sides, being drier ana more specially suited to Bootniug aud healing In casea of throac and lung troubles, than Is the case la tbe Atlantic coast resorts. COlfPABATITB LATITUDSa. Our skies have been compared to those of Spain, Italy, Greece and Paleailne, and our State Is com- monly called the "Italy of America," and Is phys- ically situated very like that peninsula, extending through nlue degrees of latitude, but Italy la Ave degrees further north. The uortuern part of our State 13 In the same latitude as Chicago, Provi- dence, Rome and Constantinople, while the south- ern partcorreaoo.idawlth the latitude of Charles- ton, Gibraltar, Jerusalem and Shanghai. Our sea breeze irom the sou' hwest is the moat character- istic feature or our climate, particularly in Sum- mer, and la the great modltylug agect of both BeasoDS. But although one writer says that we bave the Winter of South Carolina and the Sum- mer of Ehode Island, our climate may not, la fact, be In any degree compared with that or the East- ern States, being so much warmer In Winter and cooler in Summer, especially at ulght; havlntr Its rainfall conhned to the Winter season, aud the atmosphere being much drier, wltli no violent at- mosDherlc disturbances— wind, thunder, hall, eto. A Loudon writer claims for our climate that It la that of "Greece made cooler, and one of the two perfect cliiiiatea of the world:" while an Eastern writer declarea,thatlt la "exhilarating, like cham- pagne, or as having a subtle presence ol Iron, making more labor possible." We never have more than three hot days at a time, 80 degrees calling for tuewonderlug comments of the local papers, and the meau temperature of an average Spring, Summer, Autumn aud Winter in California Is put respectively at 64, 57, 66 and 50 deg. In New York, the difference between the Summer and Winter temperature Is 39 deg. THEEMOMBTKIOAL 0BSRRVATI0N3, DarlDglast Summer, the hottest day In the vl- •Inlt V of the bay registered 97 deg., and the cold- est day last year had 85 deg. of heat. During August, 1681, In San Frauclsoo, which is In the same latitude with St. Louis, Washington, Seville aud Palermo, there were tltteea cl<^ar, nine fair, and seven loggy days, rhe highest temperature (on the lOtii) was 7o deg.; and the lowest (on tne id, 15th, 22d, 23d aiid 29th) was 52 deg.; the monthly range being 18 aesr. Ihe greatest dally range (on tne 10th) was 17 deg., and the least (on tUe 24ih) was 7 deg. The highest dally average waa 60 deg., the lowest was 55 deg. The general winds were from the west, varied wltb south- westerly wlnus. There wa» no rainfall, but the fogs suopUed all necessary humidity. (Viae of- flcial report.) In Chicago ana New York, during the Summer, as many die In one day as In Saa Francisco la a week, and la those citiea three- fourths ol the deaths are directly traceable to the great heat, while not one deaiu from tuat cause occurs in San Francisco. Certainly no great city on thecouttneut can make the same showing as to Summer heaithlulness and Winter mildness. All this Summer It has been at 90 deg. and 100 deg. east and 65 deg. aud less here, while we never have more than hall a dozen days In Sum- mer whea the mercury stands higher than at 76 deg. And lu Winter (ibe Paciflo being not incon- stant In Its kindness), while the Eastern States are burled beneatb a weight ol enow, In san Francisco no frost can be found upon the ground alter sunrise. The mean annual temperature la San Francisco Is 65 deg., lu san DlegolBl3C2deg., at Red Bluff It is 66 deg., at MaryAVllie It la 63 deg., at Sacramento it la 60 deg., at Stockton It la 61 deg., at Merced U Is 63 deg., at Tulare It is 64 deg., at Sumner It is 68 deg. The mean Summer temperature ai Monterey is 59 deg., at San Diego It is 69 deg., at Vlsalia It is 80 deg., and at Fort Yuma it IS 92 deg. These are all points in differ- ent parts of the State. | BAN FBANCISCO. In San Francisco, there Is less wind and fog la' Winter than in Summer, making the former sea- son oftenest tne pleasantest lu the city, for the sole objectionable features of the town climate are the wind aud the fog, and considering that theee preserve the healthful temperature, aud make Impossible the peculiar climaiio character- istics of other places, tney should not be carped at. San Francisco Has a January mean or 49 deg., as has also Stockton. This Is three degrees warmer than Naples, four degrees warmer than Sacramento, twelve degrees warmer than Lon- don and eighteen degrees warmer ihau New York. The July mean I'l San Fraucl8coli57 deg., which la one degree cooler than at Monterey, fourteen degrees cooler than at Santa Barbara, sixteen degrees cooler than at Sacramento, nineteen de- grees cooler than at Naples, and twenty degrees cooler than at New York and St. Helena. The difference between the mean temperature of July and January Is nine degrees greater at Santa Barbara, twenty degrees greater at Sacramento, twenty-two degrees greater at Naples, and thirty-four degrees greater In New York than la San Francisco. The San Francisco yearly mean is 54 deg,; that of London is 49 deg., that of New York l3 51 deg., that of the City of Mexico la 60 deg., aa is also that ol Naples, whlio that ol Jerusalem is 62 deg., that ol Cauto.) 69 deg., and that ol Honolulu 75, Honolulu being 14 deg. warmer lu Its coldest month than San Francisco Is in July. THB INTERIOR. In the Interior of the State, as in the Sacra- I mento basin, there are generally and on aa arer- age 220 perfectly clear days, 73 cloudy days Wherein the sun la visible, aud 60 raloy days In the year. Neither Spain iior Italy can surpass this. New York hag scarcely hair so many clear days; but, InCalUornla, there are weeks In Win- ter, and montljs in Summer, during which a cloud Is not seen. The whole rainfall Is conflued to the Winter months, together with a part ol the last month or Autumn and the two first months ol Spring, 80.16 Ave months altogether. Sau Fran- cisco has an average yearly rainfall ol 23 Inches ; San Diego haa 10 Inches, Sacramento 21, Paris 22, Rome 30, Liverpool 34, New York 43, Portland (Me.) 45, and New Orleans 50. We have, there- fore, about half as much as have the Eastern 168 THE CLIMATE OF CALIFORNIA. 'Slates, and atoout tbe same as Has Paris; ana In tbe East about as much falls during tlie Summer aca AutUDii 08 we have clui'iug the Win- ter aua Spring. However, this is true of Saq Francisco and the bay counties, wuile the rainfall, as do the ueat In Summer and the cold in Winter, increases as o:;e goes into tue interior of the Staie. Our Winters are not by any mei:JScoDSlcieroa perfect, and ourfarojers flvtl a great deal of fault, de- clarinyftnat ihey count ou having tbree poor or l)ud years in every ten. It has also been said that every other year, on an average, Drings eitner a flood or a drouiu, a:id that more luaii tliirty Inches of ral'j at S icrame:ito, or less tba:i sixteen Inches, ii;eana either tbe oi e or tbe other, lioiv- ever, no crops are spoiled by rain in b^ummer, thunrier is rare except high I'l the mountaia?. and there is iio hall except a orlct and occasio. al Btorm in Winter. The average ratutiill of sacra- meuto utiriig thirty years la iwenty-two Incacs, and mis is generally quoteu as a rou,'h estimate coveiing the whole Siate. A tablo of ralnf .11 for the whole State, the aciUltlonalfractions of Indies not being Klven. is as follows: Fort I\Iojave, 2 Inches; Fort Yuma, 3; Tulare, 4; Sole.iai, 8; HoUlster, 9; Sun Jose, 10; Stockton, is; Monte- rey, 15; San Mateo, 15; Teh una, 16; Gilroy, 16; MarjsviUe, 17; S icrauieuta, IS; Ohico, '/I; Au- burn, 29; Fort Keadinsr, 29; colfax, 42; Sum- mit, 58. DEATH KATE. The death rate of California Is at present a de- ceptive docuuiei t, the State being, as It 1% the isanitariuai of all natiois. BeslaeatUefact of tue Ineviiaoie deaths among the tr.msicnt. invalided portion of the population. It is also true tuai Cali- fornia Is at piesent peoplea with a race, born elsewhere, that Has here lived (lu tne youth of the Slate) an unaci'UBtouiea lite in a new country. It is not titrange that so many of our pioneers, after tue aliiost ubcxauipled tolls and excite- snentsof their llve^, have died "la their fifties." We Uiust look at the native californian race, bo called. If we would judge of tno effects oa her people of tiiecUmae; and we And tne long-lived native Callfornlans, men and women, parents of lamllies, rauemg as hieh as fifteen iu number, and themselves living very often to be one hun- dred. A large number of these fan, Hies, living lu the bay counties, uvera'^ed eleven children eacii, and one oUi woman, when slie died, hid five hun- dred desceiidaDia living. Uuringa period of slxty- flve .years, a record Icept at tue time or the Santa Barbara Mission, bUows almost tbree hundred marriages, very nearly '.wo tiiousand blrtUs, and less tuan five hundred deaths. It la when we shall have anew native r.ice in Californli that we snail be able to rightly judge of the climatic effects of the Mate, and nlreadv Is the health and beauty of ■women and cuildreu here, especially lu the south- ern part of tne State, reraarked upon, wuile the new generation of babies here is a somewhat broader and rosier showing of lufauts, a different type of child from tuat prevalent in the Eastern States, all of which goes far to promise thut we iBhallseeiu the near future In California a new irace of men, sprung from Americana living in tne climate and under iho same conditions known by itbe centenarians of tbe days of the Missions. SUMMER KESOKTS. And these missions had Invalids flobklng to them In those days, for tne padres knew well tbe ilieallDgpoweraot the mineral springs so common . through tbe Staie, and Paso de Kobies and otber iot our fashionable resorts have assisted at mlra- iclea lu tne days of tbose ibinga in California, i These springs are extremely valuable to the in- valid within our boraers, and tbeir presence in Europe determine the sites of most of tbe famous j Health resorts. Vichy has 20,000 annual visitors, and bottles and sends away annually 600,000 gal- lons of the water. Ot a list of twelve European aprl! g?, 5,000 13 the lowest number of au.iual visi- tors and 000,003 Dottles tue lea-x quantity et water sent way. Whenit islinownthat wehave springs whose waters closely resemble those of Vichy and otu^rsof the famed European resorts, It will La? UDderstood how valuaiie tliey are to tbe class wbo nre looking for health, and how valuable tiiey are iiii-ly to beco ;.e as a source ot revenue, tbrough I be nuuibeia resortlna to them, to thd Scale. Thus its climate and scenery, as well us its L ineral waters, uniy talrly be classe.l anong tbe resources of the Stare. Bealthaud recreilion are s.jUjsbt tor (and commonly fou d) a one and the Same time, aid cdiforjia, besides its half- dozen world-known wonders, as the Big Trees, Geysers aua Yosemlte, has an unlimited number, north and south, ot spots visited every .\ear by the tourist and tbe invalid. And still uiore her uooka ana cor ers would ba resorte 1 to, v\'tTe their claims to merit iiiore wl leiy knoivn. Tbe high mouutalQ towns, with meir bydraullo quartz mines, have a deilghtlully pure aiid stlm- ul.itlngatmospbere, graietul 10 astbmntics, par- ticularly, be ides beiugln the near vicinity ot trout nnd large g ime, and are much visited lu summer. In Sbasi;i, county is the United States hatcbiog establlsument, on tbe MnCloua River, besides Soda Sprlnijs, theflne.-t trout streams and Imoas- ing Bceuery. Going north fiom San Francisco, are tbe well-known and much-visited S lucellto, S ih Karael, Mr. Tamalpais, Tomales Bay, Paper Mill Creek, Duncan's Mills and Russian Kiver; also, Santa Rosa, Mark west ssprings, Lliton'a Springs (skaggs'), and the Geysers, 'i here is tbe Napa Valley, and both Napa and Sonoma, and also Santa Clara Valley, arofavorably known ou account of their freedom from fogs and from siormy salt winas, wbleh are yet strong enough 10 make equaoie the elimaie; also St. Hele la, Callsto^a,K.ellog, Napa Sod.v Sprlugs.Nook Farm Sulphur Spring, Minn t-prlngs, sulpbur Sorliiga Ranch, Petrihod Forest (which la a fallen forest, the petrified trunks lying upon tue ground, aatbe name might not Indicate), Hlt;hlaud sprincs, Anderso .'a Springs. Harbin Spnn-s, Glen brook, Ad-im's springs, Seigler Springs, Howard springs, Soda Biy (or Clear Lake), suipbur Bank, Borax Lake and Bartlett Springs. Lake County la fre- quented more every year, ihe weather being sometimea warm, but never Bultry. 'ivvo thou- sand people visit lia resorta during one season, and as many as five thousand camp in Us moun- tains or la the lake vicinity. Nearer the bay are Mt. Dliblo, in tontra Coata county, and Pled i.ont SpriDgd and the salt water hatha at Alameda, beoides innumeraoie sulphur springa tbrough the different counties, with the Lakes Conner, Webber, etc. LAKE TAHOE. At Lake Tahoe, in Placer County, and thir- teen noura from Sacramento by rail, which la visited by the touiist, attracted by the wondera of the scenery oftener than the invalid, la a pure mountain air, with a most charming Summer climate, there being no exces- sive heat, and only an occasional and enjoyable thunder-storm. Here, besides the lake and the streams, are the waters or mountal 1 springa and not and cold mineral springs. There la trouD lisblng In tbe streana aa well aa In the lake, wbere a number of fish are taken— trout of sev- eral kinds, from a quarter of a pound to five pounds In weight, minnows, white fish, and several oiher sorts. Several of tbe beaches or bays of the like are ot interest, as Emerald aud Carnellan bays, carnelian stones being picked up tbat are very pretty. The lake Is more tban 6,000 feet above the level ot tbe se 1, and is twenty-two by twelve miles lu size. Its greatest measured depth I3 THE CLIMATE OF CALIFOBNIA. 1691 flomethlDg over 1,600 feet, and this great depth makes tlie principal wonder of tue lake, 'ilie water l3 fresli, varying from tlUrty-uine to sixty degrees In temperaiure, aua the extreme cold of the depth, wlilcli prevents drowned bodies from decomposiDff ana rising to ilie surface, has given rise to tiie erroneous belief that ibe water la not , buoyant, and will not float any object. TOSEMITE VALLEY. The far-famed Yosemlte is ooe hundred and forty miles east of san Francisco, and la a canon a mile wide aud elghx, miles long. The bottom of tho valley is more than 4,ooo feet above sea level, and tue walls rise as liigu as 4,600 leec. Its prliclpul waterlall (tuougu noo tue only oue, nor the most beautirui), has 2,ouo feet to fall. Great cliffs, rising 3,0uo f'jet iili;h, and gigantic, dome-sh sped iiiuULtaiiis, aro gaiheredlu this narrow valley, which are supposed lo have been formed suddenly oue day by a Assure, or craclr. lu the solid u.ouiitaiu chalu, l he valley Bcenery is of great beauty, and the Summer climate is cool, with buo^v in Winter. People camping In tents have nn enclosnre in Yoseuiiie set apart for tue n, and may also locate them- selves In other parts of the valley, ahvavs under tho stated reguliilons, which provida that fl re- wood may bet)lel£ed up, but never cut down; that Area must not" be left burnlog ; that fish may be taken with hook and Hue ouly, and that birds must not be killed. In the valley are three hotels, three stores, four livery stables, a bl.iCk- smlth, a cabinetmaker, lour photographers, a saiooD, a bathing house, three carpenters and four laundries. THE BIG TREES. The Big Trees of Mariposa, ouly one of several Interesting groups lu tneaiate, are sixteen miles from Yosemite. The tallest tree In this grove la 825 feet high, and the thickest is 2T feet through. The age ot the oldest oue, which has been counted by rings. Is 1,300 years old. Us seed having taken root In tuts California valley In the sixth century after Cnrist, wuen the world's history (so-called) was coiinnedto chat nurrow strip or land along the Mediterranean 8ea, with the barbarous na- tions on Us borders. These trees are ot tue Se- quoia Gigai) tea, aud only the Eucalyptus Amygda- lena of Australia ever grows so large. MINERAL BPRINaS. South from San Francisco are the well-known suburbs and resorts, Kan Mateo, Crystal Springs, San Gregoria Creek (with Its flshlng), and Tesca- dero, on the coast, with its pebolo b3ach and bathin?, hunting and fishing. Beyond is Santa Cruz, the finest watering-place of California, with the hunting and camping-grounda ot the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the Magnetic Springs, Wright's and others, the Summer climate here toeing most delightful, and particularly suited to the californian custoia of camping out. In par- ties, during weeks at a time, In tents. At Santa Cruz, during three years, the highest temperature baa been 83 dea:., the lowest 31 deg., with the water from 63 deg. to 62 deg. South of San Francisco, also, are San Jose, Black- berry Farm, Congress Springs, Los Gatos, Almaden Quicksilver Mines, Alum Rock, Mount Hamilton (of the Lick Observatory), GiU roy, the Pajaro VuUey a d Monterey, the Bay of Monterey extendlnglnacurve to SantaCruz.wlth a beach and various camping-grounds and hotels between, as at Aptos and Soquel. Down the coist, also, are Salinas (salt) Valley, Paralso Springs, Paso de Robles Springs, san Luis Obispo find Santa BiTbara (usually reached bytitea ners), with L03 Angeles, Sa^ta Monica and Anaheim, 8an Gabriel and Santa Ana Valleys, and River- side. Also are San Bernardino Valley, Cralton, Arrowhead Springs, Waterman's Hot Springs and San Diego. Of these, Riverside has a dry and bracing air, always dry, warm and equable. Sau Bernardino is superior In climate to most of the famous resorts, neither Nice, Mentone nor Aiken comparing with It. In Santa Barbara and Ban Diego, also, the Winters are specially mild aud equable. In Loa Angeles the Janunry days are warm and genial, although there la a chliline&a alter sunset, which la not vfell for throat com- plaints. At Santa Barbara, In Winter, the mercury la rarely below 45 aeg., and mis 13 one of the best places In tho world lor consuinpi Ives. There are very few cloudy or glooiuy dayslu the southern counties, and very little rain ; and It Is even claimed for that locality that the occasional morning fog Is not damp, but is dry and warm. In Sa !ia Barbara, a few'years ago. a storm hav- ing blown awjy the sand, a warm sulpnur spring' was discovered on tue beach, near the bath house. San Diego, Santa Biirbara, Kan Bernardit.o, Stock- tun, Vistula and Riverside, all have cUuiates p:ir- tlcuiariy beneocli:! to suHerers from tho laroat and lung complaints; a dnractlcd observations during a series of years went far toward snowing that Stockton has a climate wonderfully like to that of Naples. COMPABATIVE WINTERS' TEMPEBATORE. The following comparative tables will doubt- less be valuable to those who weigh careluUy the choice of a Winter residence: Clarens, Switzerland, averasre tonperature: In November, 51 deg.; lu December, 42 deg.; la Jan- uary, 45 detr.; in February, 41 deg. it'an Bernardino, average to siperature : In No- vember, 64 deg.; iu Decenber, 61 deg.; In Jan- uary, 53 deg.; in February, ca aeg. Aiken, South Carolina, average temperature. In December, 45 deg.; Ill January, 65 deg.; In Feb- ruary, 5T deg.; and with strong prevailing winds, rain, snow, aud a hlgu number of cloudy days. la Anaheim, cal., during these three months tnere la a light wind, with sunshine all day, aiSd the July average only 72 deg. Santa Barbara, which is a good reoresentatlve of the southern climate, has average In April, 60 deg.; May, 62 desr.; June, 65 deg.; J uly, 71 deg.; August, 72 deg.; Septemoer, 63 deg.; October, 65 deg.; November, 61 deg.; De- cember, 52 deg.; January, 54 deg.; February, 53 deg.; March, 58 deg. Cokiestday In April, 60deg.; Muy, 66deg.; June, 69 deg.; July, 76 deg.; August, 77 deg.; September, 66 deg,; October, 60 deg.; No- vember, 64 deg.; December, 52 deg.; January, 56 deg.; February, 42 deg.; March, 56 deg. Warm- est day in April, 74 dear.; May, 77 deg.; June, 60 de?.; July, 84 desr.; August, 86 deg.; teptember, 90 deg.; October, 92 deg.; November, 87 deg.; De- cernbei", 71 deg.; January, 76 deg.; February, 71 deg.; March, 63 deg. The average for the year being 60 deg.; the coldest day having 42 deg.; tne warmest having 92 deg., aud the va- riation being 50 deg. The dry, interior valleys, with no fogs, are very favorable for consumptives. Some ol the low valleys In the southern part of tho State were not free from the dread malaria of chllia and fever, but as the soil has been drained and turned to the sun, this condition has disappeared. It has also been discovered that there is no mala- ria where the eucalyptus is planted, as that tree absorbs an enormous amount of water from the sou and exhaled It on the air. The dally evapo> ration of water la equal to tour tlmea the weight of the leaveaon the tree. Stagnant water la thua soon distilled and exhaled In a purecondltloD. There la also an essential oil In the leaf which acts aa an active disinfectant. But the presence of valuable mineral waters determines chiefly the principal points suitable to be visited by the Invalid. Only a few of our springs are well known, but of these the Saoei spring has been called the "California Seltzer;" the Saratoga 170 THE CLIMATE OF CALIFORNIA. the "Paclflo Congress." ana tlie New Almaden ' too " Calltornla Vicliy." iBTNA 8PEINGS. The ^tna Hot Springs have a|water closely re- Bembling ihac ot Ems, in Europe, whlcn la so higuly prized for tiie i ure of broncblal ana ca- tarrUal troubles. Tne ^tna water, however, nas the aavantage la having noue of tiie acrid sul- phate or poiasu found at Eois, and has a Bmall proportion of sulphate ot soda, lacKlng at Ema. Contents in a g-al.. In grralns, at Ems. At Mma, Osrbonitte of soda 81 75 Carbonate of magnesia 7 14 Carbonate of lime 10 10 Carbonate of iron traca — . Bitlphate of Boda traoe.'i 8 Sulphate of potash 3 _ Chloride of Eodium 62 29 Bihc» 3 trace. XotaleoIidB 170 137 Carbonic acid, cublo Inches 69 ts Xemperaiuis, Fahrenheit. 115" 98" The cirboDates of soda ana magnesia In tlie ^tnaSpriDKa are double, or Dlcaroouatoa. The excMBS of chloride or soalum (common salt) In tne Ema water Is uot an advantage, the Vichy and PachlDgen, tne two other best springs of the klud m tbe world.h 1 vluer about the saujeamountot this BubatHnceastho^tna. These Borings are known as alkaline waters.and ^tna.wuicn naa been used fortnlrty years, isequil to the best or the class In either hemisphere. Heart, spinal and liver dis- eases and dyspepsia, Jaundice, paralygls, erysip- elas, etc., have been cured at ^lua. PASO ROBLES. The Paso de Rohles (the pass of the oaks) Hot Springs are hot, cold and uiUil, being renowned for the cure or rheu'natlsm and cutaneous ola- eases. The aiud snrlng n.s salt, carbonate ot Boda, carbonate ot u.agnesla, sulphate or soda, 'BUlpnaieot lion, slUca, and a Uttle organic mat- ter. Paso RoblPS Spring No. 2 has salt, bicarbo- nate ot bOda, bicarbonate of magnesli, sulphate of soda, sulphate or lime, alumina, oxide ot iron, sulphiiie ot potassa, and considerable organic matter. Ihesilt I'l springs la principally valua- ble for bathing purposes, 'these springs meu- tloned have alKallne waters, tbe carbouatea pre- dominating. Other classes of spilngs are the saline, with chlorides predominating; the cha- Jybeaies, wltn a good proportion of Iron; the purgatives, having sulphates; the sulpbur, hav- ing tne odor or sulphur; and the thermal or warm, prized ror bathing. Allot these springs are found In Calirornia. Of alkaline springs, the Vichy (Europe) ai.d the New Aimaaea are almost exactly nliKe, having a similar amount of chloride ot soda, carbonate of lime, and chloride of so- dium. Vlohy has also carbonate ot magoesla and of potash, sulphate of soda, chloride of lime, and phosphate ot soda, while the New Almaden baa sulpuaie of magnesia and ot lime. The Ad- ams, sanel and Co .gresa Springs are also alka- line, and are preacrlbed for dyspepsia, diseases ot the stomach and liver, goin. eic. The Congress Spring has also a portion of iron in the water. The Congress Springs are a strong alkaline and chalybeate water, at a temperature of 60 degs. ahey contain chloride ot Bodlum (salt), sulphate of soda (Qlaubt-r's salt), carbonate of BOda, carbonate of Iron, carbonate ot lime, slUoa, alumina and magnesia, a total of 835 solid grains to the gallon. CHALTBEATK SPRINGS. Of Chalybeate Sprloes, Schwalbach and Spa, la Europe, and our Napa BOJa, Geysers and Skaggs, have similar amounts of carbonate ot soda, ot magnesia, of lime ana of Iron, of sul- phate of soda and of salt, though the amount or total solids la greater in the Calltornlan man in the Europe m springs. Tue Gastein Spring ot Europe la of this clabs. as Is the Schlangeubad, which the calistoga rese ublea. The Schiangen- bad and Spa are the beat chalybeate springs ot Europe, and these watera are used in all dl3» eases requiring tonic treatment. Napa soda, which la one ot the best ot this class known, fiends ita water to San Francisco, where it Is used as a beverage. Calistoga has about the best temperature, namely; er dees., for a thermal eprlng, and Is highly prized for bathing, 1q rheumatic, cutane- ous, and kindred diseases, ita waters having Bome constltueuia which make it probably moro valuable than some ot the well-known thermal springs ot Europe. Alx-la-Chapeile, Paso de Robleaandthe White Sulphur Springs, are all sulphur watera, and ar» all lioDBprings. ThemudotPHSo de Koblea has some minerals, making it specially valuable, PUBQATITH SPRINGS. The purgative springs of Europe are such aa the Seldlltz, Pullna, Wiesbaden, Hamburg and Carls- bad. They Lave mainly magnesia, lime, sulpbato of BOda, potaah, salt and carbolic acid, and are warm. This (flass ot watera la rare lu Cailtonila, and la shared only In part by several springs. Carlsbad was a mutton-broth spring, which Is very like the chicken-soup spring at Calistoga. The European Friedrlchshall is also ot thia cIhss. Calltornla haa salt lakes stronger than the Sf-a, and highly valuable for batuinar, these natural mineral watera being BO far superior to any that are manufactured. Indeed, the saine results can- not be obtalaed with chemicals which were not mixed In the water by nature herself, aa la ad- mitted by the physicians. The spring at Soda Bay, Clear Lake, contains soda aua Iron, but hundreds of the mineral spring's of the State have not) yet been analyzed, the process being an expensive one, particularly Where a number ot springs, all haviug different water, aa la frequently the case, are wlthlu a small radius. The Paralso mineral sorlogs are nrlnclpally three, the sodn, at a temperature ot 118% the sul- phur, at a teaiperaiure ot 112", and the Iron spring, which la cold. These watera ooniala BlUca, alumina and Iron, magnesia, chloride of potassium, salt, sulphate ot soda, carb mate of BOda, sulphate of lime, carbonate 01 ume, a to- tal ot 58 grains ot BoUd matter to tbe gallon. Sulphate ot soda, which la Glauber's salts, is a well known remedy. Anderaou'a Spring has both hot and cold snl- ?hur and Iron waters, and the MatlUjo Springs 1q entura County, are twenty-two In number, and vary In temperature from 85' to 150". Tbeyara situated l,5oo feet above tne level ot the sea. Th© Allen Springs, In Lake County, are 1,800 feet above the sea; th» sprlnea are fourordve Itj number— soda, Iron, white sulphur, arsenlo, and the BO-called champagne spring, which con- tains Bait, magnesia, potassium, eoaium, phos- phate of iron, Blllca and carboulo acid. These are not by any means the only mineral springs In the State, and there can be no doubt that when these Tamable medicinal watera are better known, California will ba looked to aa are some of the famed spriuga ot Europe. And Where a double cure may be effected, by one means or the other, It must surely be accom- plished, and it the Invalid be not immediately cured by the minerals in the waters, let him still reuialn, and he surely tvlll be by the subtle in- fluences of the Calltornla climate. CHOICE LAND IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS. 171 a»ss CTicScCiCanCfA the Norther Foothills of the State*^ Tor tbA fntormatlon oft ose wbo knowngtb- iDgr of Calllornla, Tre may remark tbat tue days of newness and Isolation, durlog which a coun- try's produce Is required for home needs, have passed away for almost CTcry part or callforDla. As u State, the large annual value or her exports- amounting, by the recent census, In gralos, for example, to forty-four millions of bushels ; with ber produce of gold and silver, amounting to over elKhteen millions of dollars, and ber produce of fruits, wines and honey Decomlnsc every year more markedly emloent— make. It now forever assured tbat California will become and remain one of the richest States of the Uulon. Rich, De- cause of the large amount of money which must ever be flowing luto the country from tue annual payments made to her for her produce, la excess of ber payments for imnorta. For, such It will be, considering that she has every facility for gradually coming to produce within her own borders nearly everything that civilized life can need, with a cOQtlnualiy locreaslog surplus for export. Now, add to this the consideration that tba products ot the soil are of the finest quality, eagerly purchased by every country whose home supply Is iDsuEQcient, It follows that the most dis- tant and Uttie-iniormed observer must see a solid and reasonable foundation for the assertion that California will, until fully populated, be a choice field for tue industry ot those seeking openings for their skill and labor. But, something MOBK THAN EVEN THIS Can be said for Calirornla, and lotelllgently per- sisted In— much In favor of the poor man. It is a country In which everything necessary to make life agreeable can be more rapidly and more easily