Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1904 — Letter From California. [ARTICLE]

Letter From California.

San Franoiso:, July 28, 1904. Editor Republican: After some delay, I shall fulfill my promise by giving you a letter about this country. I have travelled all ever this ooast and find all parts of it offer good inducements from a olimatio and business standpoint. It is manifestly impossible within the limits of a letter, or series cf letters, to moie than touch upon the many a! tractions that make this ooast, and especially California, the ideal reoieation spot of the U. 8.., aside from the subtle oharm of tbe verdant hills, golden eunshino and azure border waters that no pen can adequately portray. In the very beginning I would state that it is never too hot nor too oold to be comfortable unless one goes inland several nnlee. Santa Cruz, 80 miles south of this city, impressed me as being one of the most desirable places as a health resort. From a business standpoint, it is not what one might wis I *, for many people, poor in health, are willing to do things on closer margins than the healthy ambitions person will do. In fact there is no ooast town ia California south of San Franoisoo whioh offers good business inducements. East of the Coast RaDge, where olimatio conditions are less favorable, business is good. California’s beet business portion's the northern half of the state, From Redding to Los Aogeles, a distance of 450 miles north and south is a broad expanse of country differing but very little in the mean annual temperature and where flowers bloom eternally. Near the coast it is foggy many mornings but net so chilly and disagreeable as 1 bad supposed. About 9 a m. the fog is usually dispelled and then comes that refreshing delightful day. After years of stormy and inclem ont weather, one might feel repaid for it all if but to enjoy one of these rare and perfeot days.

Winter aud summer are almost the same, except in winter it rains frequently, never in summer. Calla lilies, amer rcses, geraniums, margarites, heliotrope and many other flowers bloom the year around. I often see them growing in the streets and along the roadway, They are so oommon aud people pay so little attention to those growing in oat-of-way places, that I think of them as orphans and wish I might find them a good home among some of my Rensselaer friendsEveryone here takes a vaoation onoe each year. It is estimated that there are 100,000 residents absent from this oity just now. In California nature lares the ohildren of men to a summer rest. This state was plauned for vaca tion time, A few hours travel at slight expense will relooate us in the midst of just suoh a change of scene, surroundings and altitude as we require. From the heft valleys, people can go to the moantains, where waterfalls tinkle and brooks Dabble, and bosky dells and the glory of wild flowers make them forget the oarea of life and the jostle of the maddening orowd, or with eqnai ease and eoonomy they oan seek the sea coast and sport on tue beach, refresh themselves in the snrf or lie in the sand and hear the great voioe of the vast ooean, restless itself bat presol iugrest to those who listen. I have lain all night many a night and at waking intervals list to the sweet music they gave me, and in Bible lore sey, “It is good to be here.” Wise men aud women who plan a vaoation and take it, not in the oontaots of a fashionable resort, bat by seeking the mountains or the shore, where they can oast off the restraints of oonvention, wear

oomfortable cloth#*, eat reas mable food, keep natural hours and renew the wholesome experiences of life, whioh are apt 1 0 get over run in the rush and harry. What is totbering me ju«t now, business oiroumstances take me baok to Nebraska, I most go to Wayne, Neb, at which place send me your excellent paper. I can ill afford to be without it. It oooupies a plaoe among my periodicals whichl can’t afford to lose. Sometimes I feel a little homesick but here eomes The Republican and it sustains me. lam going to pay a visit to Rensselaer sometime. In dosing permit me to tell you the political situation here is highly favorable to Roosevelt and Fairbanks. Yours truly,

R. A. HOPKINS.