Seventh-day Adventists Emigrating to California.
BRO. ANDREWS: The brethren in the ministry in this State, as well as myself, are very often in the receipt of letters from brethren East, asking us to write them a description of the climate, soil, products, price of produce, price of, and demand for, labor of various kinds, in California. They also ask our advice about coming here, and what business they had better engage in if they come, and some wish us to tell them whether they will succeed or not. Some of these letters we have answered, others we hardly know how to answer. In view of the fact that the message is being proclaimed here, and that some of our brethren East think of coming here to live, I thought a few words through the Review might not be amiss. About one-third of the State of California is mountainous, the remainder is valley and plain land. One great central valley is five hundred miles long, and from fifty to one hundred miles wide. There are several other smaller valleys among the Coast Mountains. The mountains cannot be cultivated. The soil in the valleys, near the streams of water, is very fertile; the plain land and foot hills is of a red gravelly formation, and is too poor to produce grain. This red land occupies one-third of the valleys. Nearly all the fertile valley land, that is near enough to market to be desirable, was granted by the Mexican government, in large tracts, to early settlers, and many fraudulent grants have since been gotten up to cover much of the same, and other portions, making it very difficult to obtain a good title. The grant holders ask a high price for their land, preferring to hold it rather than sell it for less than ten to twenty dollars per acre, for unimproved land. Good, farming land, fenced, and having small dwellings, is held at from twenty-five to one hundred dollars per acre. There is a great deal of government land; but it is far from market. The fruits, grains, and vegetables, raised in this State, are unsurpassed; but our distance from the great markets keeps produce, of all kinds, at a low figure. Wheat, barley, and oats, are raised in all the valleys. Corn and potatoes do well in some places. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, nectarines, and berries of all kinds, flourish in all parts. Oranges, citrons, limes, olives, and figs, are raised in the southern part of the State, and in some other parts; also nuts of various kinds; but the grape is the great fruit of California, and does the best on the red land, where grain will not grow. We have every kind of climate here. In the higher mountains the summers are cool, and the winters are very cold, with deep snow. In the great Sacramento Valley the summers are long, dry, and hot, but the winters are very pleasant, with but little cold. In the coast valleys the winters are the same, and the summers are kept cool by daily sea breezes. But above one-half of the year the weather is foggy. Fevers prevail in the Sacramento Valley, and the sea breezes are too bracing for those who have weak lungs, and the83fogs, in the coast valleys, generally prove fatal to consumptives. The great want of California is farmers. The cities are too large for the country population. One-third of the population, and wealth of the State is to be found in San Francisco. Another third is in the other cities. All the cities are overrun with mechanics; and for the past two years, times have been getting hard. Money is scarce and brings a high rate of interest, from one and one-fourth to two per cent a month. Farm labor is worth from twenty-five to forty dollars per month. Mechanic's wages from two to four dollars per day. Any man or woman who is able and willing to work can always find something to do. Now as to my advice about coming here. A man who has good judgment, and is economical, and energetic, can do well here. So he can where he is. One who is kept poor in the States, because he lacks these qualifications, will find that the same causes will produce the same result here. Therefore I see no reason why either of these classes should come to this State. To the sick I would say, People sicken and die here, as well as in other places; and grave-yards are filled with those who have died at every age, and of every known disease. Ten years' residence and observation here have convinced me that the health of the people is much the same as in the older States. I have also observed that most of those who come here are homesick, and discontented for several years, and that many shift about from place to place until they spend all their means; and that nearly all who come find that their expectations are not met; for the time for making speedy fortunes here is past, the placer mines being all worked out, and the gold carried out of the State. Some may think that our brethren are not wanted here; but this is not so. We need help, and would be glad to see men and women who fear God, and love his truth, and who are willing to make sacrifices for its advancement, come here. But we do not wish them to come deceived, thinking that they will better themselves very materially, in a worldly point of view. For while I acknowledge that California has its advantages of climate, produce, &c., I also believe that there are disadvantages which fully offset these, so that I do not see the propriety of incurring the expense of removal. Some ask what business will pay best? Without doubt, the best paying business here, and what will be the great business of the people hereafter, is the raising of grapes, and making them into wine and brandy. But who that is looking for the Lord, wishes to engage in making liquid fire for people to drink? To the sick I would again say, that there are a few afflicted ones who without doubt would recover their health by coming here; but