A Glimpse of "The Glorious."
Most people who live in the Eastern States consider California a great distance off, and so it is; yet it takes only five days to cross the continent, by rail, and bring one from January snows to sunshine and flowers. Petaluma is a thriving town of three thousand, situated in Sonoma County, and connected with San Francisco by tide-water. The chief occupations of the people in the surrounding country are dairying, fruit-raising, and wine-making. The varieties of the Sonoma fruits most raised are cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, apples, figs, olives, and grapes. There are many large dairies and creameries owned by the Swiss people, who find the surrounding country a good substitute for their native land. Before California came into the possession of the United States the swarthy Mexican and his fiery mustang roamed through the tall grass, tending enormous herds of cattle, sometimes slaughtering several hundred for their hides, and leaving the carcasses to the buzzards.
Samuel T. Bush, R. T. K.
East Oakland.