NEMO's Letter

NEAR THE LAGOON. 

We pass, on the right hand, farms which extend from the road to the Alameda creek, whose dark and unbroken belt of sycamores and willows is half a mile north, and soon turns northwest, toward Alvarado, and the ancient landing of Union City. On the left hand the first farms extend back to the "Lagoon," a circular pond-like depression half mile long, and in summer nearly dry, but in winter quite an extensive lake, some years ago a favorite resort of water-fowl, but hunted over too often by the boys of the neighborhood to make it worth an especial trip on the part of any city Nimrod. On the southern side, the first farm is the Tyson's, settled by Wm. Tyson, one of the pioneers of California, and an early settler in this county. Taking up this ranch, he lived here and brought up a large family of children, and was universally esteemed. By his death last year, the community lost one of its most valued citizens. The large and valuable farm has been well farmed; an orchard.of bearing almonds stands near the road, and is, some seasons, very profitable. The Tyson house is a large, square and solid mansion with little ornament about it. Large walnut trees, and belts of orchard surround it, whilst circular flower beds are in front. Henry Tyson, the oldest son, lives in a neat cottage home which he is improving every year. 

AN ALMOND FARM.

Opposite, on the north side of the road, are Mr. Clough's and Mr. Nichols' farms. Mr. B. D. T. Clough is an almond man, having been in the business of raising almond trees for sale, some years ago, when it was thought that the whole coast was adapted to the culture of almonds. It is now known that in many places they will not bear, but where they succeed they are one of the most profitable of crops. When Mr. Clough, finding that his soil and climate promised good returns, he planted over a large share of his farm, and gradually got out of the business of growing trees and into the business of raising the almonds. It has been a successful and profitable orchard, bearing in most years. There is quite a miscellaneous collection of other fruit trees, and belts of eucalyptus, poplar, and pines, near the house and along the margin of the creek, give protection against the winds, besides being certain to furnish a profit in the way of fire-wood some of these days. Mr. Clough is noted among his neighbors for the habit, (a very good habit, by the way,) of sticking trees down in all sorts of odd corners, until his home-like farm seems crowded full. He has a clean wall of poplars from his house to the main road; also, along the front of his place, a double row of trees for avenue purposes, the outside row being the graceful pepper-tree, and the inside row being of taller trees. This luxuriance and abundance of trees makes Mr. Clough's place one of the neatest in the valley.

MR. NICHOL'S ORCHARDS.

Mr. Nichols is more of a general orchardist. He grew different kinds of prunes many years ago, when they were worth fifteen and twenty cents a pound, and, in those days, was perhaps more of a plum man than anything else. The present orchards, which cluster about the old farm-house, are largely peach, cherry, apple and plum, with a good proportion of pears. Mr. Nichols usually gets the highest market price, for he takes great care in picking, packing and shipping his fruit, and these things tell to better effect each year, Persons who are accustomed to visit the fruit-dealers' section of San Francisco, and the commission merchants of Front or Davis, can not fail to observe how often bad packing soils the appearance of fruit otherwise good. It is not long since we saw Bradshaw plums shipped in old apple bores, of course arriving in a worthless condition. Mr. Nichols has two fine bearing orange trees growing in his garden. One, seedling, has had fruit for five or six years past. The other tree is a fine variety known, from the place it originated, as the Wolfskill orange. The next place in point of order is a nursery, the only one in the township, and devoted to the growth of fruit-trees, shade-trees and ornamentals.

SHINN'S NURSERY

Has, during the seven years of its existance, sent trees and plants to every county in the State, to Arizona, Oregon, the Eastern and Southern States, also to the Sandwich Islands, to China and Japan. If one climbs up on the tankhouse and looks over the nursery grounds it will appear like a checker-board pattern of various shades of green. Young peach, almond, pear, plum, apple and Japan Persimmon are of a different shade of green. In the flower-garden south of the greenhouse are beds of Japan lilies now in their prime. These lilies are so well adapted to the soil and climate of this valley that they ought to be planted by the hundred, on lawns and in scattered groups through shrubbery. There is a great deal on Mr. Shinn's place, which is worth a visit from tree-planting people But Mr. Clough beats him in the way of trees along the main road.