secured than In any other state of the Union. Poverty will not press heavily, nor long remain a wearing companion la Calirornla— tor the very simple reasons," for the Industrious man, that desirable land, In such blocks as the poor man needs. Is still abundant, and can be ob- tained without possessing much money ; and be- sides that, outside of cities, Industry and care, witb a willingness to forego on commencing everything not absolutely necessary, with the first season produce nearly all the tood a family can need, by the simple labor of a man, aided by wife or child. In the lack ot self-denial on commencing, lies the secret ot the non- euccesa or drawing back of hundreds of men. The cUiuate, also, Is everywhere greatly m favor ot the poor man, bemg so mild In temperature, and the raln-storma of such short duration; that, living from choice so much la the open air, the whole year ensures, with reasona- ble case, vigorous health for himself, his wife andihls children. Then there are few districts, bowever removed from populated centres, where a poor man cannot from time to time earn a little money to buy necessaries which cannot at first be grown, either by labor for nelgbbora more ad- vancedthan himself, or bysupplyiog house fuel to neighboring townsmen, which he cuts la clear- ing his owQ land, or Id a smaller number of spots, by supplying fuel to quarts mills, who are often large consumers. Although California is tar from being heavily timbered la the billy districts. It is usually found tbat there will be at au elevation of l,20O feet and upwards, from three to five coros per acre on most of the Government land, which makes quite A KICK LITTLB ITEM In a poor man's first income. Ordinarily, pine fuel Is delivered at about $5 the cord to mills, and $6 for stove fuel, with a doU^ir extra In each case for hard wood, which Is white oak, a little llvo oak, black oak and maozanlta. The incon- veniences of early days are all passed Jiway, together with the oltea rapid getting ot money, and with It the alternate forced idleness. One might suppose from these facta that all the de- sirable land Is already located. In the eyes ot a farmer who never saw a hill, it probably is ; but there still remains enormous quantities of land yet unentered, which, It put Into its appropriate crops, Is more desirable than any level land ; mixed amongst tracts less valuable. These landa have been protected much by the tact ot their 80 lying In Suiall quantities, mixed with such land as the wholesale cultivator does not care to grap- ple with. They cannot be worked at lightning speed, and are specially suited to the man who, with patience and the help ot his family, will make them into the most valuable lauds la the State. The Government wisely withdrew all these lands from public sale many years ago, so that they could not be got In large quantities, but only by residence on them, and cultivation. Then every man takes that first on which he can most easily earn a living. Those most removed from the chief centres ot population are naturally left unentered. But now, the opening ot mines In so many parts ot the mining districts, and the as- sured IMMEDIATK EXTENSION OP BAILB0AD3 Wnrbrlng landa one e much Isolated into ready connection wUh good markets, and will make nearly every part ot California more favorably circumstanced than evea the best localities for- merly were. Every man who knows California thoroughly can see that the statements of men who view land only to be worthy ol considera- tion where large blocks lay together, or who value It only according to the ease with which large quantities can easily be cultured, are grossly Incorrect. It la ot no Importance to the poor man that the plough can go over 500 acres la a single field. He only wants a hundred, and wants that la many separate plots. There are thousands of beautiful spots for homesteads, tor the man who cannot manage more than halt the homestead and pre-emptlou allowance, and Who la satlaQed that blllsldea ot suitable land, thouga often steep, may yield him more Income la crops, which a family can materially help la winning, than alluvial bottom landa In their crops which have to be won by his sole labor. The crops raised by sucli a man oq hilly landa will be grapes, Irmt, butter, cheese, eggs, poultry, potatoes, wheat, varied by others IQ placf 3. Much of the fear ot the scare- ; ity of desirable land in California arises from not <; knowing, with certainty ot Judgment, to what t uses some lands, forblddlng-looKing to a low- * country man with common farming ideas, la ad- "* vantageously applicable. The writer does not hesitate to say that, uf the whole lands of Call* 172 CHOICE LAND IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS. fornia whlcli will produce the most valuable ol wines, and ectually ot macy rrults, for tlie most pare mey are as yet lu tiie bands or tlie Govern- ment, la tlie matter of LIGHT WINES, Wlilch, from some extraordinary quality, produce a niguer price thau neavy-oodlett wines, it must always to borne in mind tliat it Is uot soil alone, nor presence ot a beautiful, warm Winter, nor a loug Summer, iliat protluces excellence. The factnasbeeu so far completely lost sla;litof in Callforuia, uDd pxperleuce o£ most of lUe noted wlnc-growiir^' dibirlcts of the woria suegests that medlooiiiy and lack of distinctive leaiuri^s la Wines I'oriiis the result as yet. Besides Govern- ment LiDd::!, there are for immigrants lauds of pri- vate owners which cau be ootalned at compara- tively high prices, and considerable good lauds re- mal I in the hanus ot the railroad comiianies, which cau be obtained from $3 CO to $10 an acre, on postpo iCd terms ot caymeut. The Govern- ment lauds, which a"re extensive through the fooihiils ot Northern caiifornla, are obtiunable on the usual terms of setilement, which Kiav oe explained for the use of im i.i- gnmts, to bo thus: The expanses on preemptins ICO acres ot Government laud uie noihli^g what- ever ouIlrsr.Fettlement, or on tiling in the Dia- tiiec La::d OEl '6 h.-j declaraioi'y statement of set- tlement a^d inn utiou or preempiing; but a pay- ment cr$l 25 au acre at tlie closj of uvo years and nine mouths, with the appointed oEdce iees; alter whlcu is done tuo man (or woman, if head of a family of her own or other chlldrea), can ob- talu a seco:ia IGO aeres, tree from payment except that of ofllce fees, as a houiestead— which home- stead cannot be sold for previous debis— on which lie or she must reside for Ave years after entry. Or HOllESTEADING CAN BB DONE At the very llrat on surrendering the right of pur- chasli gland by pi-e-euiDdon. 1 ho whole costs to be paid on homesteaillng are $1G on entry, and $6 at me end of the Ave years. It is naturally un- derstood, thatln a country ha^lngao large a pro- duce to sell abroad, every class of manufacture andinaustry is already in operatlOD, or It not so now, must rapidly be be^uu, and employ more and more latjor, as investments for the surplus annual capital flowing into the country. But It Js tor the tillers of the soil that we now seeU to make everything clear about California. For this class It IS useless to speak ot the specially favored localities, of which the geographical posi- tion, or climate, or nearness to large mar- kets or cities, causes land to be got with dlfflcnlty at from $20 to $50, or more, per acre. Norlsltot use to thelargestmassof imml- gnnts to describe what much expenditure has made such sdoi s In to : nor even to meuiion the ex- ceptional prohts that are sometimes got tor a fsw years, or even continually, in such spots. Few imniigiants can cominand more than will just start meui In life la the humblest way, without oelug burthened wli h land to buy or risks to carry. It Is ou this account we have chosen the liilly uis- trlcisof Nurthern California as especially desira- ble for this class ot Immigrants: extending as far south as until the season's ralntall becumes un- certain In its regularity; which may be said to be as fur as a little south ot San Francisco Bay In the toast range ot hilly country, and as far south as the Tuolumne or Merced rivers la the toothills ot the sierra Nevadas, excluding the great valley, and the belt ot altered climate along the coast for a few miles inland. California has a completely , RAINLESS SUMMER, And a season of rains and showers, answering to the came of Winter, with snows in the moun- tains, from October to April, both included. la the most northern pare of the state, and in tha Coast Range of hills as f r south as Sau Fran- cisco Bay, and in the foothills ot the Sierras as far Bouih as the Anerlcan liivei', the moist season often begins In September, ending with showers as late as the first week of June. In NorLhern California, therefore, a farmer can rely in all yearsonasutUclency of rain to mature all ordi- nary farmers,' crops and all fruit crops without irrigation; provided a proper selection ot lind has been maae for fruiis. Irrigation Is desirable to ensure aeuccessionoi garden crops, and wherever successive crops of clover hay is desired, a'.d, usually, It maize be required as a crop. For this iise, most ot the land lyintc in the foothills, above a thousand fe t eleva- lou, will have some ruuulng springs oa the land itself; but this feature diminishes as you go south. Throut'h tho Sierra fooihllls a f irmer oiten has also tho advantageof purchasing water lor any second crops f I oni the numerous mining ditches, 'the small farmer will hnd It much to his profit (at, least in his nrst years) to have his crops much varied. Vines and treo fruits will pay hlia must profit per acre, but he has to wait soma years for returns. Small fruits will pay him still better, it ho has a wlie and glils to attend to them; and If he has none, It Is the best Invest- ment he ca!J make to lay the foundation for tuem before ne begins his work. THE SMALL FRUITS, Chiefly strawberries, raspberries and blackber- ries, will give him a nice income the second or third year atter planting. Ot these, we have noB yet met with the place amongst the Sierra foot- hills where the demand dues not keep pace with the supply. Vines, apples aud peaches will com- mence to bear tho loui th ana fltih years— earlier by injuring the trees by bearing too young. All tnese should begot planted as soon as possible lor other work to allow it. Thev hasten tne use ot the easy arm-chair. But the first Important crops are the garden for humau food ; some hay and fodder ot other sorts tor milch cows in Win- ter; a little wheat as soon as It Can begot; and, ot first Importance, a good-sized piece in a good variety of potatoes. This Is a crop which has a very superior quality grown amongst the hills, and will usually fetch double the price In tho Winter and Spring that river-raised potatoes do. They present a very important crop to the first settler. Many men support a family entirely by four or five acres of potatoes aa their chief source of Income. One would hardly like to say what four acres ot Oiountala potatoes should be worth. Ihe tlrsC year is often unsatisfactory ; afterwards, on land properly pulverized, 250 bushels to the acre la often reached and exceeded. Atter the new year, • those mountain potatoes will bring in the mining districts two cents a pound, more or less; fre- quently they are much higher. Milk, eggs, but- ter and poultry always pay well in the toothills, and are always articles of ready sale there, if not distant from mining towns, at higher prices than m. the great markets oelow. . Scbutatob*. DAIRYING. 173 DAIRYING By W. E. Macintteb. Prominent among the Industries of California are those of dairying aud stocK raising— industries lor a long time neglected or Indifferently piose- cuted, but of late setcllns Into a steady and orderly course of progress, and promising to play a most Important part In tlie growth of tlie State. The more our society takes upon itseir a permanent form, advancing by sure, yet vigorous strides, the more 'vvlU he brought out the great resources of our niountalM liuds in siock ran-res and dairying, eclipsing ere long their fahled universal wealtb, and building up homes In com- fort for the millions that are yet to fill this fair State. We have bi'eii so accustomed to fluctu- ating success, and to tlio acquisition of sudden ■wealth, that It has required a process OC SETTLING To quiet and cool our bri.lns, and prepare us for the steadier and n>ore certain advance In lil'e- supportlLig pursuits. Whit the farmer ot the Atlantic struggles hard for we have co'ne to Ignore as trifling ; tlielr savings of from one hun- dred to Ave hun(2red dollars in a year give tlieai a leeilng of success and contentment, and their Batlsfac tlon is comple'e In being thus able to add to tlie couitoris ot their fainllies and lay Dy a surplus from year to year. In almost ail pursuits here mat snrpliis would be far greater, provided tho sauie industry, economy and skill were ap- plied, auJ In noue Is tills more sure tliaii la the raising of cattle aud in the making of butter aud cheese. Ill the present article it is proposed to show the facts as I early as tiiey can be stated, and as cor- rect aa our ordinary sources ot Inforn.ailon will allow, giving the resuhs obtained fiooi places widely separated and dispersed over a large area of the Stale. lu June, 1880, 1 had occasion to gather ofhcial statistics lor the U.S. census In the upper part ot San Mateo County, In tne towu- Blilp which abuts agali.st tub San Francisco Hue, and la which are to be found most of the large dairies tiiat; furnish San Francisco with milk. From Vlsltaclon VnUey westward to the ocean, and from San Miguel to MiUbrae, the mala busi- ness of tne people is to supply the im mediate de- mand for dairy products in a city of 250,000 in- ba'iltants; while from the great farnj3 of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and along tbe coast, tbera comes also a steady supply by every line of steamera and every railroad centring ( toward the metrotjolls. ) Into ihia busin« S3 there Is often large capital, and a syoten atic supervision over the work itself I enables larne operators to carry on their enter. I prise with the strictest regard to economy and I success. There are also many others, on a small I scale, who work their own land, drive I heir own fteam and market tnelr own farui and dairy pro- iducts. Although tho Southern Paclflc Railroad runs tbrougb this region, and delivers freight at fair rates, the old method of transportation seema btiu to be the favorite one, and If the visitor were to post nimself on the San Mateo County road, at Colma or Sau IMlguel, he would see, day by day, a caravan ot milk wagons, of all sizes, tro.n a one- horse co.'iveyance to the six-mule team ot the Jersey Farm. Within the Sau Francisco bound- ary, and jusr, above Bay View, are the University Mouijd and Clifford d ilries, counil. graany hun- areas of cows, while others, also witnln tho city limits, cover the hills from Sou'iU saa Frajcisco ovtrt)La;:e Merced. In the upper yart ot Vlsl- tacion Valley are several more, the chief being that ot INlr. Schwerln, whose farm Ilea partly m both counties. Just above la tho dairy or Mr. C'ii>rk, and crossing over the hllla to the Sovon- Miie llouse, wocome in sight ot acotbei", owned by W. H. Klnno, Esq. Then loHowIng tne county rr.ad to tho southward, we pass many good loca- tions where dairies mls^ht exist, and where ol necessity they must yet bo est .blished la order to meet THE GROWING DEMANDS Of San Francisco. 7 hero Is about Colma m.uch liind beloiglDg to the different grams and Home- stead Assjclatlons wlilch could i;o boUi;ht at a rair price, afl'ordlrg good pasturage and capable of supportln,^ lar,~e riUnUiers of cattle. This la id at present 13 partly occupied with iionses which are sentirom the city for pasturage, and partly rented out ff^r ralslnir bay and the com'non farm products, itlstro a eight to twelvemiioa of the ciiy, by a weli-graiied road, and ' ust eventually be brought under high cuirlvatlon lu order to get tho fuifbt^netlt of Us learness to mark- 1. It la held at varying figures, accorolng to location and quality ; some parts bfMng near the railroad, otherj Sloping off to the hills, away to th^ ocean. M03t of tne hill land Is sultubie lor nasturage, and also raises good hay and potatoes. It is kept green laio In tne Sprii'g by the fogs and mists which rise from the ocean, and on this nccount tuTulshes better feed than the hilla acrosa the bay la Alameda or Contra costa. This pasturage lasts from February to Septem- ber, after which hay, Dumokina and shore feed become necessary until the December and Jan- uary ralua start the grasa ot the next seasou. The value of the hills would probably range from $40 to $60 per acre, whue the lands adjoin- ing the main county road, and along the immedi- ate track ot the Kouthcrn Paclflo Kailroad, would run from ISO to $125 per acre. These lands rise gradually from the railroad westward, culmi- nating in a lolty watershed from one to two miles distant, and forming a sunny frontage to the entire farm. Tne slope Is well watered by springs, and on several of the dairies already full advantage is taken of their great value in supply- ing water and cooling the milt. The Swiss Dairy, on Mrs. Easton's farm, Is conducted admirably In this respect, and shows what tact and In- dustry can accomplish when directed by the skill and experience ot practical dairymen. There are also many shade trees at the foot ot these hllla find scattered over the farms, which are ot great 174 DAIRYING. value la ebeiterlng stock, adding to tlie bealtbfui and tlirlvlug cliaracier or tue cows, aud also ornameuclug Uie lanus tbemseives. THE JERSEY FARM. Just above San Bruno Station Is the Jewey Dairy, a large aud successiul establlsbment, em- Dloying sixty or seveuiy men, and conducted by It. G. Sneain, Esq. In tlie iwo farms owned by tliis gentleman lUere are some 2,000 acres, partly gooa tarmln^f land near the couuty road, aud partly a mountain ranch where some of bis Btocli Is p iscured. Mr. feneatii has succeeded In converting- a large portion ot lils larm along ibe upper road in'o a rich yrowth ot hay, and In Jumi tho hay-iuakers may bo been at work— mowing, ralilng aud haul- ing U to his bams. Tills growth, trom the na- tural ruot, wltuout ploughluii or' sowing, as In other paits ot Callfoinia, Is especially f.ivored by two conauloDS— Firot, the muist, 8prln,'y na- ture or the Slope Itself, aud second, the lavorlng mists and rogs ot tue ocem which nourish me grass una neutralize tue drying power of the sun In tue buinmer seaso >. Aiihousin not so nour- ishing as tue timothy or clover ol the East, the hay maiies good reed for milch cows; the yield here is about tue avera.'e ot Eastern hay farms, and mauy otuer locatlous can bo found In valleys among these hills, equally well bUUed ror Its cul- tivation and growth. There are fed and main- tained oa tue Jersey Farm, at least 600 cows, be- side several hundred other stocic, and the main part ot lueir support comes, I believe, from tue rancu itself. Evrry day, at twelve o'clock noon aud twelve midnight, tue uuge milk wa?onle ives the farm for the city, bearlnar the rniik ot more than 500 cows from this ranch, beside several from outside farms, whose milk Mr. Sneath coa- tracts for by the season. COMPARISON WITH HUMBOLDT. Mr. Richard Johnston, of Humboldt County, de- scribes In a recent articie to tue Rural Press the great opportunities for tnls business In the north, and In that com nunlcatlon states that the ranges of his county will keep in good condition tue year round one cow to every four acres, and that tue feed Is still as good as when the country was first eetiled. 'ihe ranges on iheSau Mateo hllla will do fully as well, aud some wbose opinions I asked tuink they V7111 support one cow to three acres, that Is, allowing extra feed from the 1st of Sep- tember to tue 1st ot February. It matters not, he eays, how close the pasturage la fed o£t In the fall, In the spring there Is as thick a sward ot grass as ever, and the same remark applies equally well here. The cows will average irom 15a to 200 pounJs ot butter per year rrom the nat- ural grass, with common hay during the Pall and early VVl ter, aud In a few Instances, with extra feed ot beets, pumnklus and carrots, have yielded 275 pounds. Those who have tried dairying, gialii-ralslng, and cultivation ot potatoes, side by 6lde, claim fir greater proflts trom the dairying tuau either of the other pursuits, and, as a rule, potato raising, once so co.nmon on these hills. Is cow abandoned. 'I his. ot course, Is on the hill l.ind, wbere sloping valleys of small size are Inter- spersi d throughout tue range, and where mauy Inconveniences attend tUe ralslug of potatoes aud harvestl-g of ^raln. Over the hiUs, to the westward of Mr. Sneath'a mouutam ranch, are to be found a number ot CHOICE VALLEYS, Which slope toward the oceau and lie sheltered between Ulgh riugea. These valleys, especially theone t Tuiedby W. Smltu, Esq.. furnished tUe best barley hay I met with In any part of tue county, and tue wheat attained a growth some- wUat extraordl lary, without manure or any as- sistance beyond the mere process of Nature. The climate la oool aud somewhat foggy, but entirely healthful and bracing throughout tue yevr. The general heaithfuluess of the township may beat- tested by tue t ict iuear3. Mr. Brooks has hlnaeir a valuable dairy f .r u ot abnui eoo acres, s retching tro n the lu.dn roa i, near Uoima, away westward to wituin halt a mile ot tue ocean. Tuereare nlso others wUo have ha i the experience ot nanv years in stok-ralsl g niid farming, and Uave lived long i i tuis dUtrict, who would cheertuJly point out to Inteniii g setilera where lands are tor sale and tor whit prke they could be had. Among tuese I r.igucname Messrs. li. S. Thorniou, Jaso.i Wight audP. Flanaelly. THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY. In Other portions ot tuis State which I liave vis- ited, many excellent farms are thrown open for sale, partly because or sick ess or depirtnre ot owners, arid p inly on account of that res lessiie- Blre for cuange which sweeps no»v and then iik-e a tidal wave over the people of the west. lu the Sacramemo Valley, west of Rio Vista, Snlmo County, several farms are awaiting sale, cUlefly from this last cause, and abuudaat «. hances could be found for permane t homes and proiitable In- vestments. Having lived tuere In ISTl and 1S73, 1 had many opportunities or gitnerlnif facts as to tlie value of lands and the nature of their produc- tions, and I can testify to tus natural richness ot the sou and Its bountiful products, rue mala business in this part la raising wheat, potntoea aud vegetables, but tuere are also good loiatlo a for dalriea, and several already exist. Mr. Linus Tryon has some 1,500 acrea In one tract, partly good grain land, and partly marsh and tule, la wblch, during the dry season, cattle secure f ed until the higher ground comes lu after tue eaily rains. Less hay la required tuan 1 > the hills ol San Mateo Couotv, and tula savlig partly co n- pensates for tue ereater distance from m iruet. Mr. Tryon and oihera wbo se d butter and cueese from this part haul their dairy products to Rio Vista, whence they are brougut from tue river steamers seventy-flve miles to Sin Fra clsco. From this gentleman and also from M. Smytb, Esq., another old resident here, reliable infor.ua- tlon could be obtained t)y any who would wish to make inquiries. SAOBAMENTO COUNTY. About thirty miles to the e igt of thla part, and nearly the same distance south ot S icramento City, there are several f .rms and dairies wiiicu I have visited, especially along Dry Creek and la the neighborhood of Gait. Mr. James Jlacfar- laneh isaliirge and profitable dairy, nbout, uve miles west ot the towu, and near him In tUe Win- ter season, are Messrs. U right and Browueil, who keep each from 80 to 150 cows, besido otner s ock. In the suu.mer season, from Juieto Nuve ber, they drive lUelr herds to the mountains for feed, chiefly in the footuiila and moumal s b -yond PlacerviUe, and when the teed begins again in tue valley they reiuru. Lund In this part coula be bought at considera- bly less than lu San Mateo or Alameda Cou.tles, DAIRTINa. 175 ranging from about $15 to $30 per acre, and of all those who have undertuken the dairy business Oil either a larpe or small scale, I believe none have failed, wUUe a majority have acquired an Inaependence, and severnl a fortune, suould any desire safe authority for statistics aud other facia connected with this pare of the valley, I take pleasure in rererrlng them to my old friend John Brewster, Esq., tiie proprietor ot the chief place ot Duainess in town. Hla address would fee Gait, Sacramento County. I have thus briefly sketched out a few of the many great fields to be found la the State sulta- tole for the particular industry I have selected. In addlilou lotheiiiformatlon nlveii I have referred to responsible a d reliable parties, who would gladly assist any seekinsr a home la tde State, and who could point out without delay the mala Chances In their resoectlve localities. Should the Imijilgratlou Bureau, wnen fully organized, de- sire to point out to emigrants where public lands are still open for occupation and where prlvaie Biiles at favorable rates car. be offered, It could do no better than to secure the services of tue In- terior residents, long familiar with various dis- tricts In the state, and at tbe same time thor- oiigbly reliable and cousclentloua lu the discharge of buch a duty. There are still large sectlone of the State which I Have never been aMo to visit, and whlcu there Is barely space to mention, such as the Klamath, Smith River and Pit Kiver Valleys In tae north, the San Buenaventura and Saa Luis Obispo ranges In the south, besides otliera equall/ valaa* ble, yet scarcely half fllled to their capacity ol production and support. Registrar Bradley, of Marysvllle, says there are nearly 1,200,000 acres of Goveruujent land in his district not .vet disDospd of, mostly foothill and mountain districts, and fairly suitable tor setile- menr. He thinks that much of the eastern por- tions of N.ipa and Lake and the western p irts of Yolo, Colusa and 'I'ehama Counties are open where persona wishing to go Into stock-raidlu^ might protltably locate. Should the move i.ent undertaken by the Board of Trade, urging UDon Congress an approprlaiioa forsurveying the public lands, be crowned witu success, great advantages would result to coming settlers, and an immense area of more than TWENTY MILLION ACKE3 Would be thrown open— an area capable of sup- porting a mlliioi) of people in comiort, and des- tined at lo distant day to t ike Itsnamral pi ica among the produitlve parts of the State. Of the great body if Europe in3|who land annually on the Atlantic shores, few reach a territory vvnere such advuatigea are offtred them, aid could in- formation ot the aDove nature be placed in the Way of the more thrliiy Swiss aid German farmers, we are positive these vaca't lands would lie rapdiy occupied, while the state would pniduce In Its hills and valleys all that i he Boun- tiful Giver ini ended it should, and there would come up from these Western shores a hum of ih- dustry which would startle our Atlantic cousins and become at once the Joy and pride and glor^ of the land. 176 EESOURCES OF MENDOCINO. RESOURCES OF MENDOCINO. There are five counties on the coast north of San Francisco. Mendocino Is in the miaaie, hav- ing Sonoma ana Marin on the south, and IIu:ii- tooiat and Del Norte on the north. Strangers caa easily And It ou their maps. Any school-boy cau find the famous Golden Gate, tbrough wnich the merchant ships of all rations come to the rnoaern Venice of the western woria. Sallmg in toward San Francisco Bay, your face to the bow ot the vessel, on your left hand is Marin County ; north of Marin, Sonoma; north ot SonoiLia, Mendocino. You are about seventy-flve miles from the south- ern boundary of Mendocino County as ycu enter the Golden Gate. That the enquirer may be sure he is correct, I will furnish another laudmarli by •which to Bed this county. As your eye rests on California, find the 39th parallel ot N. latitude, and you will observe that a point ot laud jats out far west Into the ocean, a few miles south of that line. This is Point Arena, In Mendocino county, and It Is about sixteen ralles north ot Its southern boundary, 'i his county extends nortu to tne 40ili parallel, whlchlsonthe line mat sep irat'^sitfroiu Humboldt. This county lias been Known tormer- ly only as a great redwood forest, tic ror liarrty woodsmen to ply their vocation in cutting lum- ber. For over a quarter ot a century, Mendo ino Baw-mlll3 have beeu furnisliing the San Fran- cisco market witn mlUiunsot leec ot lumber an- nually. The march of civilization, tbo njusicsl stroke of falling axes, nnd tne discoveries ot the adventurer and burner have served to make de- •velopmenrs that give .i very different impression. A3 its forests have been tapped hero and there, and roads have been built alon^' us streans, through its valleys and over Us romantic hlils, time has conllnuea to show tlie importance ot this county and reveal its vast resources. Tnese are primary elemeDts, which a^e yBseDtlul to make any country attractive to vje iiijmii^rant, and in whlcii this county excels, viz: good cll- maie, good soil and abundant building materials. DESCRIPTION. Mendocino contains S,500 square miles. It is as large in area as several European duchies, or halt a dozen English slilres. lu is as large as the States ot Rhode Island and Delaware together, with eighty squnre Uilles still left in reserve. Much ot its surface 13 rough, mouitainous, tim- ber land, unfit for agricultural purposes. Its loftiest peaks and steepest hillsides, wben its tim- ber 18 cut, will. It sowed with raeequitgrass, make excellent pasturage for cattle. This county of- fers superior inducements, and presents speclil advantages to any and all who may seek to march with "ibe star ot empire," and find happy nomes In the land ot the setting sun, Tiiere is no coun- try where tbere are better opportunities for tne poorman, with little or uo means, and also for the man ot moderate wealth. There is no other coimtry where capital might be more proQtaoly Invested, and where money would eventually yield better interest. There Is room ana place Mere for thousands ot families, where tney c;in Uvo comfortably. From a report recently issued Irom the Land Office, at San Francisco, It appears tbat one-halt the land In the county still remains unsold. THIS leaves, then, 1,750 square miles, or a million or acres, yet to be settled up, being open to preemption and homestead settlement. Most ot the valley lands ;ire taken up ana occupied. These all lie Inland, and are contiguous to tue water courses toimed by Eel Elver, flowing north and west, and Russian Klver, flowing south and west. The greater part ot public lands vacanc are to be louud lu a belt midway between the valleys and the oeean. Lands along tiie ocean, tue wliole length of the county, have been taken up tor several miles back. Most of the saw-mills are found at or near ihemoutuof the rivers where tbey enter the ocean. The 1 mds on ihese streams have been also taken up by those owning tnese mills and otbers. At the head waterd of theso rivers and on many ot their trib- utaries are to be round iliousanda ot acres of land unoccupied, and even townsbips unsurve.yed, wlt^ th'j most valuable standing crop wiilch la found anywhere to-day ou the continent. Tlie time is not very remote when all these lands will be tak n up, and these hillsides and vales, these dells and upland rUges, will belnpofcses- fcion ot an imUistiious a:.d prosperous popul itlon, nice many spots Kuown to the writer, where ten or even cigiit yeara ago awful solitude rei;4'ned la sile.ee, unless when broicen by tiie heavy foot- fall ot I be prowling bear or the lilmble tread of me deer. In many places this has given place to human habitfitions, lowing herds and tne merry voices (.f chiluran. Many pans are unfit for cultivatloo, ic will be said, aud lUeretore do not f urnisu sulh- tient iudui;eiaent to tiie settler. Not; tor men wiio wa. t oearv d prali le farms to work an.l cul- tivate. If anysuchulbh to come to MCudoclno Coa ty, tney must; buy farms la tbe valieya clt)..rfcU already, aud tnese can ba bought at rea- sonable rate.