Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1907 — IKE PORTER LIKES CALIFORNIA [ARTICLE]

IKE PORTER LIKES CALIFORNIA

Dinuba, Fresno Co., Cal., . ' March 17th,’07. Editor Republican: I will try and write you a few lines to let you and our many friends know that we have not forgo’ten you. We are located in the south e st corner of Fresno Co., and at the foot of Smith mountain, with a large irrigating ditch above us. I and my son Jesse have 20 acres a piece and i mile north of us my brothers Robert and Charley has 49 acres. Our land is almost all deep black loam soil and is considered the best orange and vin yard land in this section of the c juntry. On my 20 I have 10 acres of figs, 5 acres of Muscat grapes, and 3 acres of alfalfa. I bought my land the first spring I was here, and paid S3O an acre. Jesse bought his this spring for S6O an acre. My brothers paid S7O for theirs, inr proved land sells from $l5O to SSOO per acre. We are well pleased with the country and think there are many and better opportunities here for both rich and poor. There is plenty of work for all, at good wages and we have a nice neighborhood; all Americans. We think the climate is fine.

We have had a very rainy winter which has delayed our work; we have only had 5 light frosts this winter. We have had plenty of green pasture "all winter. But even California has its draw backs, for everything you need is expensive and the cost of living is a large expense until one gets locat ed. I have made several trips in the mountains, it takes two days to get a load of wood and four days to get aIo id of fence posts or of lumber. But all these things an eastern man must learn it he wishes to economize. We do not notice the expense of of-Imfg now, as we did when we first ca ne, for wages are so much higher here that it more tian bal ances the difference in expenses. As lam a man that depends on my labor for a living, the subjects of labor and Jiving are very important ones, and may also be to others that would like to come to this section of the country, the country is ettling up very fast, times are good, money plenty, and we can grow almost anything, but the main crops are fruit, oranges, lemons, olives, figs, apricots, peaches and all kinds of grapes. Fresno is considered the center of the raisin growing belt and there are many car loads shipped every fall. There are three 1 irge wineries in our locality aud in the grape picking season the big teams will be lined up a great many all day, waiting to unload at these wineries. Wine grapes sell at from $6 to $lO a ton. Dried raisins sold early in the fall at 3* cents a pound, but later in the season, as high as 6 cents a pound. I. W. Porter.