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diff --git a/12022-0.txt b/12022-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5f60348 --- /dev/null +++ b/12022-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2457 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12022 *** + +A START IN LIFE. + +=A Journey Across America.= + + + +FRUIT FARMING IN CALIFORNIA. + +BY + +C.F. DOWSETT, + +_Author of "Striking Events in Irish History," etc., etc_. + + + * * * * * + + +LONDON: DOWSETT & Co., 3, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS. + + + * * * * * + + +PRICE ONE SHILLING. + + + + + +A START IN LIFE. + + + + * * * * * + + +_Plans, Maps, Views, Books, Samples of Fruits, Soils, etc., etc., of +Land at Merced, in California, may be seen at the Offices of + +MESSRS. DOWSETT & CO., + +3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, + +where also further particulars and introductions to the owners at Merced +may be obtained._ + + + + +CONTENTS. + + A Suggestion to Persons Seeking a Start in Life + Special Advantages + Comparison and Warning + Across America-- + London to Chicago + Chicago to San Francisco + San Francisco to Now Orleans + New Orleans to London + Information About California + Currency + Merced + Price of Land + American Surveys + Special Instruction Provided + Various Estimates as to what could be done with + Various Amounts of Capital + Price of Fruit Trees + When Fruit Trees Pay + Position of a Settler + Cost of Board and Lodging + Raisin Culture + Irrigation + Olive Culture + Special Openings + Potato Growing + Cost of Provisions, etc., at Merced + Cost of Journey by Sea and Land + Analysis of Merced Soils + Position of the Vendors + +[Illustration: Map of North America with Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. +_The dotted lines across America, indicate my journey, the Northern one +going, the Southern one returning. C.F.D._] + + + + +=A Start in Life.= + + +I have entitled this little book "A Start in Life," because it conveys +information which would enable any person possessing a small capital, +with some industry, patience, and steady habits, to make a start in life +which, humanly speaking, could not fail of success. + +The old countries of Europe contain a superabundant population; every +branch of professional and commercial life is so overcrowded, that there +exists a competition so keen, as to reduce the incomes of the largest, +and, in many cases, to prevent the smallest workers, in whatever sphere, +from getting a remunerative return for the activities of brain, muscle, +and money. + +To inform the public, therefore, how a young man may make a first start +in life, or an older man a fresh start in life, is offering an advantage +which, I doubt not, will be appreciated by many who read these pages. + +I am prepared to hear the objection that, in the proposals set forth +herein, I am seeking a personal advantage as Agent for the sale of the +lands at Merced, in California, that I refer to, and I meet it with this +statement: Let the objector consider his prospects of success in the +place where he now is, and if they are reasonably good, let him stay +there; if they are not, then let him intelligently consider what his +capabilities are--whether he has any special or technical knowledge, +and, if so, in what place he can expect the best return for a full use +of his talents. If any opening appears probable in any of the old +countries, he will, perhaps, first consider that; but if he can see no +opening at home, then let him consider, by careful investigation, the +more distant fields; let him learn all he can about all the British +Colonies, and other countries, and especially Canada and the United +States, as being nearest to Great Britain. Having learnt something +generally of these distant places, then, having regard to his own +abilities and capital, and his personal desires as to distance from the +Old Country, climate, &c., he should make his choice as to which of the +places he has read of seems most likely to give him a fair prospect of +success; and then, having come to this decision, he should learn all he +can about that particular place. I admit that I shall receive a +personal benefit by persons settling at Merced, in California; but--I +say this with great confidence--if, after an intelligent consideration +of other places, any person, desiring a start in life, comes to the +conclusion that Fruit culture in California is an occupation, and a +country, that would suit him, then let him consider all the places in +California where openings for this occupation are presented, and let him +choose which of them he considers most suitable; and, at the risk of +appearing invidious, I would add that he should not believe all he +reads, but should make his examination and inquiries for himself, on the +spot. I do not ask him blindly to believe what is set forth in these +pages, but if he thinks that California is a suitable place of +settlement for him, then I do say, with great emphasis, that he should +not settle upon anything in California until he has been to Merced, and +proved for himself that the statements are credible. After he has been +to Merced, I have little doubt that he will be convinced that that place +presents an opening which would be worth his decision. + +If he proceed to California by the Southern Pacific Railway, he could +break his journey at the various other places of Fruit culture +settlement, and inspect them, reaching Merced last, as the nearest to +the great centre of San Francisco. + +A careful comparison of the various fields of Fruit culture enterprise +will, I am assured, show him that Merced possesses peculiar advantages. + +It is well known that the great drawback of California is want of water; +and intending settlers must not be satisfied by the statements of +agents, or owners, that their lands have water advantages, but they must +satisfy themselves that they can have water by irrigation (not by the +expensive, laborious process of pumping it up from uncertain springs), +and in such a quantity as to be permanent. + +At some places lands now supplied by irrigation will fall short +presently, when the owners carry the water on to thousands of adjoining +acres; therefore, a full and permanent supply of water is an essential. + + +THE SPECIAL ADVANTAGES + +my clients offer settlers at Merced are:-- + +1. A permanent supply of Water, for a perpetual water right accompanies +every lot of land sold. + +2. Contiguity to a Railway Station on the main line, and to a Town, +with commercial, professional, educational, social and religious +advantages. + +3. Instruction in Fruit culture gratis by a specialist, who is paid by +my clients to instruct settlers on their lands. + +4. A rich Soil, of which, on another page, an analysis is given. + +5. A ready Market for produce. Buyers come round the country and +purchase the crops as they are on the trees, taking upon themselves the +picking and packing. The Continent of North America is a sufficient +market in itself for all time especially considering that its population +increases nearly a million and a half a year. + +6. The prices range from 75 dollars to 150 dollars per acre. At some +other places in California, land is offered at a less price, but I can +sell some land at even 10 dollars per acre; yet that at 100 dollars per +acre is far cheaper, having regard to its advantages. Our land at 150 +dollars per acre will favourably compare with lands fetching much higher +prices. + +7. Free Conveyances will be given, with a perfectly clear and +satisfactory title. + +8. Two-thirds of the purchase-money may remain on +mortgage. + +9. Merced is only 14 days from London. + +10. A liberal competence may be secured by a reasonably industrious +settler. + +11. Merced is a very healthy locality, and is nearer to San Francisco +than other Fruit growing centres. + +12. My clients, the owners, are well-known gentlemen of wealth and +position in California, and not irresponsible land speculators, members +of a syndicate with an unknown personality. + + +COMPARISON AND WARNING. + +I have already said that applicants should verify for themselves the +statements made by persons who, like myself, would be personally +benefited by their settling upon the lands offered for sale. Letters +sent to this country, and advertised by agents as a guarantee of +advantages, written by persons soon after arrival in California, and who +have not compared the place of their location with other places, can +scarcely be a sufficient recommendation. Some parts of California +advertised in this country for sale have not a permanent water supply; +are too hot; are swept by winds; are at a considerable distance from a +railway station; have a poor, sandy soil, some even mixed with alkali; +and some are so situated as to be "notoriously unhealthy," and produce +chills, fevers, and general malaria, and, in one case, I have heard of +an embarrassed title: therefore, I say that intending settlers should +remember there is a California and a California--that it is not all gold +which glitters, and that they should, personally and intelligently, +investigate for themselves, on the spot, the statements made by those +who, at a distance, offer the lands for sale. + + +CAPITAL REQUIRED. + +It is recommended that settlers intending to establish Fruit farms, +should have a capital of from £600 upwards; but those who have a smaller +capital--say, £300, or even £100--may, in other ways, find some opening +for employing it, if accompanied with intelligent, industrious, +persevering work. + + + + +=A Start in Life.= + + +To ensure the stability of a building the foundation ought to be +substantial, so in like manner a good start in life goes a great way +towards ensuring a successful career. By success I do not mean the +making of a rapid fortune by leaps and bounds of prosperity, but I do +mean an ultimate prosperity, acquired through patient, persevering, and +intelligent labour. To make a large fortune quickly it is necessary to +have command of the requisite knowledge of the business in hand, the +requisite capital, untiring energy, and a trait of genius. Beyond these +it would be necessary to have the mind absorbed in the one thing, and +therefore, supposing one possessed the requisites, would it be worth +while to sacrifice all else to the mere accumulation of money? To live +for mere money making is a grovelling existence, and utterly unworthy +the aim of any man possessing the finer instincts of human nature and +the intelligence with which it is endowed. + +No, I am not pretending to offer the means of making a rapid +fortune--such accidents fall to the lot of but few out of the millions +of our species--but I do claim to be able to offer to men willing to +live a steady industrious life, the opportunity of acquiring, on easy +terms, a small freehold estate, into which they can put the golden seed +of their own mental and physical effort with the certainty of reaping a +golden harvest proportionate to their area, their ability, and their +industry; for when once a Fruit farm is planted it increases in value +every year. + +To own a freehold estate of 20, 40, or 100 acres, with a comfortable +house and buildings, and the land well stocked with choice Fruits, with +a ready market, presents a prospect, by the use of a small capital, with +the addition of muscle and brains, of future competence. When such a +property is fully matured, labour can be hired, and one's own personal +energies may be diverted, if preferred, into other channels, or +continued in the same with largely accumulating benefits. + +I ask my readers requiring for themselves, or others in whom they are +interested, a start in life, to read these pages carefully, for I do not +know any calling, in the old or new world, where a small capitalist fond +of country life could find an occupation more congenial than the one I +offer at Merced, in California, and which is described herein. + +Residence near to a young town, which will probably increase rapidly in +value, and which now possesses extensive commercial, locomotive, social +and religious advantages, a climate than which the surface of this globe +scarcely presents one more desirable, a fortnight's journey from London, +and a soil pregnant with inherent virtue, are amongst the considerations +of importance which will determine thoughtful investors to settle at +Merced. + +I am prepared to show to applicants samples of the soils and fruits, and +also views, books, maps, &c., and to answer questions, if they will call +personally upon me, at my offices-- + + 3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, + +so that they may have every assistance in enabling them to come to a +decision as to whether the start in life I offer them at Merced, in +California, is one suitable in respect of their inclination, capital, +abilities, and energy. + + +WITHIN A FORTNIGHT OF LONDON. + +To prove the convenient access of this land, called "British Colony" +from London, I may say that on November 22nd, 1890, I left Liverpool in +the Cunard steamer "Etruria," which reached New York on the following +Saturday evening, just too late for the Custom-house officers to examine +the luggage, so that we could not go on shore till the next morning. I +stayed over the Sunday (26 hours) in New York, leaving on Monday by the +first overland train, and after calling at innumerable stations, and +staying 14 hours at Chicago and Council Bluffs, to "make connections" +(_i.e._, catch other trains), and staying 52 hours at San Francisco, I +arrived at Merced at 10.23 on Monday night, December 8th, _i.e._, say 16 +days 6 hours after leaving Liverpool. Had I have left Liverpool by the +Wednesday instead of the Saturday steamer, I should not have needed to +have stayed over Sunday in New York, and, of course, there would be no +necessity for a settler to stay at San Francisco (I had to meet my +clients there); therefore, deducting these two stoppages of 78 hours, or +3-1/4 days, it would give 13 days to Merced in the _winter_ season. In +fine weather the journey could be made in less time; some steamers, in +the summer and autumn months, have crossed from Liverpool to New York in +about six days, so that the journey _could_ be made, in favourable +circumstances, in say 12 to 13 days, but we may safely put it at 14 +days. + +I went by the Northern Prairies and Rocky Mountains, and returned by the +longer route of Southern California, the Desert of Arizona, the Plains +of Texas, through the sugar and cotton districts of the Southern States, +and thence, viâ New Orleans and Washington, back to New York. + +Thus, after remaining eight days at Merced, where I was fully engaged +each day in inspecting the lands for sale and the country around for +many miles, and after allowing for stoppages on the return journey over +Sundays, and waiting three days at New York for the Cunard steamer +"Servia," I reached Liverpool on January 4th, and was back again in my +office on Monday, January 5th, being six weeks, one day and 22 hours +from the time I rose from my chair in my office to the time I was +sitting in it again. + + + + +=Across America.