Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/605

 CALIFORNIA 599 San Diego, 2,300. The principal towns are Benicia, Trinidad, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Vallejo, San Kafael, Sonoma, Napa, Mendo- cino, Humboldt City, and Klamath, all on or near the coast ; east of the Coast range, and for the most part among the mines, are Ne- vada, Shasta City, Downieville, Grass Valley, Nicolaus, Mokelumne Hill, Sonora, Mariposa, San Bernardino, Visalia, Columbia, Placerville, Coloma, and Auburn. In 1831 the population, exclusive of Indians, was estimated at 23,000. The first federal census in 1850 gave a popula- tion of 92,597, but this was very imperfect, most of the returns having been burned ; the state census of 1852 gave 264,435 ; the federal cen- sus of 1860, 379,994; that of 1870, 560,247, of whom 349,479 were males and 210,768 females, 350,416 of native and 209,831 of foreign birth, 4,272 colored, and 7,241 Indians. There were 21,784 Indians retaining tribal relations, of whom 8,284 were on reservations and agen- cies, and 13,500 nomadic. Of the native born, 169,904 were born in California (including 484 Chinese), 33,766 in New York, 16,050 in Missouri, 15,334 in Massachusetts, 12,735 in Ohio, 11,261 in Maine, 11,208 in Pennsylvania, 10,689 in Illinois, 6,605 in Kentucky, 5,367 in Iowa, 5,190 in Indiana, 3,500 in Vermont, 3,086 in Wisconsin, 2,977 in Connecticut, 2,720 in New Hampshire, 2,598 in New Jersey, 2,596 in Maryland, 2,396 in Arkansas; and there were persons born in every state and territory of the Union. Of those of foreign birth, 54,- 421 were born in Ireland, 48,826 in China, 29,701 in Germany, 17,669 in England, 10,660 in British America, 9,339 in Mexico, 8,068 in France, 4,949 in Scotland, 4,660 in Italy; and there were persons born in about 40 other countries. The density of population was 2'96 to a square mile. There were 128,752 families with an average of 4'35 persons each, and 96,880 dwellings with an average of 5'55 per- sons to each. The increase of population from 1860 to 1870 was 47'44 per cent. The most remarkable foreign immigration has been from China. Of the total number (63,254) of Chi- nese in the United States and territories, as re- turned by the census of 1870, 49,310 were in California. Of the 15,949 immigrants arriving at San Francisco during the year ending Juno 30, 1870, 14,108 were Chinese. The total num- ber of Chinese arrived in the United States up to Jan. 1, 1871, was 109,502, nearly all of whom entered at San Francisco; 46 arrived prior to 1851, 41,397 between 1851 and 1860, and 68,059 between 1860 and 1871. They con- sist mostly of male adults, there being very few women among them. There were 24,877 per- sons 10 years of age and upward who were unable to read, and 31,716 (including 2,853 Chinese and 1,789 Indians) were unable to write; of these, 9,520 were of native and 22,- 196 of foreign birth. Of those of 21 years and upward unable to read and write, 12,362 were white males, 9,837 white females, 468 colored males, and 339 colored females. The number of paupers supported during the year ending June 30, 1870, was 2,317, at a cost of $273,147. Of the total number (991) receiving support June 1, 1870, 354 were of native and 637 of foreign birth. The number of persons con- victed of crime during the year was 1,107. Of the total number (1,574) in prison June 1, 1870, 6(58 were of native and 906 of foreign birth. There were 179 blind, 141 deaf and dumb, 1,146 insane, and 87 idiotic. There were en- gaged in agriculture 47,863 persons, including 16,231 agricultural laborers, 24,061 farmers and planters, 1,930 stock herders, 1,860 stock raisers, and 293 vine growers; in professional and personal services 76,112, including 569 clergymen, 15,472 domestic servants, 209 jour- nalists, 37,586 laborers (not specified), 1,115 lawyers, 64 metallurgists, 1,257 physicians and surgeons, and 1,953 teachers; in trade and transportation, 33,165; in manufactures and mechanical and mining industries, 81,508, of whom 3,310 were blacksmiths, 7,130 carpen- ters, and 36,339 miners. The most striking feature in the physical geography of California is the existence of two great ranges of moun- tains running N. W. and S. E., and general- ly parallel, called the Sierra Nevada (snowy range), and the Coast range. The former shoots off from the latter on the south, the snow-capped Mt. San Bernardino, 11,600 ft. high, near lat. 34, Ion. 117, being the con- necting link. Thence it sweeps N. W. to about lat. 38 45', Ion. 120, whence it extends due N., forming from that point the E. boun- dary of the state. At the N. end it is again united with the Coast range mountains by a transverse range in which is situated Mt. Shasta, 14,442 ft. high, in about lat. 41 15'. The Sierra Nevada is by far the more lofty and rugged range, its summit being generally above the region of perpetual snow, and having sev- eral passes at a considerable elevation. In Cali- fornia it is 450 m. long and 80 m. wide, with an altitude varying from 5,000 to 15,000 ft. above the sea. Nearly its whole width is oc- cupied with its western slope, which descends to a level of 300 ft. above the ocean ; while the E: slope is only 5 or 6 m. wide, and ter- minates in the great basin, which is from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. above the sea. The sides of the Sierra Nevada to a height of about 2,500 ft. are covered with oak, manzanita, and nut pine, above which, to a height of 8,000 ft., dense forests of coniferous trees appear, which are succeeded by naked granite and snow. From its W. slope it sends off numerous spurs into the interior valley ; and among these lies the great gold region discovered in 1848. The main chain attains its greatest general height in its S. portion, where Mt. Whitney rises to about 16,000 ft., and is surrounded by a large group of peaks not less than 13,000 ft. high; while the surrounding country for 300 sq. m. has an elevation of 8,000 ft. Mt. Shasta, in the N. portion, is 14,442 ft. high, and towers