-i. i bo Mendociuo wild l.in is cannot Le aporeclated where prejudice exists already agaiiibt ibem, llaey are not as rouyh as uiany pans of the Old World, where teeming popula- tions ibrive upon their Industry, 'i he rout^best lands in this county are only undulating hills ««omparea wltu inhabited parts of Wales, bcoc- land aud Switzerland. TIMBEK LANDS, ETC. There may be small quantities of open lands fit tor grazing and cultivation here and there, wnlch are still awalllog claimants. These are at ex- tren e points in tne different valleys, and beside claims occupied already by parties who pretend to own these vacanc lands, and who gee the ben- efit of them for stock-raising in me mea time. The most ot tue vacant lauds in the county are timber lands. Within a few hours' trnvel of where the writer now sits, there are hundreds ot clalma which have been taken up within a few years, and now these men are in possession of these lands, h ive obtained titles, and are making money manufacturing their timber into railroad ties. Many ot these, known to the writer, came here a tew years ago from the Old World with nothing to begin the struggle for iudependence with except their brave hearts and strong hands, 'l hey are all now iQ a position to make a comtortabie living and eventually to own valuable liomes, as EESOUECES OF MENDOCINO. 177 they clear and Improve tlieh- land. Tbe most aDundant and valuable tIraDer la the famous red- wood. The immigrant who comes looking for a claim on which to setile, muse go to tue Land Office m San Francisco, where they will inform him where the vacant lands are situated. With his description, tben he mustcomo to Mendocino, and pay a few dollars to a surveyor or some one acaualnted with the surveys, Hues, etc., who will show him the very land he seeks. I may as well tell any and all strangers that they cannot Qua St themselves. However well executed and min- utely drawn their plats and maps may be, their attempt to find a certaiu lot Is almost sure to prove "love's labor lost." OPEBATIONS, Little capital is needed to begin. If a man has Bome money all the better, as it will enable him 10 push his way more successfully. Find your claim, build your cabin and get yourself settled. You need loc worry nor fret about your lumber to build and expenses of hauling it to the spot. It is ail on the ground already. You need no saw- mill. Buy a broad and a narrow axe, a cross-cut saw, a maul, a trow and some wedges. You cut down your treu and saw It Into lengths, and then split out your boards just of the size you need. It you wish planed lumber for your cabin, tben you must Durchase planes, etc.. In order to dress it, as many ot the early settlers did. All tuat a man must Duy is his windows and nails. Bo can even ill a few hours furbish his cabin with table, bedstead, benches, etc., all of redwood. In work- ing up these timber lands there is an excellent opportunity for a mau to make his mark. I am not now noticing the capitalist who can purchase a saw-mill site and manufacture sawn lumber. I am addressing the poor man, whose only means are the muscles and sinews of his physical frame. He cannotdo better ihun get his claim and commence to make railroad lies. Redwotdlssosoft in the grain, and is so easily split, that it is well adapted for this purpose. They are now in great demand, and tue Mendo- cino woods are swarming: with liien who ave busily engaged in this profitable enterprise. There are hundreds of men all along the coast who have been tor yearse ; ploicd in this Industry, and the demand increases fur ties as new railroads are being built and extended throughout the country. These ties are or two sizes, known as the long ana the shori tie. The former are generally cut to the even size of eight feet long and Cx8 Inches throueh, while the latter are made sis feet long and or me same dimensions. A man work- lug ordinarily can make from '20 to 40 ties la a day, according to timber, etc. This altogetl^er depends ou circumstances. Many men can make several more some days. One tree may make from '20 to 50, and all tue way up lo GOO, as the writer knows to be the case, and can furnish names who cau testify to that fact. Some trees even make twice as many. It must be remem- bered that some ot these trees are from 150 to 200 feet high, and at the butt, where cut, will measure from nine to twelTe feet. It Is nut BO strange, after all, if one of them would make a cargo for a schooner. Oq forty acres of land there would be from 15.000 to 20,000 ties, according to the quantity aud quality of the limber. I ana taking a small average, as I prefer keeping under the general yield rather man that my statements j-hould prove to be any- thing but true. This would give from 60,ooo to 80,000 ties on one claim of 160 acres. It costs from three lo four cents to haul, if the dlsiarce la only a tew miles. It costs something to make roads besides. Ties sell now at tiie landings for twenty- eight cenis, that is long ties; snort onesinthe same proportion. When your timber is too short lor a long tie, then It can be worked up into a short one, so that there need be no waste. That part of tue timber which will not make ties, may make posts, and these are la great demand for fencing material in Southern Oallfornia, and are sent mere by the cargo. The barker the red- wood is very thick, and has a tough fibre, and no doubt some ge mus will some day make a discovery which will turn ic into some article ot commerce wblch will prove useful ana profitable. When your ties are hauled away, then you can set fire to the bark, limbs, chips, etc., and when they are burned up, sow over your ground mesqult grass. It needs no cultivation whatever. The rain will start It. and it makes an excellent pasture either for cattle or sheep. OTHEK USES. Some redwood trees, from some cause or other, are all curled. These are known to all Cailfor- nlans as the curly redwood. These •' spiral whirls" ruu through the timber with a regular uniformity. These undulations vary, and present distinct patterns. Otber trees have a lar^e ex- crescence which grows upon them. When this 13 sawed and dressed, it presents as many bird's- eyes as tiie Boapleot the East. It will take an elegant Hnlsii, and will sblne, when it is polished, like Aberdeen granire, having a very smooth sur- face and an attractive appearance. It Is well fitted for panel work, veneering, etc. I have seea mouldings of tbls wood around fire-places, also centre-tables, book-cases and work-boxes of the same material, which far surpassed ihejaoanned wurk which Is so eagerly sought. It would make eiecani; furniture, and some day it will call fortb the admiration of the world, and ornament the piilorsof money kings lu all lands. Redwood I3 also cut up very extensively Into shakes. These are sblngies cut in bunches of 24 each, split witli a frow. They are six Inches wide, one half IncU thlek, and four feet long. They are not entirely separated atone end until used. Their dimen- sions show that they are very desirable for roofa where timber is scarce, and they are in great de- mand 111 the southern part of the State, where they are used either for barns, sheds, stables, or even houses. These are found verj suitable, cut in this way, as they are easily transported Inland and they cover a good deal ot surface, Anoiher Industry la which the redwood nilght be piofiiabiy useJ Is manuf during fencing materials ot all kinds. There are dozens of streams in the county wuicU would drlvo a water-power mill. Fancy pickets and turied posts are needed abundantly all over the St lie. TUebe are now made from materials on which the rrelgnt has been paid to San Fran- cisco, except the pickets, which many of the mills make from their refuse slabs. One ot these porta- ble mills could bo brought into the woods and set up beside tlie timber, wuere everything could be worked up proiitably. It is only a matter of time till a long-line railroad will reach this timber belt in Mendocino. Parties are surveying now' trom Cloverdale to Uklah, the county seat. "Sbort lines from this main line will strike right into tne red- woods. There will also be railroads built from favorable points on the coast into the heart of me timber here, and these shortly. There Is one already extending eight miles Into the woods on Salmon Creek. It Is known as the " Salmon Creek Railroad Company." In course ot time, no doubt, mills will be built at many points which now are In possession ot poor men who have no means to develop tne re- sources available. When tbe canal across the Isthmus has been completed, a new Impetus will be given to the red wooa Industry of this coast. SHIP-BUILDIKG FACILITIES. This Is not an Utopian scheme ot the writer, but a practical enterprise wUlcU has been buc- 178 BESOUECES OF MENDOCINO. cessfully tried already. Menaoclno County abounds wltU the California Up, wuicu Uas been round easy to work and durable for sbip-buUd- iDg. If me timber Is cut In llio Fall, ir, equals tue best Oreson Pine. Tlie tree Is very tall and graceful, siraUlit as an arrow, aud wliliouca liu bforbuudrecisof feet. Over two dozen ves- sels bave alreaoy been biiUt lu tbls county. Tbere are at least two slilp-yaras wbere vessels are constructed on tUe coast. Tbls ludubtry Is only in It-s Infaucy, and It seems strange, now tbat vessels are unable to carry away ibe differ- ent comiuoJltles lUat awalc sUlpment at tbe dif- ferent landings, that practical mechanics do not build more vessels, where material i^ eg easily obtained. It these assertions are questioned, I woul J refer my reaoera to some ot the Mendo- cino and Little lUvor schooners, several of which bave been bunt at these ports, and are now trad- ing to Sau Francisco. TAN-BAKK, OAK FIEE-WOOD, ETC. Anotber tree which grows very extensively is tliecliesinut oak tree, the venerable Uruids on the e.irih still. These oak groves ot» Menaociuo would furnish theui suclitemples as would both eatisry and astonish. Along most of the land- ings hundreds of cords are shipped annually to Sail Francisco. Barkis always in den. and, and brings a payln? price— sometl ies as blgbas$l9 per curd, at other ilmes from $10 to $15 per cord. San Francisco has forty-three tan erles; Santa Cruz has also some of extensive capacRy. A few Inland towns in dlffejeut localities have small tanning establishme.ts. Most; of our hides are eeut east to New York, are tanned and worked up into boots and shoes, and we pay for the transport both ways when we purcliase them. Tanning facilities are such in California that it ought to furnish the continent wiib the best leather that ever passed under the currier's knii'e. Mendocino having abundance of bark con- venient, affords ample opportunity to any one who may wish to engage lu this business, pro- vided that a man knows what he is undertaking, andthatit needs considei-able capital to prose- cute this successfully. The man wuo geis out the bark is In no danger. His adventure will eurely pay. Often, on many a tlmoer claim, when a man has cleaied it of redwood, he can then begin and cut bis oak and peel bis bark. This bark is generally peeled from June till Sep- tember. The wood Is someiiojes cut up into fire- wood after it has oeen peeled, and It makes good tuel. 'there is a tree which grows all over this county, aud which commands the highest price Intbo market. It is the live-oak. It is soft and cuts easily, and becomes very hard as it dries. It bas been shipped in cargoes to Sau Francisco, but bow profli;able this attempt has proved I am uot able to say. The yew that grows In many places and the laurel along many of our streams are very val- uable and useful. When these woods are cut, as I bave already mentioned, they may t;e sown with grass or planted as an orchard, as bas oeen doi^e very successiuUy In many places. Any who may desire to see such orchards growing will find them at the Ray place, ou the Cloverdale and Mendocino stage route, and along the Navarra Illver on the same road, before striking out near the ocean. FEUIT TREES, ETC. All ordinary fruits grow In this county. Ap- ples, pears, flgs, plums, peaches, quinces, grape- vines, ad all du exceedingly well. There are thousands ot shady nooks among these unbroken forests where Immlgrantsmay come in, ai d in a few years bave all these fruits I bave mentioned. These all enumerated grow on the coast, except the flg and grape, which need to be back a lew miles from the rather sharp winds which occa- sionally sweep Inland from the ocean. CEREALS, ETC. We can raise wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, bay and hops. It is said thattae hops raided 1 i the liussiau Klver Valley command from twenly-flve to ntty cents per pound. Au acre ot cround win realize for the grower from $300 to $sou if planted with hop-vines. The vines produce the second year, aid continue to bear for te.i y pars. ThL-re are now about 450 acres devoted to bop-cuiturela this county. Let it bo understood that Menaoclno County cannot bo surpassed fur raising all kli ds or vefe'Ctables. The potatoes shipped from Teu Mile Illver, Point Arena and cuffey's Cove cannot be excelled, unless by those raised la our neigh- boring county, Uuuitioldt. WOOL I.STERESTS. Mendocino and numboldt wool bring the hlgh- estprice and are in great deaiand. This Is an im- portant factor now, lu our yearly revenue. Last year, 1,650,(J00 pounds were raised and sold. The sheep are generally sheared twice a year— Ift the Fall and lu the Spring. I find ten names men- tioned In the report of ISSO, and they nearly aver- age luurteeu tons ot WOOL Many 01 our citizens have entered extensively into this business, as it proves very remunerative, and the land la very suitable. Wootisscldlrom twenty-five to thirty cents per pound. The sheep are mostly these merino sheep. They graze out all Winter. There are seldom any snow-siorma that hurt ibem. It would te easy to erect on every sheep ranch where timber can be got co veniently, a shed, where they would bave shelier during the rain- storms that are severe, and it would pay well to feed them with some bay at that time, between tue rotting of the old grass and the starting of tiie new upon the range. Ihere are nearly 2,000 Angora goats la the county, and tuousandsof acres which are adapted in their native state to pasture these goats, icnown as the ciie.i issal brush. As there are not mills available wbere to dispose of this wool, it is not advisable just now to encourage this Industry. WOOLLEN MILLS. We sell our wool, and it goes East and Is re- turned into cloth, and it comes back to us either In ihe web or made up into ready-made clothing. It must cost considerable, as It passes thiouyli the bands of so many persons, each ot whom must make some percentage over the original selling price, 'then, there la the irelghtpaldboih ways. Now we need the material here. We wear clothes and pay lor the n. When we can raise as good wool as can be produced in any country, u by does not some enterprising manufuciurer come among us with his machinery, and set it up. and get the beneilt ot lils investment, aud give us the genuii.e home-made materi il, instead ot the shoddy that is so often p.dmed cff upon us? 'ihere are in Mpndocino county over 300,o00 sheep, aud the interest is increasing, and the invesimem pays, ana manutactuilug the raw material on the ground Is sure to prove a profitable Investment lor some lucky adventurer, 'i here are tow hs lathe county which would encourage such a project, I bave no doubr, with a site for a woollen factory. Tuere are streams 10 drive such it water power la needed, audit not, there Is plenty ot available tuel, which costs out little. It, is neediesa to say that such an enterprise would succeed, either at Uklab, the county seat, or some otuerpointln the valley or ou the coast, which connects wltu the valleys by very good roads, which are passable all the year except a few weei^s during the Winter rains aud after they have ceased. WOODENWARE, ETC. Tbere Is always a dematd lor tubs, palls, flr- klDS, etc. Tbese are all brought from the fiiSt, KESOURCES OP MENDOCINO. 179 r-"- and must be sold at prices tuat pay. In this •county mere Is a grand opening f_r anyone wlio could Bet up an esLabUslnuent for manuracturlog this kind of ware. TLe Uiuoer is here on the ground, an endless supply. Tue California flr will toefouDd very suuaoie lor making sucli articles. How easy to And a suitable place on some of our streams, wUli an excellent water-power lo saw ud tne material. Tlicre are groves of ibis tlmtoer along tlie coast, where the trees tower aloft 200 feet and as straight as a rush. No douDt buL this win be one of the future industries of the county that will pay profltaDle dividends to those who tuvesc. PROSPECTIVE MINING. The " color " has been found la several places m Mendocino County, and live mining; districts were marked off. ihese were in Eden Valley, Potter Valiey. Ukiah. Itequa and Caipella mining jfllsirlcts respectively. Gold was not found In paying quantities In any of these places, and op- erations ceased for the tl'iie being and the excite- ment died away, unless it be in Calpelia, where hope of success still keeps the flr^rs of expecta- tion burniut'. These welra hlUs and gloomy mouutains might yet rejoke the heart or the pa- tient and persevering miner. OAT MEAL MILL. There are tons of oat meal brought to this coun- ty and retailed out la most of the stores. Freight lias to bo paid from the city. We raise oats of a superior Quality in every part of thecounty. This oat meal could be manufactured here to meet the home consumption, at least, and it would un- doubtedly pay. There are already Qve grist mills Xn the county, but 110 oat meal mill. TAN BAKE PRESSED. It would be easy to make this a special industry The bark, as now handled, is cumbersome, aud it is very desirable, in every way, that its bulk might be diminished. I know of no better way in which this could be done than to lutroJuce strong bark mills, grind it up, andgetpressesconstrucied which would press lo luto bales, wuich would tit closely together, like so many brick. Pressed bark could be easily done up with a few slats and a couple of strands of wire or baling rope, one schooner would then carry mere at once than she could in three cargoes, us it Is now handled. This bark will yet be ground up on the peeling ground by steam power, driven by donkey engines in Mendocino county. It will pay. BEES. AlthoueU I am unable to state how much honey Is proauced in thecounty, 1 know tuat bees are kept m many localities, and that they have suc- ceeded well. During the summer months the traveller meets them all through the woods. In the midst of the redwoods, among the oak groves, and where souje rlpplingbrook rolls over its peb- bly bed, these lltiie inoustrlous tollers sweep pastyou on their homeward or outward journeys. There Is 10 part of the State where there is better opportunity for bees 10 gather honey than here. Our climate is so mild and temperate tuere are always some flowers iu bloOin tbat invite tuem. On the coast, where the air Is always ujodifled and tempered by the sea breeze. Is this especially true. In January, I have seen the Calirornla lilac getting work. But, remember, It Is work, and bard work; but It pays, and you will have plenty toeatot good, wholesome food and a comfortable bed to sleep on, besides putting money in thy purse. All you want is a worklug suit— rough pints and boots, with a couple of wool shirts. You don't require any " boiled linen " and can leave the razor at home. Tools will be supolied you. Now lor facts, and the writer wants lb bd a Gadgrlnd. in tuls : say you bave a $10 outfit ; it wo n't cost more; your fare will cost from $5 to $10, with $3 in pocket at destination— $25 iu all— and you are fixed, and tue work before you. Don't be afraid you won't get it, for the demaud is great for the willing worker. Taken to tbe wood cabin, you will find your home and provisions. Three to four dollars a week will pay for your board, with nothing to pay for rent. It there be only a few ot you, yoa will have to cook your own meals; otherwise a cook will be provided. At first you win likely be put to sawing. The saw is the ordinary redwood one, crosscut, six to eight teet in length, and six to eight cutset a tree Ave teet in diameter Is a fair day's work. The cut for posts is seven f eec long, for ties eight feet. Next to eawlg, split- ting is in order. For posts tue face la 4><^x4>i^ inches, ties 6x8 Inches, commencing at the top cut of the tree, yoa split the cut from its top down the middle. The reason for splitting the cut from the top Is obvious, because if yousulitlt from the bottom it would not keep Its width, as the tree lessens In size, and your post must have the miuiuium, 4%x4»^ inches aud seven feet long, but a little larger does not make it objectionable. If It Is smaller It is culled. The same reasoning holds good for ties, but with this difference: ties have to be neatly squared with a broad axe, hewed Into perfect shape, while posts are taken la the rough as they come from tue tree. Now for the price: For posts you will be paid two an 1 a-quarter cents each, and for ties eleven. In what is known as rough ground you may get a little more. A good five-foot tree should contain from eight to ten cuts, and have three or four hundred posts or a proportionate number of ties. The cbopper of the tree, ot course, has to be paid out or this on a pro- portion of one-fourth, or as you may arrange. la a few months you may learn to chop your own trees, but it is best to have a partijer, so as to ciuingeoll ii chopplnsr, sawing aud splitting and with ties hewing, 'iwoof you should work up a five.foot redwood easily in twodiys or less. To pick out the tree is no small part of the work, and one on whlcu opinlous differ, as a bad splitter will have to be left, and tbe time spent in chopping thus lost. So far iS known, the best tree is one with straight, wide bark, wuoso chips are also straight, not " kinky." You can throw, after a Uttlo practice, a ijenecily straight tree anywhere to suit you, but one leanlijg— and tue majority leau— must be thrown in the half lircle tjward which it bends. Tuisi-i done alter the half cut is made, by gradu- ating the outside cuttovvnrds the point of fall. Then for the '-swaniping " cur, or cleaning away the underbrush, which is generally very thicR and troublesome, especi illy if it Is composed of oak tops ana huckleoerry vines, and sj oi to sawing to splittin','. This isall mere lain it. There Is no"tilck" in the work, aud anyone may take it up wbo has any brains at all, and Is willing to use Ills bands. The work can go on all the year round, but it Is generally dropped when the b irk- ing season arrives, which for a few inontns is more profltaole work. At the end of the so- called season, you will have money In pocket. 182 PRACTICAL TALK ABOUT LUMBER. and tlien tbe next step would be, In plice of spending it, la tlie city, to take up a claim aud go to worii tor yourself. iMtcr a few luonttib' work you will know all atiout It, but to tuose wlio tave a little mouey and no experience, and who are out oC work, ibe following remarks will not be outot place for lueir guidance, if they waut to make a home In the reawoods. To digress a mo- ment. It should have been said that, supposing the poor man had a wife and family (jnd he gen- erally has), he can off and on draw a little money from his e^iplover, and seud It to them, or atter he is settled bring them to live wltu him, wlilch would be cheaper, and even with all this outlay. If he is a good worker, he will have sufflcieat sur- plus to enter a claim for himself at the end of the season. LOCATING A CLAIM. By a wise nrovlslon of the General Government, any cltize , or any one who has declared his in- tention to become a citizen, may take up a claim. This consists or 160 acres, and the first tblng to do 13 to And a good cue as near as possible to a cenot for trausportatlon that is a3 near as uos3lble"io the ocean. Alt the way from the upper counties down along tlie coast there are transient calling places, where schooners put in as soon as notified that a cargo awaits them, so that if near the water there is but little trouble and exoeuse in shipping to market. Notwithstanding that the best coast claiiua have been taken up, there are Btill good ones, and ones abandoned full of red- wood, oak, pine, and other trees, waitin*^ tor the willing worker. Now, to find one of these is ine trouble, 'ihe man with no experleuce Id tne woods should not try, or depend too liinch on what people may tell him. The best way is to go to work lor a time for some other man, gain a knowledge of the wooas, and with this lore, search lor a claim and take ic up. How to do this, and what will be required for working it when It Is done, are the next essentials. Having round a claim, you file it In tne Land Office of the Dis- trict. This will cost $3. Next, you build a cabin, and work up an acre or so in the nearest clear- ing. In this cabin you Uvo for six months, prior to proving up, when you nay for the land at the rate of a dollar and a quarter an acre. You, of course, can take up less than ICO acres, and the time lor payment may be extended lor a year or more; but it is as well, if youhaveagoodchaln to take up 160 acres at once, as-you can only enter a claim once at tbe price, and pay ut the end of six months, so as to be clear of debt. The plan requiring a certain amount of land to be worked upisagood one, but one which not one-tenth ot wood-workers appreciate or aoply to their advan- tage and profit. On It you caji raise vegetables lor the taole, in place of paying three pri3es at tne store or doing Without, and for many other pur- poses It is very benenclal. Ilavlngerectedacabln, you must clear away the trees ndjolnlng, so that a heavy wind may not endanger it and you by some day blowing over a tree or branch, l^ext put in your supplies, furniture, bedding and provisions. It you have a horse and wagon, you wUi save the cost of hauling. Tools are tne next requisite. Crosscut saw, steel wedges (five or six), bar, axe and hewing axe. Your firing is ready at the dooi-, and, with your tools, you are ready tor work. If you have a ■Wife, so much the better, she wlil be a good help- meet, and you will not have to cook and wash, or keep the house in order. You should also have a man who will work for what he can earn. Two are always better in the woods than one, and as- sistance in any pinching work Is mutually ren- dered, and time passes away more agreeably and Bocialiy. A3 an owner you receive, according to the mar- ket, from li}4 to 15c. for posts, for ties, 45 to 50c., which leaves you a profit of 7 to 8c. on posts, after paying all charges, and proportionately on ties. Then you are your own master and own your own home. The hired man receives much less than half of this, and his endeavor should be to become an owner as soon as possible and throw off hl3 servitude, even if It Is a pleasant one, n3 it generally is, for the master, rarely in tho woods, 1; other than one wno himself served and not often reckons on his helrj as above It, but only Its equal. This is especially observable in inter- course and all social gatherings. condensing the matter in brief, we then arrive at tno following: Given a good tree, five feet la diameter, in good ground, say of ten cuts, and containing 300 posts, two men, two days, at 2}^ cents, $3 75, minus board. The owner, who does nothing, rcceive3 about double, and if he la working trees himself, which he generally Is, about three times as much. Now, this is good nay, better, certainly, than city work, and if it is harder it is steady, not working one day and loat- it;g tbe next. 10 tigure up the cost of getting everything in readiness before the work is reftUy started la an important but easy matter to-the claim owner. Filing on your claim costs $3. The cabin noth- 1 g but the price of nails and a hammer, as the wood is your own and at the door. Hauling, say $3 per day, four-horse team, bedding, stove, furniture ana supplies, bacon, flour, onions, coffee, tea, cooking utensils, etc., about 10 per cent over city prices. Tools as enumerated above the same. In all, say $150, and you are fixed for the season. E ich one, beside yourseif, will cost say $50 more. If you have a horse and wagon you can save the expense in hauling, out it will con- sume your time, and you will have no use further until the end ot tlie season. Even then, one horse would boot no account for heavy hauling, and would eat In the meantime more than It would cost to liave the work done by others. You should, however, by all means keep jour own poultry and pigs, as they cost literally nothing, and ia tne matter ot pork a; d eggs, if you do not. you win have to pay store prices, and they are always tancy ones. Tne above brier outline Is to the point, and for the guidance of Intending woodmen will be of practical benefit. The writer has endeavored to place the facta before tho public so that iheun- euiployed may know wnere to turn to for remu- nerative work, and tnose with small capital may know how to increase it without; danger. The work is there. L^t those wllllug at once take ad- vantage ot it and build up homes. The redwoods are open for thousands, and unlike the forests ot Canada or Biiiisu Columbia, offer the gi'eatess advantages to all In a luagnlticent climate, with a ready and near market. There is no Intense heat or bitter (.old. 