= + + +LONDON TO CHICAGO. + +Travelling in generations past was an important event in one's life, but +now a journey across an ocean and a continent is a very commonplace +affair. Books of travel used to be read with avidity, but now that so +many persons travel, and the wires keep us in touch with all the world +every day, the history of a journey is a small event, and one which to +those not specially interested would scarcely perhaps be read; +nevertheless, as some of my readers may have to go over some of the +ground I have recently traversed, I have no doubt that a reference to my +journey to California and back would be of interest to them, and +therefore I will give up some time and space to the subject. + +This little record of my journey may perhaps be better received if I +state that I am not a novice in travel, and that before I had turned +twenty-one years of age I had been to Australia (calling _en route_ at +Pernambuco in South America), and that while in Australia I visited +Melbourne, Sydney, Geelong, King George's Sound, besides various inland +towns and gold fields, including Bendigo, Castlemaine, Tarrangower, +Fryer's Creek, Forest Creek, Campbell's Creek, Tarradale, Maryborough, +etc., and various other places, and sheep and cattle stations. From +Australia I went to Aden (the inland town) and up the Red Sea to Suez, +returning to Australia, and thence to England. Since I commenced +business in England, in 1859, I went in 1862 to St. Thomas' in the West +Indies, thence to Aspinwall, across the Isthmus to Panama, thence to +Acapulco in Mexico, on to San Francisco in California, and thence to +Vancouver Island, returning by the same route as far as Aspinwall, +whence I went to New York. In 1865 I went on business to Russia. +Arriving at the ancient city of Pskov, I proceeded across country to the +estate of my client, the Count Bogouschefsky, at one time private +Secretary to the Emperor Nicholas (grandfather of the present Czar). +Some of these travels were attended with a good deal of adventure; but +my recent journey from England to California and back, 13,774 miles, in +six weeks (including all stoppages), was all work, for my time was +occupied continuously in reading up the country, learning from old +settlers, and making notes of what I saw, some of which I have found +room for in the following pages. + +On November 22nd, 1890, I was at work in my office in Lincoln's Inn +Fields, whence a cab depositing me at Euston, the 10.10 express train +soon ran me down to Liverpool (201 miles), whence a steam "tender" took +me from the landing-stage to the Cunard steamship "Etruria," some two +miles off, where I was soon comfortably located in my "state room" (No. +42). + +It was nearly 5 o'clock before we got away, and the next day found us at +Queenstown Harbour, where we lost considerable time in waiting for the +mail. At length the mail, which was a heavy one, was safely on board, +and off we went, head on to the Atlantic. During that night of the 23rd +we experienced a heavy gale; big seas broke over the forecastle, and +flooded the decks below, through the ventilators. The A.B.'s declined +venturing on the forecastle to unship these great ventilators, and so +the engines had to be slowed down, and the ship stopped; the ventilators +were then unshipped, and we proceeded. The night was a bad one, and the +next morning we had not got through it, and as a consequence the decks +were like lagoons; but presently we had run through it, or it had run +away from us, or had expended its energy, and we were in comparatively +smooth waters, and had a comfortable run to New York. Nothing of +particular interest occurred during the passage. I sought and found the +old American settlers amongst the passengers, and obtained from them all +the information I could of the country, and especially the State to +which I was going. I read "General" Booth's "Darkest England," and wrote +a review of it, which duly appeared in the "Land Roll." + +The "Etruria" is a fine ship. She has a commodious saloon, music and +reading room, plenty of deck space for exercise, comfortable cabins, +bath rooms, etc. + +On the 29th we made Sandy Hook Lighthouse, which is about 20 miles from +New York Dock, but we got in too late for the Custom-house officers to +look at our baggage, so we lay all night in the harbour, and next +morning commenced the tedious process of creeping up, yard by yard, into +our berth at the dock. The run from Liverpool was thus:--Liverpool to +Queenstown, on the 22nd and 23rd, 240 miles; 24th, at noon, 330 miles; +25th, 454; 26th, 462; 27th, 475; 28th, 480; 29th, 471; distance to +Sandy Hook Lighthouse, 130 miles; so that the run totals up to 3,042, +and with the 20 miles added, 3,062 miles. + +I had been recommended by a passenger to go to the Hotel St. Stephen, 46 +to 52, East Eleventh Street, New York, whence I drove in a cab perhaps a +mile and a half, for which the cabman wanted 2 dollars (equal to 8s. +4d.); he got 1-1/2, which was half-a-dollar too much. Passengers should +drive to their hotel, and then ask the proper fare before paying. New +York has many large hotels--this is comparatively a small one. All the +waiters are coloured men, and this seems pretty general throughout +America. + +I stayed over the 30th (Sunday) in New York, by which I secured a quiet +day and an opportunity to attend Divine service. In my bedroom was a +coil of stout Manilla rope screwed into the floor, near a window, so +that an escape might be secured in the event of fire. The towels +provided are a kind of compromise between a duster and a pocket +handkerchief--rather disappointing to one accustomed to his "tub." New +York is great in tram-cars, worked by horses, mules, and electricity, +also elevated railways--that is, railways running down the streets on +huge tressels or scaffolding--so that the vehicles go underneath them, +and the passengers in the train look straight into the first-floor +windows of the houses on the other side. There is an immense development +of electricity all over America, and in tram-cars, railway-cars, hotels, +houses, everything and everywhere, is the electric light prominent. Many +of the streets are unevenly paved. Blacking boots is a profession in +America--in many hotels a special charge is made for it, or else the +visitors are left to their own devices thereon--and boot-blacks have +shops and nooks fitted with high, huge easy chairs, elevated like +thrones, where their clients can comfortably repose during the operation +of polish. + +The next morning, December 1st, I was up early, and made enquiries at +the various offices representing the railway lines to Chicago, with the +result that I took a ticket by the Pennsylvania route, and left New York +at 10 o'clock a.m. The train service between New York and Chicago is one +of the best, if not _the_ best, in America. The cars are elegantly +fitted; they are about the length of the Pullman cars we have in +England. The best cars are those fitted with sleeping accommodation, and +travellers having tickets for a "sleeper" have the privilege of using +the sleeping car during the day. The sleeping cars are divided into +squares capable of seating four persons, but the space is accorded to +two only, as only two beds or berths can be made up in the space; the +lower berth (which is always the favourite) is formed of the two double +seats (the space for four seats), filled up in the centre by special +fittings and mattresses, hidden during the day inside the seats; the +upper berth is pulled down from the sloping roof of the car, and in the +receptacle between the slope and the square are contained the bedding +and the fittings. A curtain falls down over both the upper and lower +berths, and, so far as one can, the dressing has to be done with the +curtain hanging round one as one stands within it; and if on both sides +of the car passengers happen to stand behind their respective curtains +at the same time, they would touch one another and so block the +passage-way. The dressing accommodation is so inconvenient that only +partial undressing is adopted. The outside of the slope is polished +mahogany, and in the daytime bears no indication whatever of what it +really is, but looks like a handsome sloping polished mahogany roof. +These cars are luxuriously fitted. Another car on the train is a +handsome dining saloon, with kitchen attached, where you can order as +good a dinner as you could obtain at an hotel. The cars are also fitted +liberally with lavatories and water-closets, separate ones for ladies +and for gentlemen. On this train is also a bath-room and a barber's +shop. There are also one or two small private rooms, which can be hired +separately. This train has also a recent addition, being what is called +a drawing-room or observation car; this is the last on the train, and +the end is fitted with glass, so that in riding along passengers in this +car enjoy an uninterrupted view of the country they are leaving behind. +On this special train a ladies' maid is provided for the convenience of +ladies, and a stenographer, with his type-writing machine, occupies a +seat in the vestibule of the drawing-room car to take down any urgent +letters which business men may desire to post _en route_. The +observation car is supplied with a library for the use of passengers, +and is fitted with plate-glass windows and easy chairs. It has a +platform where one can breathe the fresh air outside if desired. There +is also a smoking-room car. On this special train the Stock Exchange +reports of the New York and Philadelphia Exchanges are received and +posted on the bulletin boards three times a day, and the weather reports +are also posted. The whole of the train is thoroughly well heated by +steam pipes, and lighted by electricity. The person in charge of a +"sleeper" car is called the "porter;" he occupies a position, not like a +porter on an English railway, but analagous to a steward on board ship. + +On leaving New York I noticed that the suburbs contained many very small +wooden houses, and the country had the appearance of many Colonial +scenes I have witnessed--the land looked like reclaimed prairie, which +it probably is; and after passing many homesteads and villages we ran +into Philadelphia at 12.20. Philadelphia is the largest city, as to +area, in the United States. It is situate on the west bank of the +Delaware River. It is 22 miles long, and from 5 to 8 broad, comprising +an area of 1,294 square miles. It has over 900 miles of paved streets. +Philadelphia was founded by the celebrated William Penn, who went from +England to America in 1682 A.D., and purchased the site of this great +city from the Indians. William Penn's character was remarkable for his +high sense of honour, and if the same principle had obtained throughout +the history of the United States with the Indians, we should never have +heard of any "Indian Difficulty." Penn presented the city with a charter +in 1701. The city, built upon lands honestly and liberally bought from +the Indians, prospered greatly, and its population continued to increase +until it now reaches something approaching 900,000. Its chief source of +wealth is from its manufactures, which embrace locomotives, and all +kinds of ironware, ships, carpets, woollen and cotton goods, shoes, +umbrellas, and books. It has more buildings than any other city in that +country, and, in point of commerce, ranks fourth among the cities of the +United States. I noticed that the suburbs of Philadelphia contained many +handsome stone and brick residences. I felt much interested in the +connection with William Penn, because he is one of the ancestors of the +Penn-Gaskells of England, who for many years have been valuable and +much-respected clients of mine, and in numerous transactions I have +noticed in them that beautiful trait of strict honour which gave William +Penn a world-wide character, and has descended from him to them. + +Passing by many farm homesteads, villages, and towns, all having a +prosperous kind of appearance, and described as "one of the richest +agricultural districts in America," we ran into Harrisburg, which is the +capital of Pennsylvania, and situate on the east bank of the Susquehanna +River. About five miles above Harrisburg we crossed the Susquehanna +River on a bridge 3,670 feet long, from the centre of which I am told +there is a fine view, but I lost it, as a snowstorm was raging while I +was crossing. + +We stopped at Altoona, a large city lying at the foot of the +Alleghanies, and in ascending the Alleghanies fine scenery and great +engineering feats are discernible. From this we ran on to Pittsburg, +which claims to be the best lighted city in America, the streets being +brilliantly illuminated by arc and incandescent electric lights. Nine +bridges cross the Allegheny, and five the Monongahela rivers. Pittsburg +has been called the "iron city," and "smoky city"; it has immense glass, +steel and iron manufactures, and in these three interests alone employs +over 50,000 persons. + +Then we proceed till, presently, we catch sight of Lake Michigan, and +know that Chicago is not far off. We skirt the shore of this busy water, +with its wharves, etc. On arrival (December 2nd) we drive through the +city from the Pennsylvania to the North-Western terminus. + +Chicago is 912 miles from New York: it is the greatest city in Illinois, +and during the past 50 years has grown from a small Indian trading +station into a metropolis. Chicago extends some 20 miles along the +shores of Lake Michigan, and goes back from the lake to a depth of about +four miles, thus embracing about 80 square miles; beyond these confines +of the city proper the suburbs extend to some 6 to 10 miles in every +direction. It will be remembered that in 1871 Chicago had a great fire, +which burned an area of 3-1/8 square miles, destroyed 17,450 buildings, +made 98,500 persons homeless, and killed outright about 200 more. The +loss of property was estimated at 190,000,000 dollars, of which only +30,000,000 dollars were recovered from insurances, and this bankrupted +some of the insurance companies. In 1874 another fire consumed 5,000,000 +dollars' worth of property. Chicago is the great central depôt for +grain, lumber and live stock. In 1888 there were packed at Chicago +4,500,000 hogs, and about 1,600,000 cattle. Chicago has also extensive +iron, steel, wheel, car, flour, furniture, boot and shoe and tannery +manufactures. In driving through I noticed one long street, to the right +and left of the street I was traversing, thickly occupied with +tradesmen's carts, backed on the kerb in the usual fashion, being loaded +from the stores (or shops): there must have been a few hundred of them; +I never saw so many in one street at one time anywhere in any part of +the world. Chicago was cased in frozen snow, and thus was not very +attractive; but I noticed many very fine buildings, and was much struck +with the cosmopolitan character of the inhabitants. During the interval +of waiting for the train on the North-Western to start I was able to see +a little of the place, and found that some persons I spoke to could not +speak English. They came apparently from all parts of the continent of +Europe. + + +CHICAGO TO SAN FRANCISCO. + +The train was due at Chicago (December 2nd) at 9.45 a.m., being exactly +a 23 hours and 45 minutes' run from New York. Having crossed Chicago +from one terminus to another, I found that three trains left Chicago by +which I could travel to San Francisco--two were slow trains, and one a +fast train; but, by whichever train I went, it would make no difference +as to the time I left Omaha, and consequently no difference to the time +I should arrive at San Francisco, so I went on by one of the slow +trains, as I wanted to see Council Bluffs. This train was similarly +fitted to the other, except that it had no drawing-room car, nor +stenographer, etc., nor were the platforms connecting the carriages +enclosed; so that, in passing to the dining car, or any other car, the +sudden change from a hot car to a shower of snow was not pleasant. The +distance from Chicago to Omaha is 492 miles, and the country between the +two places formed a part of the great prairie region, which, 50 years +ago, had no other inhabitant than the Indian and the trapper, but now is +a succession of homesteads, villages, and towns, bearing evidence of +prosperity. At Creston, and many other stations, I noticed that there is +no protection whatever from the railway; the line is unfenced, and the +train runs through the town as openly as a coach would; there is +generally a rough board put up here and there with the words, crudely +painted on them, "Look out for the cars!" We were