THIS HAS BEEN RETYPED FOR THE BENEFIT OF CLARITY. THE ORIGINAL PAPER CLIPPING WAS FROM THE NEWSPAPER IN ST. JO, TEXAS. THE YEAR IS UNKNOWN, HOWEVER IT IS VERY LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN IN 1884. AS I UNDERSTAND THE TRIP FROM TEXAS WAS MADE IN 1883. K. W. (Buzz) HEAR LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA Through the courtesy of our friend, La Fayette Cobb, we were shown this week a letter received by him from Mr. K. G. Heard, formerly of this county, now living at Lake City, California. Mr. Heard and family appear, from the tenor of the letter, to be in the enjoyment of health and plenty out there on the Pacific coast, the loss of a couple of oxen, lacking only ten days of six months travel. The journey seemed almost endless, but since it was completed, they don’t regret having made it. Their oxen sold lately, seven yokes, for $100 a yoke all round. It was a Cheyenne that Parson Reynolds left them, going on to Union county, Oregon, about 500 miles north of Heard and Lighty. Letters from him say he Is well pleased. Heards live in Surprise Valley, just south of the Oregon line, a valley about 60 miles long and 10 miles wide. The Sierra Nevada mountains extend along the west side, over a mile high. The timer consists principally of pine, fir, tamrock, cedar, juniper, alder, willow, wild cherry, and a growth they call balm of gilead. Several lakes dot the valley, some of them quite large. There are four towns, and at the north end of the valley Ft. Bidwell, where are stationed several companies of soldiers. Lake City has a good school. They have a stage route and daily mail, but the nearest railway is at a distance of a hundred miles. The Heards are likely soon to become large land-owners. Mr. heard himself has 320 acres, and two of his sons, Porter and Bud, are improving and taking homesteads of 160 acres each. Mr. Heard writes that the climate is mild. Though it gets colder than in Texas, he doesn’t look on it as being half so disagreeable. It is, in his opinion, the healthiest country he ever lived in, "chills and fever," is a strange term there. Wheat, oats, and barley are the principal crops. Timothy, red-top and wild grasses grow well. Fruit, especially small fruit, is very fine. Their gardens generally require irrigation, but cabbage-heads sometimes attain a weight of 28 pounds. Irish potatoes, 5 pounds. Other vegetables proportionately large. They go fishing with pitchforks. There are plenty of deer and some few bears. The prices of land, cattle, horses, mules, pork, &c, are about the same as in Texas. A letter bringing a good deal of interesting information. It was written and started on the 4th of February; reached St. Joe on the 18th. ~~~~~~ Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds Family Researcher of "The Last Frontier" Modoc County, California --- Our outgoing mail is checked by ZoneAlarm AntiVirus.