I wrote you yesterday and day before. I now write while waiting for Mr Billings to come in to his office. I dined with him last night, meeting Starr King & wife. He lives at the Occidental Hotel having a suit of rooms and private meals. We had a pleasant talk, but I got no additional knowledge of California, of consequence. Billings is not friendly to Parks and is strongly prejudiced against his management. He says: “Your success will depend entirely on whether the company will sustain you in sufficiently radical and expensive operations. The Estate is of no value unless they do and if they do, is of enormous value.” It is fortunate for me that he takes this view and that he goes to New York with it.

I have been in the streets this morning. It is New York, East & West shook together, and the weak and old men shook out. There are no countrymen. The most striking thing is the great fruit. It is really wonderful—the size and fairness of it—when seen in such large quantities. The Apple-women on the streets, even in the poorest parts of town, have fruit that would create excitement at Covent Garden, and take all the premiums of a Horticultural Show. Seckle pears by the barrel-full all of a quality—size & fairness—like the best specemins you ever saw. I ate the best grapes I ever tasted this morning, but I saw but one lot & they were expensive, 50 cts. a pound, but common grapes are as I told you yesterday—the bunches very large, enormous—the berries small, fair, sweet, big-seeded & not high flavored.