due at Council Bluffs +the next morning (December 3rd) at 7.23, but we arrived some half-hour +late. Council Bluffs Station is four miles from Omaha Station, but the +towns adjoin. The former has a population of over 35,000, and the latter +of over 110,000. They are divided by the great Missouri River, which is +crossed by two bridges, one being 2,750 feet long, and the other 2,920 +feet long. Having had breakfast at the station, I went up to the town by +the "motor," that is, the electrical tram-car. The motor cars, like the +railway cars, are heated. I noticed a large number of detached wooden +cottages, "standing in their own grounds," of about one-eighth of an +acre, and I learned that these are owned by labourers. Mr. Day, an agent +there, told me that the cottage would cost 500 dollars, and the land 400 +dollars, _i.e.,_ £100 for the house, and £80 for the land. An eighth of +an acre for £80 would be £640 per acre, and this quite out in the +suburbs; and I was told that good business blocks in the town itself +would fetch £32,000 (not dollars, but pounds) per acre. In the large +cities, such as New York, Chicago, etc., prices in the principal streets +would compare with prices in the City of London. Returning to the +station, I joined the express train, and crossing the Missouri River to +Omaha, we proceeded west. The river was frozen at its sides, and +presented no attractions worth notice. On we go through hundreds of +fields of maize, always called "corn" in America; other grain crops, +such as wheat, etc., are called by their own names, but the crop known +only as "corn" in America is maize. The rich clusters of corn are +gathered, and the stalks, something in appearance between a wheat stalk +and a sugar cane, are left standing for the cattle to pick over. Forty +years ago _this_ part was uninhabited by white men, and was the home of +countless buffaloes; now these animals are extirpated, and everywhere we +see nothing, for mile upon mile, but corn, corn, corn. One of my fellow +travellers was Mr. H.C. Jacobs, of Chicago, whose father-in-law was one +of the pioneers, and who gave me much information. The next day +(December 4th), we traverse the great rolling prairies of Nebraska, and +see many herds of horses and cattle, and here and there ranch homes and +cowboys. + +Having run through Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, we commence the State +of Wyoming as we pull up at the City of Cheyenne, where, in the far +distance, we see, with its peaks well clothed in snow, the grand range +of the Rocky Mountains. Soon after leaving Cheyenne, we commence the +ascent of the Rockies--not, of course, the actual summit range itself, +but the foot hills and high lands stretching away from, and forming part +of it--and as we climb the ascent terminating at Sherman, where we have +gained an elevation of 8,247 feet, we pass through very wild, grand +scenery. At this altitude we look down upon floating clouds, and see in +the distance Long's Peak, 14,000 feet high, towering above them. All +along, at intervals, are portable fences, placed to catch the snow as it +drifts, to prevent it blocking the line; and also what are called snow +sheds, which are rough timber tunnels built up to protect the rails from +the great drifts arising out of heavy snowstorms. At the highest point +is a pyramid, commemorating a certain Mr. Oakes Ames, which looked 20 +feet high and very near the line; it is however, 75 feet high and +half-a-mile off. The air is so rarefied that distances are most +deceiving. + +As our descent proceeds, we catch sight, in the distance, of a herd of +wild elk, and where these rolling prairies have better herbage, we see +herds of horses with ranch buildings here and there. We pass the ranch +of William Cody, who, by virtue of his being a Senator of the State of +Nebraska, is called Honourable, but who was known in London, a short +time ago, at Mr. Whitley's "Wild West" show as "Buffalo Bill." As we +pass Fort Laraime, one of the forts erected by the United States +Government as a protection against the Indians, I was told some stories +of Cody's exploits against the Indians. In former days, emigrants +traversing these great prairies to found a home in this Wild West, were +often harassed by Indians, and the soldiers at the fort had to protect +them. Buffalo Bill has been in many a skirmish, and, if rumour is true, +many redskins have succumbed to him; the Government took counsel with +him in all Indian difficulties in that part of the country, and the day +before I passed his ranch he had been sent for by the authorities that +they might confer with him as to the outbreak which then existed, and +which cost "Sitting Bull" his life. We passed a house cut clean in two +by the wind, great herds of horses and cattle, beautiful specimens of +the bald and other eagles and vultures, some deer, and a very fine grey +wolf about the size of a Newfoundland dog. The distant mountain +scenery at times is very grand, and everywhere snow-capped. The air is +very pure and keen. I much enjoyed the society of two fellow travellers +over this part of my journey, Mr. Lee, of General Lee's family, of +Virginia, and Mr. Hurley, Solicitor to the Directors of the line we were +traversing. We passed the "Divide of the Continent" at an altitude of +7,100 feet, which is the dividing line of the running of water; that +running east empties into the North Platte River, thence into the +Missouri, thence into the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean; that +running west empties into the Green River, thence into the Colorado, +thence into the Pacific Ocean. + +In the early morning of December 5th we ran into Ogden, which is near +Salt Lake, at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, which are snow-capped, +and have some very fine peaks. Salt Lake is 126 by 45 miles, and on it +is situate the great City of the Mormons. On the more fertile parts of +the prairies I gathered, at Humboldt Wells, some of the sage grass which +used to be the food of the buffaloes when they existed; at other places +I gathered samples of herbage on less favoured soils. As we proceed, we +see an encampment of Indians with red paint on their faces, which was +put on to show sympathy with, and, if necessary, take part with other +tribes of Indians, then commencing a "war" with the United States +soldiers. This district was not far, as distances go in America from the +scene of action. Presently we commence our run through the great barren +alkali plains, emerging from which we get into a more fertile country, +and, at Cedar Pass, notice the great ranch of Messrs. Sparks and Tinnin, +who are reputed to have 100,000 head of cattle. Mr. Byrne, of Elko, +Nevada, also the owner of a large ranch, was on board the cars, and gave +me some useful information. He said that cattle raising is very +profitable, as they double in number every four years, _i.e._, a profit +of 25 per cent.; thus, if a man start with a 1,000 head of stock cattle, +he will have 4,000 head in four years. + +If a thousand head of stock cattle were purchased off a ranch, they +would be sold just as they run, without any selection whatever--steers, +heifers, cows, calves, bulls, yearlings, both sexes and all ages, but +calves which still suck their mothers are not counted, and go for +nothing. Many head of cattle perish in the winter, when the land is +covered with snow, as on many large ranches no food is given them. I +urged that it would pay to have stock-yards and give food during the +snow time, and Mr. Byrne said that he always did so himself, and that +the great ranch men were having their eyes opened to this necessity. + +We passed various other encampments of Indians, and far from any +encampment or habitation saw an Indian on the track carrying a small +light bundle, and following him a long way behind was his squaw, +labouring under a very heavy burden. + +During this day we ran through ranges of uneven mountains, rising one +above another in broken undulations and with ever-varying tops, such as +table lands, sharp conical peaks, rounded heads, and broken +indentations. + +The distant mountains are enveloped in snow, upon which gleams a +resplendent setting sun, presenting a prospect which only such a region +could produce. From the dazzling whiteness of one range we look upon the +dense darkness of another, as being out of the sun's influence. The +lights and shades, the gorges, the fissures, the striations in the range +upon range, with their intervals of plains and valleys, here and there +opening up peeps of great tracts of country, and then again shutting +all in to the circumference of their gigantic heads, interspersed with +the brilliance of rich gold, tingeing some tops and revealing dark +recesses, some ruby tints and fantastic shadows,--all combine to reflect +a glory which lifts the mind beyond the great heights of hills to a +height, greater still, whence originated all natural grandeur. + +We had run through Utah and Nevada, and were now approaching the +northern part of California. In the very early morning of December 6th I +awoke and found that the train was at a standstill. Thinking that we +were at a station I tried to sleep again, but, finding that we continued +motionless, I went out on to the platform connecting our car with the +next and found all around was deep snow, and that another train on the +other metals had broken down, and that our men were apparently helping +to get it off. We were then two miles from Truckee, and at an elevation +of nearly 6,000 feet. After a long delay we got away and ran into +Truckee. The scenery on this day was also of a truly grand character: +precipices, declivities, chasms; and in one very romantic spot, of weird +and wild mountain sides, graduating to narrow gullies, with pine and +other trees, some perfect, others broken by the wind was one great +wreck of a forest monster--a tree rudely snapped asunder by wind or +lightning, about 40 feet from the ground, and stripped of every branch, +so that it looked like a broken column; on its top sat a great vulture +in the well-known attitude of its kind, as motionless as rock, and +apparently meditating on the incongruity of a noisy, vulgar bit of +machinery, with its train of cars, invading such a nook of Nature's +solitudes. + +As we proceeded we came upon the succession of Placer gold diggings, +known as the hydraulic mines, which were then for the most part +abandoned, and these brought to my remembrance many similar spots I had +seen in Australia. The _débris_ of the mines had stopped up, or +diverted, or otherwise interfered with the Sacramento River, the Bear +River, and other rivers, to the great detriment of agriculture, +horticulture, stock rearing, etc., whereupon the State Legislature of +California passed an Act to prohibit all interference with the water, +for without water the miners could not wash their dirt, and so had to +abandon the diggings. All around this part, ravine followed ravine, with +beautiful vistas between, affording a continuous luxury of scenic +gratification. Presently we reached what is called by many the grandest +scenery on the American Continent, known as Cape Horn; it is where the +train winds round a mountain side, on a narrow ledge, and at such a +height, that to hold one's hand out of the window would be to hold it +over a sheer precipice of 2,500 feet. The train runs along the ledge or +narrow roadway cut in the face of the mountain rock, and all around is +presented a spectacle of the majesty of Nature, which only such a range +of mountains as the Sierra Nevada could produce. + +About 14 miles from Truckee, we reach a station called "Summit," which +lies at an elevation of 7,017 feet, and is the highest point on the +Sierra Nevada Mountains reached by railroads, but the granite peaks rise +up to an altitude of over 10,000 feet. Grizzly bears, and other wild +creatures, find their homes in the recesses of these fastnesses. On +leaving these mountains we make a rapid descent, and in an hour feel +that we are in another country. At Colfax I bought fruit; at Arlington +the temperature was like summer. At Rockling Station I saw some very +fine orange trees, full of splendid fruit. Now we have entered the +fertile plains of North California, and run through cultivated lands, +till we reach Sacramento, the capital of the State. It is a great +change: from desert, alkaline plains, miles of snow sheds, snow-covered +mountains, a semi-civilization, and a freezing atmosphere, we find +ourselves in a warm, genial climate, cultivated farms, vineyards, +gardens, and orchards of nectarines, pears, apples, and the rest. + +Arriving at Oakland, we crossed the Bay in the great ferry-ship, or +floating wharf, "Piedmont." The weather was charming--the bay dotted +about with islands and surrounded by hills. The temperature was the more +enjoyable from the fact that only a few hours before we were surrounded +by deep snow. + +On arriving at San Francisco (on Saturday, December 6th), I went +straight to the Palace Hotel, and my first effort was to get a bath, for +a continuous day and night run from New York of 3,367 miles, makes one +who is accustomed to the use of plenty of water to look for a good +ablution as the first refresher. The Palace Hotel claims to be the +"model hotel of the world." Its architect visited the leading hotels of +Europe so as to produce a hotel superior to any. As to size, it occupies +a complete block--that is, it has a street traversing each side of it. +It rises to a height of 120 feet, and covers an area 350 feet by 275 +feet--that is, 96,250 square feet, or nearly 2-3/4 acres, and, with +sub-sidewalk extensions, exceeds three acres. The lower story is 27 feet +high, the uppermost one 16 feet high. The foundation wall is 12 feet +thick, and the principal materials are stone, iron, brick, and marble. +Every partition wall throughout is stone and brick. It is fire and +earthquake proof, the walls being additionally tied by iron bands. It +has four artesian wells, yielding 28,000 gallons of water an hour, a +630,000 gallon reservoir, and tanks holding 130,000 gallons more. The +water is served by three large steam fire pumps, which throw the water +above the roof. There are five patent safety-catch hydraulic elevators +(or lifts). Immense precautions have been taken against fire. The +dining-rooms are 150 feet by 55 feet, and 100 feet by 50 feet. The +public rooms are very numerous, and are of immense size. The rooms for +guests are principally 20 feet by 20 feet; none are less than 16 feet by +16 feet; all are well furnished. The corridors are like streets--space, +elegance, solidity, and comfort are apparent everywhere; the whole being +lighted by gas and electricity. Each bedroom has a bath-room, with hot +and cold water services; w.c., coat-closet, and lavatory closet, with +hot and cold water services to itself, and which can only be used by the +occupant of the bed-room. The hotel, of course, has a barber's shop, and +as I expected my client to call I was anxious to get through my toilet +quickly; so I rang for one of the barber's assistants to come to my +bed-room to cut my hair preparatory to the bath. This did not take long, +and I asked the price, when, to my surprise, a dollar and a-half, +_i.e.,_ 6s. 3d., was required. I thought it was barbarism indeed! + +I left San Francisco on Monday, December 8th, and during my short stay I +saw something of the town; but it was not the same place as I remembered +it from my two visits to it in 1862. It is full of life and activity, +has many wealthy men, 50 of whom, it is said, are millionaires. It has a +large number of grand buildings, fine shops, extensive markets, +beautiful private residences, and an immense development of electricity +for motion, light, sound, etc. The tram-cars run in constant succession +everywhere; but the most remarkable cars are those worked by an endless +cable. In the city are works with