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California As He Sees It

California As He Sees It image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
May
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Editor Aegus: I liave received everal letters from Washtenaw county sking me numerous questions conerning California. As you can give ie answers to these questions much ider circulation and in-muchless time ían I can personally, I request the use f your columns tor that purpose. alifornia as I see it consista of umerous chains of valleys; hills and mountains running slightly north-west nd south-east through the state. Part f the valleys south of San Francisco re very fertile and will grow anything lanted upon them, if there is only ain enough. In a dry season irragation s necessary to produce a erop of any ind A great deal of barley is grown pon soine of the hills, others whieh re too rough to cultívate are used as asture for horses, cattle and sheep. lie grass begins to grow about the rst of December that being-the time ie rainy ' season commences. ïhe eed is green from then until about une lst. The rainy season is over bout April 25th. Part of the mounains are covered with timber. among vhich are the big trees, red wood, pine nd live oak. During the past eighteen months, there has been a great boom in California real estáte- at least that is what the papers state, instances being iveu of property doubling,tripling and uadrupling in value in a few months. 'o show how this increase is caused, will illustrate. Several men will club ogether and keep buying a piece of property back and forth from each other. The first man who buys will pay a fair and reasonable price for it. Iesellsto No. 2, for an increase of about one-quarter above his purchase price. No. 2 sells to No. 3 at an increase of about one-ualf above the flrst purchase price. Xo. 3 sells to numbei four for about doublé the flrst price And so they keep on changing back and forth until it reacties an enormous sum, aunougn nou a uuiuu ciinca ïands. Then the newspapers appear with great Haring head lines of the wonderful increase of real-estate in that section where the land is situated and devoting whole columns and even pages to such adveitisements. Another way is to flnd a man who will not sell his farm under any consideration and then offer him three or fonr time what it is worth. He of course refuses Ia the next week's issue of the news papers comes the great announcemen that Mr. So and So an old resident and one who from long residence know th value of land, has ref used an enormou price f or his farm . Then there is rush and a cry of Boom, Boom. A town is laid out surveyed and plated Notices are scattered broad cast abou some who have already made immens fortunes out of the land. And at specified date is annouuced an auctio sale of these lots to give others an op portunity to raake their fortunes. A railroad excursión is gotten up, fre transfer from the depot to the ground to be sold, a band of music, free dinne and wine. A speech is then mad stating how some have already mad snug fortunes in such investments an now anothet opportunity is given, etc Land is sold 'f rom seventy-five to six hundred dollars per acre, that would not grow white beans and some not even weeds. Still another way is the bonding scheme. A man comes to a farm house, no matter whether large or small, and wishes t bond it. One place of tea acres about two miles from bere was bondedfor $12,000, for thirty days, the agent paying $200 for that qrivilege. He now places tlns place upón the market for sale. ( If he can sell it lor more than he gave, he returns befora the expiration of thethirty days and pays the balance. If he does not sell he does not show himself and consequentlv forfeits the $200. This boom as I see it is not ia the value of the land according to what it will produce but is simply carried on by a class too indolent to earn their living by honest labor and honest methods and concequently carry on this game of fraud and deception. In some portions of the state fruit raismg is carried on to a great extent and also to a good proüt. I have also received a circular trom a fnend in Michigan containing a description of San Diego, and also slyly adding that lots that are selling for S3C0 now will be worth SI, 000 in three years . If this was true it would be big interest. But do not be deceived. If there was any certainty of those lots being worth that in the time stated no man in Michigan or any other state would get a chance to buy one. They would be gobbled up by the people here before any other man had a chance at them. I have never met any people outside of the state of California who are such great speculators, and who will speculate upon such slim chances as the Californians. To a man in moderate circumstances and of moderate means I would give this advice. Remain nrhere yo n are,' and be not deceived by those lying circulars. Think Defore you act, look before you leap. here are a good many families living i tents in San Diego and Los Angeles ho before they eame out here, had ood farms and were well to do in the ast, who now have scarcely anything nd live frorn hand to mouth. And as ong as they remain here it will always 3e so. ITor a single man it is different, e has no one depending upon him nd can come and go when he dioses. Ionth labor is better thau day labor. Ionth labor ranges from $20.00 to SM,0 per tnonth. Day labor one dollar id board yourself. ïhe ignorant hinsse and Portugese work for that id the intelligent American must take ie same or do notliing'. I intend to ake a trip through Oregon shortly id wil) then write you an article upon regon as I see it. Very Respectfallv,

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News