New-York tribune., 1885-09-14
sWINDLING ENGLISH LADS.
THE SPURIOUS HORTICULTURAL COLLEGE
OF CALIFORNIA AND IT'S VICTIMS.
fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE Tribune


swinde has recently come tc light in Los Angeles by
which the interest taken by English people in
fruit growing In this State has been utilized 10
his profit by nan named kingsOury for
many months the leading English newspapers nave
contained advertisements Offering for premium oi
800 to give Of instruction at the Horucnur"
College of California and aerward TO insure the ah
place on fruit farm where he will be taught the Viac-
teal business OF horticulture and at the same .iue
receive So month for his services The fame ol inc
profits OF California fruit growing and tue eNccPoh"
chances which are offered hero TO sober and enterpng
young men, naturally aided In securing candlu"'eS lor
the college. Besides, the fee demanded was not III
excess OF the premium usually exacted Tor te plese
OF learning trade IN any OF the large English cites
The horticultural College of California existed ONLY In
the imagination OF its protector lie left an nnscrupu-
ous agent in Angles and another at Fresno u tue
southern part OF the State These men were 10 rcoo"o
the English candidates and secure places for teh OH
neghborng fruit ranches, which they wond nave no
difficulty IN doing tho low wages OF 50 month Inc
Fresno agent who had h1ge barn Of house ana young
vineyard just coming into bearing, was to represe. uo
college faculty should any OF the lads oblect " oeng
sent directly on farms without preliminary uhhhng'
Kingsbury opened OIice at FrsonryJ f"ono"'
London He was also the agent for several rairoad
lines which offer low passage rates from Euglahu " ~
State. Among these was the Southern Pachc ps ~ ""on
route he sold tickets for s75, getting good co'o"
ON all aes Thus the parents boys who were eager 10
learn the California fruit business each pau o'o "
Kngsbury $175, and the only guarantee Which Ho eo
was that the boy should receive work ana lhs""V''n
and be treated OF the farmers family huS'""S
has now had an Office IN London for six months ana
is known tIa not less than hy boys have Deeh tous
over here on these false prctences.
The first arrivals we're turned over to the iresuo u.
who ran a kind of Dotheboys Hall on his Yheyaru'
The lads who followed were distributed among 'ne
nelglboring fruit growers by the Los Angeles Abon'
whose zeal was stimulated by the payment ol eis ,or
every boy whom he located The stipulation "" ''o
boys were 10 be treated members OF the i"ihcrS
family was as lusory as the college itself on most Oh
toe bie ru farms I'm this southern country there Is no
homelfe Tho white hands mess together ana sicep III
their own blankets big sheds which are far more PI
tive than Eastern barns The Chinese hrrd III 'uue
shares cook their food and sleep In bunks srso"
in tiers precisely they do in the crowded ohne'o
quarter in this city The or the manager o 'ne
raach lives in the only decent house Oh the e'e an"
hl. domestic fe provided he mas family Is rs "s.ne'
rom that OF the ranch employees as the sonlnefh
planters is from field hands who hoo his corn u oA
his cotton The food for the employees Is given o' A
army rations II consists mainly of bacon means O
and coffee aud does not change with the en'h-nN
sessons There are seldom any vegetables grown on 'o
ranch and milk Is usually not furnished The ioou Is
,ol,l In the omen air under a she'd by Chnainah ana
is served on tables with tin pans to eat nom M"
tin cups for the strong black coffee thick - ' anu
bitter a. gall. Any English boy brought upln bo'N
home where cleanliness an comfort prevail sure ~
be snoccd by the primitive customs ana free anu easy
lie Of tho California ranch. His hCmcsicknes VIII NOT
lac ls,eneI by tho tendency OF the farm hands 70 guy
him FOR his Ignorance and HIS veriancy. The TACT hat
he paid 800 for the privilege OF workinga at low" wages
than a raw Chinese boy would demand VIII apl""' "
these men as q colossal Joke aud VIII iufu'u 'Hou'
material Tor perennial Amusement.