immense steam power, and from these +works endless cables revolve throughout the city, under the roads, in +various directions. In the bed of the tramway is a groove, under which +is the cable, revolving at a great speed. The driver of the car lets +down his grip, which tightly holds the cable, and, of course, the car +starts at full speed, and is carried along by the cable. When the driver +wants to stop, he lets go his grip on the cable and applies his brake. +Some of the hills in San Francisco are very steep, and the first +sensation in riding on the outside front seat, while going full speed +down a sharp declivity, is certainly novel, with no apparent motive +power, and no apparent means of stopping. The speed, of course, is +always the same, whether up or down hill, or on level ground. Telegraph +Hill is 394 feet high, Clay Street Hill 376 feet, and Russian Hill 360 +feet. A San Francisco Sunday is painful to one accustomed to our English +ways; travelling in every form, and buying and selling are very +prevalent. The Y.M.C.A. have a large building there, and get large +meetings. I attended one gathering, which I addressed shortly. + +San Francisco is described as having "the mildest and most equable +climate known to any large city in the world." January is the coldest +month, and the mean temperature then is stated to be 50°. September is +the hottest month, and the mean temperature then is stated to be 58°. +Thus only 8° difference between the coldest and warmest months, and the +average for the whole year is 54°. + +San Francisco has a population of about 300,000 (including some 40,000 +Chinese), is the principal city of the State of California, and the +principal commercial centre on the Pacific coast. I must not, however, +dwell longer on this part of my journey. On Monday, December 8th, I left +San Francisco with one of my clients, Mr. C.H. Huffman, for Merced, by +the 4 p.m train. The sun was shining gloriously, producing a charming +effect upon the placid waters of the Bay and its beautiful surrounding +hills. + + +SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW ORLEANS. + +The train reached Merced at 10.23 on Monday night, December 8th, 1890, +where I was met, and in a spacious family buggy, drawn by a pair of good +horses, I was very soon at the residence of my client, Mr. C.H. Huffman. +The continuous day and night travelling by rail, and the taking of +voluminous notes all along, had caused a constant excitement which told +upon the nerves, and for two days I felt as though I needed absolute +rest, but, remembering that I had already been long absent from my +office, I commenced my work at Merced the next morning. The town of +Merced is the capital of the county of that name; it is not many years +old, but it has a striking difference to many new small towns I have +seen in the Colonies, in that it has several very good buildings and +residences. It has seven churches and chapels of various denominations, +some good shops, medical men, society, schools, gas, water, electricity, +and a station on the main Great Southern Pacific Railway. It is +undoubtedly a town which must rapidly increase in value, for this +reason: My clients, Messrs. Crocker and Huffman, at a cost of some two +million dollars, have tapped the Great Merced River 25 miles off, and +brought water down to the town and irrigated the country round. They +have formed a reservoir 640 acres in extent. Hitherto the rich lands +around the town of Merced have not been irrigated, and consequently were +not suitable for growing the Fruits for which California is so famous; +but, now that a system of canals, formed by my clients, has irrigated +their estate, extending over some 50,000 or 60,000 acres, the whole of +this great area is changed in value, and is available, and will +eventually be used, for the production of choice Fruits. Thus, Merced +will become a centre, like other parts of California, and, being so much +nearer than those other parts to San Francisco, will benefit +additionally by that advantage alone. Merced is only 152 miles from San +Francisco, while Fresno is 207, Bakersfield 314, and Los Angeles, 483 +miles. It is rumoured that another line of railway will also be formed +in connection with the present main line, and Merced would then be an +important railway junction. I drove out every day with Mr. Huffman, and +inspected the country for some miles around the town, including the +Merced River, 25 miles off. The land designated British Colony, is, at +its commencement, only two miles from the Merced Railway Station, hotel, +and shops. Mr. Huffman has a most comfortable residence, and has +excellent stables, well filled with first-class buggy horses, so that +travelling was always an easy matter. Being a lay preacher in England, I +took advantage of offers made me, and preached on the Sunday I was at +Merced in two of the churches at the morning and evening services. + +I left Merced on Tuesday night, December 16th, by the 10.23 train, +having stayed there eight days. I immediately "turned in," and next +morning (December 17th) was up as usual at 6.30, and much enjoyed the +splendid scenery through which we were passing--in a mountainous +country, grandly diversified with all the alternations of heights and +depths, lights and darks, rich and barren, including many evidences of +engineering skill--as we coursed along, now looking high up, now looking +low down, and presently winding along the celebrated "loop," described +as the "greatest engineering feat in the world," by which the train goes +through mountain passes, creeping along the tops of eminences, then +returning, crosses under itself at a low level, then, ascending, crosses +over itself at a higher level, so that in its meandering course you now +look down at your side on the line you have just traversed, and anon +look up at your side at the line you are about to traverse. We passed +through the Mojava (pronounced Moharvie) desert, where the yucca palm is +plentiful. A fellow passenger, and old settler, enlivened the time by +some relations of his experiences thus: He once shot a grizzly bear +which weighed 1,500 lbs. Some are much larger than this. Everything of +weight in America is generally reckoned by pounds, not cwts. or tons. On +another occasion he slew a Californian lion. He had killed a bullock, +and the carcase was hanging in his house at the back, where was an +aperture like a small window without glass, and under this opening +outside stood an empty case. The lion scenting the carcase, and hearing +no sound from within, approached the house, and was endeavouring to +creep through the aperture when, in its efforts to do so, it kicked the +case away, and the poor animal was stuck fast, having its head and +shoulders inside. My fellow traveller, on returning home, was surprised +to find his visitor, and so despatched him with an axe, and has for +years used the skin, which is 9 feet 8 inches long. The temperature was +charming, although in the distance we could see the snow-capped +mountains. We run through the antelope valley, gather some juniper +plant, see a skunk, see natural oil wells at Saugus, pass the head of +the Santa Clara Valley, see the San Fernando mountains, go through the +greatest tunnel in America--the San Fernando tunnel, 6,967 feet long, +go by Burbank, where there is a land boom, and arrive at Los Angeles, +where during the two hours of waiting I have a look at the town and a +pleasant chat with Mr. White Mortimer, the British Consul, whom I called +upon. The next day (December 18th) we were on the desert of Arizona, +where we saw Indian camps at places which were somewhat oases as to +plant life. Speaking generally, nothing grows on a great part of this +desert but cactus, of which I am told there are some 200 varieties, from +the dwarf kind to trees 40 feet high. This plant has a strange if not a +weird appearance. Here and there, like solitary sentinels, stands out a +tall cactus, with perhaps two or three heads or branches, growing +perpendicularly with itself. The mountains on either side look as if +they had their origin in volcanic eruptions. + +Some parts of the desert are covered with a dwarf kind of evergreen +shrub. We see large numbers of prairie dogs, which are of a size between +a rat and a rabbit; they live in holes like rabbits. There are also +gophers, skunks, prairie rats, rattlesnakes, and hawks, which feed on +snakes and rats. We pass tribes of Yuma Indians, Aztec Indians and Gila +(pronounced Heela) Indians. On reaching a part where is some grass we +see some cattle, which are straying on the line; the engine whistle +shrieks, the cattle run, and some coyote wolves are startled from their +lairs and run, too; large numbers are here, and the preceding night +their yells aroused some passengers from sleep. As we proceed, quail are +seen, and wild cats something like a lynx. Arriving at Tucson +(pronounced Tewsohn), I enquired for a gentleman to whom I had an +introduction, but learned that he was up at his gold mine. This Tucson +is an ancient city, having been founded by the Jesuits in 1560 A.D. It +does a large business in exporting gold dust, wool, and hides. I expect +that these mountains of Arizona contain much value in minerals. The +Indians in this part of the country are the Apaches, and were described +to me as the most treacherous of all the American Indians, that they are +cowardly and will never fight in the open. A gentleman who entered the +train at Tucson gave me many instances of this. In the evening we saw +"cow-boys" round their fire camping out in the open, and also a camp of +freighters resting on their journey across the desert. The next morning +early (December 19th) we arrived at El Paso, a most interesting Mexican +town situate on the borders of Old Mexico, New Mexico and Texas, where I +bought the skin of a Mexican tiger, and other things. + +In travelling for some days in a train continuously one feels the need +of exercise, and this I obtained by getting in and out of many of the +railway stations and walking up and down. Between San Francisco and New +Orleans there are 322 stations, and I should suppose the number of +stations on both the Northern and Southern routes I traversed would +probably amount to nearly 700. + +We are now commencing to cross the great plains of Texas. At first the +plains are desert, with mountains skirting our view; the scenery is less +interesting than the Arizona desert, because there are no cacti. This +desert has probably been under salt water at some time. The rocky hills +appear to have a volcanic origin. As we go on, we reach a poor kind of +pasture, growing out of a scrubby kind of shrub, with some occasional +cacti, many hills and mountains like barren rocks, with not a bird or an +animal to be seen. The weather has been warm since leaving Merced, but +now, so far south as we are, it is hot on this December day. I had read +in the short telegrams given by American papers, that the winter was +very severe in England, and I pictured often to myself, friends and +clients in England muffled up amidst frost and snow, whilst I was +revelling in glorious sunshine, so warm that no greatcoat could be worn. +Had I returned by the route I went (the Northern Prairies), I might have +been delayed by snow drifts, but by this, the Southern route, there was +no snow, but a continuous, cheerful, delightful sunshine, not too hot +anywhere, but simply delightful. I should certainly recommend anyone +going from England to California in the winter season, to go by the +Southern route. Amongst the objects of interest, we notice in the +distance a small herd of 14 wild antelope trotting along; cattle, coyote +wolves, and, at many places, the well-picked bones of animals which had +dropped dead, or, when weak, had been killed or eaten by carnivora or +reptiles. We saw large numbers of prairie dogs; they sit outside their +holes like a squirrel, on their haunches, with their fore paws up; they +are very quick, and most difficult even to shoot. More antelopes and +coyotes. At a station called Alpine were several cowboys, all armed with +revolvers and cartridge belts, and some with dagger knives too; their +mustangs were hitched up close by. These cowboys are some old and some +young men, some wild and some cultivated, some never educated, some have +gone through Harvard, or Oxford, or Cambridge, some the sons of English +county gentlemen and noblemen--but all cowboys, _i.e.,_ men who live on +ranches where large herds of cattle or horses are bred, and whose duty +it is to ride over the wild rough country to know where the herds of +cattle and horses are feeding, so that if they need to be ridden up for +cutting or branding, or selling, they may be found. I was told that this +was one of the "hardest" places for a cowboy, _i.e.,_ one of the +wickedest, meaning that when they visit it, it is for a "spree," and +they get drunk, and fights and murders follow. I was pointed to a little +cemetery on a hill, enclosed by a white fence, and was told that it +contained 150 bodies, and that only 50 had died a natural death; the +others had been shot or otherwise murdered in drunken frays and other +ways. Many strange little histories were told me about these men, but +which I have no time to record here. In some parts of the country where +water was very scarce, there seemed to be no vegetation, and the cattle +seemed to wander solitarily along, a mere heap of hide and bone. At +many stations I had quite a considerable interval for running about, +such as when a wheel caught fire, which happened two or three times, or +some freight had to be taken in, or taken out, etc. When the train again +starts, the conductors shout "All aboard," and there is a general rush. + +The next day (December 20th) was again a brilliant day of sunshine; we +see many buzzards, and breakfast at San Antonio. The railway stations +along this country have two roofs, one being two or three feet above the +other, so that air between should keep the building cool. At breakfast, +I read the San Antonio _Daily Express_, which informed me "severe storms +prevailed everywhere in Great Britain," and my thoughts were naturally +much occupied with the Old Country. The day was sultry, but sunshine is +always a great treat to me, and it was never too hot. + +Now we are running into civilization again, and I catch sight of a man +ploughing; he has a pair of mules, and is holding the reins in his +teeth. As we proceed, it is a continuous succession of cotton fields, +cotton fields, cotton fields. We see many bales; these weigh from 475 to +600 lbs. each. At a station called Sequin, I obtained lots of cotton +seeds, and gathered some cotton in the fields as we went along. The +scavengers of this country are Turkey buzzards, which are protected by +law because of their usefulness. + +I could not refrain from writing several times in my note-book, +"glorious sunshine." Hitherto we have had mountains continuously in +sight, but now they are out of vision. This being Saturday we see +markets at the towns we go through; at Habwood and Flatonia especially +was this noticeable. The population seemed almost altogether negro. I +observed a negro and his wife, well dressed, riding on horseback in the +old English pillion style; another negro and his wife, and about twelve +children, in a capacious kind of wagon-buggy, and many negroes and +negresses, the latter dressed in white and gay colours, standing at +their pretty verandahed cottages. + +We now pass a spot where a train was stopped and the passengers robbed +some time ago, by Jesse and Frank Jeames and the Ford Brothers. The +_modus operandi_ is for all the men to be secreted but one, who stands +on the line holding up a red flag which indicates danger; the engineer +then stops and the men spring aboard; some hold revolvers to the heads +of the engineers, and others go through the train and rob the +passengers. The robbers shout out "hands up," and one