Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-07
Colonies in California.

Mr.. Editor: Some of the readers Of
this paper will doubtless remember that in
the spring of 1870, the writer issued hs
circulars in Knoxville for q propose d
colony of Eastern people in Southern
California" and that in the autumn of that
year tina colony was locate and named
Riverside, This was an experiment, and
rather the pioneer colony If the State; the
colony of Anshaim preceded it; but this
was only a limited settlement of few Ger
mans who purchased a piece of land and
divided it among themselves, without pro-
viding for, or inviting large settlement.
The results of the Riverside ex pertinent
have been far beyond my widest hopes.
We had numerous obs acle5 to overcome,
and for mldabe difficulties to contend with,
and only mex perlenced lersous to under-
take new industries, and To work out new
experiment We com renced selling
| lana at $40 per acre, and in ten years
the same kind of unimproved lano.
$3.50 per acre, thus adding to its value
the orig inal price of the land every year
| for ten years. The settlers were all mex
| peFieEced in raising oranges. and in ten
| years the Riverside oranges brought the
| highest price in the San rancisco market.
| All were entirely unacquainted with raisin
making and yet in ten years the Riverside
| rsi-iHS "ero tTOHOuHctu ny oApells III INC
city of New York TO be equal 10 those in
Malaga; not so skillfuliy packed but better
in flavor. In other fruits, and in t g crea-
ton of beautiful homes, their success b AS
been equally remarkable. Numerous
| other colonies have BEEN started in the
S ate, but being younger, Rive rslde is uni
| versally ackpo wledged "a at the head.
Last March the editorial fraternity Of the
Stste took an excursion to Riverside, and
for weeks sounded in chorus he praises OF
that colony and its people. Some seventy
! represet tatives of the press were engaged
simultaneously in extoling the success OF
that ex periment, and yet that experim ent
was M ade in q time of great depression and
under formidable difficulties.
AT this time vineyards have doubled in
| value, and fruit>growing Of all kinds has
advance in like ratio, and with every ap>
uearance OF permanency. California raisins
find a wide aud ready market. Fresh
fruits are sent in great quantities to
Chicago AID New York. AMI whey ards
ara oeiog hired by wine bakers. on q
| lease of ten years, at An annual rent OF
one hundred dollars per acre! And yet
our American ciLizeDs move slowly in en-
ter3ng upon a new industry. MANY cling
to wheat> rowing, that seldnm yields them
profit of more than tn dollars per acre
not seeming have learned that vine.
yards and orchards will, with more GER
| y, y
dred dollars per acre. And ye. the people
are slowly waking up to the facts l have
named
Our millionaires are beginning to turn
from stock bling to vineyards ana
fruits. Tho most Intelligent business men
are investing in the same direction, and
hundreds studying the subject with
great interest. Since land has risen t.
/ high prices in the older s.ttl, ments, gem
J eral attention IS called to newer locations
! possessing cheaper and better lands, and
an Immensely better water supply.
In Fresno County. where L now reside
several colonies have been started, the lar
gest of which ("Tne Washington riga
led Coloay") am now engaged IN set
ting. An excursion party of 15J persons
came up from San Francisco and olhel
cities bu few DAYS since, to- look at this
county. The San Francisco Bulletins &C,
count Of the excursion l enclose with this
letter. l would not extol nv own colony
above Others, for there are numerous
places in this county where colonies are
quite as good as Riverside, or the one
reoresent can easily be Quilt up in less
time and with far less expense.
Vineyards in this cOuntrv yield from six
to sixteen tons of grapes per acres tue
average being from seven to ter---aad the
wine makers pay 5 5 co per ton, as there
is yet no competition. Raisin grapes
IN de into raisins pay equally we'll, and
bear as abun6nntly. This country was first
settled bv people from be South, must o.
whom still remain here, but the new i'm.
migration is largely from the Northern
States. At a future time | may give you a
, FULLER account Of this part of California
j. w. NORTH.