I believe that the novelty of the change, and the new channel into which the minds of those who come here are thrown, has more to do in their recovery, than the change of climate; and that a proper observance of the laws of health, with cheerfulness of mind, would restore such where they are. And as to those who are past cure, I believe they would do far better to get near the Lord, and leave their cases in his hands, than to come to California. I hope that all who contemplate coming here will remember the words of Paul, “Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content,” and “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” and that our blessed Saviour offers us “Gold tried in the fire,” that we may be rich. And then let them go to the Lord, and such of their brethren as have experience and good judgment, and who knows them well, and then follow their advice. Santa Rosa, Cal., Feb. 6, 1870. I indorse the above remarks of Bro. Kellogg as a caution against promiscuous moving of brethren to California. I have never encouraged this, and never shall; though I once suggested that a few families of experience, coming in to hold points, etc., as the way would open, would be very beneficial to the cause, as well as a saving of precious time and strength to laborers in this State. I meant this—no more, no less. And my mind has not changed. I have ever been strongly opposed to brethren's colonizing. Such as do this become shut up to themselves and to worldly interests, make trials for themselves and for others, and hinder the cause instead of advancing it. And again, better, far better, have none of the brethren to come from the East, than to have those come who are not of the right stamp, who either come mainly to better themselves temporally, or who have not the proper natural qualifications to connect themselves with so important a work. If God ever calls any to come to California, he will call those who have earned themselves a reputation in the cause, those of well-balanced minds, who can bear their own weight in the world and in the church, who do not need to be constantly bailed, and yet are prepared to make allowance for those newly come to the faith. Such are generally reluctant to come, while those who have not these qualifications are often the very ones who think they ought to come. The duty of such is to stay in connection with some church who can serve as a prop to them on those points in their organization and experience in which they are deficient. They can also be of use in such churches. Thus far we have not suffered much for want of proper help. We could not have found room for more than one or two families. Bro. Kellogg has come among us of late, and proves to be a great help to the cause as a Christian physician, as well as a helper of the companies already raised. We hope the way will soon open for him to help in new fields. In the meanwhile I would remind the brethren in California that Bro. Kellogg was sent from the East by the General Conference to help in the work. His lectures on health as a Christian physician should be appreciated. We are glad that he reports a good time at Healdsburg last Sabbath and Sunday. May those in other places give him similar encouragement, and thus manifest an appreciation of help sent them. Those who think that California is a kind of modern paradise are mistaken. It has its advantages over many other countries in fruit, mildness of climate, etc., and on some spots of ground, wheat has been known to produce as high as a hundred-fold; yet the curse is felt here as well as elsewhere. According to recent statistics from Washington, for the past six years there has been, in the three best wheat-growing portions of California, a gradual decrease in the wheat crops from an average of thirty-five, to an average of eighteen, bushels to the acre. Again, it is generally conceded that by the laws of adaptation, when we have been here one or two years, we feel the cold as much at night and in the winter as we do in the cold winters East with clothing suitable thereto. Again, there are more cases of insanity in this State, arising from disappointment in worldly matters, than there are in any other country, there being over 800 in the State Insane Asylum at Stockton, besides several in other asylums. And again, there is more moving in this State—starting farms and leaving them with vacant houses, to go into other portions of the State, and then returning, than I ever saw in any other country. To illustrate: in that part of this township where we commenced holding meetings a year ago the present month, between twenty and thirty families have moved away, most of them to the southern part of the State, where they are now suffering terribly from the drought, where cattle, and sheep, etc., are dying by hundreds and by thousands, and from whence many are now returning to this part of the State. In the great drought in this State eight years ago, one man offered 7000 head of cattle at 50 cents a head, but could not dispose of them; and one man alone lost 50,000 head from starvation. While we would be thankful for favors enjoyed in this part of the world, may we all realize that we are pilgrims on this earth, that time is short, and that we should be transferring our interests to the fifth kingdom. May God also move on the hearts of the modern Aquilas and Priscillas to help in his cause, whether at home or abroad, as he shall direct. I repeat, I have no heavy burden in advising our brethren East to rush to California, though I view this as an important field. It would not be wisdom, or for the good of the cause, to import all our help. We want to give the brethren here a chance to grow by exercise and taking responsibilities as they can bear them, that the Lord may work for them also. Pray for us.