man points his +weapon at the passenger's head, whilst another rifles his pockets. If a +passenger fails to hold up his hands he is shot down. A passenger on the +Northern Prairies told me of a fellow passenger, who under such +circumstances having a revolver, aimed at a robber and pulled the +trigger, but it missed fire, and he was instantly shot down. But these +attacks are now more rare, and the officials are more prepared for them. +Sometimes the robbers get on board the train as passengers, and act +suddenly in concert. All along the country now we pass the cabins of the +slaves, familiarised to us by "Uncle Tom's Cabin." These cabins are +pleasant little houses with verandahs, and I reflected how favourably +they compared with the "homes" of many of the London poor, and how happy +the slaves might have been but for the knowledge that at any time they +were liable to be sold like a mule or a bullock. Now we pass sugar, +cotton and rice plantations, and go through such cultivations all +through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North and South Carolina, +Georgia, and Virginia. I gathered sugar and cotton going along at +places, saw a racoon in a stream fishing for crawfish, and go through a +country, in which are plenty of alligators. + +On the early morning of Sunday (December 21st), we go through swamps, +such as we used to read of as the hiding-places of runaway slaves. All +through these Southern States we saw everywhere sugar and cotton, sugar +and cotton, sugar and cotton; these, with rice, are the principal +products; sugar mills, cotton yards, etc., etc. We soon reach Algiers, +and cross the grand Mississippi River, then land at New Orleans. The +actual city of New Orleans covers an area of about 41 square miles, but +the statutory limits of the city embrace nearly 150 square miles. It is +situate on both banks of the Mississippi River, and from 1,000 to 1,500 +steamers and other vessels, from all parts of the world, may frequently +be seen lying there. New Orleans is the chief market in the world for +cotton. The site of the city was surveyed in 1717 by De la Tour, and it +was settled in 1718, but abandoned in consequence of overflows, storms, +and sickness; it was resettled in 1723, held by the French till 1729, +then by the Spaniards till 1801, by the French again till 1803, and +then, with the Province of Louisiana, was ceded to the United States. +The present population is about 250,000. There are 33 cemeteries, and +they are remarkable, inasmuch as the bodies are buried above ground, in +vaults like tiers of ovens; the ground is too wet for burial. I attended +Trinity Church in the morning, had some black bear for dinner at my +hotel, the "Hotel St. Charles," and then attended the Y.M.C.A., where I +gave the address in the afternoon, which was followed by a very solemn +after meeting. I went to bed very early, and was up very early the next +morning (Monday, December 22nd). I had to draw the mosquito curtains in +the night, but not till after some of these insects had left their mark. +The principal ground floor of the hotel was on the first floor level, +and the actual ground floor was of secondary importance; the front part +was occupied by stone steps and a colonnade, and the rear was a liquor +bar and a large hall. This hall used to be one of the principal auction +rooms of the city, where slaves were sold by auction; and as I entered +the now rather desolate-looking place, which is partly circular in +shape and constructed with many pillar supports, I pictured to myself +the emotional agonies, the tempests of passion, the lust of greed, the +calm, subdued, resistless attitude of despair which at times found +expression, as domestic circles were for ever broken, tenderest +sympathies for ever sundered, closest friendships for ever +separated--yea, even the most sacred relationships of life ruthlessly +shattered, by the sale of mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, wives +or husbands, sweethearts or friends. Of this I will give just two +illustrations: Our porter on the train crossing the Northern Prairies +was a coloured man named Farrell; he told me that his mother had seven +boys, and that they were all sold away from her, and that it had been +his life-work to try to find his brothers. He had shipped to Australia +as a seaman, had worked in hotels, and on wharves and rivers, and now +was working on the railway cars endeavouring to find his brothers; he +had advertised for them in the newspapers, but he had never heard of one +of them. When this family was broken up, Farrell and his brothers were +only boys; for it will be remembered that the date of the official +announcement of the total abolition of slavery in the United States was +made on the 18th December, 1862, when upwards of 4,000,000 slaves were +legally declared free men. Another coloured man engaged at this hotel, +who was born a slave, remembered walking with his father, who was also a +slave, and his father's anxiety to get home before nine o'clock at +night, as no coloured man was allowed to be in the streets after that +hour unless he possessed a sufficient authority from his owner. This man +told me that at an auction of slaves at this hotel (auctions of slaves +were held in New Orleans at different places three times a week) a very +fine intelligent young man was sold by auction for 2,100 dollars to a +lawyer who was known to be a cruel man. My informant told me that his +name was--well, it sounded like Rumo, possibly Roumeaux, as most of the +wealthy settlers were of French origin, that he lived in St. James' +Ward, and that when he bought slaves and sent them down to his +plantations, they each received twenty-five lashes as they entered his +gates, as an example, of what they would receive if they did not please +him. Well, when the hammer fell and this slave knew that he belonged to +an owner whose cruelty was common talk, he exclaimed, "You have lost +your money." This slave was sent down with others to the steamer on the +Mississippi (which is only some ten minutes' walk from the hotel), for +shipment to this owner's plantations. The poor fellow was not even +allowed to say good-bye to his people, but was sent on board. When he +arrived there, he repeated to the man in charge of the slaves, "Mr. Rumo +will lose his money," and shortly after he took advantage of a +favourable moment, and, folding his arms, he threw himself backward into +the river, and was drowned. + +A few minutes' walk from my hotel is the Henry Clay monument, where the +mob was addressed last month by Mr. Parkerson, who incited them to +proceed to the prison and force an entrance, and then to take the lives +of a number of Italian murderers by lynch law. On this monument some +memorable words are inscribed which Mr. Clay uttered, and which T +copied. They are as follows:--"If I could be instrumental in eradicating +this deep stain, slavery, from the character of our country, I would not +exchange the proud satisfaction which I should enjoy for the honour of +all the triumphs ever decreed to the most successful conqueror." That +deep stain was removed in 1862, and slaves were raised from the +condition of cattle to that of men, who could thenceforward rejoice in +the freedom of being masters of their own bodies. + + +NEW ORLEANS TO LONDON. + +On leaving New Orleans we run through swamps, and presently skirt the +Gulf of Mexico and travel on. The next day (December 23rd), we feel it +perceptibly colder, for we are going north. The country is cultivated in +sugar, cotton, rice, grass, etc. We breakfast at Atlanta, and after +leaving that place, the scenery puts me more in mind of England. In +going through Georgia, I was told that the same black families which now +occupy many of the small wooden houses, or "cabins," which I see, are +the same families who occupied them before the abolition of slavery. +Although many slaves suffered cruelties through enforced separations and +hard treatment, yet very many had most comfortable homes, considerate +masters, and light work. I sat much during this day on the platform at +the end of the end car, observing the country. At one station some +little black urchins came to gaze, and I said to one boy, apparently +seven years old, "What is your name?" He said, "Willie Matthews." I +said, "How old are you? " He said, "I ain't old enough to know how old I +are." And his genuine simplicity delighted me. + +We are now passing through cultivated lands, farms, and estates, and +these continue right on to New York. At Greers was a very large +collection of cotton. At Spartanville are large cotton mills, such as +one sees in Lancashire. The next day (December 24th), we notice ice on +the ponds. We cross the Potomac River, and near Washington, sight the +Capitol--or, as we should say in England, the Houses of Parliament. +Washington City is the political capital of the United States. Its size +is about 4-1/2 miles by 2-1/2 miles. The Capitol is described by the +Americans as the most magnificent public edifice in the world. It is 352 +feet long and 121 feet deep, with two wings each 238 by 140 feet. Its +entire length is 751 feet 4 inches, and it covers an area of more than +3-1/2 acres. It is of costly construction, and stands in grounds of +about 50 acres. + +We proceed, and stop at Baltimore, cross the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers, +again come near the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, various smaller +rivers, and run on until we reach New York. On arrival, I immediately +went to the Cunard office and secured my berth in the "Servia." The next +morning (Christmas Day), it was very cold, and snowing. I had a fire lit +in my bed-room, and there wrote the article which appeared in the +January _Land Roll_. In the afternoon I walked in the Central Park, but +it was so bitterly cold, I was satisfied with less than two hours of +exercise, and returned to the hotel to dinner, and finished up the day +writing in my bed-room till midnight. The Central Park, in genial +weather, would be an attractive resort. I observed large natural rocks, +lawns, wide promenades, seats, lakes, menageries, swings, and various +such like attractions for juveniles, overground and underground roads--a +kind of "Rotten Row," &c., but being so cold scarcely a person was to be +seen. + +On December 26th, New York was deep in snow. I visited a few shops for +some necessaries, and went on board the "Servia" during the afternoon, +thinking that I might have difficulty in getting a cabman to drive to +the docks after dark if the snow drifted deeply. New York City is the +metropolis of the United States. In 1880 its population was 1,206,590. +Its site was discovered in 1524. It was in 1609 that Hudson, an +Englishman, ascended the river which was named after him. In 1614 some +Dutchmen settled there. In 1648 its population was 1,000, and in 1700 it +had increased to 6,000. In 1684 it was captured by the Duke of York, and +was henceforth called "New York." In 1711 a slave market was established +in Wall Street. + +On December 27th, about 5 o'clock in the morning, we began to clear out +of the dock, and in a few hours were again on the broad Atlantic. The +next day (Sunday, December 28th), we had service on board, conducted by +the doctor in the saloon: all on board not actually on duty may attend. +We left New York in a blizzard, and our decks were coated with frost and +snow, but after two days this was all cleared away, and we had a +splendid run in genial weather, so that one day I could comfortably walk +on deck without a greatcoat. + +Our run was--from Sandy Hook Lighthouse (45 miles) to noon of December +28th, 373 miles; noon of December 29th, 379 miles; December 30th, 375 +miles; December 31st, 878 miles; January 1st, 1891, 372 miles; January +2nd, 362 miles; January 3rd, 371 miles; thence, to Queenstown, 169 +miles; and from Queenstown to Liverpool, 240 miles; making a total of +3,064 miles. The passage in the "Etruria," going out, was 3,062 miles. +The "Servia" is a fine ship, but much older than the "Etruria," and her +engines, consequently, are not capable of the speed of a newer vessel. +Her cargo capacity is 6,500 tons, with 1,800 tons of coal and 1,000 tons +of water ballast. Her horse-power is equal to 10,500. The saloon is 74 +by 49 feet, and is capable of seating 350 persons. The "Servia" has +cabin accommodation for 500 saloon and 600 steerage passengers, besides +a crew of 200 officers and men. When there are more than 350 saloon +passengers, each meal has to be served in two relays. + +An interesting incident occurred during the passage: I discovered that +our captain (now commanding the "Aurania") was a shipmate of mine in +1855, when I was a midshipman. I reached my office in Lincoln's Inn +Fields at 8 o'clock on the morning of January 5th, having been absent +just about six weeks. The distances were as follows:-- + + Liverpool to New York 3,062 miles. + New York to Chicago 913 " + Chicago to Council Bluffs 488 " + Council Bluffs to San Francisco 1,867 " + San Francisco to Merced 152 " + Merced to New Orleans 2,344 " + New Orleans to Washington 1,144 " + Washington to New York 228 " + New York to Liverpool 3,064 " + London to Liverpool 201 " + Liverpool to London 201 " + Journeys in buggies, tram-cars, &c. 110 " + -------- + 13,774 " + +I must conclude with some general remarks:-- + +The _Times_ recently published a series of ten articles on the "Negro +Question in the United States," and from them it appears that the +position of that country is very serious in this relation. These +articles commenced after I had started on my journey, so that I only saw +one or two of the concluding ones and the _Times_ leader upon the whole, +but I was not surprised to see them, because in passing through the +States which are principally peopled by negroes, I heard something +about the matter from a thoughtful man, who regarded the subject with +great gravity. The _Times_ has shown that the attitude of one race to +the other is that of "antagonism, discontent, and perpetual danger." + +The negroes have the same constitutional privileges as the whites, and +their overpowering numbers in certain places give the power into their +hands, which, regarded in relation to racial hatred, renders them to be +an object of danger to the country. It is proposed to emigrate the +negroes to some part of Africa. It would be more consistent for certain +Americans to interest themselves in solving this problem of their own +rather than encouraging Irish agitators, and so assisting to prevent +England solving her dark problem across St. George's Channel. + +The proportion of coloured people to white in the three states of +Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama, is about equal, that is, there are as +many coloured people as white. The population of coloured people +throughout the whole of the United States is about 7,000,000 of coloured +people to 59,000,000 of white people, but it is a sad fact, as stated in +the _Times_ of March 7th last, that a Government return, dated June +1st, 1890, showed that there were 45,233 convicts in the prisons of the +United States, and that of this number no less than 14,687, or one-third +were coloured people, and that out of these coloured people only 237 +were Chinese, 3 Japanese, and 180 Indians, so that 14,267 were negroes. +As the whites, counting all the States, are eight times as numerous as +the coloured people, and yet the coloured convicts are one-third of the +whole, it speaks badly for the morals of the negro race in America. + +I was much struck with the immense development of electricity. Steamers, +railway carriages, tramcars, hotels, shops, towns, villages, and railway +stations, even those in remote places, with scarcely a building near to +them, were all well lighted by electricity. + +Railways run on scaffoldings down the centre of the streets, and horses +with their vehicles run underneath