'ihe din ate is equable and work goes on all the year round. Schools are always near enough, but grog shops generally find better busliiess in other localities and are scarce. Sick- ness is something unknown. As the workers are far from city attractions, but near enough for all necessary purposes, money earned Is money saved. To those, there- tore. Who are ambitious to make for themselves a home and to rear their children "far from th© madding crowd," we would say, turn to the red- wood forests of California. It it would be thought desirable to correspond with owners, doubtless the Gualala Mill Company at Gualala, the Mill company at Eureka, Gus. Schnoorof Fisherman's Bay, who employs many men, Edward Stuart, Mr. Wlnslow. Mr. Cole, and other geuilemeu ot Fish- erman's Bay, would sunply all information re- quired to those seeking work or seeking claims, 'this article has been confined to posis and lies solely for the reason that posts and ties are about the only things made now, or llkeiy to be for some time to come, out ot the redwood in the woods. STOCK RAISING. 183' STOCK RAISING. Bt BOBEET LYON. Twenty-flve years ago, the only cash product of Southern (Jallfornla was cattle. At that time all the Ki'sat tract ot country lying between San Luis Obispo ana San Diego, comprising a distance ot over 300 miles along tbe coast, was one vast cattle range. Tuen, laud was laid off and owned by leagues Instead ot acres, and agriculture was so little known that a ten-acre field ot grain would have been a novelty. A cattleman or ranchero generally owned from nine to thirty-three square miles or land In the valleys and along the water courses, which co;uprlsed his cattle range or rancho, and a California cattle raiser at that time generally owned from 3,000 to 60,000 cattle, ana rrom fifty to 500 horses. Of course those estimates Include all classes of stock, both old and young. But since the great grants nave been segregated and sold la small tracts to farmers for grain and fruit laid, and the passage of the no-fence law, which prevents cattle from roaming where they please, and makes the owner of stock liable for damages when uls stock trespisses orj the land of ai.oiher, stock raising in Southern California IS so limited that there Is scarcely enough raised In tills oi.co great cattle country to supply the local markets with beef. '1 wenty-Qve years ago the counties of Los An- geles ana Santa Barbara furnished more than one-halt ot all the cattle used at that time for food in the entire State of California. But at tbe present time beef cattle will bring a better price in Los Anyeles, Santa Barbara or Ventura than tuey will lij San Francisco, and it Is hard to find cattle, even at a hlt;h price, to supply the contin- ually iiicreasiny: local Qemand. At the present time stocK raising receives less attention, and Is more neglected in Southern California, tuan any branch of Industry which tisually follows farming. A tew years ago, when the rush of emigration to Southern calliornla was so great tnat land sold readily at almost fabulous prices, and the mania for orange groves was at its height, ttie land was too valuable to raise cow feed on, and cattle men disposed ot their stock, and then began selling off their large ranches in parcels to the new couiers, wuo engased exclusively in setting out large orcli- ards and grain raising; so in a few years tne great cattle ranges of Southern California were con- verted into great grain fields, and every little val- ley, even far back In ibe hills, that was favored with a ruuninii brook, or a living spring of water, was ociupiea with a cottage ai d orchard, but the improvements were seldom euclosed with a fence. The hills bordering these mountdii valleys are. In some instances, tbe very best kliid of pasture land, i.nd would maintain and fatten hundreds ot cattle if they could be sately guarded so as to prevent them from trespasslntf on the land of adjoining farmers. Many ot these hill -enclosed vaieys proved too cold, or too dry, tor the successful prooauatlon of tue orange and otber tender trooieal fruits. Those places could be purchased at a" low figure, and held in connection with the hill land (which ca . be purchased at from one to three dollars per acre), would make au excellent and profitable stock pasture. Throughout Southern California tbe new grass starts with the first Winter rain, whlcu generally comes in November and contin- ues green anil growing until the rainy season la over, wnich is about tue 1st of May. San Buena- ventura 13 near the centre of Southern Califor- nia, a d the rain record kept by I. T. saxby, ot that place. Shows the following to have been the rainfall during the months ot November and April fortne last four years. Rainfall in Novem- ber, 187T, 3.65-100 inches; November, 1S78, none; November, 1879, 1.95-100 inches; Novem- ber, 1880, 77-100 Of an Inch; April, 1878, 1873, 2.20-100 inches; April, 1879, 2.15-100 inches; April, 1880, 3.61-100 inches; April, 1881, 45-100 of an Inch; and tne total rainfall In each year for the last four years was as follows: June, 187T, to June, 1878, at Ventura, 20.22-100 Inches ; June, 1878, to June, 1879, 12.79-100 Incues; June, 1879, to June, 1880, 22.63.100 li ches, and from Juie, 1880, to June, 1881, the total rainfall was 13.71-100 inches. The more rain the better the feed and tbe fatter the Ciittle. The pasture in south- ern California Is generally at its best In March and April, and young steers that were poor In December, it permitted to run la the hills, will generally bo good beef in March. Where the grass is not fed off in the sprln^i it Is dried and cured on the ground where it grew, and remains good feed until the first rain comes la the Fall, wnich destroys it. Burr clover, which forms ono of the principal forage grasses of the wild pasture In Southern California, is eaten inorereaaiiybyall lilnda ot stock after it Is thus dried, iiian wucu It 13 young, green and growing. AliiUerllU is the earliest and best cattle pasture In California. It is better for fattening iban the best tame clover or timothy pasture, and as long as It remains green (wnich Is generally from the latter part ot January to June) it is the beat feed for dairy stock In the world. It produces an extra flow of rich milk, and tue butter made from cows grazed on pisturesof greeualtlllerllla,l3 0f the bestquallty. Most of the low hills along tbe coast of SoutUern California (excepting those which are too rocliy to produce anything, or so densely covered with brush that nothing else can grow), are covered each Sprin,-^ with a heavy crop of tbts rich and nutritious stock food, and the more It Is pastured the betterls tbe yield tbe next season; and after land hus been ltd clos"} for a lew years, the ulflrieriliawili run everything else out. Wild oats are indigenous to the soil and cli- mate ol Southern California; on same otthe hills, where tbero is no stock to feed it down, tue wild oats grow as tall and thrllty as tbeoais tbatare cultivated in the valleys. All that re;^loii lu Ven- tura County known as Sulphur Mountain, is mostly covered with wildcats. One year ago that whole country was swept by tire, but nevertheless theoat crop was last Summer as go ui as usual. Alfalfa does exceedingly well in Southern ciallfor- nla, and will grow ail tbe year round, where the land la not too dry, or where water cau ba had to Irrigate with. But alfalfa will not make as good a growtu during the Winter and early Spring, when tbe grnuad is cold, as it will lu the Summer and Pall, when the ground is warm. For in- stance, a field of good alfalfa win yield a good crop of hay every fifty days from the isL of April 184 STOCK EAISING. until the 1st of December. And the same field would not yield more than one good cutting from the 1st 01 April to the 1st of December. Al- falfa keens green, but grows very little durlug the rainy season : tout aluilerlll-A grows rapidly all the time after the ilrst good rain, and more than BunpUea tbe place of alfalfa for Winter pasture. Therefore a stock range composed of these two superior grasses— alfalfa acd alfllleriUa— would supply excellent green feed ail the year round, and make the best p tsture In the world. I know a few men In Ventura County who each has a small patch of alfalfa growing on bis farm, and of 1 ite yeara some ot tbem have kept a few cows, and raised the calves Instead of killing them, as they did when they only kept one or two cows to supply tbe family with milk and butter. f>ome of these fanners have ihelr grain fields fenced, and let; their stock range in the hills during the Winter and spring, and then turn them on the alf ilfa nasture la the Summer, after feed in the hills Is dried up or fed off. These farmers never reed their loose stocii anything, and only feed their work-horses when they are using them at liTd and regular work; at all otner times they run oa the range, aod do bstter than they would if kept In the stable and fed hay and grain twice every day. And those cattle which run on the range all the time, are never poor, tout dry cows and steers are fat enough for toeet at all tinges ot the year. I have noticed that the tew farmers who keep and raise stock, are, as a general thing, more prosperous than the many who depend entirely on agricul- tural products lor their revenue. And this is often the case when ,tue man who raises stock lias a very cheap farm, with not much good grain iand on It, and the man who raises only grain has a very valuable farm, all of it good land, tbat would sell for ten times as much as the stock tarm, although It does not yield halt so much revenue to the owner. On the outskirts ot the great grain fields of southern California, and toor- derlng the footblUs, which always surround every valley, are hundreds of small farms that were ifjought and improved years ago, but which, on 'an average, have not paid expenses, chiefly on ;account ot being cultivated by men who knew aiothlDg about horticulture, and who persistently tried to make their land produce proaucts to i\vhlch it was not at all adapted. Some of ttiem 'eet out acres of orange, lime and leinon trees In *he early winter, or at the same ti.ue tiiey set tout their anple trees, and they woniercd Vfhy the oran'^e, lime and lemon trees all died, when the apple and peach trees, which •were set at the same time, all lived and trew '80 nicely. But they were not looking tor an apple and peach orchard. They had come •to Southern California to pet rich crowi g oranges, and as that hind would not grow orange trees, they lili not want it. But after the orange Jever died out, it was hard to tell a small farm at; fcany price, so many of them still hold their little Slarms, and make a toare living by cultivating the arable land, which may range anywhere between •five and fifty acres, to barley, wheat or corn, and each year trying to sell their land for half what they paid for It, without any improvements, but .Without finding a purchaser even at that. Now, flf these men would seed their little patch of ifiratole land xp alfalfa, get a few, good American . cows and pasture their land instead of ploughing and planting it, they could derive a good revenue from their uuprofltable place without, much labor or expense. Any one that has a range for fifty cows, and their Increase for two years, has a pretty sure thing on $1,500 per annum from sale of stock alone. For after the second year he ought to be able to sell forty head of two year-old cat- tle every Fall or Spring, and a good American two-year-old, either steer or heifer, will always bring siu for oeef. If f attenedjon a good alQUerllia or aUaifa pasture. To be sure, if a mm wished to milk his cows, and carry on dairying, in connection with stock raising, he would derive a much greater revenue. But the dairy business is very confining, and it is hard work, besides a man must have some ex- perience in the business m order to carry it on successfully. There are hundreds of un- prontaiile grain farms in every pirt of Southern California which could be turned into very profit- able stock ranches, and there is a better opportu- nity to engage in stock raising now with a small capital thm ever before. In the first place grazing laud is cheap, and can be bought in large or small tracts to suit the purchaser. In the second place there Is always a ready hone market for fat stock, aud there is always likely to be. In the third place the natural pasture is best, and cattle are fattest early la the Spring, which Is the time of year when beet is scarcest and dearest. Aud fourth, stock require less care in Southern Cali- fornia than any place m the world. The great herds ot long-horned, sllm-leged, wild-eyed Cali- fornia mustang cattle, which formerly filled every nook and corner ot Southern Cahfornla have al- most entirely disanpeared. Still there are a few ranches far back in the hills of Ventura County Where they keep a few thousand of the native, or Spanish cuttle, as they are generally called. But even there ihe young stock is mostly hair or three fourths American, and the old cows alone retain their native purity of descent and their natural ferocity of disposition. Sometimes bee-keppiug Is carried on in connection with stock-raising, nnd where a suitable location is obtained (and there are ulenty ot little valleys which would imswpr well tor both,) it proves a pleasant and profitable occupation. Or a few acres of land in orchard, securely lenced, would give a man a pleas int oc- cunatiOQ tor leisure time. And youngtrees are like young stock, they are growing in value all the time, even at nUht when the owner is asleep. And it One car. obtain twenty acres of valley iina for aliaUa, with agood hill range to back it, he can mai tain even in a dry season 150 heaa of cattle, old and young. For it feed is likely t j be short, he can cut two crops cf hay from his aifalfs, before he pastures it, and keep that hay to feed 1 ite in t he Fall. The main thing tor a good stock range is plenty of good, pure water, and in Soiuheru California the hills are the best pi ices to find it. And cattle raised in t he hills are more healthy aud hardy, are better travellers, and have better feet than cattle which are I'alsed in the valleys. At the present time beef cattle is scarce at seven cents per pound, and American cows sell for from UO to $60 per head, 1 ncludlng the calf, i here is no fixed price for stock caitle, and there are very few for sale in Southern Califor- nia. L. BEE-KEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 186 BEE-KEEPING IN CALIFORNIA. California holdg a peculiar position on tills continent. Differing in climate from everyotlier State la tne Union, lier productions will always be special. Certainly one role sUe will always play will be tuat ot a large Honey producer. Go wliere you will in California, lliere is just suffl- cient Winter to make the beeslnstlDCtively gather all the stores possible, and yet it Is so short that the little fellows can worli nearly all tlie year round at oie thing or another— lor they do not always work at the sanoe kind of worlc. Early In the year they have proseuy to raise, to supply an army of workers for tue press ot t!ie season ot abu! dant flowers; so they have ihen to gather special food for the youug brood differing lu pare from coiiimon stores. EELATIVE VALUE OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOB nONEY-GROWING. Some parts of California differ much from others, owlug to the prev.ilenceot flowers la vari- ous seasons which does notexlsr, in otuer parts; and so it has cocue about tuac Southern Cal- ifornia, near or toward the coast, has becomo the great honey-produclug region, 'this selection is ijot In the least one of tbose seeuilng chances which causes manufactures to grow up in one lo- cality, Whilst another appareutly more favorable la neglected. One only needs to intelligently ob- serve both Northern and Southern California to ascertain the reason why the south is to pro- llflc in honey. Before having an oppor- tunity ot 60 doing, tlie writer was at a loss to understand it, and could find no ono to explila It, having judged that the climate ot Soutnern calUornla, being so mucii drier than thacot Northern California, the coun- try must be more destitute of flowers, 'i'he south is certainly imuiensely drier than the North, after the hrst, burst ot Spring his passed In each; yet, foroae flower in the North there are a hundred thousand la the South, during tiie rainless Summer and Autumn. California Is lu general much less flowery tuan many countiies. Nowhere so continuously flowery astue Western pr.iines, and nowhere presents such a splendid fziow of bloom as, say, the gorse over Ireland, or theheatterover tneiiiouniai sot Scotland, or the Azaleas and Rhododendrons and Kalmlas ov'er parts of the Allcheny Mouotali s. The largo valleys are usually very flowery in Spring with herbaceous annuals, which are not great honey producer.-). Tne same may he said of many piris ot the hilly districts of the north. But, wnen May has passed, the bulk of the flowers of tiie year has gone ail over Central aud Northern Cali- fornia under 2,000 feet elevaiion. Not sso in Sonthera California. If there IhJ lack ot Sprin,' rains causes a deficiency ot Soring-lloweriU'f an:)uals, tne honey produce may not be much or atali affeciCLl, because the hulk or (ho honey comes Iron perennial plants which, from their age, have deep loots, and will cover with bloom In the dryest soli with a very moderate rainfall, presenilng a continuous succession ot bloo n from February to December, moro or less abundant, and spread over every kind of ground according as the rains or Spring have been ravorable. THE SUCCESSION OF FLOWERS IN CALIFORNIA. There are some flowers to be found in Northern Callrorula during every monthof the year; but tliey are few aud far between— condUloas very ' unfavorable for honey; for bees love to work at one time from only one class of flower, and will toll long seeking out one class, whli.stother flow- ers close by win be neslecteii, tliouyheqtually honey-bearlDg. The first flowers ot the season are those ot inanzaulci, beginning In the coasc counties as early as November, and bioomlngsuc- cesslvely to April. On warm Wmter days, these bushes iiro humming with bees. lu February comes the bloom ot willows and ot chaparral. Now lOuie the Soring herbnceuous animals, and orchard blossoms; but ot these little good noney is got. Rhus aromatlca and rhus toxicodendron, or poison oak, yield much honey through all the Spring. Buckeye follows, giving a narcotic ho.ey; and then the cinoihus, everywhere throush the lower mountains, chiefly white la the north and blue la the south. In the moua- tatnsot the south It Is amazing to see the con- tinuous areas ot bloom from blue ceanothus, at altitudes from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. With these in the north the honey producers may be said to be almost over, with the ex- ceotlon of the small areas ot purple clover to be found In springy ground, and the tew plata of alfalfa. There Is im entire absence ot the flowers so deservedly valued in other climates, such as white clover, cultivated clovei', tilla or linden, vulgarly known as bass-wood, lirioden- dion or tulip tree, called also locally poplar. The general absence ot maize and of buckwheat Is also a great drawback lu Califor- nia, making ati al jiOsc entire absence of honey- bearing plants in the north after the early part of June. But about tnis tinie commei ces the great V rietyof ho- ey-bearlng flowers of South- ern California, embracing the whole ot the coast counties from the liueof Mexico to Santa Barbara county, and from the oceaa to the high mountain chains. In ihls rej^ion, from early spring, there Is a succession of flowers borne ou perennial herbaceous and lisneons plants, until Winter again; so that the little valleys and shelving foothills are a successive flower-garden; the most ho ey-bear^ngplauis flowering lu Juno and July. Later than tn it. Hi tie flue-flavored honey is ob- tained, but In ordl ary seasons abundance of winter stores is laidli quite late. In those years which have dry Springs, the deflciency arises aa n.uch from thehoneybelngdeslccatedin the flow- ers as irom a scarcity ot bloom. TOE WEIGHT OF HO.NEY PRODUCED BY EACH COLONY Varies considerably in different years. In some seasons 400 puunds from each colony may be ex- tracted. In other year.g the bees are liable to die of hunirer as early as mldsuiijmer, if not artifl- claily red. The average will not be over half of that of aa abudiut year.- The deflciencles ot Nature niay be compensated by cultivating honev-be irlas: plants. Of these, buckwheat Is considered the most favorable for C lUfornla, as on moist ground it flowers continually until cut off by frost. It also mikes a desirable honey, much superior to ihac produced from it in moist climates. But, as every bee around feeds off it, t le advanti^e (gained hardly compens ites the la- bor and expense. There is every reason why, lu a good year, the produce ot honey in Southern C ilifornia from each colony should be at least double that ot the lar-rest production In other States, from the long continuance ot bloom and the absence of r iln, which both washes out the boney on the flower and also prevents the bees 186 bee-ki:eping in California. from g'atherlng. A further reason Is that In Southern California at least three-fourths of the whole or the land Is uncultivated, and will long remain so. BEE-KEEPING EXCELLENT OCCUPATION FOB INVALIDS. It Is pleasant and unlahorlous.— la a most healthy sort of country, which Is specially health-giving to men who are consumptive, or asthmaiical, or bilious. Such men will otten oe- couie quite strong from the pure air. free from everytbhig mal irial. One man will comfortably attend to 200 colonies with a little assistance dur- ing the heaviest part of tue honey season. From these he should get an average crop ol from 10 to 15 tons of honey in the teason. This year honey is high, being only a one-fourth crop year. The price, lu consequeDce, has been as high as $180 a ton on the farm. Usually $100 may be relied upon, or $120 on an average. Income from tuis source would, therefore, be at least $100 per month, when the grower had worked up to having his 200 colonies producing. Tue capital required for the undertaking would be nearly as follows : Supposing him to begin by purchasli g 50 colonies aiidworlilng them up the same s ason Into 200 good colonies, ready to begin the next season with. This plan gives him time to get everything Into perfect order, able to do all to the best advantage. CAPITAL FOR STARTING A BEE-FARM. Fifty hives cotumon bees,@BayS6 $ 300 Nucleus hive, wiih pure Italian queen, 3,(jOU Ital- ian bees and couiba of brood 10 Luoiber for makiuer 150 hives, and SUO upper Btoric8and4,U(i01'raaie8 180 Toolsfor •woriiinff to best advantag:e 120 Extractor, foundation, and all utensils 90 Honey house ICO House for own dwelliug and necessaries 2uu Provisions and necessary things not ^rown in garden, for 15 mombs 150 Cans for packinf? the first third of extracted honey, say 5 tons, at it cent per pound 25 Bee feedinpr for first Winter H5 Horse, light wanoa and harness 125 Sundry small things (35 Total $1,40U Now, no two persons will be found to agree with this estimate. It is too hlgu, lo is too low, as every one thinks he cm ao with each Item. Pass It so, and say that a man with $1,500 miy safely calculate to begin life In bee-keeping, and wltliout other resource of Income may, It he gives proper aitenilon and thought, and lias an average year to begin on, obtilu at least $i,2oe net piohi the year alter beginning, as wellaslncreaslmj his Btock of colonies 00 per cent., whereby to increaao his income the followlnff year. He will begin operations by BREEDING ITALIAN QUEENS AND BEE3 From a pure Imported Italian fertile aueen.and buUdlDgup his stock of 60 black colonies Into 150 young colonlesof Italians, and, lastly, substitut- ing Italian queens for his 50 original black queens. He Is then ready to commence the next season with pure Italians. Tbeae are better workers, more gentle, and will give a perceptibly larger produce in the same time. An intelligent man quickly learns the business, partly by observa- tlon of neighbors, partly by tue many excellent manuals of Cook, Langsworth, and others. He can have no better guide to form his judg» ment than the admirable manual called •' A, B O of Bee Culture," of Root, of Medina, Ohio, and the "American Bee journal" and the "National Bee Journal," both published In Chicago. He mil there also find where he can obtain every facility he may require. WOMAN'S LABOR IN BEEKEEPING. Some lielp Is necessary during the busiest of the -season. There is also mucn light labor m mak- ing frames and a host of things. No hand can do this so deftly as a woman's light hand. Many prefer to sen their honey In jars and cans, for all of Which labor a woman can do better than a man. Should a man be alone he must pay for labor, which must be added to his costs; and IC costs as much for living— more probably, muctj more— alone as with the addition of a wife. An Invalided man, with a wife to care for besides, need have no fear of the initial hardships of the undertaking. Tue climate of Southern California Is so suDurlor to that of any other point, that the nrst hardships ihey would sustain until, by their own labor they had made all comfortable, are very little more than Summer camnuig on the beach. But tbespots fortnis vocation are very retired, and often much removed from any desirable so- ciety. In addition, !iny one going Into this life, must be prepared to be in constant attendance ac least two-thirds of the year, for at times twenty- four hours' iiCtflect may cause much loss. The greatest part of the bee-keepers are found In San Diego, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and scattered nortuwurd, neur the coast, through Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, all of which may be said to have practically no Wln-- ter. In consequence, bees never are injured there by cold, and are In vigor to recommence work with the tlrst flowers. Considering the capital employed, a business can be built up In bee-keep- ing, second to none in Us income and assured re- turn. " SOEDTATOB. TULAKE VALLEY. 