Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-14


who thought that, once here, all they had
to do was TO go cut and fill their knapsacks
with pure gold before breakfast and return
to the States millionaires.
"But We found another thing" said Mr..
Briggs. eve found that not only was gold
digging the hardest kind Of work, but it
was attended with precarious results.
Fortune I'm that Business.
as In many others, was quite cspricious. So
looked about me to see il couldn't lind
something better to do than dig gold; and
wasn't long in making my selection.
discovered that gold was about the most
plentiful and cheapest thing in the market,
and that the man who risked all to get 1T
had to spend it lavishly TO procure his
bread and meat.
81 decided to dig for my gold in fruit
and vegetable garden. One day l came
across a man on q boat Just arrived via the
Peninsula route, with a lot of garden seeds
they were very scarce in California then
and / bought all he had. Among them
were some. watermelon seeds-tbe first
ever seen ia this country. planted them
and raised an immense crop, which l sold
at So a dozen, ana S5l1o Epgle specimens
as high as IS a piece. The next year l
planted larger field, and received for my
crop over $4,000"
"Yes," said Mr.. Briggs, continuing the
story of his successful life, ~ have accum'
ulated good deal of property, and have
Made If All
in fruit growing. l had regular yearly
income Of 100000 from my orchards near
Marysville, which were destroyed by the
great food Of 1861, which swept away Sac
rameuto. Inow give my attention to rails
ing grapes and curing them into raisins.
There is q Aiine of Wealth in this business
in California to any one who will give 1t
attention. 1t is immensely profitable, but
not more so than wine-makiDg."
Mr.. Briggs admitted that better ralsins are
produced in Southern California than in
the Northern and middle sections OF the
State; and this fact is admitted on all hands.
The raisins of the Riverside region are al
ready famed abroad, and have widely
established reputation. 1t is claimed that
the best Judges have failed, when the test
has been made, at fairs and in the markets,
to discover any superiority for the choicest
Malaga raisins over those produced near the
Jacinto Mountains.
The MuscateI
is the raisin grape here, and it hourisaes as
we'll here as in Spain, and, so far, has not
been materially affected by disease where
and driver the atmosphere the better for
the raiSins: and it is now known that the
grape, like the orange, requires but little
water The ground should be irrigable, so
that it may, in its virginity before the plow
has been put in it at all have thorough
working and after that asurprisingly small
amount of water is require pro-
vided it is constantly kept clean
and loose by thorough cultivation. In the
low lands and near the ocean there is apt
to he an occasional fog, which is detrimental
to the successful curing OF the raisin. Back
in the mountain foot hills, from 20 to 100
miles from the sea, by virtue OF. the distance
from the ocean fogs and the altitude at.
tained, the atmosphere is peculiarly dry
both day and night. The sun-dried raisns
are by far the best, and it is only possible
to dry them wholly by the sun back in these
protected points.
The Process OF Making Raisins
is a simple and cheap one. The punches OF
grapes are carefully cut from the vines,
defective berries removed, and then they
are laid on boards or shallow boxes, slight
ly tilted to catch the full force of the sun.
In a short time the upper side OF the
punches becomes dry when they should be
turned. After exposure to the sun few
days, they are then placed in large boxes
10 sweat" which process is the simple
distribution of what moisture is left in the
interior OF the punches with the outside
grapes which had probably become too dry.
The raisins are now ready for market.
The Best Vineyards
average, one year with another, from six
to ten tons per acre. Three tons of grapes
will make one ton of raisins. Vineyards
for wine making are also very profitable.
There is a demand at good prices for all the
wine and raisins made in California. The
WineiS undenably the pure juice of the
grape; the process OF making it is clean and
decent and the skill now used together
with the age some of the vineyards nave
attained combine in giving TO them a
Character among the best of wines made
anywhere. Eight years ago California ex-
ported about one million gallons of wine;
she exported over four million gallons this
year. and the demand is increasing so rap
idly as 10 make il difficult to supply.
L. e.