them. The railway trains are well +heated throughout by hot water pipes (every class), and reflect a grave +reproach on our country, where, in the severest weather, it is difficult +to get a foot warmer, except by certain main line trains, and, even +then, one is expected to "tip" the attendant. Poor persons travelling in +thin garments and poorly fed, in severe weather, scarcely ever dare to +ask for a foot warmer unless they are prepared to fee someone, and, +whether rich or poor, no one can get a foot warmer at any of our country +stations. When we consider that railways originated in this country, and +that some of the parts of America I passed through were, some 50, some +40, and some even 30 years ago, only known to the trapper and the +Indian, it shows the increase of enterprise exhibited by our cousins +over the Atlantic. + +Tramcars are worked by electricity, by steam, by horses and mules, and +by revolving endless cables. Telephones are everywhere. The railway +journeys in America often occupying several days, the tickets are a kind +of succession of coupons, parts of which have to be given up at various +stages. Caution is exercised in selling railway tickets for long +journeys--thus, you are required to sign the ticket, and observations +are made of you, such as your height, probable age, colour of your eyes, +hair, etc. Some of the lines of railway are not fenced in, not even in +towns, so that the train runs through a town as openly as does an +omnibus. I may convey some idea of some of the large American systems +of agriculture, by referring to the estate of one of my clients, Mr. +C.H. Huffman, of Merced, California. This gentleman has fields ranging +from 1,000 to 15,000 acres each. He can plough 400 to 500 acres a day. +By his traction engine he can strike 12 furrows at a time. He can put 70 +teams (of eight mules or horses each) to work at one time. Each +harvester will cut, thrash, and sack an average of 50 acres a day. The +front part of the machine faces the standing wheat in the field, in the +centre of the machine it is thrashed and winnowed, and at the rear it is +thrown out in sacks ready for market. Mr. Huffman can sit in his study +at home, and by his telephone talk to his clerks at Merced (he is the +banker there), as well as to the foremen at his various ranches for 25 +miles round the country. I particularly noticed one of his fields of +wheat, comprising 2,000 acres, as level and clean as a well-kept lady's +flower garden in England. + +The Americans have a greater variety of foods served at their meals than +we do, but I never got the flavour of meat cut from a joint to equal +that which, when really well roasted and served, we get in England. As +to bread, I never tasted bread worth the name, from the time I left +London to the time I returned to it. Alike on the Cunard steamers, cars, +hotels, etc., you can get no wholemeal bread. French and Vienna breads, +and other very white abortions of that kind are obtainable in abundance, +and even a kind of brown bread, and "Graham's" bread, but good honest +wholemeal bread, containing all the properties of the full kernel of the +wheat, it is impossible to get, and this to me was a very great +deprivation, as my _principal_ article of food is _real_ wholemeal +bread. + +The system of the custody of letters at the large American hotels +appeared to me rather unsafe. A visitor asks for letters, whereupon +there are handed to him all the letters in the pigeon-hole marked with +the initial of which the visitor's name commences. The visitor then +proceeds to look through them, and takes what he chooses, and hands the +rest back. The official is too busy, or it is not customary for him, to +look through them for the visitor, or even to watch the visitor in his +process of selection. I noticed one gentleman with a packet of letters, +I should think considerably over a hundred, every now and then slip one +into his breast pocket and give a furtive glance, which did not inspire +confidence, but probably this is a well accustomed habit of the people, +and the letters, perhaps, are as safe as the newspapers I frequently saw +deposited on the tops of the street letter boxes (outside the boxes), +because they were too large to be put inside; of course anyone could +have taken them, but the custom not to touch them is probably honourably +recognized. The street letter boxes are quite small square boxes, not +large pillar boxes as are ours in this country. + +I should like to have remarked more generally on America, but both time +and space fail me. Of course, as most people know, the (to us) +disgusting practice of spitting is common in America; spittoons are +universally provided in public and private places. At Merced Court House +is this notice: "Gentlemen will not, and others should not spit upon the +floors." Huge spittoons are provided there. + +The awful guttural which precedes the constant expectoration of +Americans is most trying. It excites in persons near them and who are +unaccustomed to it, a sensation of necessity to vomit, as it conveys a +fear that your neighbour is about to vomit over you. It is not the +excusable expectoration arising from an accumalation in the air +passages, but a continuous fusilade of saliva. It is a disgusting +practice, and I believe will die out in America as its citizens travel +more in the old countries and become used to manners more refined than +such a one as this. I observed that my clients in California, who have +travelled in Europe, and other travelled Americans, are not guilty of +this odious practice. + +I would say to Englishmen travelling in America, don't condescend to the +"guessing" and other loose styles of expression, and don't affect the +nasal twang. Americans, with all their boast of one man being as good as +another, are greatly pleased to entertain or travel with Englishmen +having a title, and they pay a marked respect to Britishers who speak in +a classical style, and who, while being devoid of foppishness, bounce, +or vulgarity, conduct themselves with a genial dignity. + + + + +=California.= + + +I will now say something about California, and then proceed to describe +the lands for sale, and the prospects of those who will settle upon +them. + +California lies on the genial coast of the Pacific Ocean, midway between +the too cold regions of the North and the too hot regions of the South. +To be exact, the mean temperature in San Francisco in the month of +January, averages about 49°. It has varied from 53° to 39°. The record +of 32 years shows that between sunrise and sunset it has not been so low +as 32° on more than 10 days. Snow is sometimes seen to fall, but it +melts immediately. + +California has a bright, genial climate, and is described as +"pre-eminently a sunny land." The early spring, commencing about the +middle of February and lasting about six weeks, is a very pleasant part +of the year, but April is described as the "cheeriest." December and +January are the least pleasant, because it is the rainy and winter +season. + +Thunderstorms are rare, and no hurricane has ever been known there. The +rainfall of California is about twenty inches, and the rainy days number +about sixty in the year, or about half the number of rainy days +experienced in the Atlantic States or Central Europe. + +Amongst the fruits grown in abundance are the orange, grape, peach, +apricot, plum, cherry, apple, nectarine, fig, lemon, lime, olive, date, +and all the berries of value. + +Besides the immense growth of choice and luscious Fruits, for which +California is famous all over the globe, it claims to have the largest +milk, butter, and cheese dairies in the world. It is also renowned for +its mineral riches, its immense mercantile business, its manufacturing +industries, its production of wool, its gigantic timber, its wealth of +beauty in flowers, its fast horses, its grand scenery, embracing lofty +mountains, deep valleys, expansive fertile plains, and all the +variations of a beautiful country, with many rivers, and a magnificent +sea coast, whilst the "coast range" and the slopes of the "Sierra" offer +to the sportsman such game in abundance as grizzly and cinnamon bears +and Californian lions. There are also deer, hare, rabbit, quail, large +flocks of wild ducks and geese, and the rivers afford such fish as +salmon and trout, and the deep sea splendid fishing. + +San Francisco has been called "a city of 100 hills." It has a population +of nearly 300,000 inhabitants, amongst whom are no less than 50 +_millionaires_. Its harbour is known all over the globe as the "Golden +Gate," and it has answered well to its name, for an entrance to its vast +resources has made the fortune of multitudes of people, and many going +there now are laying the foundations for future wealth. + +The lands of California have the two essentials for successful +culture--a rich soil and genial climate, with plenty of sun, yet never +too hot and never too cold for out-door work, and most of its domestic +animals are never housed, and require no food but wild herbage. + + +FRUIT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. + +Our lands at Merced, in California, offer to gentlemen wishing to make a +first or a fresh start in life a really good opportunity. It is +difficult to conceive how men with energy, enterprise, and a little +capital, can be content to sit in an office in foggy, blocked-up +London, "quill driving" from year's end to year's end, when a prospect +is afforded them, such as we now offer, of establishing a pleasant home +in a luxurious land, with a sunny, genial climate, and within about a +fortnight's travel of England, and where they would have the liberty of +being their own masters, and lay the foundation of a future competency. + + +CURRENCY. + +As the currency in California is dollars, not pounds, we must ask our +readers to accustom themselves to dollars. A dollar is 100 cents, and, +roughly speaking, a cent is equivalent to a halfpenny, so that a dollar +would be worth, of our money, four shillings and twopence. Its value, +however, varies a few cents according to the place where it is +exchanged. Bank of England notes or pounds are never worth less than +four shillings and twopence, _i.e.,_ 480 cents or halfpennies, which, of +course, is four dollars and 80 cents, there being 100 cents in a dollar. +The decimal currency is extremely simple when once understood. Never +less than 4.80 is given for an English pound, but sometimes 4.82 and +4.85 is obtained. + + +MERCED. + +The lands I have for sale are situate in the County of Merced, in +California, about 150 miles by rail from the City of San Francisco, They +are designated "British Colony," and at the nearest point are just one +mile from the boundary of the town of Merced, and two miles from the +railway station, hotel, shops, etc. Merced town is lighted by gas and +electricity, has water laid on, telephones, telegraphs, Court House, +Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, +Methodist Church, South Methodist Church, Baptist Church, and Catholic +Church, two schools, shops of various kinds; two railroads, the main one +running up to San Francisco, and down to Los Angeles and on to New +Orleans, etc., and the other, a branch line to Stockton, Sacramento, +etc. Merced is 175 feet above the level of the sea; it is a pleasant +little town, affords some congenial society, and I firmly believe will, +before many years have passed, become an important centre, because my +clients have brought water from the Merced River more than twenty miles +off, by a system of canals, and have formed a reservoir of 640 acres in +extent, with an average depth of 30 feet, and thus have given facilities +for irrigating the country round the town. It is certain to become a +great Fruit-growing district, as its soil is so fully adapted for the +purpose. It is much nearer to San Francisco than Los Angeles, and is +nearer also than Fresno and other districts which have already made +themselves a name for Fruit culture. + +The country around Merced has a natural fall, and is drained by many +creeks, which are dry in summer, but contain more or less water in +winter. + + +THE LANDS FOR SALE. + +Merced is situated in the celebrated San Joaquin Valley (pronounced San +Wharkeen), which is an immense level of fertile land, the soil generally +being of a rich sandy loam, but in some districts, such as that I am now +offering for sale, of a deep rich black loam of a highly productive +nature, in fact, it is the decomposed vegetation and alluvial deposits +of past ages, than which nothing could be more fertile. We have good +evidence that the land is especially suited for the production of +prunes, apricots, pears, peaches, olives, plums, small Fruit, such as +strawberries, blackberries, sweet and common potatoes, garden stuff, and +alfalfa. Alfalfa (or lucerne) is a great crop in America in places where +there are no old meadow lands for the cows. The land is, of course, +suited for all cereal crops, too. All the Fruits named can be dried in +the sun without artificial heat. + +The lands are about 160 to 165 feet above the level of the sea, and, in +common with all the country round, they command a view on the one side +of the grand snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains, and on the other of +the mountains known as the Coast Range. Immense flocks of wild geese and +ducks (principally geese), are often on the land. There are also +"rabbits" on the land (so called), but they more resemble hares in their +size and habits and run. + +There are some excellent Fruit orchards and gardens at Merced. In the +grounds around the Court House are some very fine orange trees, full of +fruit, and also in the gardens of private residents. One gentleman +kindly sent a bough of oranges, and other gentlemen sent other Fruits, +which may be seen at our offices. At the Buhach Colony, near the town +of Merced, are extensive orchards of Californian Fruits. Mr. Atwater's +gardens and orchard, a few miles from the town, are worth inspection. He +has two magnificent olive trees, nine or ten years' old, which bear +heavy crops, and which are used for the production of olive oil; his +vineyard and orange orchard, his lemon and persimmon trees, all look +very prosperous. He would gladly show any settler how he has cultivated +them. He has a corn and stock farm, and has only gradually cultivated +these Fruits, which occupy some eleven acres. + + +PRICE OF THE LAND. + +The prices of the land for sale are 75, and 100, and 150 dollars per +acre, according to position. Two-thirds of the purchase-money may remain +on mortgage as long as the interest is paid at 8 per cent, per annum, +which is the lowest interest payable in California. The mortgagor is +liable to the Government for the taxes, which amount to 1-1/2 to 2 per +cent, per annum, so that he would really only receive 6 to 6-1/2 per +cent, interest. All mortgages are publicly recorded, and so the +property is vested in the mortgagor till he is paid off, and when that +is done it also is publicly recorded. These taxes embrace all known to +us in England as rates and taxes, except a road tax of 2 dollars a head +per annum, chargeable to every male over twenty-one years of age. This +tax may be paid for in labour on the road if desired. A free conveyance +will be given, but the cost of recording the transaction in the county +office (there is no stamp duty), about 1-1/2 dollars, must be paid by +the purchaser. The recording of a mortgage would probably be 3-1/4 +dollars because it is longer. The record is a public acknowledgment of +the title of the owner to the land made in the county books. + +Foreigners can hold freehold property in California, but they have no +right to vote--indeed, they would have no right to vote until they had +resided five years in the country, and had become naturalized; then a +resident has before him the possibility of becoming Governor of the +State to which he