187 TULARE VALLEY. By STEPHEN BAETON. The tapping of a powerful stream or artesian water near the town of Tulare, recently, Drlugs the public lands of the south portion of the county of Tulare Into prominent notice. In the region referred to there are some fifteen towDsnlpa, all In one tody. In whicti the even sections (and tue odd, too, for that matter,) are practically all vacant. These lands are as level as a house-floor, and whoever Inspects them will have no Hesita- tion la declaring that for fertility they will ranlc ■with the very best lands of the star.e. They lie on boiusldesof the southern Paclflc Railroad, and extend from Tulare back to the foothills. The only thing which has tended to keep them from coming Into notice and favor was a lack of water. I do not acquiesce In the notion that they are Vfllueless for farming without irrlgatlon.but with Biraple irrigating facilities,! believe that i.o well-in- formed person would question but that they could beuiadoto produce more centals of wheat than Is now produced by auy county in the Slate. The soil lor the most part is a cUiyloam of a 11^'ht color, and generally somewhat compact. In good years most of it Is covered wltu a heavy coat of alfliieriua ana clover, and Isgenerally used as a vast sheep walk. There Is timber for firewood In the ad jaceiit foothills, and pine and redwood in the mountains toeyond afford amole facilities for lumbering. For the most part, the mountains and foothills are also vacant, and are mostly un- surveyed. Some gold mining has been done at White Kiver and Long To \i, and a small farming community occupy Lyons' Valley, In the higher foothills. As a means of determining whether the source Of supply or artesian water is liable to become ex- hiiusied, It would be uecessary to consider the character and area of the adjacent highlands, and the volume of streams which disappear therein. The streams which rise and flow exclusively In Tulare County from the east bring lo the valley an average of about len thousand cus^lc feet per secoud me year round. This Is what has been re- garded as the only source of two-thirds the Irri- gating supply of the county; and Kings River, running for the most part in Fresno county, was looked to for the remainder. By entering the mountains, however, and estimating their flow, we shall And thac about one-iialf of tuo volume or these streams Is from the south betore reaching the valley. It is not uncommon to finil a bold mill stream entirely disippearmg, and li the dry- est portion of the year no waier enters Tulare Lake tor a period of several months, though Kern and Tulare Counties and ujost of Fresno drain into it. During the period of which 1 am now speaking, the whole amount of water brought to the valley bv the various streams of the different counties, wlil ap- proximate Ave thousand cubic feet pgr seconi. it must not be supposed that even flve thousand cubic feet per second covers all the water lost in the beds of the streams of Tulare County. Kern River traverses it for a distance of seventy miles before entering Kern County, and in all this dis- tance Its bed is nowhere les3 thin two thousand feeo above the level of the Tulare Valley. There is a thousand square miles of imouutain regiou In which much of the water dlsappers In the beds of the streams. But we must not stop here, for this mountain reeion is but afrlngeon iheedi,'eof a grea*; elevated plateau, which extends well across the continent. In deienninlng whether we have any reason for expecting 10 encounter the drainage of a conti- nent In boring artesian wells, the elevation oC Tulare Valley becomes a factor In the esti nate. So far as I am able lo ascertain, the elevation of Tulare Lake Is believed to be about thirty-two leer, at the present time, above Watson's terry, on the San Joaquin, or 1T9 feetabove the sea; and Visallals about} 115 feet higher. Most of the va- cant lands referred to In the betrinnlng of this article are between these altitudes. There is, thea-erore, good reason for believing that aneslaa wells in this county may be made to jield an ag- gregate supply of 5,000 cubic teet per second, or possibly double that amount, without exhausting the supply. 'I'here are still Government lands to be met with In nearly every portion or the valley, besides those I have already mentioned, which are sub- ject to homestead and preenpilon, and some can b3 found .vec upon wuicu the stately form of the vaili-yoak Isseeu. Along the foothill there la a quantity of land known as "hog wallow," which is characterized by thepresenceot small mounds, about two or three feet high, and ten to thirty broad. They are of pretty uniiorin height, nearly circular, but rather longest In the direction of northwest and southeast. They are clearly not ariiflcial, and their presence has puzzled nearly every one who has beheld them, some have thought them to bo the results of the last effons of the waves of a retiring ocean; some have at- iributedthem to the action ot the wind; otiiers have argued that they showed that a forest of giant trees had been uprooted and destroyed; Willie the great Humboldt seems to have regarded It as the result ot a sort of local and superflclal volcanic action. With- out venturing an opinion myself, I will only remark that they are " somewhat pecul- iar." This class ot lands have gener- ally been rejected, because It would be somewhat unpleasant farming tnern with pai en t machinery. The sou Isgenerally atony, however, and they may be rated among the best fruit lands of th© county. People livinu at a distance, and desiring homes In the Tulare Valley, would be naturally- desirous ot knowing what the luuber resources of the region are. In reference to this matter, ic may be mentioned la the start that proOaoly more than one-half of all the "big trees." or sequoea gigantea, lu the world are In 'lulara county. Most of this timber is used in the manu- facture of lumber, and Is found to bo very dura- 188 TULARE VALLEY. Die. Much lumber has been annually produced In tne adjacent mountains for tlie last twenty- seven years. What is known as tueGlaot Forest, however, remains untoucned and almost unex- plored. This body ot timber stands on what Is known as the Marble Fork of the Kuweah River. There are a series ot ridges, entirely within the pine belt, and conscltuting a dis- trict about ten miles square, are covered with a dense forest of sequoy, supcar Dine, cedar, flr, spruce and yellow pine. Aside irom the lumber- ing resources of this region tue altitude is not so high but tiiat a climate is met with more temper- ate than that ot any of the Northern States east ot the Kocky Mountali.s, and fruit, corn, altalta and vegetables may be grown successfully. To reach this forest from the present iravellea road a iicw ro id would h ive to be opened along toe side ot a ildge, sparsely covered with post oak for a distance ot ten miles. It is about twenty miles from the valiev and forty from Vlsalla. Though the Giant Forest is the -most compact body of timber In Tulare County, It la after all no very great proportion of It. In travelling through tue foothills from uorth to south at the lower edge ot the bine belt, we eucountereleveu streams, which cari-y a flush mlllhead the wuole year, and six or these streams have no settlement on them, nor Is tne land surveyed. They all point the way by which a road mlghtreach a forest ot pine, but by only live ot them is the pine belt accessible by road or bridle travel. On Kern Elver a thousand square miles have generally been looked upou as a barren desola- tion, but the altitude ot many ot the little vallevs is enough of itself to show that stock could sur- vive there all Winter without feed ; and when we look atSwiizerland, weare atonceconvlocedihat the mountain region ot this stream is destined one day to sustain a hardy and thrifty population. But a road must be constructed over Greenfiorn Mountain before this can occur. Heretol'oreoneot the great drawbacks to pros- perity in the Tulare Valley has been the inert la (i. e., laziness) begotten ot a pastoral life. The no-Ience law brought with It an Influx ot ener- getic population, and has diffused new lite into what was once a sluggish community. Up to 1S73 we did not produce our own wheat or flour; and It was no uncommon thing, up to that time, for a hog drover on bis way to Stockton to meet an ox-team freighting Chicago bacon lor the Vi- ealia market. One great need of the valley is a foundry. With all the saw- mills, grist-mills, quartz-mills and farm- ing Implements constantly needing new castings, it Is quite a drawback to have to send by express to the city. Thisyear Tulare County Is expected to take her position as the banner wheat-producing county ot the State; and it 13 confidently believed that the time is not far dis- tant When she will outrival her sister counties la the production ot silver and lead. A point near the centre of the broadest valley ot the state, like Vlsalla, with such advantages and such a pros- pect, is certainly a favorable place to locate a foundry and machine-shop. An article on the lands ot the Tulare Valley could not be brought properly to a close without reference to the present conaition of Tulare Lake. liilSGSthls body of water outleted into the San Joaquin, as the result ot the great freshet of that year, since that time it has been gradually sub- siding, partly owlne to natural cause, and partly owinj: to the use ot large quantities of the water ot the streams tor irrigation. The result is that the lake Is now some twenty feet below high- water mark, and between these two margins some three hundred thousand acres of most beautiful land is exposed. An attempt has been made to survey some ot these lauds as swarr.p lauds, but the flela notes of the survey showed that in some cases the chain- bearers travelled for miles In heavy wheat stub- ble. Moreover, the law Is clear about the char- acter of lands laid dry by the retiring ot a lake. These and other cii'cumstances resulted in a re- examination ot the survey, and there are hun- dreds taking up claims with the confldent ex- pectation that the even sections will be thrown open to hon/estead and preemption. If anyse- cnrity can be given against future inundations these lauds will rank amongst the best in the state. In order to make Tulare Lake outlet into the San Joaquin at the present, level, it would be necessary to cut a canal fltteen miles long and fourteen feet deep, and to make such a canal a quarai tine against the overflow of the border counties It would need to be two or three hundred feet Wide. It is, probably, too early yet to urge the const ruction of such a work, but it Is bound to co'ne, but, perhaps, not till a catastrophe has overtaken thenewsettlementnow being founded, but when It Is done, a country will be reclaimed capable ot growing the bread lor a million of people. THE SHEEP INDUSTRY. I8d THE SHEEP INDUSTRY By EOBEET DUNCAN MILNE. It Is proposea In tbe following article to give a detailed but concise resume of tbe various salient features of the sheep-raislug Industry In this State, and to furnish such practical intormatlon as may be of value to emigrants from other States, or residents of our own, who propose em- barking In this business. Sheep raising in this State 13 not what it was, this must be acknowl- edged. The fortunes which were made from fif- teen to ten years ago are made no longer. Tue reasons for tbls He In the contraction of pasture lands, through tbelr becoming available and val- uable for agilculture; In the deteriorated Viilue of the sheep ItseU ; In the fall In the price of wool. While ranges have become more con- tracted, flocks have teen constantly Increasing, and their increase has necessitated the driving of the surplus to other quarters, notably Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. For the past ten years the stream of sheep Immigration from Cali- fornia has been steady and on the increase. In order to present the reader with an epitome of the whole subject, the following topics will be discussed In their order: l— Sheep and wool; their grades, values, etc. 2— Pasture lands; their location, advantages and values. 3— Eco- nonilcal questions ; wages ot help, cost of living, freightage. 4— Business aspects of the industry. 5— SumojlDg up of the subject. SHEEP AND WOOL. There are only two classes of sheep which It will pay to raise la this or a-jy other fstate— tne wool- sheep und the mutton-sheep. 'Ihisdisilnctlon Is designedly made broad, ln;ismuch as either cliar- acterlstlc, carried to extienn'8, militates ngalnst the other. A breed ot sheep may, ot course, be raised by judicious crossing,', wiilch partakes of tooth characteristics, In a iiieasure— take, for in- stance, a cros3 between the Southdown aid Mer- ino, or the Leicester and Merino— but In such a breed tbe stapie of the wool win i ot be so ions or 80 fine, nor the clip so heavy, as In tbe cure or fltteen-slxteenih Merino, nor will tue niiittou bo 60 marketable, or the welgnt ot the animal so great, as la the case ot tiie Southdown proper, the best mutton-sheep tbat exists. The original California sheep Is a lank, long-lei^'ged, wiry ani- mal, without wool o'l its belly, and a niei ely nom- inal portion on Its back ami sides, but admlr.iDly adapted pbysically to withstand tbe exigencies of our seasons. It could subsist on the shortest possible rations, travel miles to water, and rear Itslambs where its finer and more valuable con- gener would sink and starve to death. But these admirable charactei istics were secured at the ex- pense of the clip, the animal i ot shearing more than three or four pouufls of wool. This treed, In its entirety, has almost entirely disappeared, as it would not pay lo raise It, but, through suc- cessive Intermixture with high-bred Merino rams. It at present forms the basis of the most service- able flocks In the State. The pure Merino, whether French or Spanish, whicn will shear eight or ten pounds ot wool twice a year, is too delicate au animal for oar State. It cannot stand either scarcity of feed in Summer^ or ConflhuOTs' wet weather in Winter, to both ot which vicissi- tudes It Is liable to be exposed. Like all floe-bred aninals it has more trouble In parturition, and Its progeny is more delicate and requires more care than a lower grade. Tfte sheep best adapted for this country is a cross of, say three-tourths Merino and one-fourth Southdown or Leicester, or such fair ordinary breed as can be relied on for physical constitution, of which there is no lack anywhere. Selection should be made of such ordinary flocks as have a long, rather than a Que staple, and the best Merino rams, plenty of which can be secured at prices ranging trooa $30 to $75 a head, lutroduceo. 'J'he most approved quality In wool is rather length ot staple than extreme flneness ot flbre. and such anftuals aa Shear from six to seven pounds are fair average and will pay the grower. The broad axiom may be laid down for this State that, on ordinary pas- tures. It will not pay to raise too flne stock. The principal and most successtul sheep-owners rely upon introducing rams to average sheep, keeping, perhaps, one band of six or eight hundred dne ewes upon their best land. This is the course pursued on the various large ranches scattered over the State, which support from flrteen to thirty thousand head apiece. The small owner, if his land is level and produces rich grasses, and is well watered, may find It more profltabie to conflne himseir to nne stock for the sake ot the heavier clips and the prohts accruing from tue sale of rams, but on ordinary ranges he should keep to ordinary sheep. 'I'he price ot sheep has fallen within the last lew years, good three-oarts Merino being now obtainable at rroai $2T5"io$3 per bead, while mutton sheep range some 20 per cent lower. Values fluctuate wnn gooii or bad seasons, and occasionally much better bargains ure obiaiuaijle. The price of wool havlus lallea all the way rrom 75 to 25 per cent within the List decide, has necessarily reduced the value of stock. LOCATION AND VALUE OF PASTURES. Sheep are raised in all counties ot the SBate,noe excepting even iho purely agricultural ones lying along tue San Joaquin and yacramenlo rivers, though their withdrawal trom the latter is mere- ly a question of time and land values. It will at once be apparent that the northern counties, from Mendocino to llumboldt, where rains are steadier and feed fresher and n:ore abundant, must command higher prices for pasturage than the couniies south of the Bay, where long, hot, dusty summers prevail, and rains are unceriain. '1 he northern counties are wen watered, aoouud- intii)! sere uus and natural sDrings. Thesouthern, ou the other hind, are badly wateied, and It, therelore, becomes necessary to eat up salt oas- tures as lie too far from water in the spring and early Summer while the feed la green, then drive the sheep iato the canons ot the Sierra Nevada, keeping tnem there till snow cornea on, when tney are driven oack to the plains. Such pastures as have springs upon them, or where water can be raised by pumping with wind or other power, are scrunulously reserved to the last as a precaution in case of prolonged drouth. In good seasons the pastures of the plains abound with such rich grasses as the alfilaria (or " filaree," aa it la com 190, THE SHEEP INDUSTRY. mouly called), and bur-clover. Tbese, wheu dry, are aamlrably adapted tor fattening sheep, tlie animuls licking ilie seeds and natural liiiy o£f the 8ur£ ce ol the parched earth, but water is a vital necessity, and vast tracts or land are roiDbed of Its utility b.v Its lack. Within the last half dozen years, however, the southern country— notably Los Angeies C'ou ty— has become doite.i with artesian wells, but then, as a set off, -such land Immediately becomes too valu ible for iigriculture or fruic-raising to warrant Us belusr relei^ated to tbe rablog of sheep. As values will always ad- just tueu. selves to advantages, a glance at the ligurf'P, for which ranges are liow held will be In- structive. Good ranges in Mendocino and Hum- boldt Coui'tles. and their neighborhoods, cooi- Djaud irom $4 to $5 p'^r acre, v.-nile lu such coui]- tles as Sau Luis Ooispo, Fresno, Tulare, Kein, Los Angeles and Sun Bernardino they will not bring more than $2 50 per acre, or a rental of from 10 to 15 cent?. 'lodemoiiStrate that pasture lauds have been. In times iiast, held at luflated prices, we may cite the instance of a large raoL'h near GUroy whose value hjs fallen, within the last ten years, from $7O,O00 to $40,000. There are still some out-of-tne-way canons and nooks alon'=r creeks In the foothills or the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range where small holders may p.istuie bands of, say a thousand head ot slieen, uncier difflculties. SucU holdings are usually oucuniecl by French and Basque shenuerds, many ot whom have enriched tiiemselves "by irugallty ai:d per- severence. '1 he question has been raised why limited bands of tine sheep might not be raised wiililn fenced Qelcis planted wltu alfalfa or uuili- an clover. 'Ihls grabs is so luxuriant that, where the necessary irrigation facilities exist, heavy crops can be raised annually, und the care of sheep, which Is one of the principal items of ex- penditure, thus reduced to a miuiuium. EXPENDITUKES AND PKOFITS. The paramou t question in the prosecutlor of every li dustry is, Will it pay? 'ihlslswhat the Individual making the venture wisbes to know. We shall, therefore, dissect this sut?]ect by items and categorically. Take, for instance, ttie owner of a band of 1,000 head ot sheep, and calculate bis annual estimated profits and cxpeu- dlture. We shall suppose his sheep are ot good grade; that they have cost him $2 75 per bead; that they shear nine pounds of wool per an- num ; and that he rates his laud in a southern county at 15 cents an acre, handy for transport to tnls city by sea. The following will be a sum- mary ot expenditures and profits fairly com- puted: EXPENDrrUBE PER ANKUM. WagreB of sheptierd at $25 per moath. $300 Extra help durin-' lambing 60 Rlamtaaauce il shepherd at $8 per month 96 Keutof 1,5UU acres at 15 cents per acre 225 Shearing- at 6 cents perhead (twice) lio Kxpenses durlua: shearinR. sackinf?, teaming', etc.. 40 rreiprhtof 8,000 tts wool at $2i) per ton 160 Total $991 PKOFITS PEB ANNUM. 8,000 fts wool at 13 cents per a $1,040 750 lambs, estimated at $1 per head 750 Total „,.,.,.. $1,790 It win be seen from the foregoing table that the profits accruing from tbe wool are ratuer mora than the expenses 01 keeping the sheep, and that the grower's actual proilc lies In his increase, 'ihls formula is a pretty constant one in average years, and is generally recognized by sheep men as a fair one. Lambs, after weanlnsr, may be roundly estimated as worth a dollar a head. Had the rent been, say, 25 cents per acre lu a northern county, the wool would have been worth more than 13 cents per pounds— In fact, as high as 18 or 20 cents- by reason of its freedom from clover burrs and dirt, and tbe owner would have been tree from tbe extra expense ot arlvlng to the mountains, or routing fresh rarjge, to wuich the southern sheep-owner Is always liable. During tbe following year the owner would need to reuc fresh range for his yearlinss. He could then ellher continue to increase his flock or sell his wethers for mutton, aud mix his yearling ewes with his old band. But these are matters of experience ana not to be discussed In a statistical article. A conunou way of keeping sheep wituout the necessity of personal care is to entrust them to souje reliable party for a consideration. Tbls party lakes the Bhef'p "on sbares," as it is called, pays ail the expenses ot their maintenance, and receives in return halt the wool and half the Increase. If the party taking the sheep "ou shares" is industrious, ki ows his business, and herds his band upon some Government land where he pays no rent, he can make all his immediate expenses, una soon have a band of his own, while the owner is uieau- wbile receiving a good interest upon his original outlay. ' " ' OENEBAL KEMAKKS. Within the past few years a new industry has become more aeveloped lu this city lu connection with tlie sheep business, viz., that of scouring. Until lately this business was conflned to three houses; now it engages no less than twelve. The practical object of scouring lue cup in San Fran- cisco Is to save the extra ireight on the grease and sand in shipping East. It has now become a matter of moment for growers to consider whetber it pays tetter to scour wool nere or to ship it East with all its impurities. This is purely a matter lying between tbe grower and the rnil- road companies. Sbould the latter Increase their rates ot transportation, or even preserve them at tbe present figure, it would materially alter the status ot the scouring business. This is for growers to consider. Inlana freights are n.eas- ured and scheduled so as to be witbln tbe reachi ot everybody. Of course, points of embarcaiion on tbe sea— the coast counties in fact— have con- siderable pall, in point Of freight, over such as have merely railroad traisit. It may be interesting, In this connection, to give a concise summary or the wool business in the last twenty-six years. The clip for 1854 welgned 175,000 pou ds; for 1860, 8,055,325 pounds; for 1870, 20,072,660 pounds; for 18S0. 46,074,154 pounas; for the pabt year, ISSI. 43,204, 769 poumis; tlie high- est price and weight havi g been reached in 1876, which ciiDped 56,550,970 pounds. '1 hen came the year of drouth, whiohgave a set-back to growers. PLACER COUNTY. By W. B. LARDNER. By referring to tbe map of California, tlie reader will observe t uat Placer Couniy lias a nortlieast and soutliwest direction, beiag from the Nevada Siato line oil the cast to the Sutter County line on the west, about 100 mllea, while thewidthof the county just aoove Auburu, between the Bear and American rivers, 13 very narrow, only about eight inlles. Above Auburn, the couniy widna out into the two divides, lying between the Bear River and the Mldale Fork of ihe A.raerlcan River. These are known as the Dutch Flat, or Railroad Divide, and the Forest Hill Divide. The southwest part of the couniy Is more regu- lar in shape than the part just described, being bou ided on the east by £1 Dorado County, on the south by Sacramento county, on the west by Sut- ter County, and on the north by Nevada County. This section contains the roothiU and agricultural land. In shape it Is nearly a parallelogram, the southwest two-thirds being on the plains prooer, and the northeast one-third being the looihill and fruit district. In describing the county, I shall adhere to the division as just stated. That part to the south and west of an imaginary line drawn from the Bear to the American River, near Auburn, constituting thehorticultural and agricultural section, and the balance of the county, or the two " divides," the mining and lumbering section. The farming section proper consists of the aver- age plain land, much of It being of a granite formation, on which crops of wheat, oats, barley, and nay are raised, varying in quantity and qual- ity with the amount of moisture during the sea- son. The Buccesslul farmer, as a rule, Summer- fallows one-hulf his laud and crops the other half, thereby prolonging the fertility of the soil and makmg crops more certain by getting the seeding donem proper season. Along tno Bear River there are complaints about the slickens or debris question, but the amount of land Injured or endangered Is very small, in proportion to that or other valley coun- ties bordering on the rivers. TheCahfornlaand Oregon Railroad runs north and south through this section from Roseville to Lincoln and Sheridan, and then across tue Bear River, thus furnishing easy transportation for the grain, stock and wool produced in this section. There are but few Urge "grants" la Placer Couaty. what we have being & the southern part, and when they are sold In reasonably large tracts for single farms we will have as thrifty and con- tented a farming population as any in tne State. Beginning at Rocklln and circling around to the north of Lincoln and Sheridan up to the Bear River, and from Rocklla southeast towards Fol- som on the American River, we have the begin- ning of our foot-hill or fruit section. This section Is composed of rolling hills traversed by ravines, and UD to within two miles of Auburn is of a granite forniatlun. This part of our county Is now rapidly filling up with settlers, who are turning their attention to the raising of fruits and berries. Here the proportion of land tor successful oner- ations is much different than in the farming sec- tion proper— there, from 100 to 500 acres is con- sidered the proper quantity; here, those having from live to fifty acres meet wiih the most suc- cess. Most of the Government land is taken in this section, but much valuable land can be had from the Railroad company at $5 per acre. The foothills of this county are bound to be tilled with a thrirtj', enlightened pcpuiation. I will hereaf- ter speak more particularly of the adaptability of the foothills for fruit and berry culture. From a short; distance below Auburu on up the mountains we find the red soil prevailing, on which the finest ot fruit is raised equally with the granite soli, but as we reach a higher alti- tude small iruiis drop out and the app e, pear and Cherry come to a higher slate of perfection. The two "divides" of our county can properly be called the hydraulic mining and timber sec- tions. On the Dutch Flat divide we find the most ex- tensive washings of this description, and the most extensive lumber mills. This is accounted for only by reason of the abundance of water and thefacllltiesior shipping lumber— tor the divide lying between the middle and north forks or the American River has exhausUess gravel banks and extensive forests ot pine, spruce, and cedar fit for lumber, and those sources ot wealth only await the iuiroducllon ot more water and belter transporting facllliies to make themselves felt la the channels of trade. Part of the eastern boundary of the county is the famed Lake Tahoe, on which are several 192 PLA.CER COUNTY. Bteamera and water-craft, wliicti are used for tlie purpose or carrying tbe United States mail, tor pleasure travel, and lor towiug logs across the Lake to tlie Nevada side. ISO, In reality, tli3 couuty extends from aa alti- tude or about 40 leet on tlie plains to tliut of 7,0U0 at tlie Summit, and witu correspoudlug degrees of climate, soil, adapCauility for larmiug, Iruic cul- ture, and tor llio choice of InvaliUs. Reversing liie order now, and coraing down tlie mountain, I will note more particuiary objects of Interest to strangers, and items of material wealth and pride to our citizens : First, In relereiice to our railroads, we have a little less than lOi) miles of road in the county— the California and Oregon running nearly north from Kosevilla through the fanning se^^tlon; tne Central Pacltic running in a northeasterly direc- tion up the Dutch Flat divide, and the Coitax and Nevada jjarrow-gauge, running from Colfax to the Bear lUver, the east boundary line of Nevada County. Many of our people have a chronic habit of abusing the railroad, but there is one pei'lod of the year when they are quiet, and that is when the railroads come up with their checks lor one-third of our taxes. 