state must now be carried at great cost to the only exporting custom house, S. F., whereas if they could be shipped directly from S. P. the producers would save tens of thousands annually even now. But now is as nothing, for the day is not far distant when Los Angeles and adjoining counties will become the greatest producing counties on the face of the globe; everything points to it, a soil of unsurpassed fertility, and a climate as perfect as is to be found upon earth. It is but for the people themselves to wake up and insist upon aid from government in accomplishing this noble work. With my feeble efforts I did what I could to bring this about during my command of the Pacific Squadron and secured the aid of the Republican member of Congress from C. to induce Govm’t. to send out an able engineer to survey the Port of S. P. with this object in view. I wrote articles for the S. F. newspapers and had hopes of success but my term of command expired and my successor felt no interest in the matter and the few producers at that time appeared quite indifferent except Mr. Banning of Wilmington, who seemed to be a man of enlarged views and was then in public life and exerting considerable influence. But I think the S. F. element was too strong for him to contend with. Yet I am satisfied that this scheme will one day be accomplished, though I may not live to see it. I felt at the time not a little sorry that friend Jotham (who was as deeply interested as any) did not take more thought on the subject of building up that lovely country; of course the R. R. will aid in developing that lower section of California
