Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-29
The STATES CONDITION.
REPORTS OF STATION AGEN rs
OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
A Season of Progress and Prosperi-
Embarrassing Diversity OF Agri-
cuiture-Notable Enterprises.
lsan Francisco Post.l

this season, A. y. Towne General Manager
Of the Southern Pacific Company, Pacific
division, caused circular to be sent to each
station agent OF the system Of railroads I'M
der his control, in which the agent was di-
rected to write out and forward TO the Gen
eral Managers Office detailed report of
the business outlook and prospects in gem
eral of t1ae section contiguous and tributary
to his Station. The instructions were that
each report should embody the facts as to
present interests, also conclusions based on
Information so easily obtained by the agent,
as to the volume and character Of the diff
ferent industries likely to be developed in
the near future. These instructions were
responded TO with reports, many of them
quite voluminous. from some 800 stations,
in which accurate and reliable information
was conveyed relative to the agricu!t-
ural, horticultural, yiticultural. grazing.
mining, manufacturing and other interests
developed and developing in the various
Localities. They also contain many sUg-
gestions upon the most practical and eff
fective means for encouraging population,
advancing the industries already in hand.
anu SAAllAulllAilS Tic opening OF new ones.
The reliability Of the statements made in
these reports, in connection with the vast
scope OF country covered by them, makes
the facts and figures they contain valuable
TO those IN search Of statistics on the in
dustries and resources OF the States Of Cali
fornia and Nevada, and OF the Territories
of Arizona and New Mexico.
brief summary Of the substance of
these compilations will be found interest
ing TO Cur own people and of more than
ordinary value To those Of the Eastern
States who are informing themselves rs to
the soil, product and manufactures of the
Pacific coast. In this article, and those
which are 10 follow. for ,he purposes of
condensation and to place the facts in COM
prehens.ble form, the reports are grouped
and their contents SO arranged as TO repre-
sent localities and their surroundings in
place Of individual towns and stations
The reports from stations
AROUND SAY FRANCISCO AND SAN PABLO BAYS.
Cover an area 30 by 50 miles. and generally
record growing prosperity, enhancing val
ues and increasing population. The soil is
almost all OF the best quality, and but few
acres are unculiiyated. The moisture con-
se1uent upon close proximity to the bays
contributes % the making of crops in even
the 1ryest seasons. \ few wears ago nearly
al The cuitivatabe land in Alameda. Santa
Clara and san Maieo counties was seeded
TO grain now nearly oue-fOurth Of the soil
IS covered with orchards, gardens and vine
yards. and the encroachment Of these more
profitable industries on the territory of the
grain field is more marked with each re-
curing year. The lruit-canning business
of Oakland and San. Jose may be estimated
10 double itself from season TO season.
The manufacturing interests Of these Two
places are growing and thriving From
San Pablo and other stations on the east
side of the bays the reports indicate
steady expansion of all branches of bust
ness. The establishment Of 50 large an
enterprise as the Selby Smelling Works
at Vallejo Junction. has given that To-
caity more than ordinary vitality. Just
above Vallejo Junction, on the Straits of
CarQUiueZ. Is WheatpOrt the location OF
the great Touring mill, shipping wharYes
and grain warehouses of Starr 4 Co. The
two story grain warehouse is nearly 600
feet long, and, with the wharf 80 feet
wide. 1t has a grain storage capacity Of
over 125, 600 tons. In the construction Of
this warehouse and its wharves every
means has been resorted to tending to the
reduction of the expense in transferring
grain from the cars or barges 10 the deep
water vessel or u either floor OF the ware.
house The railroad connection is from
the east or up the straits end OF the wharf.
and the track extends the full length Of the
warehouse. The flour mill is of brick. six
stories high, and its capacity is 6.000 bar
rels of -four per day. This mill and its
auxiliaries are far in advance of anything
of the kind in The United States. and per
haps in the world. The company's special
lty is the manufacture of -four for export
10 Europe, the sale being made not on its
arrival in the foreign port, but as it is load
ed on the ship at Wheatport. All the product
of their Vallejo mills for some years has
been SO sold.
Port Costa is the point at which large
share OF the grain exported leaves the car
for the ship. Along the straits for a long
way, and around the shore of Suisun
bay, there is an almost continuous line of
grain warehouses. The water is deep
enough for the largest deep sea vessels. The
facilities for loading a ship with grain di-
rectly from the cars at Port Costa cannot be
exceiled anywhere.
IN THE VALLEY.
Between Port Costa and the crossing of
the San joaquin river, near Lathrop, the
reports cover an area sixty miles long by
ten wide. The first twenty miles east
from Port Costa includes a farming, fruit
and vine section. IN which the seasons are
uniformly favorable and the crops gener-
ally good The remainder of the sixty
miles Is part of what is known as the
west side of the San joaquin river. 1t is
chiefly grain land, and full crops are as
sured only IN seasons OF abundant rain.
This season opens with extraordinary
promise. The grain acreage, mostly wheat
will be about one-third greater than ever
before, and there is every indication of a
plentiful harvest. The output of the coal
mines in the Coast range neals Mount
Diablo. is about the usual amount. A
proposition to draw the water from the coal
mines by means of a tunnel ont upon the
valley Is under discussion, and if carried
out viii increase the farm product in sea-
sons of light rainfall
The line of the Western Pacific Division
from Niles, in Alameda county. to Tracy.
in San Joaquin county, runs through Iiv-
ermore and Amador valleys, and from
these localities is reported an increased
acreage in grain, orchards and VINEYARDS,
with a general activity III all branches.
which, with the favorable season, insures
an unusually large yield of the different
products There is in this section a great
deal of uncultivated billy land. admirably
adapted 10 the growth of vines and fruit
trees The horticultural and vinicultural
outlook Is excellent. Population and values
would be materially enhanced by the divis-
ION OF several large tracts into small farms.
From the crossing OF the San JOAQUIN
river To Goshen, the junction of the Han
ford and EiSalia branch roads. the first on
the wrs- and the other on the east side of
the main Line, the railroad runs about mid
way OF The valley. The reports are from
20 different points or stations, and cover an
area of valley country 80 miles wide by IA
long. As whole, progress and prosperity
are the marked features of this section.
despite the fact, mentioned in a majority of
the reports, of many large bodies of good
land being held by non-residents, who nei-
ther cultivate themselves nor permit others
TO DO SO. This area includes the counties of
sTANIsLAUs. MERGED AND FRESNO
Stanislaus being the first, MERGED the sec
ond and Fresno the last as the traveller
moves southwark or up the valley. Stanis-
laus Is essentially a wheat country. Last
year the drought reduced the Weld TO low
figure. The outlook for the coming season
is for larger acreage sown and at least a
full harvest. Business is Frightening. and
the incoming population is steady and sub
stantial. In the vicinity OF Modesto. the
county seat, are several hundred acres of
orchards and vineyards. and this spring
quite as many more acres will be set in
trees and vines. At the date of the reports
about 10000 tons of wheat still remain in
the local warehouses. Wheat is also the
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