The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-11-24
Four Hundred Thousand Acres,
A LARGE ESTATE IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA.

The possessions of some Of the great
land owners of this section are prodig
ious. 1t is favorite story that certain
men are able to drive a herd OF cattle
from the northern counties of the
State to San Diego, at its extreme
southern limit, and quarter the animals
every night upon their own territory.
Maggin, Carr and Tevis, whose property
| was privileged to examine considera-
BILE in detail, have some four hundred
thousand acres. Much of this was Sc
cured for q mere trifie while in the
condition of waste land, and afterward
redeemed A neighbor who had ac-
quired a great estate of similar kind,
mainly while holding the post of Sur
veyor-general Of the United States,
drew forth one of the best bon mots Of
President Lincoln. "Let me congratu-
late you," said Lincoln, as this gentle
man was retiring from Office under his
administration. "You have become
monarch of about all you have survey
cd"
The owners do not often live upon
their estates, but leave them in the
hands of managers, and draw the rev
enues. The Haggin, Carr and Tevis
property is divided into number OF
separate ranches, each with its resident
superintendent. The Bellevue Ranch,
so called, is the centre and focus OF
authority for the whole. Here is the
residence and Office of the general
manager, and here are assembled a
force of book-keepers, engineers and
mechanics, who keep the accounts,
map, plan, supervise, construct and re-
pair, and give to the whole the clock.
work regularity of great commercial
enterprise. The numerous buildings
constitute considerable settlement
There is 'store" of general merchan
disc and supplies. A dormitory and &
dining hall have been erected for tn,
laboring hands. A. tower-like water
tank, surmounted by windmill. ant
accommodating milk-room below
rises at one side. There are shops fol
the mechanics, capaoious barns, an
long sheds filled with an interminabl,
array of agricultural implements. 1t j.
worth while to take walk past thi'
collection of reapers, threshers, sulky
ploughs, and rakes, and study out theil
uses. The immense "header aud sep
arator' rises from the rest like some
awe-inspiring leviathan of the deep. A
whole department is devoted to the
"road scrapers" "buck scrapers," ant
ploughs of various sorts used in the
construction and dredging out of the
irrigating bitches. The soil is, fortu
nately, free from stones, and the work
is for the most part quite easy. One
enormous plough is seen which was de
signed to be drawn by sixty yoke Of
oxen, and to cut at once furrow five
feet wide by four deep. Like the
famous steamship Great Eastern, il
has defeated itself by pure bulk, and is
not now in use.
More than $500,O00 has been ex
pended on the great estate in the item
of fencing alone. An average of -four
hundred laborers is employed, and in
the harvest season seven hundred. The
rate of wages is quoted at from two
and half to three dollars per day to
mechanics, and one dollar per day to
common hands. This seems low as
compared with information from Other
sources, and that which app, ars in the
chronic complaints of the scarcity oi
farm labor in the California papers.
No great portion of this domain ap
pears to be now in the market at the
disposal of settlers of small means,
though the intention is avowed OF
offering some of it in this way when
all shall have been thoroughly reclaim
ed. Numerous tracts, however, are
occupied Oh very favorable terms by
renters, as they are called. They take
from l2O to 600 acres. Very many Of
them are Portuguese and Italians. They
are usually unmarried, work in com
panies of from six to fifteen persons
and wear the red Garibaldi shirt The
renter is provided by his landlords
with house, an artesian well, a credit
to moderate amount at the general
store, and the use Of some cows. He
has the milk of the COWS, but mus,
give their increase to the estate. Hi.
lease runs three years, and he pays as
rent one-third of his crop. Instances
of large profits are frequent among
these persons, and no doubt the sam,
opportunities are open to Others wht
may wish to follow their example
Haper's Magazine.