1 have not the exact flgures before me, but U averagr-a about S23,ouo per year. It is by reason of tne quick delivery of small fruits that the loot-hlil products are so favorably known. In tbe spri;jg ourstra.wberrles and raspberries are put on the cars fresh from the vines, and In a lew hours are laid uowu In San Francisco or at Virginia City, wliere they command the highest market prices. The summer resorts of Placer county are be- coming more popular every year. LAKE TAHOB Is the chief of these, and by many considered the first In the state. This fashionable and healthful resort is too well known to need any comment, and If the narrow-gauge road should be built from Truckeo to the Lake, as now con- templated, the Lake could be visited at all seasons of tue year. SODA SPRINGS Is another pleasant resort for tourists, while nu- merous clear, crystal lakes invite health and pleasure. The custom has grown up recently for pleasure seekers and invalids from around the •• Bay" to stLtrt up the mountains as early as IMarch, stop for two or three months at Aubura, the couuty seat, and as the weather becomes warmer, pro- ceed higher up to Dutch Flat, Aita, Blue Canon and Summit, and toward Fall reverse the order and move toward their homes. For health and convenience to pleasure-seekers, I do not think I'lacer couuty cau bo surpassed. But now tor something more practical. The lumbering Interest is carried on to a great extent la the higher Sierras, la llevised District No. 2, which includes the Dutch Flat " divide" uown as far as Auburn, there are twelve saw mills and three shingle mills. The Towle Bros, carry on the most extensive lumbering Interests in the county. They have several mills, the largest liavlner a capacity of 50,ooo feet In twenty-iour hoursr Their works are very extensive, the lum- ber yards, store-nouses and box factory being lo- cated a short distance above Aita. From there narrow-gauge cars and a nve-ton engine carry you some ten miles to the mills. Just before reaching the mills, a stationary engine, on a high ridge, elevates you up 1,300 feet, and lets you down on the other side 2,400 feet, fi'oni whence another four-ton engine and narrow-gauge cars take you tui-ee miles farther down toward Bear Kivei% over astonishing grades and curves. We are informed these gentlemen intend to bridge Bear River, and put a third engine and curs on the Nevada side for tne purpose of hauling the immense logs to their mills. Tlio work of chop- ping, hauling the logs to tne track, loading, and sawing Into lumber, seems a hurculean task to the stranger. This Is the largest lumbering com- pany 111 the district, and taken lu connectiou with the other enterprising lumbermen of the county, the aggregate amount shipped to Nevada and the counties of this State Is immense. All told, there are three box factories In the county. In District No. 3, which Includes the Forest Hill Divide, there are six saw mills, the largest having a capacity of 10,000 feet and the smallest 5,000 leet. The two "divides "are distinctively hydraulic sections, and the works are In many Instances very extensive, notably so around Dutch Flat, Golcl Run, Iowa Hill, Forest Hill, Bath and Michigan Bluff. In Gold Run a pressure of 400 feet Is used in some of the claims. The number of miles of ditches used Is many tuousand. Drift mining 13 also extensively carried on, two of the most notable being on the Forest Hill divide, one at Damascus, and the other at Sunny South— the tunnel at the ilrst iiientloued place being in the hill over a mile. Most of the quartz mining is carried on In the loot hill section, near the towns of Auburn, Ophir, New Castle and Penryn. Numerous ledges are being prospected, and. In fact, pi'ospecting is carried o^i more lively than for many years ; and, when something more than surface work Is done, abundant returns may be expected. Four new quartz mills will be erected in this section in the spring. Tliere are now la the county twelve mills, aggregating some 130 stamps. The fruit and berry Interest shall next claim our attention— and la my opinion this is to be la theluture the most permanent Interest of the county. Mines may work out, quartz ledges pinch out, and tho soil of the plains " peter out," from over-work, but the innumerable foothills can furnish homes and occupation to tho fruit- raiser tor all time. Of course, sudden fortunes are not made as In the mines, but permanent homes are. The Assessor finds, eacu year, on his rounds, a little more value than the year 'before. Tbe shipments of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, grapes, apples", pears, quinces, tomatoes, and in fact all kinds of fruits and vegetables, liom the towns of Rocklio, Pen- ryn, New Castle and Auburn, are Immense, New Castle doing by far tbe largest business, It being the outlet lor the prosperous Ophir fruit valley. Tbere are two fruit dryers in the county, and two shipping associations, tbe dryers, so far, not doing mucb, because the supply of good produce has not been up to the demand. The early and late markets are found I'l San Francisco, the mid- summer ones over tbe mountains, In the State of Nevada and the Territories. Tbe culture of tbe orange, lemon and lime la making gigantic strides from Auburn to Penryn. Many thousands were planted last season, and many thousands more will be. '1 ho orange ripens from four to six weeks earlier hero than at Los Angeles, and is thinner-skluned and equally good in tlavor. Our most successtul orchardlsts feel certain that tbe success of the orange is assured, and do not hesitate to engage in the culture to the ex- tent of their means. TheBearRlver ditches and tributaries are Im- Dortantfactorsln tho prosperity of tbe foothills. "i he water Is taken out of Bear River near Colfax, and Is distributed like an open fan over the under- lying hills. The main ditches and branches ag- gregate 500 miles in extent. The proprietor has stimulated tbe growth of the semi-tropics by offering free water from 18TT to 18S2, to those planting tho orange or lemon Iq groves of 50 a)id more, and also free water for the first year to those starting new places. Tbe low valleys were once thought to be tbe proper places for fruits and berries, but experience has tangbt that the highest hills are the most suitable, freer from frost and earlier for the markets. Consequently, oa the highest points to where the water can be piped or flumed, Is where the little ranches are located. I am Informed that Mr, Washburn, the Bear River Ditch Superintendent, has paid a visit to the southern part ot tbe State for the purpose of securing thrifty orange trees, and proposes to plant for the company the largest orange orchard In the Stale, near the town of Rocklln. PLACER COUMTY. 193 When the supply of cHoice fruit can overstock tbe laarkec tue irult-dryeri can be put Into oper- ation, and dried cruitsana raisins can Debroui^lit Into the market cheap enough to stop part ot our Import trade la those articles The wine interest Is ot considerable ImDortance, and good judges say the flavor of the wine made from the loothill grape Is superior to that made from the valley grape. The grape-raiser Is al- ways sure of from $10 to $15 per ton fur his sur- plus grapes at the neighboring wine cellars. The number of acres planted to wine grapes is a very small per cent of those that could be utilized from the base of our foothills to an altitude of ColfB,X Tho foothill farmers are, as a rule, branching out, and, as It were, are Insuring themselves against a failure ot anyone crop. We will sup- pose a peach orchai'd is a special dependence; Buuordlnate to this will be berries, pears, etc., and perhaps a fine hillside will be covered with altalta, on which can be cut four crops ot hay per year, or a tew choice hogs can be pastured, or cows, or bees. In the valley the average farming of the plain Is carried on. Some ot the bottom land is very rich, and apparently eshaustless in fertility. Tue quarrying and dressiugof granite is an Important item of wealth to Placer County, and the curious Inquirer may see maiy samples ot tho dressed rock In the public buiiaings and works ot Oulltor- nia. Auiong them may bo named 1 he b>ise of tlie State Capitol, U. S. Mint, San Francisco, Dry Dock at Mare Island, and in fact many of the handsomest buildings in San Francisco were con- btructeU ironi Peniyn and Kccklln granite. The most expensive granite v.orks ot the county are carried oa by Mr. Griffith, he having quarries both at Peuryn andKockllii. At Penryn, in con- nection with the quarrying and cutting depart- me.its, is a large polishing mill, from whicH is turned out columcs, nionuiuents and all kinds of cemetery work. Mr. Griffltn, in the busiest sea- son, employs as many as 150 men. At Pino Mr. 'turner carries on quite extensive works; also other parties whose names I do not recall, but all told, the ehipmeits aggregate many tons. At Rocklln the granite is not eo dark as at Penryn, but It is easier worked. In busy times the Taylor Bros., ]\Ir. Hathaway, and other quarrymen, turn out immense quantities ot Une buUdlig stone, and the business ot the quarries, taken In connection with the railroad shops and roundhouse located here, make Rocklln a lively town. At Pvosevllle there are several fine grain warehouses. In the county there are eight, and as the larmers become better able to hold their grain for a rise, we may expect more to be built, 'there Is a large flouring mill in operation at Sheridan, and one Is soon to be built at Roseville. At Lincoln there Is a coal mine, which yields very fair coal. At the same place are also located the pottery works of Gladding, McBean & Co. The works are situated in the edge ot town, while the Immense clay bank Is located only a mile away on land owned by Towle Bros. Theclay Islri a hill and easily extracted, being pronounced ot the best quality, for which a small royalty per load Is paid. The works are extensive, employing 25 or 80 hands. All sizes of drainage pipe are made ; also substantial chimney flues and caps; fancy urns, flower-pots, and domestic ware of all kinds are moulded and burnt In the most approved man- ner. It Is an Industry that our county may well feel proud ot. our Assessor's books show a small amount of pronerty for a county that is a few square miles larger than the state of Rhode Island, to wit, only $5,642,932. This is evidently too low by half, as In 1872 the roll showed over $S.OOO,000, and the wealth ot the county has materially Increased since then. Our land Is dlvWed, for the purpose ot taxation. Into four grades, and the average Talu..tloii per acre for the whole county is only $3 70. Our tax for the year 1879 was anportloneJ as follows: State Fund, 623^ cents; County Gen- eral Fund. 47 cents; Hospital Fund, lS)i cents; County School Fund, 12 cents; General Road Fund, 10 cents. Total on the $100, $1 50. Our county Hospital Is a model for com- pleteness. It can accommodate 70 pa- tients. The average attendance la 55%. Many 01 these properly belong to other coun- ties. Very often railway accidents will send a patient there for treatment, the sufferer nut being an employe of the company. An oc- casional sick tramp Is cared for during illness, and as long afterward as he can feign sickness and enji.y his comfortable quarters. Each pa- tient costs the county. Including all expenses, $3 45 per week. The buildings cust about $15,000, and the 60 acres of land Is worth $4,000 more. lu a jocular way, our jail and hospital are called the two best boarding houses ot tne county. In- digent women and children are boarded at $5 per week till friends can bo found who will care tor them. These statements are noc made to Invite Impecunious Invalids or tramps, but simply to show that " there Is nothln' mean " about our taxpayers. Tran)ps and vagrants are " game " for our local officers, and they had better keep away It they do not like to saw county wood and assist in fixing our streets, with ankle- bracelets and seven-pounders for adornments. A lew articles taken at random from thoassess- menc rolls show as follows: American horses^ l,'zS6; halt breed, 222; Spanish, 843; colts, 346; cows (American) 1,837; mixed, 3S0; Soanlsh, 24; calves, 1,095; stock cattle, 993; beef cattle, 256; goats, 7,6GS; Cashmere, 675; sheep (imported) 3S4; common, 69,593; wine, 10,850 gallons. Placer County is used by cutslde drovers as a comiuon pasture ground, and during the Summer thou- sands of horses, cattle and sheep are kept lu the mountains. In townships one and tea la the southern part ot the county, they have a special Act passed whereby they are not compelled to fence against stock. Theie are forty-seven school districts and fifty- seven schools in the county, that ot Auburn, with four departments, being the largest. The last census gives 2,904 school children ot proper age. The School houses, lots, and furniture are valued at 152,820. The sessions tor the county average 7.19 months. Tho following analysis will show what we are made of physically, politically, na- tionally, etc.: FACTS AND FlGtJKES FROM THE GREAT REGISTER 09 PLACER COUNTY, W. B. Lardner, Esq., District Attorney-elect, has been to the trouble to make a partial analysl3 ot Placer County's Great Register, complied dur- ing th6 present year, and has generously allowed us the use ot his Undings. The matter, while no doubt of curious interest to all, will afford a subject for much reflection and study to those who interest themselves In ethnological subjects. The synopsis, on the whole, shows a population of good malerial, a foundation to build on that promises a sturdy race for the future. The total number registered Is 3,332. These, in point of na- tionality, are divided as follows : Naturalized in the different United States and State Courts 1,003 Citizens by virtue of their father's naturalizatian.. 113 Boruof Ameiiciiu parents temporarily abroad 4 Native Californiana, mostly youDf? Americans from 21 to29year8i)faKe— few of Spanish desceiit 164 Born in the Southern States 411 Born in the Noitliern States (exclusive of Califor- nia) 1,693 Natives of the District of Columbia and the Teril- tories ; citizens by virtue of treaty with Mexico, and by honorable discharge from tbe army 65 Total 3,333 Number of foreie^ners naturalized in Placer........ 489 Number naturalized in other counties of the State '304 Number naturalized in other States 210 Total 1,003 1 he average age of the first ten after the firs fifty ot each of the first ten letters of the alphabet Is 45.27 years; average age ot the last ten ot each of the last ten letters ot the alphabet Is 44.93, giving a reasonably correct average ot the age ot the whole 3,352 of 45.11 years. The young men 21 years ot age who are on this register for the first time number 67. There are just 60 over 70 year3 ot age, the oldest being Mr. Noble Johnson, of Lincoln, whose age is given at 82. The best rep- resented Northern States are New York, Maine 194 PLACER— MODOC COUNTY. and Ohio; the best represented Southern States are Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia. The total average vote from this reglstrauoa at the last election was 2,800, divided on an average about as follows: Republican,, 1,105; Democratic and N. C, 840 ; Worliiugiiien, 776. This would leave the total number not voting 53iJ, whicli is too large a per- centage to charge to Inclvism In a county "liice ours. 'I'he fact that many live remote from voting pLices may account for the lightness oC the vote, rather than the Indisposition to exercise a voice In the afTairs of government. The further fact that these 532 toolc the pains to register shows that they are not so Indifferent as the comnara- tlve strength of the vote would Indicate." Placer uouaty was organized by Act of the Leg- islature, anproved April 25, 1851. Before that time Auburn was the county-seat of Suiter Coun- ty, or rather the original Sutter County Included most; of what Is now Piacer. There are 11 townships (political) and 34 voting precincts. Auburn being tue largest, with 341 votes at the September election, and Martis Val- ley the smallest, with only 4 votes. In the county there are 26 Post Offlces, aiid 18 Wells, Fargo & Co's Express olHces. The express business trans- acted in shipments from the Auburn office aggre- gated as follows: Currency and gold notes, $1S,- 730 95; gold coin, $129,887 50; gold dust, $10.428 45; gold coin, $39,013 95 ; total for 1879, $357,890 85. The office at Dutch Flat and the other mining towns, without doubt, go far beyond tuis showing. The people are kept posted on local matters by four weekly papers— the Argus, Herald (one of tlie oldest papers In the State), Forum, and the MmmtainEcho. The two first are mibllshed at Auburn, the next at Dutch Flat, "the last at KocUllij. As each town has a history peculiarly its own, I shall not attempt to describe them. Suffice to say, that most of them have a fresh, thrifty and progressive appearance. The population of the county seat is about 1,200 and increasing fast. All told, there are forty benevolent orders and societies throughout the county. The population Of the county is about 15,000, and on the increase. In 1872-3 the population and enterprise were at the lowest ebh. Ao ih a time a gi'aduai change began. Old Ideas were begin- ning to give way to new ones. Property values t began to rise, 'i'he middle section h is advanced rapidly in wealth and population, thereby cement- ing the extremes— mining and farming. As a rule, our people are enthusiastic about old Placer. Ihey feel tnelr importance In tiie State, always taking an active Dart in U3 affairs. Over 1,000 or our people were at the Grant reception la Sacramento, and our banner in that proce.ssioa was tlie only one followed by a distinctive body, representing a county from abroad. We feel tnat we have a flourishing population, and know tnere is room for plenty more.'provided they are of the rlguc kind. We want i n migra- tion, and a kind that will stay and not rush off t9 Oakland and San Francisco after they Jiave inada a competency. MODOC COUNTY. By Peof. G. K. GODFREY. Modoc County was created by an Act of the Leg- islature in 1874 out of the eastern portion of Sis- liyou County, and derived its name from the In- dian tribe of Modoca. It Is the extreme northeast county of this state, with Oregon for its north boundary. It extends eastward from the cele- brated Modoc "lava bed," south of Tule Lake, to the Nevada State line, and Is i. early one hundred miles In length and sixty miles In width. The tonography of the county Is a succession of moun- tain ranges and valleys, and Is principally drained by Pitt Kiver, which has its outlet in the Bay of Ban Francisco. THE LAVA BED Section, at the northwest corner of the county, is a succession of gulches and crevasses, which range from a few feet to one hundred feet in wldin, and many of them are one hundred feet deep; some have subterranean passages, which lead for miles under the rocks. This broken country extends in a belt eastward to Goose Lake. This lava section of the county has no arable lands, and it is fit only for grazing pur- poses. It is a vast plain of table land, and In Bome places It is sparsely covered with juniper. BIG VALLEY. Situated at the southwest corner of the county. Is about ti\enty-flve miles in lengtu, and about the same in width. This valley Is watered by Pitt River and numerous creeks. The soil of this valley is as variable as is the formation of the county itself, and embraces all variations— the deqp, rich loam, the dark red clay, tine and coarse gravel, decomposed granite, lime, chalk and marl formations. Stone coal has been found on Pitt River, north ot Big Valley. This valley has been settled only eleven years, and It now con- tains a population of about 800 souls. Adln is a prosperous town, located on Ash Creek, near the east elde of the valley. It 13 making permanent progress la the erection of substantial buildings, and will In time become a prosperous village. Here the Adla Hawkeye, at Den. ocratlc paper, is published. Surrounding Big Valley are Juniper Creek, Wil- low Creek, Butte Creek, Ash Creek and Hoc creek, with their rich bottom landsconverted into farms. A majority of the seiilers in these valley 3 are engaged in stock-raising. Grain and vegetables are grown here In sufficient quantities to supply the market. These valleys are subject to early and late frosts, which run in belts through the low- lands and along water courses. The mountains ©n the south and west sides of the Big Valley are covered with a dense growth of oak, cedar and pine forests, sulficient to supply the Inhabitants for all coming time. The country east ot Big Valley consists of long oval hills and table lands, stretching away to what IS Known as the Madaline Plains. These hills and table lands are interspersed with small valleys, which are adapted for grazing purposes. These small valleys are preferred by settlers as locations, on account ot the proximity ot timber, and also because of the adjacent hills, which cou- siilute a range for stock of unequalled excel- lence. These hills are covered to thtlr very summits with a thick growth ot bunch grass. Hence stock-raisers regard locations in these nar- row valleys as extremely desirable. To the north otAdin a succession ot small valleys extend to Pitt River. There Is a good wagon road extend- ing from Adln through these valleys some twenty miles, over a low divide to the lower end ol Hot Spring Valley. HOT SPRING VALLEY Is not»d for its large boiling spring, which throws up the water five or six feet high. This valley Is about fifty miles in length, by six miles in wiath. As you pass along this valley your attention is directed to a wall ot perpendicular rock, on the north side, nearly a hundred feet height, and ex- tending the whole length of the valley to Goosa MODOC COUNTY. 195 Lake, witli here and there a cafioii cutting- tUrougli the rocks as they open lino the vahey I'rom the Borth. To the north Is a vast stretch of flat table land, known as the Devil's Garden, on account of Its surface being literally strewn with scoria and volcaiilc rock of various dimensions. The arable lands of this valley are contiued lo the river and creek bottoms putting Into the valley from the north and south. Vegetables and grain are not always a sure crop along tlio river bot- toms on account of the early and late frosts, though the valleys and surrounding hills are not surpassed tor grazing purcoses. The seat of justice ot Modoc County is Alturas, located near the east end of Hot spring Valley, and at the confluence of the north and south forks of Pitt Klver. The south fork of Pitt Kiver runs north, and the Gcose Lake fork duo south, and both forks unite at Alturas and present a flne lo- cation for tbe county government. Alturas has a population of about two hundred souls. It sup- ports three large stores and one large and com- modious hotel for me accommodation of the pub- lic. A weekly paper, the Modoc Independent lie- publican, Is published hero by W. F. Edwards. Alturas is in a flourishing condition, and Is im- proving rapidly. Many tastetui residences adorn the place. Ou account of its being central and easily accessible from all parts of the county, it Is deemed to have a promising future. The south fork ot Pitt Kiver heads in Eagle Lake, near the south end of the Warner Range of Mountains, and along its sluggish waters large tracts ot swamp land are covered wltii tule, and are unreclaimed. South Fork Valley Is well watered by creeks, flowlag down westwardly from the summit. The stage road to Reno passes up this valley and across the Madallae plains to Susanville. GOOSE LAKE VALLEY, Lying on the east side of the lake, is exceedingly lertiie, and is well watered by numerous creeks and ravines, furnishing bountiful irrigation, and the mountains on the east, near the valley, are heavily timbered with cedar and pine ; therefore wood is plenty and all kinds of lumber good and cheap— $15 to $20 uer l,ooo feet. Goose Lake and its surroundings Is one ot the most beautiful and fertile countries on the face of the globe. It abounds In bunch grass and other choice grasses; and therefore the range la extensive and the cattle keep for all the year round. Crops are produced on the farms with little la- ter and most bountiful returns. Wheat, barley, oats, corn and vegetables grow in abundance. Large and delicious wild plums are found In prorusion around the lake and on tne hillsides. These plums are ot two varieties, red and yel- low, as large as walnuts, and their flavor Is dell- clous. SUKPBISE VALLEY Is divided f ram Goose Lake and Hot Springs Val- ley by tne Warner Range of Mountains, which averaeres some twelve miles In width, and ex- tending north and south about 100 miles. This valley was settled in the month of June, 1864, by a small party or pioneers la search ot a fertile region in which to make a home tor them- selves and families. Within two years the valley had but tew acces- sions, was sparsely settled, and the Indians ren- dered it dangei'ous In the extreme for a small set- tlement. At this time the Government estab- lished Fort Bldwell, at the north end of the val- ley, when tne population Increased and they com- menced bulldlcg and leucing and tilling the soil, and found a market for their produce at the fort. This valley Is about seventy-flve miles in length and averages about twelve mllea In width. There are three wagon roads passing over low divides along the range from Surprise Valley to Hot Spring Valley and Goose Lake, and also agood wagon road extending from Reno ihi'uugh this valley to Fort Warner, in Oregon. There Is a chain of tliree Deiuilful lakes on the east side ot the valley, extending nearly the whole length of the valley, with a width ot from two to four miles. Tne south two are united by a narrow strait, and the waters ot the middle lake flow through the strait into the south lake. The north or upper lake is apparently a few feet the highest and largest, and between this and the middle lake there is a space ot about three miles ot sandy desert, covered with grass and sage brush, such as lound In Nevada. When Peter Lassen, the old pioneer, passed through this val- ley in 1851, guiding an emigrant train from Hum- boldt through to his ranch on Deer Creek, near the head or the Sacramento Valley, these three lakes were dry, and the emigrants passed dry- shod over the bed of the north lake. During the last tnree summers these lakes became dry by evaporation. ijast Fall large quantities ot second quality salt was gathered up irom the dry bed of the middle lake. The waters ot these lakes are impregnated with alkali, borax and salt, notwithstanding the large amount ot pure water annually running Into thera from the mountains. Keither they nor the streams flowing Into them contain flsh of any description. The farming lands lie along the west side of these lakes, adjacent to the mountains, where streams ot cold pure water are seen running down to the lakes every two or three miles, the whole length of the valley, for all purposes for irrigation and machinery ; and upon some of which are now In operation four saw-mills and two largo flouring mills. Timber, such as pine, cedar, laurel. Juniper and tamarack, is In abundance ou the creeks In the mountains. On the east side ot the valley, extending to Humboldt County and the Owyhee Mountains, the country is mountainous and barren of timber, excent on the hillrops and in the ravines. Surprise Valley has been settled by whites six- teen years, during which time Its inhabitants have experienced some ups and downs, yet on the whole It has made steady progress. Within the past few years many Improveujents have been made In the way of fencing ana permanent house building, and uuring iiie past year times have never been better than in Surprise Valley. Surprise Valley supports four tow ns of moderate size. At tlie lower end Eaglevllle is locate J, on Eagle Creek, in a flne farming community. This Is the smallest of tne four villages. Sixteen miles north a d in the central portion of the valley, where the county road passes over the low mountain divide to Alturas, is located the growing town of Cedarville. This village is sup- ported by a rich and fertile neighborhood, and is by no means deficient in a business point of view, as it carries over half tlie trade of the valley. To the north, tea miles. Lake City is located on Mill Creek, near the upper lake shore. This vil- lage is surrounded by a long stretch of meadow land which cannot bo surpassed for productive- ness. Sixteen miles further on, at the head ot the valley, is situated Fort Bldwell. Fort Bldwell is splendidly located on Mount Bldwell creek, at the extreme northwest end ot the valley, upon a Government Reservation a mile square, it con- sists of large and commodious frame buildings, so as to nearly inclose a flne parade ground ot about one hundred yards square. A few hundred yards to the east, and off the reservation, is the town ot Bldwell. with its usual public buildings, and which has about an equal portion of population with Cedarville to draw public patronage. Fort Bldwell has been a great aid to tne settlers of this valley in con- suming the produce raised and proiecilng them from Inaian depredations. The population of Surprise Valley will approximate 3,000. All the goods and merchandise which supply this valley are hauled iu wagons from Reno, 175 miles distance. With tho increase of population the times demand quicker trauspuriaiion. A bright and prosnerous future is iu store lur this county, which ere long will be brought out of lis chrysalis state. Tlie Winnemucca an I Oregon Rcillrcad survey passing through this valley made three years ago was pronounce^l pracilLatle, an i I believe it Is the design ot the Central Pacidc 196 MODOC COUNTY. Railroad Company to commence me construction Of this railroad as soon aa tne Southern Paciac Railroad Is couipleted. ,-Jr°"' ^^^ location of Modoc County some are led to suppose that n Las no naturiil advuctaees Bor faclliiles of commuilcatloa wl'h the outer world. We are two days travel by stage and rail- road In reaching San Francisco. This county la well provided with gnod mall facilities. A dally in^r>°/ ^^'-^.f^ are runninor from Keno through Surprise Valley to Fort Blawell, connectlmr with the Reading- and Aituras dally mall, leading Into Oregon and Idaho Territory. ^ RESOURCES AND ADVANTAGES. Modoc County I3 noted for Its fertile valleys Its extensive grazing laclllllrs, and her enternhsln°^ districts. The total num- ber of chiiaren returned by the last census b--- iweeu five and seventeen years of age. Is 1.0S6 i-fflclent teachers are provkied for their educa- tion. Ihe public school system affords entKely the means of educailou for the children of "the ^Jft^, ^^y® '^P, ^'Sli Schools nor academies of learn ng in which to train our children for the re- spective professions, and must, tlicrefore. rely upon the state Normal School and the University M/e need County Normal Schools, and then com- J!f bIfF S^'^K'" ^° '^^® a '^""'■se Of instruction In these schools before they are allowed to be em- ployed as teachers in our public schools. Then we will have thorough and competent teachers to educate our Children. cai^ucia lu Churches have been organized In various parts c„v!ir®.J2^'?