l. II strange therefore, that nearly sco7c ot the
.I..ft dad int
fornia have become dsustcd with the pnrsatoi hofu
,lture under such difficulties, and are now wGhog Ior
fuud, 10 take them back 10 their homes TIE bFi''H"
Consul at 10. Augces has kindly tlkon charge o' c''
lads and Will nrrfc toi tn.lr resn, % ,s .nGerol
80, th. t,,,icr. of 20 mean sWIndor as klnS7puI}'
ihe exposure ~, TrsTiencs Of these English Lads will
deter others fiom coming here 7h"uii i'Aiil
mons institution. like senator staniOnis PROPOSES
trial university, be cs'I"'ha - n, crerpf hy |
frli. nrDWlng In California are unlreihei OF
and Vipe prplucng counties The hetd Tor leNuppnel
h, .lnos unlimited and the bes observer t'
nothing Il 70 much neelcd as cafcId IdlhMt ~
t'g borrullurc training wncn can oh!y nc Nf,h ~
sfulv cpmb.u "a with Iractics Ia tue noIu lns a.o
anarte 81 the students devote themselves 70 literature
or mning engineering and culture Is he<.e,tol ~
male with al aereut varieties OF ru ahh lt '.lioh -
too tho ocean 70 perin, ol & tuv &c ,,,,y re-
which demand a mild aud cuuhplc tphlotH'1i'! A'. /
fron Wind or Hence, when senator SauloS 70 nlss @
oflned his plan ~ an Industrial uni'rrAy every one
,,J Al ne tho clei factor in furnishiusshc skilled
ieLor for which tue state Is suffering ana wiIl safer
unfl snon technical schools are e-ia,sg. ln M lne
% cttci There h much sricnco required iur no sur.
I'm rssus OF good fruit and The making 1l boou
wine The many failures oi 'Alllothia h"i -
and the thousands spent ia al,ts'%ns 9s Iii ~ tbs
furnish ample proof Oi TINS truth ING sue t "a t'o
yrin,. counfr. must be auayZed and thrif h1sptAny
10 certain kinds OF frlit ana certain & ~ ',s
.rauc must he determined Ihis "l 1e aohr - SUI, az
E ei,ble -tes for fruit farms have all been occupied
and tho necesaty for quality rather lah qHAuut9 uas
been demonstrated to frt grower' Tbs moiA cat vny
~. d,,e hv trained men who shall uniio rcrnuhc |
1ccuracy with practical experience ol ro's a " oDl
', favorable 10 certain Sarstcs OF fruiL IL cannot
DE done by the ordinary farm manu. no hat-o Ho" "'40
his experience n fruit growing ,,,.,r,,o ,t,. |
Tls IL the work which ~ desned 10 rcV0IuilOAhe tns
fruit lndustry IN thl, state and make California tHe ich
-, .J net populpus commonwealth IN tn country
II mas been demonstrated that trlli OF Az sli oa oe
grown In throe-quarers ol tbe oJun m, ~ No ,antb
fron Tehana the north to san blesO gu uo SUN,
I'm ali the localities where fruit rPrns earliest u WI pay
lie farmer send his brst ffut !" Cbcaso an to
other rSics In Othcr localities u wiz Fy
.t 10 convert his grapes into Wine AUD rblslhf Au W
dry OF can Ills peaches aprcos. ~ ana piuhos a.
needless 10 say to any one WH nsa as, Sflees
of cranes h sill I'm IT. infancy. This Industry onofs
wide ncd the scientific expert ana " Is ueu @
nr,ises handsome returns fOr skin uud lhD'I ino
dryi1g and canning OF fruit Oilers even greater hHue
ments IN profitable return for labor aud chbltA h1
r,ins made In several parts of tbs state are recDShAo
a. fv ,0ua 10 the choicest imported Malaga rhsinS and
tbev command ready sale Ia tins state. 10 get nnr
prnne one must pay % or so cents per Onbd ior te
best French varieties. In santa cara county IaIsss
Quantities Of prunes sold last year cents onhu
which were pronounced by experts eqnal 70 thos1
trnorte IL will be many years before they Sil
bring the same price the foreign article. The Can
fornia dried peach aud apricot are recognized hs
passed by any IN the "0Id 40 aIfo ana PEI ~ &
nrocn. OF drying such frnit brings good Price IN
the market and will net tue fruit grower from 30 20
i. there 80 much opportunity for intelligence anl skli
TO reap a rich reward as In frut-grOwng IN California
TO AID HEBREW IuMIGRAYT&