Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-04-27

to an agricultural country IS the
i~ifIersnos In the character Of the "as-
now presented to the pub
ac. Inmy last letter 7 mentioned in
J rather sneering way q habit BY the
bye which nay pen indulges ina little
loo much) the formation Of two COM
for the purpose Of cultivating
some tropical fruits. This is a step in
the right direction, and whatever the
financial result may be, will certainly
do much to encourage the growth Of
products adapted to our soil and cli-
mate. But . short tipe ago 1t was
impossible to put anything but mining
stock in the market. Hundreds OF
White Pine, Idaho, or Montana "ad-
yenturs" could be concocted and
find ready sale, but any genuine UNI
that did not give assurance
Of immediate realization on first In
vestment, received but little favor.
Within the last few days "the City
Gas Company" and the Merchants
Exchange Bank have opened their
books, and shares r rapidly taken
up. Compare this with the White
Pine mania Of last spring, and the fact
that not more than two San Diego
mining schemes have been matured,
and 1t proves conclusively that Cal
ifornia has at last emerged from her
speculative era, and entered o the
right path Of steady commercial pros
perity. It Is to be hoped that the dis
graceful figures ''$l, 000, 600 Of butter :"
Imported to the State In a single year
will never be repeated that tickets In
our markets of "eggs from Salt Lake"
"pork from Chicago" "cheese from
Orange County, New York." will soon
disappear from the stalls, and that the
| richest country in the world will try
and use some Of her natural advantages
in supplying her own population with
these products. 1t IS very easy to
ascribe the general depression to loss
of interior custom and Chinese influx,
but a little moro genuine enterprise
would 90 a great way in preventing a
recurrence Of hard times. The "City
Gas Company" IL a much needed OPP
position to the monopoly that has
| preyed on San Francisco for so many
years. The gas supplied has always
been Of O very inferior quality, the
price exorbitant, and the officials con
nected with the company, al careless
Of public convenience or accommoda-
ton as they we'll could be. A large
city like this has 10 business to be at
the mercy Of q soulless corporation,
and the public evidently think sc too.
| There Is hardly a business man here
that has not a grudge against ~ pres
ent gas purveyors, and they are prev
ing It by such liberal subscriptions to
the new undertaking that the stock Is
| all sold, and this morning commands
a slight premium. On the first Tues
day In June a special election will be
held in this county to decide ifthe sum
Of 81, 600, 900 shall be voted to railroad
companies. The two claimants are
the Southern Pacific and a projected
line from San Francisco to Santa Cruz.
| What earthly use the, latter railroad
would be Is q question beyond ordinary
fathoming. 1t would follow the entire
line Of the coast range, run through a
bleak, uninhabited country, terminal
ing in a place with which we have no
trade that cannot be better carried on
by schooners. 1t would develop no
resources, open up no isolated sections
Of good lands, do nothing in fact except
make money for some speculative
genius whose wit or combination of
wits singular or plural I know mott
engineering the scheme through the
Legislature.
Mr.. Thomas MONEYS mortal anti
pathy-the insurance combination Is
likely to be broken up, rivalry, jeal-
ousy and over competition preventing
the companies from working harmo-
niously together. Most of the home
insurance stock pays q dividend Of one
and a half per cent. per month, and
when we take into consideration their
extravagant management, the COM
missions they pay agents, their State
and National taxes, and the surplus
funds accumulated, we must come to
the conclusion that their profits are
enormous, and that they can we'll afford
q reduction Of rates.
JACK HORNER.