^' ^,°^ congregations assQ;ble every Sabbath to he^r Methodist, Christian, ana Unita- The farmers are contented to live here, feeling happy, and are prosperous. On the whole, the valley may be considered In a prosperous and thriving condicion, posessing a soil rich beyond comparison, yielding bounteous returns to the husbandman In grain and vege- tables and his stock of various kinds, such as sheep, hogs, cattle and horses. The llnest pasture covers the undulating slopes of the mountains, while an abundance of wild grass, such as clover and red top, bordering the lakes and large streams, afford the most nutritious hav. Moun- tain streams every few miles flow down from the sun.mlt of the Warner Range Into the lakes, from Whose pure, cold ai d limpid waters there can always be had a sufficiency for Irrigating pur- pOScS* Living 13 cheap In Surprise, as everybody raises ' Just what they choose with perfect ease and fa- cillty. Wheat, barley, oats, corn, rye and vege- tables grow luxuriantly, wheat and barlev yield- ing sixty and seventy bushels to the acre,"and the crops never failing by reason of ihe greailirl- gmng facilities. Farmers raising grain, vege- tables and hay And a ready market at Fort Bid- well and among the stock raisers In the small ralleys surrounding Surprise. There Is a home aemand for all our produce, and at better prices than are obtained In either Sacramento or San -t£?l'"^'S,l *°? ^^°^^ raising are carried on exten- alveiy. The dairy interest la tlila valley is a L^J'.^L*'"^^?'* "^ "^« •"»•" '3 profitable, and th» Nevaaa! ^ '^"""^ °°'*^ * '"^^'^^ market m But the stock-raising business 13 still better in is a permanent interest not only in ihig Vlilev ^itlp'' if ^pP^"^ ^' ^^« county, consisting o^/ ca tie, hi.rses, mules, hogs and sheeo Stopir raising Will be successfully pursued for year^ to f,?^'«nn^ pi '^^^'^ ^'^ ^""^'"^^ ^^^ driven to Keact clfc",al^ets. ^^ y^cramento and San FraT desrr^nt!J?n"K°,'a®".'"P'"'^^^^^ healthful exceeding description, 'ihe atmosphere is cool and braclna- snrin^inli^n^n"."-'"^'" "'°"^"^' ""''^ ^ gentle breezf SP' i"Siipg up nearly every aiteriioon. wfs^settted"^ ^^^^ occurred In this valley since is Snow seldom falls over a foot here, excent In the mountains, and what few Inches fall in thS the Wimer''' last long, stock is seldom fed la in^hli'''^''"'^T'°^ "^^y ^^ considered in Its Infancy In this county, and so far as our people have e^. perlniented, the sou and climate, growth ai^dmal tui-ity Of apples, peaches, pears, plums ai^dcl^r- ries, and various Kinds of berries, compare f.vor- ^^^L^\^ °.^^^'' '^""'•taln counties Of this State? ThP nfn«r ?^^?nH "^^^^ ^"^ J"^"^ consluered one ot the most fertile and promising regions in Califor- nla,ai,(i, particularly of late, is coming into nore promluem notice by reason, not only of its supe! pled by actual and euterpilslng settlers, sudi as thA hL*"?"^ f "'^ ^'°^^^ or the world, atil tend ?0 the true de velopmen t and progress of any coun try .n^^i^n""'? ^^^'■^ '"^s »^een Indian depreda 003 fle^.^h^fr' ^'.[^^^t'.acl^a 10 interiere with the set- iiers, out that time I3 now past, as the nronpp ^'.^i^^'.^'^.".!" ^'"^°,'■'l^■'l '^^ '^^ soldiers or Forad. well, and the Indians are kept in sublectlon ir. is doubtful If tnere I3 another district in c°ilifor. nliuwhlch affords so great Induceiiients to Imml- gration as Surprise Valley, and ihe chain of va- leys along down Pitt River, and many others of equal salubrity of climate And femiUy of sof; °a Modoc County, though less extensive and esa known, which are admirably adapted fur ttIcuI- tural purposes. Surprise Valiey is the onT^' one that lias been cultivated successfully to test Ita cP?.S ^f°n P/°^"i^'"S cereals, and It Is no e.xag! geiatlon to say, that it yields crops of wheat nr , r,f t^f ^i''"^' vegeiabies fully equSl to the best pi cducts In any other portion of the State. And. although as remarkable as it may appear, iha l^?f'J"J''^^^'l^^^'''^"'^^"3 tomatoes and oturis! mrn^, f^f''""^^,'7^''° ^^ produced In some of the rt^,niH^^''"^^".*'^^°^ account of frosts, are pro- ?rnm^J^^/® ,^'^"v!"^^"^'>'' ^'^^ are not prevented froin maturing by early frosts. Such a thing a3 grain being killed here t y frost after heading out The soil of Surprise Is of that deep, dark, rich n'^r.n'''^^'" 'J"^*'=^ '« ^03"^ adapted to the produc- lu^.tiF^^^'F^^^^ ^"^^ vegetables, while the tlo™ Balubrlous and bracing to the constitu- ti^?} ^fll'V^^^^J^'l^J's offer, in the salubrity of fnrt .'^i'"^!^® ^°^ fertility cr their soil, such rare p^pnf^mi^ to agriculturists, tbey aid the ad- jacent hills are destined to become the very Para- dise of stock-raisers. All who have explored this portion Of the country concur In repreaei ting it ascovered with the Enestgrowth of rich, succuletit bunch grass that they have seen In any country, ^o . 'i,''^^^'""^' 'satpreset tftsomewhatremoto region, but we know of no better service ih.ii can be rendered to emigration, which is constantly flowing into the State, than to draw their aiteo. tion lO the fertile valleys of Modoc county. LOS ANGELES COUNTY. 197 BY EICHAED MELEOSE. Anaheim, January 24th, 1882. Slace writing tbe article on page 15 the progress Of Los Angeles County has been phenomenal. Its onward strides, though due !q a great measure to the advantages which Nature has lavished upon the ecu ;jty, were accelerated by a happy cojiibl- natlon of circumstances. Just at the time when the San Francisco mari^et was gorged with the product of our farms, orchards and vineyards, and prices had fallen in many ustances below the cost of production, the development of the Arizona mines, aud the consequent rush of people to that Territory, created a demand lor the products of the soil which this county, from Us coQtigulty to the territory, was called upoa to supply. Just then, too, the railroad had penetrated ttie territory, and the transportitloa of our produce, which would otherwise have b?e j a eerlous problem, and would have made heavy Inroads iato the profits, was solved. The opening up of the Arizona marljet has been of incalculable toeneflt to Los Angeles County, and from tue very nature of things, this county will always be the storehouse from which the territory must draw many of Its supplies. Still another factor In the progress of our coun- try was the completion of our Southern Railroad route. It has made permanent residents of hun- dreds, who, hid they come to the State by the Northern route, would probably never have seen this coun'.y. lostances there are without num- ber of people who have come here to see, and bavlog seen, were conquered; they came to look at the county, and were so well pleased that the sudden resolution to remain was formed and acted upon. I know of no community In the southern part of the county which Is not more prosperous now than It was In 1879, when my first article was written. A vast area of country, which was then grazing land, has been transformed Into orchards and vineyards, and all the marks of progress which follow an Increased population abound on every hand. There are more school houses, more churches, more private and puoUc eater prises of every kind, and the new comer who settles here DOW flads matters much more to his taste than did the pioneers who reclaimed the wilderness and made It the garden of fertility and beauty that It now Is. And I challenge anyoue to point out another section which offers so many andsuperlorlnducements to those seeking a new locaiuy to begin anew t tie (uUudiQg of a home. A ferilie soil, an la- comparable climate, a profitable and voracious market, good schools, cburcues or every denoaal- oation, good society— what luore could one ask tor 7 Thousands of acres are yet to be had In the vicinity of Anaheim, fully as good as that which yields to the Anaheim vlneyardlsts a net profit of $150 per annum. These lands can be bougnt for from $25 to $100 per acre, and are, beyond ques- tion, the cheapest lands in the State of California. Tills county depends In a great measure upon lrrigatlo;i, and the community which has ihe- raost perrect Irrigation system is bound to lead 1q the struggle for precedence. Appi-eclatlug this fact, Auanelm has been putting lorth extraordl- n iry efforts during the past year to secure a water supply abundant tor the needs of the pres- ent and prospective population. In andltlon to the Cajon ditch, they completed last moatu, and are now using-, a duch which cost $14,000, aad which Is but the beginning of a water system em- bracing the Ifiea of storing up tlie water during the WliUer months when there is a superabund- anfe. The Anaheim Water Company have se- cured a tract of land which only requires to be closed at one end to maKe a perfect reservoir, ca- pable of holding 58,074,019 cutilc feet ot water, equal to 434,393.602 gallons. 'Ihls Is sufficient water to run ten heads of loO Inches for G7 days (of 12 hours each), without tald ig Into account the stre.im pouring Into the reservoir in the mean- time. The reservoir and dltcu 1-adlut; thereto has been surveyed, and work w HI begin about the middle of May. The estimated cost is $50,000. The example of Anaheim in this particular must necessarily be imitated by other communi- ties which are dependent on river water tor Irri- gation. Indeed, since the inception of the enter- prise, there have been steps taken In the same direction by other towns la this and San Bernar- dino counties. There can be no question that the completion of this reservoir will Immediately be followed by a large increase In the price of the laud to be beneQted by Its waters. The land Is nowJield lor about an average of $40 per acre; with the reservoir In operation, It will command $150 per acre readily. The numoer of people who seek this place for relief for asthmatic and pulmonary troubles Is not Inconsiderable, ond for the Information of suf- ferers who have a desire to know something about our climate, I present the following thennometrl- cal table, which gives the average temperature of the respective months for the past five years. The average is made up from four readings ot the thermometer dally— at 7 a. m., at 7 p. m., and at us lowest and highest readings: 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 188U January 51% blk 51 m 49 February 56 62M 64 ibhi 63 March.... 58 64 66% 48 62K April 573^ 56 67>^ 54% 6ug May , mi 60% 61% 6u% 63g June ! 70 64 66'4 64 66^ Julv 72% 67^ 68^4 65M 63^ August 7UM 69 70% 66% 69p Sepieuiber 69 66% m% 63J4 66M October ,.62 61% 62^ 6U 69^ November 693^ 66 hd>i 64 64% December 54% 5U% 62% 54)4 623^ A Study Ot the above table will show a great equability of temperature, and no extremes of heat or cold. The climate here is certainly as uearpertect as aughr, in this mundane spnereia aot to get ; and It atones In lull for whatever dls- agreeaoie features are peculiar to this region. 198 FARES, WORK AND WAGES, COST OF LIVING, ETC. Fares, Work and ^Vages/Cost;p^Umng, Etc. By JOSEPH OAEBOLL: It Is of Importance that intending Immigrants ', to California suould understand three things con- nected with their Journey: First— The time to start: It may be stated, generally, that Immi- grants should so lime th«!r departure as to arrive here about May. Labor is then In demand, and m a good h jrveat year an industrious man can earn enough to enable lilm to rent land and put in a crop in the F.til. Most o£ the other Indus- tries are also active 1q the Summer. People seek- ing land will have lime to malie their selection before ploughing and seed time, and can also see the actual possibilities of the soil. These, how- ever, may come as late as November, though It Is better to arrive earlier. Second, as to route : San Francisco la reached by two transcontinental railroads, the Central and the Southern Pacific ; and also by sea from New Yorlc, via Panama, by the Paclflo Mall steamers. By the latter route the time 13 about thirty days. By the former first-class passengers make the Journey from New York in seven days; mmigrants in about fifteen. The steame ra fur- nish cooked food and sleeping berths without extra charge ; the railroads furnish transporta- tion only. The Central and Sourhern Pacific roa'3shave fitted their emigrant cirs with upper ana lower sleeping berths, out furnish no Leddlng. These are, however, easily convertea Into good beds, nnd are a great coiivenleuco to emigrauts. No addltiODiil charge is made for this accommoda- tion. Free bagsage to the amount of 100 pounds 13 allowed for each wuole ticket between Eastern pol ts ond San Francisco; 50 pouiida for eich halt ticket. Cars cannot usually be cuartered for colonies, but a spsclal car westward can ba oh- taiued when the i, umber of passengers Is sufli- clent— each, however, paying tue schedule tare. Third, as to cost. Tho railroad tare from East- ci-ii points cannot be reaaily ascerialned, as tne Companies here only concern tiiemselves with the scheiiula tor Eastward-bouud passengers. Besides, the rates vary from time to tl ne, on ac- couDtot cutting-upon the part of certain lines. The following table la approximately correct. The fares are for third-class passengers: Albany, N. i., to San Francisco $65 CO Austlu, Texas, to San Francisco 71 85 Boston to San Francisco 66 HO Baltimore to San Francisco 65 UO Cliicaf^o to Sau Francisco 65 00 Cincinnati to San I'rancisco 59 80 Detroit lo San Francisco 61 50 Indianapolis to Sau Francisco 67 50 Kansas City to San Francisco 50 45 liouisville, Ky., to Sau Francisco 6i) 45 Montieal to Sau Francisco 65 00 New Yoik to i-'ai Francisco 65 on New York, via Panama, to San Francisco 65 OJ Ne.w Orleans to Snn Francisco 65 00 Omaha tu San Francisco 45 00 Philadeluhiato SanFraucisco 63 50 6t. Louis to San Francisco 55 50 Bain I Paul to San Francisco 59 ii5 WasninKton to Sau Francisco 65 tO WORK 'AND^WAGES.' From the subjoined compilation of the^malo Industries of California and the average wages paid. It will be seen that the remuneration ol labor on this Coast is on the average better than thatrealizea la any partot the Union. There it sufficient diversity of occupation to suit aimosn any class of workers, thougb, as will ba see- hereafter, the opportunities tor immediate em- ployment are by no means equal m all the calls ings cited. Apprentices $ 3 00 to $ 6 00 per week Baters, 1st f ■•51 OJto 80 ou per mouth Bakers, 2d f Soooto 40 00 per luontb Bakers. 3d f 25 0010 30 00 per month Bartenders ISdOto cO CO per weels Barbers 12 00 to 20 00 per week Bedmakers 20 00 to 30 6u per month Bellhangers 2 00to SOOper day Blacksmiths 2 50 to 3 50 per day Elacksmiths, raach f BOOOto 75 OU per montli Bookbinders 2 00 to SOOper day Bookkeepers 50 00 to 150 CO permontb Bricklayers 3 00 to 4 00 per day Brewers 4 00 to 7 OJ per dav Bridpebuilders 3 50 to 4 00 per day Brushuiakers 2 00 to 3 to per day Bootmakers, custom 2 00to 4 00per day Bootmakers, mt'g 150to 3 oj per day Butchers, to kill f 40 00 to 65 I'O permouih Butchers, market f 25 00to 5i) OOper Lnon h Buttermakers f 30 00to 45 00 per month Brickuiakers f 35 00 to 40 00 i^er mouth Brickmoulders f 35U0to 45 00rermontb Bricklaborers f 25 00 to .'JO no per month Boxmakera 1 50 to 2 00 per day Butlers, family f 30 00 to EOOJpermonth Coachmen, family f 25 00 to 40 00permontb Confectioners f 5U00to loo 00 per month Cooks, first.. f lOOCOto 125 OJpermonth Cooks, second f 50 00 to 75 00 per month Cooks, thiid f 3'J COto 40 00permomb Coopers f BOOOto SOOOpsrmonth Coopers, piece work 2 to to 4 00por day Cabinetmakers 2 00 to 3 60per day Carpenters, house 2l0to 4 00per day Carpenters, Phip 4 00 per dav Carpenters.xanch f 30 00 to 60 00 per month Carriat^e painters 3 00 to 4 to per day Carnage biulders 2 50 to 4 00 per day Carriag:e trimmers 3 50 to 4 00 per day Caulkers 4 00 per day Curriers 2 50 to 4 CO i er day Cig-armakers 7 50to 12 00 per 1,000 Cbeesemakers f 25 00 to 60 tO per month Dishwashers f 15 00to 30 00permouth Dyers 2 00 lo SOOper day Engineers, civU 3 00 to 6 CO per day Engineers, mining 4 CO to 7 00 per day EuKineers, locomotive 125 CO to 150 CO per month Engravers 2 50 to 5 00 per day Edgers, eawmili 3 00 to 5 00 per day Farmhands, Winter f 20 00 to 30 CO per month Farmhands, harvest f 150to 2 60per day Farm hands f 200 CO to 400 OJ per yeae Filers, sawmiU f 30 00 to B) CO per month Firemen 2 00 to 2 50 per day Foundry laborers loOto 2 50 per day Gastitters 2 tOto 3 CO per day ' ardeners f 25 00 to 6J 00 per month Gralners 3 00to 3 50per aay HarnessmaUers 2 CO to 3 CO per day Hamessuakers, ranch f SOOOto SOOipermonih Hodcarrieis 1 60 to 2 5J per day Horseshoers 2 00to SOOper day Harubss cleaners f 25 0010 40 00permonth fares; WORK AND WAGES, COST OF LIVING, ETC. 199 Hostlers ......;hh^v*.-;.f 25 00 to 35 00 per month Lathers 2 00 to 3C0per day Laundryman f 20 00 to 40 00 per month Iiiborers, peneral 160to 2 00 per day Machinists 2C0to 3 60per day Man and wife (farms, etc.) f 60 00 to 6J 00 per month Masons 2 50 to 4 00 per day Milkers f 25 00 to 30 00 per month Millers 2 00to SOOper day MiUwriffhte 2 50to 3 00 per day Mu'ers 3 00to 4 00per day Miners f 35 00 to 60 OOper month Moulders 2 50 to 3 60 per day Painters (house; 2 00 to 2 50 per day Painters (sign, etc.) 8 00 to 4 60 per day Pantrymen f 15 00 to 25 OOper month Plasterers SOOto 4 00 per day Plumbers 2 00 to 4 OOper day Porters (store) 50 00 to 75 00 per month Porters (hotel) f SOOOto 60 00 per month Printers (per 1,000 ems) 35 to 60 Printers (Job) 12 00to 25 00 per Koofers 1 soto Eiggers 4 00 Satl-makers 2 60 to Soap-makers. " " a 60 per per 4 00 per week day day day c -^ J i —CO to 86 00 per month Snepherda f 15 0uto 25 00permonth Sawyers— mill f 60 00to 65C0permonth Sawyers-crosscut. f 25 00to 40 00permonth Screw-turners f SOOOto 60 OOper month Stonecutters SOOto 4 00 per day Sheep-shearers 6 to 7 per head Teamsters (city) f 25 00 to 4000permonth Teamsters (freighting) f 40 00to 60 00permonth Teamsters (ox, logging).... f 40 00 to 75 00 per month Telegraph operators 50 00 to 125 00 per month Jla-makers 10 to 12X per tie Tinsrniths .' 2 00 to 4 00 per day Upholsterers 2 (JO to 8 50 per day Waiters (hotel) f ISOOto SOOOpermonth Waiters (restaurant) f 20 00 to 6u 00 per month Warehousemen 2 00 to SOOper day Woodchoppers I60to 2 OOper cord Woodsmen (swam pers,etc.)f SOOOto SOOOpermonth FEMALE OCOUPATIONS. Assistants (housework) f $10 00 to $16 00 per month Ohambermalds f ISOOto SOOOpermonth Cooks (family) f 20 00 to 40 00 per month Cook9(hotel) f 25 00 to 6000permonth DressmaKers SOOto 15 OOper week General housework f 15 00 to 25 00 per month Governesses 1 20 00 to 85 00 per month Housekeepers f aoooto SOOOpermonth Ladies' maids.. f 20 00 to 2500permonth Lauudressea (family) f 25 00 to SOOOpermonth Laundresses (hotel) t 25 00to SOOOpermonth Milhners 7 00to I200per week Ntirsegirla f 8 00to 20o0permonth Saleswomen 7 00 to 12 00 per week Seamstresses f icoto 160per day Seamstresses, first-class 2 60 to SOOper day BeamBtresses. f 26 00to SOOOpermonth Waitr esses f igooto 20 00p6rmonth *./■ means, andfound. i. e., with board ana lodging. MALE HELP. Tbe foregoing table, while as nearly correct as It 13 possible to make it, demands some explana- tion. The figures glvea are collated from the toest authorities, but li] many ot tbe Industries represented there Is little or no denand for help. On the other haod tbere is a steady and coostaiit inquiry for good workmen iq many branches of labor. Cooks command good wages, and can usually find employment. The same may be said or waiters, dishwashers, pantrymen and stew- ards, if thoroughly up lu their work. Black- suiithlng is one ot the best trades lii Call- forma, especially IQ the country, a blacksailth who can shoe horses, point ploughs and repair agricultural macbineiy tiOed not be loug out of a Job. Custom boot and bhoe making is another good calling. There are many opoortunlties for agood artisan iQ ihetowns and villages or the 1q- terior. In the shoe factorlea, however, the de- manaia small. First-class butchers find work without much difficulty. Competent butter-mak- ers can always secure employment. Carpenters are more plentiful than tbe demand warrana at E resent. Carrlrtge or wagon builders are usually usy, especially where they stait Shops of their own In the smaller towns, of which there are a number needing such mechanics. Caulkers,rl2eers, 'longshoremen, etc., have Unions that keep wages up to a good figure. Their work Is tar from con- st tnt, and there Is little or no chance tor outsid- ers. Farm laborers are usually la gooi request. The lowest figure given above Is $20 per muntli, but the writer was assured by a gentlemati who employs a good many men In Sania Cruz Count>, that he never paid less than $30 lu Winter aiid wanted no cheaper men. The great desiaeratum Is efflcler;cy, which, on account ot the nomadic character of many or the raiicu hands, and the" lack of experience of hundreds who try farm labor as a last resort without any previous train- ing, is difficult to secure. A farm laborer who thoroughly knows his business can And an en- gjgemeut almost any day, and even a novice who 13 willing to learn will have little difficulty in get- ting an opportunity. Men who will engage by the vear are much sought alter by tarniers. In harvest the usual wages are $2 a day and boar(i for laborers. Men to run headers get $3 and $4; tablemen for tbreshers, $2 DO ; feeders and ma- chine tenders, |4; derrick-fork men, f 3 to jit sack-sewers, $3 to $4; engineers, $3 to $4. Har- vest, including threshing, lasts from three to five months. This rate obtains generally In tlie Sac- ramento and San doaquln Valleys. In some of the coist counties It Is smaller. In Ventura coun- ty common farm laborers got $1 25 a day and board last harvest, but tue work is lUiit. On account ot the dump wagons used tor handling the grain 1 1 thatcojnty, ladsor 14 to 18 are usually em- ployed. First-class hostlers obtain employment easily. Tbey complain, however, that the work I3 harder than In the East. The wages are m uch higher, however. The supply ot harness-makers Is more than equal to the demand. Opportuni- ties occur occasionally, however, on the large ranches. Laundrymen are in fair request. Milk- ers who can handle from 20 to 25 cowa twice a day, are nearly always In demand. Miners are rather plentiful just now. 'I'he miners' unions on the Comstock, In Bodle and otuer places, keep up their wages, but there are hundreds idle in these camps. Shepherda usually get $25 a month and board. They are expected to care for from 1,500 to 2,500 Sheep. They lead a solitary life in a tent or cabin, but they have a good opportunity to save money, and many ot our opulent sheep- owners commenced Ute in tbls way. Sheep-shear- ers can make $3 or $4 a day and board for a few weeks in the Spring and Fall. In every branch ot the lumber indusuy great activity is displayed. At this writing (March, 1832) every intelligence of- fice In Saa Francisco Is overrun with orders for wood choppers, ox teamsters, swampers, tie- makers, sawyers, screw-turuers, etc. It liilght be said that the extreme prices quoted above for such workmen are ruling, and ihac lu many cases they are rather under than over stated. The demand la mainly from Humboldt anl Men- docino counties, though the boom extends as far as Puget Sound, where nearly all the siw mills are m full blast. Tie- makers are especially needed, as most of the tie-coutractors are be- hind with their railroad orders. Ac iQo. each tie a good hand easily makes $2 50 to ts 60 per day. The timber Is redwood, and is easily worked. Persons coming to California with mea s enough to employ their own labor and make it produc- tive, are morally certain of a good livelihood. From time to time the rural papers give notice of wants. A blacksmith shop is needed lu one town, a paint suopm another, a good shoemaker Is re- quested to settle In a third, and so on. In many cases the residents are so anxious to have a par- ticular mechanic that they contribute to the ex- pense of starting the busiaess. Fai-m laborers* with a little moans, can rent laid, and wood- choppers, etc., with tools and provisions can get large and profitable coatracis. 200 FARES, WORK AND WAGES/ COST OF LIVING, ETC. FEMALE HELP. ^ Competent female help tor Housework Is scarce. Thescjloof wages prl iteJ abjve was coLnplled chiefly frou the cooks or some ot tiie most prom» lue.t" employment offices In the city, ana rep- reseDts tiie actual prices offered by employers. From all tiiat couia be uathered aurlng actual in- terviews witu euiployers, man gers of 1 .telll- gence offices aod appiica .tsfor woru, It appears' certaiu ihit a cou.pei^ent female servant can BBcure a place at grood wages with liitle or do trouble. Cliy positions are inodt sousht after. It 13 i.ext to impossib.e to get a wo:nan to eng^g'^ lor tne country, even at f30a moiitli aud found. The writer Inquired If, consider! ue tne dema id lor house servant:?, the Chluese interfered so much, and was finsweredth.it tuey do, the most desirable placed lu the city being filled by them, 'i'heculet Inquiry appears to be lor house help. A Qlsp'Sition is clearly apparent to suDstitute white females for Chinese, wherever possioie, as the constant demn lid atiests. Tbe writer was in- credulous us to the wages paid lor seauisiiesses toy the day, but was assured that a good hand could not te procured for less tiiau $2 5!3 a day. The othe:' figures fire tue actual ruling rates at tnls wruin,'. There is some demand for girls to worl£ lu niciilo and fruit-preservinu' cmnenes. They are paid by piece work, and their wages run from $6 to $12 a week, accoidintr to efficiency. The busy Bea- Bon, however, lasts but a few raonins. Women are also employed to a considerable extent in tagging factories. Good hands can make $12 a week at this lidusiry. A considerable number of females work at bookbinding. They avera^^e about $10 a week, flist-cliss binders reallzln-c as LighiiS$l5 per week. Priming and Us kludred Industries are also followed extensively by •women lu San Francisco. Wages from $8 to $15, according to efficiency. j LABOR IN FACTOKIES. ' While almost all ot the manufactories of San Francisco snow a satisfactory growth for 1881, It canecarcely be said that there is much demand lor labor In tuem at present. The machine a.nd boiler shops have lately been running on heavy orders. The rolling- a, ills are busy. Planlug- mlllj. box and bag factories, soap works, etc., tave plenty to do. But they all appear to be ■well supplied with help. According lo tue re- port of the Assessor to the ourveycr-General, the local manufactories, In ISSl, Increased tne numberof their employes by 2.671. The most I consplcuoua growths are appended. ' INCREASE OF EMPLOYES. Bags 37 Hats 32 Breweries 46, Pickle and preserve 255 Clothing 630 Sasli and door IM Cigar S20lSoap 45 Furniture 2iti|Tanneries 50 Cilass... 3Ui Woollen mills 119 This ticrease was readily supplied from the res- ident populailon, and no BcarcUy ot ihis class of help Was experienced. A large nuuiber of Chi- nese are employed, especially in cigar, clothing and woollen factories. I COST OF LIVING. ' San Francisco has Ion? been noted tor the va- riety, excellence and cheapness of her market l^roducts. 'J he necessaries of lite are cheap and abundant; the comforts and luxuries are easily attainable, even by peoplo In ujoderate clrcum- Biances. Tho following table ot prices, taken Irom The Morning Call of March 4, 1SS2, may be relied upon as correct: COAL. Hard. ^ ton... .16 00C*17 OU Cannel, ^ ton...l5 00(^16 00 ■W'etnardey.do.lO tofelu 50 Wellington, do.. 11 tO@ll 50 Bcotch.do 9 6U(5lU CO Sealtle.do 8 Ol@ 9 00 Bydney.do 9 SuCSlO tOICoos Bay.do.... 8 Uii@ 9 00 Rentou, <^ ton.. -O 8 SolCoke, ^ bbl 7U(^ 75 DAIKY PRODUCE, ETC. SaS S7 Cheese, Sage.l? B>. 3(1 32 Eg{ li@ 18 Bacon, IS I)> 16(3 18 Porlc Chops, ■?? ffi.. — @ 15 Beef.cholce.^lb.. 15i» Sol Eib Chops, '^13).... lorj 13 — (g 8'Kound Bleak, %( lb. 8(3 lu KM (5 Sirloinsteak, ^ lb. I2(i 15 im 2'iiPorierh'e8t'k,T^lb. 2il<« — IM loSmokedlScef, %/ ID 12.3 15 1.. — (i? ljlSpiir.fr l-amb.fi lb .. im -IVeal.'^lb POULTRY AVD GA2IE. Brohers, each 50(ffl 65 Rabbits, ^ pair. .. Ducks, each 7u(<}il UJ Squirrels, each.... Geese, each 1 75(n:2 5ii|Qii:iil,%J doz 1 25(gjl 50 Hens, each 75(31 OuMaliarus,^ pair. . — Cej 75 6rt<3 70lGuuva-bacl;s,pair.l 00@1 50 6j(sI OjISiTii-'.^pair. 50@ 6J 22;^ 25 TeaM^daz 1 161 Walnuts, ^tti lU; BcBiijyma.^lb.. 30(g! 35! Butter.choice,'^ D) Ordinary do, %) lb. Firkin do, %i lb.... Cheese, Cal.%ttt>... Eastei'udo.S tt).. Swiss do, ^flb Corned Beet',^ Ham,C:d..^lD... Do.Kastern.^lb. Mutton,^ ib Porl£,tresh,^2>.. Pork, salt, ^^R).... Pigeons,''^ pair. Roosters, each... Turkeys, %y lb... SmaUBirds.lJdz. -JS 30 2^^ 30 2((g 25 M{4 13 IKOI 25 llj@ 15 23(3 30 m 10 40® 60 l.:i^ 25 5o(a 75 " 75 25 2a -@ -(d 4(3 FISH. 6 Shrimps.^ ib. ... -@ 5 Sii'.snad, %) lb S0«« 40 e'Skates.each 1' (§ 15 —m 12lSuielt8,%J ID g'o) " —(5 15 Soles, $ lb 6{>' 8^ 10 Sturgeon, ^ lb... —(§ 2uiTomcod, %i.lb & 3(3 5 Turbot, % I Parsnips,/^ doz... 6 Potatoes, It? ft lOiDo. n>'\v, sirt ft f.lDo, R\veei,^ft.... lu Radishes.lfldzbcb 10,Riiuliiirl>.%4 ft.... _ aUjSag-e.'Sft moi 35 ^.143 5ujSplnage,^ft 8.^ 10 U(S! 25 S|iront«,#lb 8^ 10 6@ 8,SQuash,MMr't,^ft -® 5 —Yrt 2.IThvme,^ft -f^ 87 lo|Tumip8. 13 doz... lu(ci 20 aoiXoiuatoes.Wft.... —@ 13 lii -($ 60 15® 20 Kdi 9 t(§ 7 15(09 20 'Midi 40 Bo,Llma.dry,^ft Cabbages, each Cauliflower, each.. Celery, ^ bunch.. Cress, ^ doz bchs. CucuiMiu-r .?Jaoz Eschalots,^ ft.... GarUc.^ft b^i Ore J n Peas, ^ ft., —(a Lentils H'fi Lettuce,^ doz.... 152 1: will be roticed tbat fuel i.s somewhat dearer tban i i the Atl mile cities, but the climate bere Calls lor but little c )fiSuinptioii, exi;ept for cook- ing purposes. Keiitlsalso somewiiat higber. A tenement ot loir roo > s can be rented at from $10 to $15; oaeof six rooms irom S15 to f'iU; o e of eight rojins from $20 to $25. 