SMALL ORCHARDS.

Opposite Mr. Shinn's is Wm. Barry's orchard and well sheltered home. He used to be a strawberry man, mainly, and had every inch of available space filled up with rows of vines. Of late years the growing of Thyme has occcupied considerable of his attention. It is cut, dried under cover, baled and sold to parties in San Francisco. Z. D. Cheney's place, which has been a good deal improved in the last five years, is the next in importance.

THE PORTUGESE QUESTION.

Hereabouts is the perfect nest of Portugese cabins and small houses. They are on both sides of the road, having bought land in small tracts from all the original owners in the vicinity. From Niles to this point we passed no Portugese houses, but from here to Centerville and thence to Alvarado, Newark, Decota, Jarvis Landing, or any other neighboring place, there are large numbers. Indeed, it is true of this whole township that the Portugese element is rapidly increasing, and will undoubtedly be an important social and political factor. There are, even now, public schools in which the lower grades are almost entirely filled up by Portugese children. Of course, it is a good thing to have them attend school at all. The Portugese usually come here with small means, and work out for wages until they can get hold of an acre or two of land, which they hold thereafter with remarkable tenacity. Most of them come from Azores, the Canaries, or the Maderia Islands, where an acre of tillable land is a precious patrimony, where living is cheap, wages but fifteen cents a day, taxes proportionately enormous. and neither in town nor in country any prospect of growth or advance in values. This Pacific slope offers them advantages which they are not slow to seize. class they are clannish, borrowing from each other and lending to each other. They work harder for themselves, on their own little farms, than any other known race. If, in the winter, one gets up at three o'clock, the lights will soon begin to twinkle in Portuguese cabins over the valley. It is fair to state, however, that they do not work this way for anybody else. Farmers, who often hire them, will bear me out in the remark that the generality of Portuguese are very deliberate in their movements, and very much alive to the importance of long rests and pauses when they are working for some one else. The best Portuguese to work are old sailors, for a sea-faring life (except in Marryatt's novels), has considerable rope's-end, tar, roughing it and severe drill. So, here is the problem; In a peaceable but persistent way, the Portuguese are taking possession of portions of this valley. They are thrifty, and save their money, which is a good thing; but, as voters, the present generation does not average nearly high enough. Some of them speak English and adopt many of our ways of living, out the vast majority are not sufficiently educated. It is not their fault but their misfortune, and the direct result of ages of oppression and the rule of a titled class. The question is, how much of this sort of thing the American republic can assimilate.

A WELL KNOWN OLD SCHOOL.

The old Centreville school-house, when, years ago, Judge Nye, our candidate for the Legislature, taught most successfully, is worth a paragraph by itself. It stood in the Mowry field, half a mile from the road, and south of the old Crosly place. It was, for years the leading school of the township, and the district has since been divided into several smaller ones. While the school-house stood in the Mowry field, there were among its teachers, several of wider usefulness since. Mr. J. M. Ginn, is now principle of the Anaheim school. Miss Julia A. Rappley, now missionary at Broussa, Turkey, and so long one of the leading spirits at Miss Blake's, in Oakland, did much to organize and develop the Centreville school, and her influence is still felt in the neighborhood. Mr Wheelock, also of Oakland, taught here for a long time, and also Miss Burrowes, now Mrs. Oliver, wife of the principal of the Gilroy High School. Some years later the school-house was moved to a point on the main road, at the corner of Mr. H. Overacker's farm. Here Mr. C. B. Towle, present principal of the Vallejo High School, taught term after term. Fred Campbell, of Oakland, our next State Superintendent to be, taught here, with his unfailing tact and discipline. It may be put down as an irrefutable proposition, that every one of Fred Campbell's old pupils in this vicinity will vote for him, regardless of party. The same may be said of Judge Nye, whose relations with this school district were very close and friendly. The boys he taught will vote for him; the girls he taught will coax their fathers, brothers and husbands to go and do the same. The latest and final move of this historic school was to Centreville, where fine new building was erected on a large lot near the Town Hall. Mr. W. A. Yates, most efficient teacher, has been principal for several years and Miss Lillie Wall, of Oakland, is assistant.