belongs, or, indeed, Secretary of the Interior, which +corresponds with the position of the Premier in England. + + +AMERICAN SURVEYS. + +According to the American surveys the country is arranged in squares, as +shown on all the maps. A "section" is a square mile, or 640 acres. A +"township" is 36 sections, _i.e.,_ six miles on each of its four sides. + +A quarter section is 160 acres, and the lands are so arranged that a +roadway is reserved around each quarter section 60 feet wide, and the +land for such roadway is taken from each side, so that each owner has to +contribute 30 feet to such road, and, of course, he has the benefit of +the frontage to it. A 20 acre lot would be an eighth of a quarter +section. On some of the lots for sale at "British Colony," are one or +two houses and some buildings. These may be purchased thus: One house +and buildings, 1,000 dollars; another house and buildings, 1,000 +dollars; another house and buildings (N.E.), 600 dollars; but if one +purchaser bought four lots of 20 acres, each adjoining so that one house +and buildings should come near the centre, then such house and buildings +would be given in. + + +SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE OF FRUIT CULTURE. + +Few settlers would have the requisite special knowledge of Fruit culture +without some instruction, and, therefore, the owners of the land have +engaged the services of Professor Eisen, at a fixed salary, so that all +settlers on their lands may have the benefit of the Professor's +instruction, _free of charge_. Professor Eisen is well known as a +specialist in horticulture in California. He has just published a book +on the raisin industry in California, which may be seen at our offices. +The culture of grapes for raisins, and plums for prunes, would be +remarkably successful on the lands for sale. + + +CANNED FRUITS. + +Wholesale buyers come round the country to buy the Fruit crops while on +the trees. An enormous trade is done in America in canned Fruits; the +hotels, steamers, railway cars, and private families use them largely at +all meals, and America itself seems to be a sufficient market for ages +to come for all the Fruit and vegetables its State of California can +produce. + + +ESTIMATES. + +How to start with a capital of 20,000 dols. + + dols. + 80 acres of land, 12,000 dols., half cost 6,000 + Trees, such as orange, olive, fruit, etc. 2,000 + House and barn 2,500 + Horses 400 + Cow 50 + Poultry 25 + Furniture, etc. 600 + Waggon, tools, etc. 400 + Labour, per year, 3 men, etc., for, 3 years, + including living 4,000 + Interest on 6,000 dols. at 8%--480 dols. per + year, 3 years 1,440 + ------ + dols. 17,415 + +Leaving a balance of 2,585 dols. for first payment of land, or for other +improvements and unforeseen expenses. + +Profit the fourth year should be about 4,000 to 5000 dols. at the +lowest. + + + +How to start with a capital of 10,000 dols., i.e., say £2,000. + + dols. dols. + + 40 acres of land .. .. .. .. 6,000 + House and barn .. .. .. .. 1,200 + Well and pump .. .. .. .. 100 + Horses .. .. .. .. 200 + Waggon and tools .. .. .. .. 350 + Furniture, etc .. .. .. .. 500 + Cow .. .. .. .. 50 + Trees, etc. .. .. .. .. 1,200 + Seed, etc. .. .. .. .. 100 + .. .. .. .. ---- 9,700 + Living one year, etc.; incidentals .. 300 + .. .. .. .. ----- + dols. 10,000 + + PROFITS. + + dols. dols. + _First year_.--Land between the trees, + cultivated in potatoes, vegetables, + etc. .. .. .. .. 500 + Poultry, eggs, etc. .. .. .. .. 150 + --- 650 + + +(Eggs and poultry pay for groceries. Many families are doing this now.) + + dols. dols. + +_Second year_.--The same as above .. 650 + +_Third year_.--The same as above .. 650 + Yield from Fruit, 10 dols. per acre .. 400 + ---- 1,050 + +_Fourth year_.--The same from poultry, etc. 650 + From Fruit trees, 50 dols. per acre .. 2,000 + ---- 2,650 + +_Fifth year_.--The orchard is now in good + bearing, and should pay from 100 to + 250 dols. per acre; say the lowest .. 4,000 + +(No time to attend to any but Fruit trees unless a man is employed, so +only the return of Fruit trees is given). + +_Sixth year_.--The orchard now pays, if properly + attended to, from 150 to 350 dols. per acre; + say the lowest .. 6,000 + +_Seventh year_.--The orchard pays, if properly + cared for, from 200 to 450 dols. per acre; + say the lowest .. 8,000 + +This clear after expenses have been deducted. The farmer can take care +of 20 acres himself, with occasional help. With 40 acres he requires one +man more, his son or hired help. + +The first three years he will only make his living ordinarily so; after +that time he will make money. Poultry, and vegetables should, during +the first year pay for all expenses at least, and in many instances +leave a large surplus. All this depends upon the capacity of the +settler. With good land such as this 100 dollars or more could be made +from vegetables the first season by a capable and experienced man. At +least it has been done repeatedly. + +If poultry is properly cared for, a family will make its living by +selling eggs and chickens until the trees come in bearing. + + +=How to start with a capital of 8,000 dols., i.e., say £1,600.= + + + dols. + + Land, 40 acres, 6,000 dols., half cost.. .. 3,000 + House and barn .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,500 + Horses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 + Cows and chickens .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 75 + Waggon and tools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 + Sundries, tools, etc. .. .. .. .. .. .. 400 + Trees, etc. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,200 + Well and pump .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 + Or windmill and tank .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 + Interest on 3,000 dols. at 8 % for three years .. 780 + Sundries for living, etc. .. .. .. .. .. 295 + ----- + dols. 8,000 + + The fourth and fifth years there should be a gross + profit of at least 2,650 dols. a year, enough to pay for + the balance due on land. + + + How to start with, a capital of 5,000 dols., + i.e., say £1,000. + + dols. + Land, 20 acres, 3,000 dols., half cost .. .. 1,500 + House and barn, etc. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 + Trees .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 600 + Horses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 + Cow .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 + Household furniture .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 + Waggon and tools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 + Well and pump .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 + + (If tank and windmill required, from 250 dols. + upwards extra). + + Seed, etc. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 + Sundry expenses and chickens .. .. .. .. 300 + Interest for three years on balance of land + at 8% .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 360 + Capital on hand to pay for part of the land.. 840 + ----- + dols. 5,300 + + + What some people have started with, and + come out all right. + + dols. dols. + Land, 3,000 dols., cash, balance credit 1000 + House and barn 500 + Horses 150 + Cow 50 + Poultry 25 + ___ + 225 + + Provisions, sundries, etc 100 + Furniture and tools 150 + Sundry expenses 100 + Waggon and horses 150 + _____ + dols. 2,225 + +But ordinarily, this is too little, as the planting of the land cannot +be proceeded with at once, and work must be procured among the +neighbours, etc. + +The estimates, were furnished us by Professor Eisen, who remarked that, +probably, in giving estimates all persons would vary somewhat, but +these, and other estimates which he gave, are really more than +estimates, because they are the actual results of past experiences. + + +PROFESSOR EISEN'S OPINION. + +Received January 20th, 1891. + + +Professor Eisen writes:--"I am of opinion that these lands (British +Colony, Merced) are amongst the very best in the State for raisins; +still, as I explained to you, I do not advise any one to put his whole +interest in the raisin industry, as the market for this Fruit is +limited. For other dried fruit, especially for prunes (French plums), +apricots, peaches, and nectarines, the market is practically unlimited, +and as our population increases yearly 1,500,000 people, it will be seen +that our markets must extend as well, even after we have driven all +foreign Fruits out of our home markets. As regards the adaptability of +the land of British Colony for various Fruits, I can say that they are +especially adapted to the prune (French plums) and peaches for drying +and canning, olives for olive oil and pickling; also for oranges. You +can see how the orange thrives in the city of Merced and surroundings, +or in localities exactly like those of British Colony lands, and there +can be no doubt that oranges and lemons will prove very profitable in +British Colony. Olives will especially do well there. The British Colony +lands I consider as exceptionally rich and fertile, and there are few, +if any, equal to them in this State or anywhere else." + + +PRICE OF FRUIT TREES. + +The prices in California of young Fruit trees for planting, for the +season 1890-91, are given as follows:-- + + dols. + + Prunes (like French plums) 25 to 30 per 100 + + Plums and other prunes 15 " + + Apricots 20 " + + Peaches, from 15 to 17.50 " + + Olives (layers) 20 " + + Olives, grafted 40 to 60 " + + Pears 18 " + + Oranges, best kinds 70 to 100 " + + Shade trees 50 " + + Grape-vines (raisins) 12 " + + Persimmons 15 " + + Walnuts, from 15 to 35 " + + + + +WHEN FRUIT TREES PAY. + +The Fruit trees enumerated above would begin to bear the second year, +but only the fourth year would they bear any considerable amount; the +fifth and sixth years they would come into good bearing, and should then +yield a profit of, say, from 100 to 350 dollars per acre. At seven years +the orchard should be in full bearing, and never yield less than 150, +and, possibly, 450 dollars per acre. Instances have been known when +prunes, peaches, and pears have produced from 750 to 1,500 dollars per +acre clear profit. + + +POSITION OF A SETTLER. + +The position of a settler, then, is that for the first three years he +cannot depend upon his crop of Fruit to maintain him, but must either +have sufficient capital to support him during that time, or else earn +his living in some other way. To be idle, and live on capital, would +not, of course, suit any man who meant to succeed, and therefore he +would fill up his time in cultivating garden and poultry produce, for +which there is always a demand, or in getting some occasional +employment. + + +COST OF BOARD AND LODGING. + +At Merced railway station is a very large hotel, and the cost of board +and lodging for emigrants is only 25 dollars, _i.e.,_ say, £5 per month; +to usual visitors it is 60 dollars a month. + + +RAISIN CULTURE. + +The _Pacific Rural Press_, referring to the raisin vineyards in the San +Joaquin Valley, California, states:-- + +"What is especially interesting to the home-seeker in connection with +this information, is the fact that everyone of these vineyardists is +prosperous. No other horticultural industry is so profitable as the +culture of the raisin grape, in no other is the work so pleasant, and no +other yields a return so quickly." + +An acre of Muscat vines in full bearing will yield from two to three +tons of grapes on good heavy soil. At 5-1/2 cents a pound in the +sweat-box, this means from 225 to 325 dollars per acre, gross. Numerous +instances are known, however, where the yield of an acre of Muscats +amounted to as much as 450 dollars, this being the result of careful +cultivation and favourable circumstances. Some grapes are borne on the +vines when they are one-year old, while two-year old's have been known +to bear a crop. At three years the vines pay the expenses and interest +on the money invested, and at four years from planting they bring the +first large paying crop. + +The _Merced Argus_ says of raisin culture:-- + +"One of the great charms of raisin culture is the extreme simplicity of +its operations. WHAT CAN BE MORE SIMPLE than to pick a bunch of Muscat +grapes from the vine, and lay it on the ground. In six days the bunch of +grapes, without being meanwhile touched, has assumed the appearance of a +bunch of raisins, and has flattened out as if it had been pressed. It is +then carefully turned over, so as to expose the underside to the direct +action of the sun. In eight days more it is a perfect bunch of raisins, +and no act of man can improve it even in appearance. All the operations +of fancy packing are so simple, that a child may learn them in a day. A +single acre of raisin vines in a Merced Colony lot means handfuls of +bright, golden double eagles to the bright-eyed children of the Merced +farmer in the near future. + +_Harper's Magazine_ for January, 1891, contains an article on +California, which all persons interested in that State would do well to +read. I extract a few statements:-- + + +IRRIGATION. + +"A piece of land at Riverside, below the flow of water, was worth 300 +dollars an acre. Contiguous to it was another piece not irrigated, which +would not sell for 50 dollars an acre. By bringing water to it, it would +quickly sell for 300 dollars, thus adding 250 dollars to its value. As +the estimate at River side is that one inch of water will irrigate five +acres of Fruit land, five times 250 dollars would be 1,250 dollars per +inch, at which price water for irrigation has actually been sold at +Riverside. + +"The standard of measurement of water in Southern California is the +miner's inch under four inches pressure, or the amount that will flow +through an inch-square opening under a pressure of four inches measured +from the surface of the water in the conduit to the centre of the +opening through which it flows. This is nine gallons a minute, or, as it +is figured, 1,728 cubic feet or 12,960 gallons in 24 hours, and 1/50 of +a cubic foot a second. This flow would cover 10 acres about 18 inches +deep in a year; that is, it would give the land the equivalent of 18 +inches of rain, distributed exactly when and where it was needed, none +being wasted, and more serviceable than 50 inches of rainfall as it +generally comes. This, with the natural rainfall, is sufficient for +citrous Fruits and for corn and alfalfa, in soil not too sandy, and it +is too much for grapes and all deciduous fruits. + +"But irrigation, in order to be successful, must be intelligently +applied. In unskilful hands it may work more damage than benefit. Mr. +Theodore S. Van Dyke, who may always be quoted with confidence, says +that the ground should never he flooded; that water must not touch the +plant or tree, or come near enough to make the soil bake around it; and +that it should be let in in small streams for two or three days, and not +in large streams for a few hours. + + +OLIVE CULTURE. + +"The growth of the olive is to be, it seems to me, one of the leading +and most permanent industries of Southern California. It will give us, +what it is nearly impossible to buy now, pure olive oil, in place of the +cotton seed and lard mixture in general use. It is a most wholesome and +palatable article of food. Those whose chief experience of the olive is +the large, coarse, and not agreeable Spanish variety, used only as an +appetizer, know little of the value of the best varieties as food, +nutritious as meat, and always delicious. Good bread and a dish of +pickled olives make an excellent meal. A mature olive grove in good +bearing is a fortune. I feel sure that within 25 years this will be one +of the most profitable industries of California, and that the demand for +pure oil and edible fruit in the United States will drive out the +adulterated and inferior present commercial products." + + +SPECIAL OPENINGS. + +There are now at Merced special openings for a nurseryman and a +dairyman; the latter would be