'i his rent includes w.iter. The expenses of a fa niiy of six fur living comfortably and without stint may be stated as loilows: Kent $15 oopermonih V gelables 3 5.) per month Groceries 5 50peruionih Flour 2 50p'.rmouth Freshmeat lu UOperiDouth Fuel and li^ht 4 OJ per mouth Total $40 50 per month This list Includes everv necessary except clotU- In?, a id is given tro.a the exuerience or practical housekeepers. But it is a fact t.iat 1 iborin;^ men, and otbers whoso 1 icome la 1 Si than $40 per FARESrWORK AND WAGES, COST OF LIVING, ETC, 201 moiitb, support aud clothe their famlUea coriQ- fortably and decently, besides saving a little towiirii the piirciiase of a homestead. It Is also worthy of remark that provlsloos are exceptlon- ally dear just now. Meats are 50 per cent higher than usual. Potatoes are quoted at 3c. and 3)4c. a pound. TUey are usually worth about, lo. per pound, and frequently much less. Clothing, hats, boots and shoes, etc., are about as cheap as lu the Eisc. ^' ' '-"'-^■"■'' -' ' BOABD. ^^ _ _^ Board and lodging In good, respectable hotels, can be h id for irom |4 to f5 per week. The table Is well supDUed with substantial and delicacies. Good meals can be had in restaurants for fiiteen cents. There are several rest aura Jts where a meal, Including soup, fish, entrees, and roast, "With a bottle of wine, dessert, and bUiclc coffee, may be puichased fjr25ct3. Singlabedroonsuiay be hired tor $5 a month. This, with restaurant too ird at $12, makes tue lowest cost of living plainly, tuough satisractorily, $17 per montu. W.ishln? Is mostly do le by Ublaamen. Their prices are very lov. or course these ngures are for people la moderate clrcunstances. Those vho can afford to pay for it can had as luxurious Uvlnj In San Frauclsco as la any city In the world. First-clsss hotels charge f3 per day for board and room, or from $60 to$T5 per inonth. between the lowest and the Ulghest-priced cara- vansaries there are gradailona to suit all inter- meaiate classes. Tnerejs but l ittle d i fferenc e between the cost of living in San Francisco and the large interior towns. Good substantial meals can be had In almost any village from Siskiyou to San Diego for 25 cents and uoward. Kei^t la much cheaper lu the interior cities. COST OF PABMINQ APPLIANCES. WaRODS $10(1 to $175 Harnesses, set 4i)to 60 Plouffhs 12to 15 Ploughs, Kaug 6j 10 75 Mowers lou to 20u Headers 225 to 3uo American horses 75 to ir>n Hog-8. brood... loto 12 Hogs, male 12 to 4l) Cows 25to 6U The lower ranee of these orlces will purchase good articles, except, perhaps, wagons and native horses. The litter, at $5 each, are wild and worihless. Good animals of musta ig slock may occasionally be broken t ) hames-!, but lUey are generally too U^'ht. A i American ijorse at about $125 Is the cueaoest In the loug i un. iserviceaLile two-horse farm wagons cost at least $125; larger In nroportloD. Headers are buUt with 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, and 24-feet cuts. The prices mentioned above are for differeot kluds of 10-foot headers. As a general rule. It maybe said that agricultural macninery Issold at a very small advance over Eastern prices. The fact that storehoudea and granaries are not needed here, on account of the dryness of the Summer and Fall months, materially lessens the c oat of tarmlog. '^rT^-'''^ jQajffai;ARBfiW<. COUNTIES, ACEEAGE, VALUATION, POPULATION, SCHOOL FUND, ETC., IN CALIFOKNIA. Counties. Alameda Alpine Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa.. .. Del Norte El Dorado Fresno Humboldt Inyo Kern Lake Lassen Los Angeles Marin Mariposa Mendocino Jlerced , Modoc Mono Monterey Napa Nevada . Placer Plumas Sacauienfo San Benito San Bernardino. San Diego San Francisco. .. San Joaquin San Luis Obispo. San ]\L^teo Santa Barbara. . . Santa Clara Santa Cruz Shasta Sierra Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter Tehama Trinity Tulare , Tuolumne Ventura \olo , I'uba Acres. Real Estate. Totals. 472,000 565,000 362,000 1,130,000 622,000 1,472,000 470,000 990,000 1,210,000 6,180,000 2,620,000 6,500,000 6,184,000 690,000 3,040,000 3,080,000 326,000 988,000 2,280,000 1,260,000 2,750,000 1,790,000 2,130,000 605,000 720,000 915,000 1,700,000 620,000 670,OOU 13,5.50,0:10 9,580,000 27,001' 876,80u 2,290,000 293.760 1,450,000 830,000 280,000 2,410,000 5011.000 3,890,000 530,000 960,000 060,000 391,000 2,000,000 1,680,000 4,100,000 1,250,000 1,077,000 651,000 395,000 139,105,894 284,159 1,847,870 8,653,077 1,245,669 10,624,916 6,381,081 434,789 1,556,620 4,143,578 3,875,995 781,898 4,316,053 1,662,024 590,853 13,731,873 7,071,156 879,127 4,033,9.50 4,182,104 582,9-5 605,150 6,016,424 6,718,390 6,492,909 4,277,253 1.546,210 14,213,568 3,410,501 2,156,253 2,382,795 190,389,410 14,502,255 3,414,838 5,624,855 4,395,076 24,181,865 5,412,.514 1,084,196 1,156,966 1,503,09 7,407,641 12,884,150 6,008,521 3,368,429 3,022,073 538,075 4,010,8591 1,080,685 2,711,630 8,604,742 3,087,390 Personal Property. 100,218,560 §466,273,585 $118,304,451 Total Valuation. $3,716,983 256,100 620,772 2,090,349 626,081 1,777,392 964,015 261,831 755,970 2,211,018 1,605,551 571,402 1,688,807 514,990 639,911 2,636,777 1,342,194 415,921 1,942,013 1,126,141 684,319 364,715 1,168,771 1,297,951 1,433,309 1,497,607 568,9e3 4,202,770 537,227 420,720 1,142,458 54,237,350 2,874,874 961,246 730,825 942,562 3,421,375 897.210 877,240 339,622 1,148,275 1,635,240 2,685,212 1,163,920 752,022 1,177,925 329,821 1,193,918 615,330 658,531 l,572,f.85 1,206,240 Popu- giz; lation. £ ? $42,822,877 540,259 2,468,642 10,743,426 1,871,750 12,420,308 7,345,096 696,620 2,312,.590 6,354,596 5,481,546 1,353,300 6,005,460 2,177,014 1,230.764 16,368,649 8,413,350 1,295,048 5,975,963 5,308,245 1,267,304 969,865 7,185,195 8,016,341 6,926.218 6,774, 2,115,173 18,416,338 3,947,728 2,576,973 3,525,253 244,626,760 17,377,129 4,376,084 6,355,680 6,337,638 27,603,240 6,309,724 1,961,436 1,496,588 2,051,367 9,042,881 15,569,362 6,232,441 4,120,451 4,190,998 868,496 6,204,777 1,590,016 3,270,161 10,177,427 4,293,630 62,972 539 11,386 18,721 9,094 13,118 12,625 2,584 10,685 9,478 15,510 2,928 5,601 6,596 3,340 33,379 11,32;" 4,.339 12,800 6,656 4,399 7,4')9 11,30 13,225 20,827 14,226 6,180 34,391 5,584 7,786 8,618 233,956 24,354 9,142 8,669 9,522 35,039 12,801 9,492 6,623 8,610 18,475 25,920 8,751 5,159 9,30-2 4,998 11,281 7,848 5,0' ' 11,772 11,270 Amount School Fund. $584,678,036 864,686 15,677 97 2,819 3,916 2,298 3,057 3,462 454 2,377 2,377 3,951 452 1,212 1,571 885 10,609 2,188 972 3,339 1,343 1,117 554 3,189 3,228 5,056 2,951 1,023 7,208 1,6 2,460 1,991 56,11 5,. 536 1 2,3951 2,368 3,073 9,053 3,738 2,247 1,172 1,860 4,977 7,236 1,970 1,442 2,346 707 3,467 1,712 1,493 3.089 2,380 211,237 $110,052 ^4 680 94 19,789 38 27,490 32 16,131 96 21,460 14 24,303 24 3,187 08 16,686 64 16,686 54 27,736 02 3,173 04 8,.508 21 11,028 42 6,212 70 74,475 18 16,359 70 6,823 44 22,467 86 9,399 78 7,841 34 3,889 08 22,386 78 22,600 56 35,493 12 20,716 02 7,181 46 50,600 16 11,077 66 17,269 20 13,976 82 386,907 30 38,862 72 19,620 90 16,833 96 21,572 46 63,552 06 26,240 76 15,703 74 8,227 44 13,057 20 34,938 54 60,796 72 13,829 40 10,122 84 16,468 92 4,61)3 14 24,548 94 12,018 24 10,480 86 21,084 78 16,707 60 $1,482,883 74 DISTANCES FROM SAN FRANCISCO (By Water). 203 PLACES NORTH. Point Bonita Bolinas Point Point Reyes Point Tomalea . . . . Bodega Head Point Arena Cuffy's Cove Mendocino City. . , Slielter Cove , Point Gonio Cape Mendocino. . Cape Fortunas. .. . Table Blufif Humboldt Bay.. . Trinidad Crescent Citj- Cape St. George.. Kogue River Port Orford Cape Blanco Coquille Cape Gregory . . . . , Umpqua River... CapePerpetua. ... Yaquina Bay Cape Foiilweather Cape Lookout Tillamook Bay 7 17 33 49 52 100 1]2 122 167 184 195 200 212 216 233 274 276 313 336 341 360 372 394 433 454 464 PLACES NORTH. Tillamook Head Columbia River Bar. . . Astoria Kathlamite Oak Point Rainier Kalama St. Helens Willamette River Portland , . Caj e Disappointment . Shoal water Bay Gray's Harbor Destruction Island .... Flattery Rocks Cape Flattery Port Townsend Seattle Tacoma Steilacooin Olympia Victoria, B. C JSanaimo, B. C Seymour Rapids Cape Fox Fort Wrang-el, Alaska. Sitka, Alaska Harrisburg-, Alaska . . . 523 54* 655 583 595 611 620 631 649 661 545 569^ 657 6638 6S9f. 770 8068 83 3 830 855 750 833 907 1306 1434 1596 1726 PLAGES SOUTH. MILES . PLACES SOUTH. MILES. 7i 19 26 46 51 70 85 88 104 136 154 160 166 ISO 185 193 Point Harford 201 Point Sal 217 Pillar Point 236 Pigeon Point Point Conception 24S 260 288 296 311 321 344 361 377 387 393 475 482 FARES (north). Point Arena, Cal Cuffey's Cove, Cal Mendocino City, Ca' Shelter Cove, Cal Eureka (Humboldt Bay), Cal Crescent City, Cal Astoria, Or Portland, Or Dalles, Or Umatilla, Or Wallula, W. T CABIN. $7 00 8 00 9 00 10 00 10 00 15 00 20 00 20 00 25 00 30 00 32 00 .STEERAGE. $4 00 6 00 e 00 6 00 6 00 10 0) 10 00 10 00 15 00 20 00 22 00 FARES (north). Walla Walla, W^ T Port Townsend, W. T. . . Seattle, W. T Tacoma, W. T Olympia, W. T Victoria, B. C Nanaimo, B. C New Westminster, B. C. Fort Wrang-el, Alaska.. . Sitka, Alaska Harrisburff, Alaska 134 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 25 00 22 00 45 00 .55 00 70 00 $24 00 10 00 10 00 10 00 10 00 10 00 12 00 12 00 25 00 30 00 40 OO FARES (south). CABIN. STEERAGE. FARES (south). CABIN. STEERAGE. $2 50 3 00 10 00 10 CO 10 80 14 80 '$7 '56 7 50 8 30 12 30 Santa Barbara, Cal San Buenaventura, Cal San Pedro $10 00 12 00 14 00 15 00 15 00 $7 GO 9 00 9 00 San Simeon, Cal Port Harford, Cal 10 00 10 00' Paso Robles Hot Springs, Cal. . . 204 POSTOFFICES IN CALIFOENIA. POSTOFFICES IN CALIFORNIA. POSTOFFICES. Acampo Adelaida Adin Alameda Alamo Albion Alcatraz Allegliany. . ...... Allendale Allen Springs Alma Alta Altamont Alturas Alvarado Alviso An\ador Amargo America Anaheim Anderson Angelljland Angel's Camp Antelope Anthonj'House.. . Antioch Apex Applegate Aptos Arbuckle Areata Arlington . . •. Arroyo Grande . . . Athlone Atlanta Atwater Auburn Austin Ave a Azusa Baird Bakersfield Ball Ballard Ballena Ball's Ferry Bangor Banning B.vnta Bartlett Springs . . Batavia Bath Bear Valley Beckwith Bellata Bell's Station Belmont Eenicia Benton Berdan Berenda Berkeley Berlin Bernardo Berry Creek Berry vale Bertha Bethany Bethel Beveridge San Joaquin San Luis Obispo.. Modoc Alameda Contra Costa . . . . Mendocino San Francisco . . . Sierra Solano Lake Santa Clara acer Alameda VIodoc Vlameda Santa Clara Amador Los Angeles Sonoma Los Angeles shasta Marin ,'alaveras Sacramento Nevada Contra Costa . . . . San Diego Placer -anta Cruz Colusa Humboldt San Bernardino. . San Luis Obispo. Merced San Joaquin . . . . .Merced Placer Sonoma Inyo Los Antreles Shasta Kern Siskiyou Santa Barbara. . San Diigo Shasta Butte San Bernardino. . San Joiquin Lake S' llano Placer .Mariposa Plumas Si'.n Joaquin Santa Clara San Mateo Solano Mono Butte Fresno Alameda Colusa San Diego Butte Siskiyou Lake San Joaquin Fresno Inyo POPU LATION. 75 203 325 5,751 5h 220 271 30 1.51 251 40 f.Oi) 317 149 900 813 201 300 61 102 125 450 1,792 1,250 1,003 'sos 321 16 325 413 88 205 43 301 51 63 12 1,153 86 85 1,500 80 102 75 103 DIST, FROM S. F. 58 208 489 24 38 154 111 114 234 306 319 523 212 557 74 116 65 25 S3 472 POSTOFFICES. COUNTIES. POPU- LATION. DIST. FROM S. F. Bidwell's Bar Butte 30 44 75 63 287 S3 138 229 Bieber Big Bar Trinity.... ..,.,,.. Fresno Butte Big Dry Creek.... Bigg's Station Big Oak Flat Big Pine Big Trees 213 Tuolumne 175 Calaveras i78 Biiighamoton 31 75 350 60 250 75 Bird's Landing . . . Bishop Creek Bitter Water Solano San Benito Black Diamond.. . Black Point Contra Costa 51 26 Yolo 84 97 Blair Monterey Humboldt 52 135 863 75 60 Block,sburg 66 Blue Canyon Blue Lake B.ue Tent 218 Humboldt Nevada Nevada 303 6,000 130 163 125 338 267 444 .Siskiyou 46 115 Borilen Fresno Santa Cruz 176 Boulder Creek Brentwood Bridgeport Contra Costa 62 150 105 303 40 33 150 75 105 12f 442 Brighton Sacramento Nevada Tuolumne Yuba 134 Brown's Valley . . . 204 Yuba 225 Butte 245 Buchanan Buckeye Fresno , .... Shasta 290 33 245 Yuba 35 187 175 75 35 107 75 389 Santa Clara Shasta Burney Valley San Joaquin Placer Butte City Colusa Contra Costa Mendocino 61 55 Cahto 166 160 801 308 26 213 1,350 127 324 Calistoga Callahan's Ranch. Napa Sisleles San Francisco Los Angeles an Mateo San Dego San Ji aquin Santa Clara San Henito A'ameda Alameda San Luis Obispo. . . San Diego San Mateo San Luis Obispo . . . Contra Costa Marin Marin Contra Costa San Luis Obispo . . . Los Angeles Santa Barbara Santa Clara Santa Cruz Santa Barbara Los Angeles Ventura , Monterey Sonoma Santa Clara Santa Clara Ventura Marin Los Angeles Siskiyou Sierra Ventura San Mateo Siskiyou San Mateo Sonoma Siskiyou Fiesiio Fies 10 Shasta Calaveras Placer S&nta Clara El Dorado .. . Shasta Tulare Sierra Sierra Los Angeles Amador Alpine.., POPU- LATION. 200 45 ,420 ,300 205 !,600 6U 800 480 65 ,800 3(1 i.OlO 39:. :,450 30^ 2o; !,95i 23; 61 31 500 ,801 55( 1,241. 291. 415 251 298 ;,294 31 ,651 ,469 ,416 ,000 110 400 503 125 ,472 301 90 105 700 50 179 45 305 152 900 ioi 180 30 500 303 100 100 POSTOFFICES IN CALIFORNIA. 2U9 POSTOmCKS. C0UNTIB3. POPU- LATION. DIST. FROM 8. F. POSTOFFICBa. 1 COUNTIBa. POPU- LATION. DIST. PROM S, F. Ukiah Uncle Sam Mendocino 951 156 121 Sis Quve lU Skaggs' Springs . . Slack Canyon Slate Creek 75 Union House Upper Lake Upper Mattole Slide 266 36 604 123 Slippery Ford El Dorado 102 265 280 45 30 334 105 501 8 610 1,492 302 ""2i6 289 ■""65 156 143 56 ""56 157 116 Humboldt Smartsville Yuba 61 Del Norte El Dorado Vallecito Vallejo 151 ■Smith's Flat Solano 6,000 130 110 27 Smith's Ranch. . . . Valley Center Valley Ford San Diego .Snelling 62 Soledad Contra Costa 25 93 1,412 1,000 311 60 35 Somes' Bar Tehama Tulare 237 Sonora Volcano Walnut Creek .... Walnut Grove Walsh Station.... 165 ."Soquel Santa Cruz Contra Costa Sacramento Sacramento San Diego 25 ■Soulsbyville 125 South Butte Sutter 545 Los Angeles 255 25 350 500 277 Wash .... Spanish Ranch . . . Spencerville Washington Washington Cors. . Waterf ord Waterman Watsonville Weaverville Weed 203 252 110 237^ Alameda Stanislaus 34 Springville Squaw Valley 75 Santa Cruz Trinity 2,010 863 101 San Joaquin '10,287 45 60 149 550 60 100 135 135 650 705 200 202 75 501 45 92 ""ni 46 161 245 302 37 321 162 229 '"237 "'273 355J Stony Point Strawberry Valley Sugar Pine Yuba Weldon Kern 75 570 West Berkeley.... West Branch West Butte West End Westminster West Point Alameda Butte Suisun City Sulphur Creek Sutter 14 43umner Los Angeles Calaveras 147 120 60 505 100 502 Sunolglen 178 Mei.docino Wheatland White River Whitesborough. .. White's Ridge Wild Flower Williams Willits Willow Willow Creek Willow Ranch Wilmington 179 Sweetland Tulare.. Sycamore Table Bluff Humboldt Tahoe Colusa 495 225 760 Tallac El Dorado Mendocino Colusa Taylorville 171 525 275 320 263 350 127 440 Tehama Tehichipa Telegraph City Modoc 45 910 155 403 300 30 2,500 251 Los Angeles Sonoma 392 66 San Bernardino... . 122 Yolo 74 Temperance Woodbridge Woodford's Woodland San Joaquin 107 355 Tulare 200 30 90 30 15 105 100 251 "'166 210 ' ■ '196 327 56 Yolo 82 San Mateo 44 Woodville Wright's Tulare 258 Yuba........ ..... Santa Clara.. ., ... Butte 45 Tulare Wyandotte 226 Todd's Valley Toll-House Fresno Yankee Hill Yankee Jim's Yocumville Yokohl Butte Placer 75 41 75 238 194 Tnlare Siskiyou San Joaquin San Benito 75 150 185 51 1,503 450 140 45 45 72 100 242 360 259 240 116 504 Tulare Yolo Yolo Mendocino 250 75 150 120 350 1,500 600 102 Trinidad Yorkville 228 Nevada Tulare You Bet Nevada 213 Tulare Yountville Yreka Napa 50 Turlock . . . Siskiyou 424 Tustin City Twenty -six Mile H. Los Angeles Stanislaus Yuba City Zem Zem.^ Sutter PRESS NOTICES. PRESS ^NOTICES. [Ohico Evenini? Becord.] \ , .n--.- 'j- " California As It Is."— Tbe above*Is the title ot a handsome book, contatolng 175 pages, published by itie Sau Francisco Call. It con- talus a weaUh or lurormatlon regarding tbe re- sources ana statistics ot tlie state, and is wrltteo by seventy or tlie leaning editors and autliors of tlie coast. It Is another spleodid illustration ot "i'DE Call's enterprise. rSacramento Lea'der.V. ' We are in receipt ot a copy ot a neat worlc, pub- lished by the san Francisco Call compaoy, en- titled " California as It Is," written by seventy of the leading editors and authors or the Golden State. The book contains one hundred and sev- eniy-flve pages, and intended tor distribution among the subscribers to The Weekly Call. From a glance at its contents we are disposed to believe it a work ot some merit. As a book of reference it Is valuable, containing much statisti- cal matter. rShasta Courier.] "California as It Is," written by seventy lead- ing authors of the Golden State, is the oook that is now Slung at us by an enterprising hrm at toe metropolis. J. E. Isaacs Is one ot the "seventy," and his description of Shasta county compares lavorably with thedescriptiooof other counties. We observe that in his statistics he puts the val- uation ot the court nouso and County Hospital at somethmtr like the right figure, $22,000, which Is the valuation placed upon it la 18S0. M. F. Eldridge will furnish the book on application, [Alta California.! The series of articles on the different counties, which have been appearing for some time in The Weekly Call, have been Issued In book form under the title of " California as It Is." Each county ot the State Is represented, and all sec- tions have been treated impartially, the desire having; been to Rlvo full, true and correct infor- mation in regard to each ana every poruon of the State, to those who may be seeking new homes or investments. The statements Riven are over the signatures of their authors, who are persoas of position, ability aud espenence. Soua facts and actual results have been preferred to eloquent language or beautiful eiabelllshnient. "Califor- nia as It Is" is certainly a valuable puoiicatlon, aud forms a book of one hundred and seveuty-flve closely printed pages, seiimgfor fifty centsa copy. [Sau Jose Mercury.], " California as It Is."— The proprietors ot the San Francisco call have done an euterprlslna: and commendable thing in issuing a volume of 175 pages, bearing the above title, which gives a Sketch ot the present condition and resources of every county in the State, written mostly by resi- dent editors or literary persons competent to lur- hlsh the lequlsite information. These aitlcies orltinally apoeared in The Wbei^ly Call, but are DOW put in convenient form for general circula- tion, being a practical way of conveving Intorma- tlon to present residents ot the State or to those desiring to become so. £San Francisco Abend Post] ; . . .. , •'California as It Is" is the title of a^hand- some book laid before the public by the San Fran- cisco Call Company, in which the reader will And a series Of interesting popular articles upon our State, its counties, agricultural resources, etc. Not less than seventy articles, prepared by per- sons who are comoetent judges, the majority ot whom belong to the journalistic class, have in this interesting work given their views and ideas in relation to Calitornia. "Cdlltornia as It Is" cannot be too highly rec- ommended to Immigrants, oecause It shows them as before remarked, in an Intelligent manner, the lights and shadows ot our State, and shows them at a glance all the advantages and disadvantages to settlers in our state. For the moderate sum et fifty cents, this handsonne book, which surely will be or great assistance to those who desire to emi- grate to the "tar west "Is to be had ot the "San Francisco Call Company," No. 525 Montgomery street, and we specially recommend it to our many readers on the other side ot the mountains. fSacramento Bee.] The Call, of San Francisco, has issued a work,, entitled "California as Itis," wrliteu by seventy ot the leading editors ana writers ot the Goiden state. It Is replete with most valuable iniorma- tlon, and reflects credit alike upon the taste and enterprise of the publishers. [Maryevillo Appeal.] The Call has issued a valuable publication under the title, ot " California as It Is," contain- ing 200 pages. The book contains a hisioi-y oV the state by counties, which has been carefully prepared by seventy local editors and writers. U is a valuable book, and sold at 50 cents a copy. [Marin County Journal.] " California as It Is," is the title ot a pamphlet of 175 pages, published by the San Francisco Call Company. It contains an article, historic and descriptive, ot each county of the State, generally written by editors, and a chapter on climate, fruits, cereals, small farming, lands, etc. The book appears 10 us to be one ot great vtilue, and as good u publication to send abroad as has ever been written about this State. Price, 50 cents. [Alameda Encinal.] The San Francisco Call Company has published a teat volume entitled " Callfoniia asltis," being a compilation ot sketches ot almost every county In the State, written mainly by editors of paoers in the various localities. It Is a good book to send abroad, as the luformallon it contains may be fully relied upon. [Stockton Daily Herald.] " California as It Is" Is a volume containing de- scrlptlODSOt the soil, climate, pioduciive indus- tries ana resources of each county in the state, 'jhese articles were written by the editors of newspapers published In th& counties described, and they set forth in favorable lights the advant- ages possessed by those counties fortheemigrant, the miner, the lumberman or the stock-raiser. The articles are not unduly rose-colored, 'i'hey seem to be lair and candid statements ot fact. The book is published by The Call, and is sold for fifty cents. It contaios a great deal of Infor- mation for the money. PKESS NOTICES. [Vanity Fair, Sen Francisco.] Wo bave received a copy of "California As It Is," published by lUe San Francisco Call Company. Tne book is a marvel In Its way. From tue 175 pages can be obtained valuable information from every county la the state. It bears upon Us face the evidence of careful work and thorough re- search. The work is worth thousands of dollars to the future progress of the State, and It should receive a wide circulation, ,-i ' > ' > ' _ . ' ' >,' ' [Colusa Sun.] .;;'.,:. ■ ■ The publishers of the San Francisco Call kindly sent us a copy of their publication. "California As It Is," a book of 175 pages, giving a correct history ot each county in the state, written by parties fa- miliar with the several localities. It is neatly printed, and is of great value to such as wish a condensed history of the counties ot the State, and their resources generally. IBerkeley Advocate.] "California As It Is" is the title of a neatly- printed pamphlet Issued toy The Call Publishing company, in which are given descriptive letters of the resources of the various counties of the State, originally printed in The Call sometime gince. The tacts and data given are mainly relia- ble, and are valuable for statistical reference. To Intending settlers it will prove a great aid. A handbome man ot California and Nevada Is in- cluded in the book. (.Calaveras Chronicle.l "California as It Is."— This is the title of a publication Issued by the Sau Francisco Call Publlsbiug Comoany. It is composed of articles originally wrltte'n for the Weekly call, nnd in- tended to give reliable information regarding tiie different sections of ihia State to those who may be seeking new homes here or investments. The authors, whose arilcles compose this little volume, are parties ot ability and experience, and the iniormation given therein is full and im- partial. The pamphlet is gotten uo in a neat and very attractive form, and, tor the purpose it 13 designee], is an excellent publication. Price, nfty cents a copy. [Placer Argus.j The San Francisco Call Company have Issued an attractive pamphlet, containing 175 pages of closely-printed matter, and a map ot California, showing the character and resources of the en- tire staie, by counties. The articles were origi- nally written by some ot the most capable and rellaDle men in the various counties, at the Bolicl- tation ot the Call proprietors, for publication in the Weekly Call, and so great was the demand for them for circulation in the East, that it was deemed advisable to group the matter In pam- phlet form, which hastoeen done, forming one of the gi-andest sources ot reliable information In re- lation to California, In a plain, unvarnished man- ner, ever presented to the public. The pamphlet Is sold at 50 cents per copy. [San Joaquin Valley Argus.j "California AS It Is."— We are In receipt ot a well-printed pamphlet ot 175 pages with the above title, published by The Call Company, San Fraucisuo, containing well-written descrip- tions ot each of the several counties ot the State, giving more reliable and minute descriptions of California than any other work yet published; each writer seemingly endeavoring testate sim- ple tacts relating to climate, Boll, productions, mineral resources, public and private improve- ments, including railroads. Irrigating canals and ditches, navigable streams, prices ot land and such other information as the inqulrlnz mind would seek to know, making It one of the best guides to immigraiits into our State ever placed before the public. The price of the book is fifty cents, and every callfornlan should invest a dol- lar or two in sending copies to friends in the East or the "old country." ■ ' ' cAnahelm Gazette.! " California as It Is " Is the lltleof atoooklssned by the San Francisco Call Company. It contains descriptions ot every county In the state, besides a number of special articles relating to the prin- cipal industries of California. Seventy writers aided in the compilation ot the book, and it is therefore the most exhaustive work of the kind which has ever been Issued. A large and hand- some map ot the state accompanies the book. The southern part of Los Angeles County Is writ- ten up by Richard Melrose, and the northern part by Captain George C. Knox. [Sau Diego News.! " California as It Is."— We are indebted to The Call for a copy of the work on California bearing the above title, and find it not only readable, but interesting. Each county has a snowing, mostly written by editors ot newspapers, or those as well informed. San Diego county ge.ts an article ot a little over two pages, but the author's name don't appear with it. The writer deals first with the tonography of tho county quite fairly, irrigation, principal resources, farm products, National Rancho, olives, bees, San Diego, Banner, Julian, Fort Yuma and other towns. Of the statistics, ihe work says. [Liberal quotations follow.] [Santa Barbara Press.] "California as It Is."— Under this title the San Francisco Call publishes a volume of 175 pages, with a map ot California and Nevada attached. The book is mainly composed of a series of articles descriptive of the separate counties of California, and written, according to the title page.bvseventy leading editors and authors of the Golden State." 'ihere are also articles on the orange, the olive, the vine, fruit raising, small farming, nuartz mining, dairying, and similar subjects or 1 'erest to the stale. Tne whole book bristles with facts. The space devoted to Santa Barbara is fliled by an alDle article originally written for the Call by IMrs. M. C. F.Wood. It was republished in the Prei« after its first appearance. [Inyo Independent.! The San Francisco Call favors us with a copy of their holiday work, " California as It} Is.'' Ic 13 a handsome, 175-page book, with a beautifully-illu- minated cover. It contains exhaustive articles descriptive of every county In the State— the one concerning Inyo being from the pen of the Hon. S. P. Moffatt. which was reprinted In this p mer some two years ago. The call map of the State is at- tached— alone worth double the 50 cents asked for the book. So far as this section of the country Is shown, it la the nearest correct of any map pub- lished. [Bridgeport Chronicle-Union.J " California as It Is."— A book of 175 pages, written by seventy leading editors and auihora. The contents comprise a history of the State and counties, and map of the State. It Is well gotten up, and is a good work to send East. It can be had for fifty cents. Published by the Saa Fran- cisco Call Company. [MountBln Echo.] "California as It Is," is a book recently pub- lished by tho proprietors of The Call at San Francisco. It Is written by seventy ot the lead- ing authors and editors of Calltorula. The book is well written, and Is ot unusual Interest to every citizen of the State, and, for that matter, every person In the United states who Is interested in tho history of California— Its mineral, agricultural and other resources. ' - -- ? ^^Wmm ^Wmmmi^w €ai.i^ SAN FRANCISCO, CAL Each issue of this superb news and literary weekly journal comprises eight pages, or sixty-four columns of well selected reading matter. It embraces the news of the week, together with an install- nient of an excellent story, and a large variety of correspondence and Iniscellaueous matter suitable to the merchant, mechanic or far- mer, either at home or abroad. It will be sent to any address in the United States or Canada for $1.25 per year — or $1.50, including this work entitled "California As It Is." SAN FRANCISCO, CAL The leading daily newspaper of the Pacific Coast. Its circula- tion is greater than any other daily newspaper printed west of New- York. It is printed every day in the year, issues an eight-page sheet on Sundays, six pages Tuesdays, and is in all respects a first- class metropolitan journil. Subscription price, $6.00 per year, or $6.25 per year including " California As It Is." Address S. F. CALL CO., 525 MONTGOMEKY STREET, San Francisco, Cal. 9.tH^^^o■^ \-^bev & v.nH. co. sv^. c» ==^^<: ^^ cacr ^ ~^ c3c: d^d COCL cicr C5C CTd: <^C cCT" CIC d c:c d CC - «o^ c: < c «r:« <. ^ cc ' ' C cc - ^-^ C_ or. <^_ . C'^'cz; «• <^^^^.cr:: .c ' ^d: cc: c<. .. C c<: CT cr: Cc' cc ct: <^c ^^ « _ cc c : cc «r cc ■^^^^*^ CC ^