Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-14
THE CITRUS FAIR.
FIRST DAY-ITS VISITATION BY
TWO HUNDRED EASTERNERS.
Magnificent Display = Astonishing
Testimony of the Eastern
Excursionists.

Magnificent Display = Astonishing
Testimony of the Eastern
Excursionists.
Yesterday was busy day at the Citrus
Fair. Though announced not to open
| until last evening, it was really open all
day and was visited by large numbers of
people. Everywhere the busy workmen
were laboring to place all the exhibits be-
fore shutdown, but it was an impossible
task. The boxes and bundles came rolling
in faster than they could possibly be un-
packed and the contents prepared for view
At about o'clock there were escorted into
the hall two hundred excursionists from
the East. Immediately the citizens of Sac
ramento present, with one accord, laid hold
of the strangers, waited for no introduce
tons, but volunteered as guides The
pleasure with which the ladies and gentle
men accepted the proffer made the next
two hours work labor of real love. Test
was given to the satisfaction felt by the
Californians by the intelligent responsive
ness of the guests, and their frank and un-
bounded expressions of
ABATEMENT AND DELIGHT.
They were taken from table to table.
every fact about the fruits explained TO
them relating to place of growth, quality,
modes of cultivation, soil, climate. etc,
etc. The inquiries by the strangers poured
forth in perfect flood of anxious curios-
ity and bewilderiDg surprise If the guides
were ready to explain they were matched
by the eagerness of the visitors to learn.
These guests were all of a class of we'll
conditioned people as to worldly goods
apparently, and of broad intelligence and
personal dignity, In short, a more repre-
sentative body of Eastern people we
have not had this way
The visitation proved one of amaZement
also to the Californians. All had heard how
sadly misrepresented and misunderstood
Central and northern California are at the
East, but not until yesterday did most of
those present awake to full realization of
the actual truth. For the surprise of the
visitors awakened inquiry why such as
constituent should be manifest? The uni
form reply was Because we never
heard of the sections here represented, ex-
cept as grazing and mining regions with
some large wheat fields, and the usual cold
and snow associated with the term north
ern"
Being pressed for further explanations.
dozens of the more ready speaking people
related that at the East there are in circu-
lation constantly all sorts of stories detri-
mental to this section
" We are told, for instance, that YOU can
not raise semi-tropie fruits"
!" Yes, interjected others, land that YOU
to- 81.
are given to understand that from southern
California come all your best fruits, and all
your good grapes and wines-from there
and about the bay of San Francisco. 1t is
TACT that from Minneapolis to New York
YOU ARE LIED ABOUT
Atrociously, l should say, if you are not
spinning saltwater yarns to us now, and
If these superb evidences before us are not
cheats and frauds and our senses under the
spell of magic"
These are but sample expressions that
fairly echoed in the hall.
. 1t is shameful" exclaimed one middle
aged man from Minnesota, shameful that
these people have been so misrepresented.
don't know" chimed in stout lady
from Illinois; g don't know that it is any
worse than their neglect of themselves.
why haven't you people told US about YOUR
selves, Ell? We can't get up to breakfast.
or go out to tea, without having some arti-
Gle or tract thrown in our faces about
southern California; and then the papers
are kept full of it, and we never hear of
any other places in California except San
francisco, Los Angeles, Yosemite and Lake
| Tahoe as worth SEEING
THAT Is NOT ALL
Added the husband of the lady: "The
magazine literature that gives us illustra-
| tons and papers on California is all about
the south. Why, here is one of your own
magazines pulling an Overland Monthll,
from his top coat-poclAt, for Decemberj,
with big article on Southern California. :"
| Yes" chimed in young gentleman
with commercial air, and here's book
1 got on stand in Omaha, entitled Santa
Barbara, and All About It. lust issued and
being sold to travellers. Why don't you in
form the people if you want them to know
about your land and produce Why, lust
look here Let me go back to Iowa and
tell what wonderful things 1 saw in this
hall to-day, and I'd be put down for a
COMPOUNDED crank gone crazy over a Cali
fornia whopper ~
rather guess" added an Indianian.
" that somebody has had purpose in mis-
representing your Central California section.
Now l have heard and read both sides.
I've seen some of your northern literature.
You have been scattering some / know,
but we can't tell who to believe, and You
people, you must know, have the repilta-
ton of being just bit fanciful-like about
| your State-but l take it all in now. after
| this; goodness gracious yes and any,
thing else you are mind 10 tell me-"
AND so THE CONVERSATIONS RAN
| II Al. I.
yesterday with the Citrus Fair was worth
all the money and labor it COST The uni
versal verdict of the visitors was, ''Put this
show in Chicago Christmas; send it so the
| fruit won't freeze on the way, and You
needn't fear any more false yarns about
your end of the State" The ladies among
the visitors expressed surprise that no large
quantity of flowers was shown. Some
| handsome bouquets from Placer and Shasta
were brought TO their attention, but thew
had heard of California flowers in Decent
| Der, January and February, and couldn't
understand why a country with oranges in
| December had so few flowers to show 1t
was explained to them that it was not
! floral show, nor is this floral season
proper, but that still had it only been
| thought of plenty of flowers could have
been put on exhibition. 1t is now desired
| that Sacramento ladies shall send in flow
ers, cut or ported. daily during the fair, and
| they will be cared for by Superintendent
Gregory and well displayed
THE GREAT HALL
Is now perfect blaze of orange gold and
| foliage green. On every hand it is one con-
| slant view of oranges, lemons, lines, dates,
olives. apples, pears, nuts, raisins, and so on
| through the chapter of fruits. The pyra-
midal displays of Placer and Butte strike
the eye with great prominence. and excite
deserved expressions of commendation
| from all visitors. 1t is bower of evergreen
packed with fruits and vines and other pro-
/ ducts of Central and northern California,
that ought to engage the attention of every
! one. Not all the citrus fruits are fully ripe
| nor is it claimed that all are. For some To-
calities it is rather early to pick oranges, for
others just the right time. But the fruit
shows for itself, and no exhibitor makes
any false pretense concerning it. 1t
l 4 4 !. 81