by growing alfalfa (lucerne) and raising +poultry for at present the Merced people often have to get poultry and +eggs from San Francisco, 150 miles off. + + +POTATO GROWING. + +A settler might make a really good return out of potatoes while his +Fruit trees are maturing, which is a food more in use in America than in +England. Potatoes are not only served at luncheon and dinner, but also +at breakfast everywhere, and, if every settler planted his land with +potatoes, there would be no fear of overstocking the market. + +Mr. Eisen states that potatoes yield from 50 to 400 sacks to the acre, +and sell at prices varying from 90 cents to 2 dollars per sack. If only +50 sacks were grown to the acre, it would show a scarce year, when +prices would range higher, but the crop is never a failure in +California. Two crops can be grown in a year; the first crop is planted +at the end of February, if warm, or else in March, or indeed any time +till the middle of May, and dug three months after; the second crop is +planted in August or September, and dug three months after. + +To put in the potatoes a settler would need the help of a labourer, to +whom he would have to give one dollar per day and his board, or, if the +labourer be a Chinaman, one dollar and a quarter per day without his +board. If the potatoes occupied ten acres, and they produced say 200 +sacks to the acre, and fetched 1 dollar per sack, that would yield 2,000 +dollars, or for the two crops 4,000 dollars, or, say, £800. This sounds +a large sum, but the land is exceedingly rich, as may be seen from the +samples I have brought back, and large results may be expected from it +if properly worked, for, of course, in any undertaking the result +depends upon the way it is worked. + +The following paragraph is from an important paper or periodical of 20 +pages, known as the _Pacific Rural Press_, of December 13th, 1890, and +although the crop it mentions was not grown in California, it shows at +least what can be done on good ground:-- + +"Nearly 1,000 bushels of potatoes, or, to be exact, 974 bushels and 48 +pounds, have been grown on one acre of land in Johnson County, Wyoming, +the past season. This crop wins the first prize of several hundred +dollars offered by the _American Agriculturist_ for the largest yield of +potatoes on one exact acre. It was grown on virgin soil without manure +or fertilizer, but the land was rich in potash, and the copious +irrigation was of water also rich in saline material. There were 22,800 +hills on one acre, and 1,560 pounds of sets, containing one, two, and +three eyes, were planted of the early Vermont and Manhattan varieties. +The profit on the crop on this first prize acre was 714 dollars, +exclusive of 500 dollars in prizes." + +Thus, this one acre would have produced £142 worth of potatoes. I do not +mention it as an example of what a settler may or may not do at Merced, +but as the land at Merced which I am offering for sale is of the richest +quality, rich results may certainly be expected. + + COST OF GOODS, &c., AT MERCED. + + per lb. + + Beef (to boil), 8 to 10 cents + Beef (steak), 10 cents + Beef (shoulder), 10 cents + Beef (choice), 12-1/2 cents + Beef (porterhouse and tenderloin), 15 cents + Veal, 10 to 15 cents + Mutton, 10 to 12-1/2 cents + Pork, 10 to 12-1/2 cents + Sausages, 12-1/ to 15 cents + Corned beef, 8 to 10 cents + Bacon, 12-1/2 cents + Hams, 15 cents + Tongues, 10 cents + Flour, 4-1/2 to 5 dollars for a barrel weighing 200 lbs. + Tea, 25 cents to 1 dollar + Coffee, 24 to 45 cents + Candles, 15 to 20 cents + Chocolate, 25 cents + Cod fish, 10 cents + Corn meal, 3 to 4 cents + Cocoa, 50 to 60 cents + Cracker biscuits, 8 to 10 cents + Graham flour, 3 to 5 cents + Macaroni, 15 cents + Oatmeal, 5 cents + Rolled oats, 6 cents + Rice, 5-1/2 to 8 cents + Salt, 1 to 2 cents + Soda, 4 cents + Starch, 10 cents + Sugar, 7 to 8 cents + Sugar (house), 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cents + Butter, 25 to 40 cents + Eggs, 15 to 40 cents per dozen, according to season + Coal oil, 1.40 per 5-gallon can. + +One of my clients recently visited England with his family, and says +that one can live cheaper at Merced than in England. + +The cost of a twelve-roomed house is 3,000 to 4,000 dollars, according +to finish, _i.e.,_ from £600 to £800. Most of the houses are built of +wood, and such a house could be built in twenty to thirty days, if +necessary. + +Stabling for two horses, with room for buggy, wagon, harness, and hay, +would cost 250 dollars or £50. + +A ten-roomed house would cost from 2,500 to 3,500 dollars, according to +finish. + +An eight-roomed house would cost from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars. + +A six roomed house would cost about 2,000 dollars. + +A four-roomed house would cost about 1,200 dollars. + +Live poultry cost about 6 dollars per dozen. + +Cows, 25 to 50 dollars each. Horses, 75 to 150 dollars each. Sheep, 3 to +4 dollars each. + +Cultivators cost from 7 to 15 dollars each. Ploughs and harrows about +the same price. A riding cultivator, 45 to 50 dollars. Pruning shears, 3 +dollars. + +Day labour costs 1 dollar per day and board; but, in harvest time, 1-1/2 +dollar per day and board. + +Carpenters, 2-1/2 dollars per day, sometimes with and sometimes without +board. + +Fencing costs 500 dollars (_i.e_., £100) a mile. To fence a 20-acre lot +would cost 350 dollars (_i.e_., £70); but if the eight forming the +quarter section joined together, it would cost each about 130 dollars +(_i.e_., £26). The fence would be a 6-inch board at bottom, then 30 +inches of wire netting to keep out rabbits, then another 6-inch board +and a barbed wire at top. + +Firewood costs 6 to 7 dollars a cord of hard wood, or 5 to 6 dollars of +willow wood; a cord of wood is 4-ft. by 4-ft. by 8-ft. + + +TAKE CLOTHING AND BRIC-A-BRAC. + +All kinds of clothing are dear. A good suit would cost £7 to £8, or, if +ready made, £5. Settlers should therefore take with them plenty of +clothes, sufficient, say, to last for five years, including boots, +blankets, linen, etc.; also _bric-a-brac,_ and anything to add +cheerfulness and refinement to the home, but they should not take +furniture nor animals. Guns they might take, but not tools nor +implements. + + +SEA PASSAGE FROM ENGLAND. + +Steamships run from Liverpool and Southampton at the following rates:-- + +1.--Cunard Company's Line. Liverpool to New York. During the summer +months-- + + 1st class. 2nd class. 3rd class. + +From £12 12s. to £26 5s. £7 £4. + +During the winter months-- + + 1st class. 2nd class. 3rd class. + + £10 10s. to £25 £7 £4. + +The third-class passengers are provided with a free ticket from London +to Liverpool. + +2.--Inman Line. Liverpool to New York-- + +First class fares from £10 10s. to £25. Second class fares from £6 10s. +to £7 7s. Third class fares £4. + +The third class includes a free ticket from London to Liverpool. + +3.--The "White Star" Line. Liverpool to New York + + 1st class. 2nd class. 3rd class. + Summer season--£15 to £28 £7 to £9 £4. + +Winter season--£10 10s. to £18 £6 10s. to £8 £4. + +The third class passengers are provided with a free ticket from London +to Liverpool, and free tickets, if required, from New York to Boston or +Philadelphia. + +4.--North German Lloyd Company. Southampton to New York-- + First class, £14 to £23. Second class, £10. + +5.--The American Line. Liverpool to New York-- + Second class, £6. Third class, £3 16s. + +Steamers leave Southampton, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Queenstown, thus +being convenient respectively for passengers from the north or south of +England, from Scotland, or from Ireland. + +Steamers run from this country to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, or +Baltimore, but New York is the best port for Merced. + + +THE LAND JOURNEY FROM NEW YORK TO MERCED, CALIFORNIA. + +_Copy of Letter from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company._ + + +"Our fares from New York to Merced, _viâ_ New Orleans, are:--1st class, +unlimited, £19 19s. 0d.; limited, £18 4s. 7d.; 2nd class, £12 8s. 4d.; +3rd class, £12 2s. 9d., all rail; £11 1s. 11d. by steamer to New +Orleans, and thence rail, food, and sleeping berth on steamer included. +The charges for sleeping car berths are:--1st class, 22 dollars; 2nd +class from New Orleans, 3 dollars. There are no 2nd class sleepers to +New Orleans, except on the fortnightly excursion trains from Cincinnati, +leaving that city January 7th and 21st, February 4th and 18th; March 4th +and 18th; April 8th and 22nd, etc. The charge from Cincinnati is 4 +dollars 50 cents. Third class passengers can travel in 2nd class +sleepers upon payment of the usual charge. The fares from New Orleans to +principal Californian points, including Merced, are:--1st class, +unlimited, £14. 1s. 3d.; 2nd class, £8. 17s. 1d.; 3rd class, none. +Sleeping cars--1st class, 13 dollars; 2nd class, 3 dollars. + +Tickets may be obtained through Messrs, DOWSETT and Co., 3, Lincoln's +Inn Fields, London, direct from Liverpool to California, or any other +State _en route_. + + +ANALYSIS OF MERCED SOILS. + +Having fitted up a portion of one of my offices with all the requisites +for carrying out quantitative analyses of surface soils, I requested +Professor Lobley, F.G.S., etc., to analyse the four samples of soils +which I brought with me from Merced. + +A general analysis of four samples of soil from Merced, California, has +given the following results:-- + + SAMPLE A. + + Organic matter (Humus) 5.5 + Soluble inorganic matter 11.75 + Insoluble silica and silicates 82.75 + -------- + 100.00 + + SAMPLE B. + + Organic matter (Humus) 4.25 + Soluble inorganic matter 14.45 + Insoluble silica and silicates 81.30 + -------- + 100.00 + + SAMPLE C. + + Organic matter (Humus) 5.25 + Soluble inorganic matter 16.75 + Insoluble silica and silicates 78.00 + -------- + 100.00 + + SAMPLE D. + + Organic matter (Humus) 3.5 + Soluble inorganic matter 12.0 + Insoluble silica and silicates 84.5 + -------- + 100.00 + + +The organic matter is available for plant growth. + +The inorganic matter, soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid, is (with the +exception of the alumina it may contain) composed of fertilising +material. The substances found in the soluble inorganic matter of soils +are lime, magnesia, alumina, silica, phosphoric acid, oxide of iron, +oxide of manganese, potash and soda. The insoluble mineral matter is +nearly all silica. There is very little clayey matter in any of the +soils--not more than about five per cent. All the soils are remarkably +free from stones or pebbles, or even coarse sand. + +From the above it will be seen that these soils, while possessing a +large amount of matter available for plant growth, are exceedingly +friable, and would be very easily worked. They would absorb heat +quickly, and from their porosity would require little drainage, and so +would be both warm and dry soils, and form fertile land suitable for +almost all kinds of agricultural and horticultural produce. + + +THE POSITION OF MY CLIENTS, THE VENDORS. + +My clients, the owners of the land called "British Colony," at Merced, +are well-known persons--well-known as men of great wealth, and as +gentlemen of undoubted integrity, the Hon. Charles Crocker and Mr. C.H. +Huffman, whose enterprises in railway, canal, and other public works, +have been of gigantic proportions. + +I have every confidence myself in dealing with these gentlemen, and I +submit that my friends, clients, and the general public, who may be +willing to take up any of this "British Colony" land at Merced, may have +full confidence, too, that they will at least be treated justly, and +more than that is not expected from strangers in business; but I believe +that I might add they would be treated liberally if necessity arose, and +I have ground for this statement from what I have heard of their +treatment of other persons who have settled in one of their other +"Colonies." + + +CALIFORNIA, MERCED. + +I have for sale besides the estate designated "British Colony," a tract +of land belonging to a well-known merchant in the City of London, who +has owned it for 13 years. It comprises 5,084 acres, and has a +registered Government title. Price 30 dollars per acre, and 7 years' +credit would be given if 20 per cent. is paid down. Part of it is well +suited for Fruit growing, but as yet the water from the canals belonging +to my other clients has not been taken to it. It has, however, some +creeks upon it, but they are frequently dry. The land is of a rolling +prairie character, and is now let at a nominal rent of 25 cents per acre +for sheep farming. The soil is varied; some of it is a good loam, some +of a clayey nature, and some stony; there is a shepherd's house, with +barn and yard. The taxes upon it are about 15 to 20 cents per acre. One +half of the land would be sold separately, but it must be the half +farthest from the side where the canals are. The situation is an +attractive one as the undulations really form the first foothills of the +Sierra Nevada Mountains, of which there is a grand view. This land is +well worth buying, as when water is obtained, the price will then be +increased to that asked for other irrigated Fruit lands. + +A plan may be seen at my offices, 3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. + + +FINIS. + + * * * * * + +London: + +Printed by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Gate Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. + + + + +TO OWNERS OF LANDS AND HOUSES. + + +REQUIRED TO PURCHASE. + +_Messrs. Dowsett & Co. have applications for Landed Estates, Country +Houses, Town Houses, Farms, Villa Farms, Building Lands, Cheap Sections +of Land for the People, Ground Rents, Colonial Lands, and General Land +and House Investments. + +Messrs. Dowsett & Co, invite owners wishing to sell, and who have not +yet employed an Agent, to employ them: they do not appreciate +instructions which are sent to several Agents, but they are prepared to +give careful, intelligent, personal attention to the Sale of Property +which is placed in their hands. They prefer giving personal attention to +a few properties rather than having on their books a mass of particulars +of which they have no personal knowledge, and which are to be found in +many Agents' lists. + +Messrs. Dowsett & Co., personally inspect Properties for Sale, because a +personal knowledge greatly facilitates success, and for this they make a +nominal charge of sixpence per mile; they then prepare careful +particulars so as to introduce the matter advantageously to the public. + +Owners of Property may obtain a printed statement of charges for +Valuing, or for Selling by Auction, or privately, all kinds of Real and +Personal Estate, Furniture Live and Dead Stock, Stocks-in-Trade, Timber, +Growing Crops, etc. + +Messrs. Dowsett & Co. are prepared to make Geological Reports of Soils +and Minerals, and give Quantitative Analyses of Soils. They are +assisted, when special needs require, by experts in Agricultural and +Architectural Science, and also in every branch of professional and +commercial enterprise. + +Messrs. Dowsett & Co., undertake any branch of these varied services in +London or any part of England, Scotland, Ireland, the Colonies, America, +or other Countries, and personally visit other countries on agreed +terms. + +Messrs. Dowsett & Co, Auctioneers, Surveyors, Valuers, Estate Agents, +etc., 3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London._ + + +LANDS AND RESIDENCES FOR SALE. + +_Country Houses, Town Houses, Landed Estates, Farms, Building Lands, +Ground Rents, and Investments generally in Lands and Houses, See "The +Land Roll," which for one penny may be obtained of Messrs, Dowsett & +Co., 3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London._ + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A start in life, by C. F. Dowsett + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12022 *** |