Wants and Advantages of California [pp. 338-347]

1872.] WAANTS AND ADVANATAGES OF CALIFORNIA.
plant -industries which, at no distant only of men who have made their money
day, may be as important as is the rais- by plodding industry. They married,
ing of wheat at present-are neglect- saved every dollar they could, kept added, through the ignorance. of farmers. ing acre after acre to their farms, as
Much of the soil cultivated in Califor- they found themselves able to purchase
nia was extremely rich, and yielded an it, and now they are surrounded with
abundant harvest to cultivation of any comfort and happy families. With these
kind. As it becomes gradually exhaust- examples before him, it is surprising
ed, through an improper system of hus- that the farm laborer does not make
bandry, the demand for skillful and ex- greater exertions to secure a home. But
perienced farmers will become impera- no; because he does not receive the
tive. A bad system of road-making has, high wages that once prevailed in the
in many instances, been as injurious to State, he thinks what he gets is not
the State as a bad system of farming. worth saving. I have seen laborers
Go into some of the richest valleys in (men who had no pretension to be any
California-valleys that have been culti- thing else) wearing a suit of clothes,
vated for twelve or fifteen years- and, which, with watch and jewelry, was worth
though thousands and thousands of dol- S$150. I have seen these men leave their
lars have been spent in building roads, work, hire a pair of horses and a buggy
you will find the country as impassable for $5 per day, take a girl with them,
as it was before the advent of the Amer- and go twenty miles to a ball. I am
ican settler. Travel on these roads in speaking of what is common, not of isosummer, and you will find them ankle- lated instances. When such men are
deep in dust. A cloud of fine, pene- thrown out of employment, of course,
tratingdust surrounds you on every side; they have not a dollar left; and they
and obscures the view to such an extent bitterly complain that the country is goas to render vehicles, going in opposite ing to ruin, and is unfit for a White Man
directions, in imminent danger of coming to live in. One would think there is
into collision. Travel on them in win- something in the climate of California
ter, and yu will find the dust turned that generates discontent and extravainto mud, so deep and tenacious that a gance. You will find here laborers, not
team of horses can with difficulty drag twelve months from Europe, who, though
an empty wagon through it. The fact they receive $300 per year, and board,
is, Californians think they are capable, complain of the rate of wages. Yet, if
without any previous training, of doing one year's wages were put in bank, the
every thing; and therefore, instead of interest would nearly equal the wages
employing an experienced engineer to they got at home.
lay out and build their roads, it is just Again, there is no country where the
as probable that for this purpose they laborer can begin to farm on his own acwill elect a shoemaker or a tailor. count with so small an amount of capi All that has been said with regard to tal as suffices here. That a vast amount
the carelessness and extravagance of the of land should be in the hands of one
farmer, applies in a twofold degree to person, is generally looked upon as an
the farm laborer. In every part of the evil; but to the laborer with a certain
State can be found farmers who began, amount of money it is a benefit, in one
fifteen or twenty years ago, without a respect; though it would be an injury to
dollar, but who are now independent. him, if he had more resources at his
I am not speaking of men who have command. If he had money enough to
made fortunes in speculating in land; buy horses, seed, farm-tools, and to build
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