Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-03
THE VIVA RANCH.
SENATOR STANFORD'S AUNIFI-
CENT EDUCATIONAL GIFT.
Joaquin Miller Describes this Grand
Estate. now Bestowed for the
Benefit of the People.

fishes the following letter from Joaquin
Miller, written at Eina, Cal, during re-
cent visit of the writer at that place. The
Tines emphasizes the letter with these head
lines: " A Charming Visit to Vina Ranch,
which Senator Stanford has given to His
Fellowship Donor the first Citizen in a
State Resplendent with Great Men-A Good
Example TO Follow"
JOAQUIN NILLER's LETTER
No romance ever thrilled me like this uE-
written romance. The idea of man accu-
mulating S20,000,000 and then quietly turn
ing il over to the State for the education of
his fellows, while still in the prime of life,
is so novel and surprising that / felt COM
PEELED to come on the ground for confrma-
ton of the facts.
And now that am here could almost
repeat the saying of the Queen of the Sheba
when she saw the wealth and generosity OF
Solomon. Not that there is anything in
this dismal and primitive railroad town OF
Vina.; in fact, the less said about fat and
dirty Vina the better True, it is in the
heart almost of this largest of the Stanford
ranches, but it is not part of it. Vina is
an independent little railroad depot, and
the village belongs TO the indolent poker
playing-all fighting fellows, who LOAF
around and tramp up and down the town.
There are some Chinese here-several hun
died in fact. They own ranches in small
way and make good farmers. Tine largest
Chinese farm in California is near this
place. The Cinnamon paid $21 COO for it
| have visited another Chinese farm fol-
which the little brown men pay 81, 800 an
nual rent. And better order, better use Of
the soil, never saw. If only those men
who ran about making trouble over the
presence of the Chinese were as steady and
industrious
1t occurred to me just now to ask one Of
the chief agitators what was the great OBJ
lection to those silent and patient little
people. His answer was-I leave out the
| oaths and epithets-to the effect that they
| could live and get rich where white man
would starve to death. In other words
they are economical and industrious. That
is about all that can be said against them
too, reckon, outside of their paganism.
There is and long has been popular say
ing to the effect that an American family
wastes enough every day to feed French
family. But this has generally been ut
tered in disparagement of the American.
There are about three hundred Chinese
employed on this Vina ranch in the grape
season. But at some seasons the number
drops down to fifty They receive 81 day
frame cottages set close together, and apart
from the white portion of the villagers.
THE VIVA RANCH.
Out wonder to the northeast on the sum-
nit of the Sierras looms Lassen's peak,
white as the snow-white clouds that roll
and bank about its summit this sweetest OF
sweet days in June. And this is the mon
unent to the old Californian who owned
this vast estate and first began to plant
grapes in its black and generous soil. The
old pioneer was killed by the Indians up
yonder in the mountains not far from the
splendid snow peak that now bears his
name. And his name is all he left behind.
The great estate fell TO pieces somewhat
in the course of time. When Senator STAN
ford undertook to gather it together again,
few years since,b he had to pay just 81 900,
600 in gold for the naked ground. The
estate comprises 50 900 acres. And it Is
safe to say that it is the richest and most
entirely arabic solid body of land Of any
thing like that extent covered by single
deed to be found on the face of the globe.
Every foot of it, so far as have been able
to ride or walk or look over this delicious
day in June, seems to be teeming budding,
bursting into life and strength, fruit and
flowers.
Grand and ancient oaks stand stationed
here and there in the vineyards and orch
ards without intrusion. They seem to be-
| long there. Any one who has walked from
| the railway station down to Lord Byron S
old Newsted abbey has seen a fine counter
part of the larger portion of the VIVA
ranch. And the same order of little lakes
and pleasant homes prevails here as at New
sted
1t would be too much like writing a cat
alogue to set down all that | find growing
here and the tremendous resources of this
$1,000 acres in the immediate future. In
fact, it would require a book. Ard, in
deed, it demands very strong and close
understanding to keep in mind simply the
magnitude of this oak-set and watered area.
And then you must bear in mind, also,
that this is only one of threes tracts of
realty-the largest and richest one, it is
true; but when you reflect that each one of
the other two surpasses the original en-
dowment of the oldest university in the
world you may well pause in wonder. The
possibilities for good certainly surpass COM
prehension.
As one item of profit l may mention that
this ranch turned out nearly 5000 900
pounds of grapes last year The grapes were
bought by firm in Sacramento at $50 per
ton. OF course the vineyard is paying,
like nearly all the great vineyards of Cali
fornia. hesitate to say how much these
millions of young vines are expected to
produce in the near future by the manage
ment 1t would read too much like a page
from Monte Cristo.''
The Stanford residence on this ranch, or,
more properly speaking, the residence of
no MANAGER stopdc down uOr,dar q ,,,,Ia
| distant among the oaks and vines In nv
walk down there this morning | counted
| seven kinds of vines-some of them very
beautiful. But what touched my heart
most was the soft and plaintive call and coo
of the turtle-doves.
| One of the men told me that the late
| young son of the Senator, Leland Stanford.
Jr., whose name the great university is to
have, was very partial to those plaintive
| little mourners.
Far away toward the river the young
wines glistened In the sun they reached
lItheir young tendrils, waving in the wind ;
their perfect order and grace and mobile
reach and movement made them look like
armies moving under the oaks and down
the willow banks beyond. Everywhere
you see something new and strangely
beautiful. The prettiest field of spotted
cattle l ever saw lay before me as | turned
\
a oaEner of eucalyptus and cedar trees. set
alternately, so as to break the monotony Of
color. The spotted cattle were resting un-
der the great oaks in grass and clover belly
deep i stepped up close to the fence to
look ct them, and found my face laid
against zoses as rich and sweet as baby IS
palm. Rest and roses; roses and rest
These are the scenes that make US in love
with civilization.
THE DEED ARD PURPOSE OF THE ENDOWMENT.
I spent last week at Tehama, town on
III e Sacramento, few miles from here, and
at that place Heard men say thst no deed
had been made. that it was for effect, and
so on. If tbeSenator's neighb0rs are SO ig-
Goraut. perhaps it is well enough that l
write down the fact that the deed for all
ibis property, real and personal. amount
ing at the time 10 something moze than
s2e, 900, 900, was signed by Senator Stanford
an& his wife in Sar Francisco on the 18th
dag of November last. The deed covers
more than one hundred pages of parch-
meRt. And / NAV mention that real estate
has bosnded ahead as never before in Cali
fornia since then, SO that the property is
worth rSuch more than $40, 600, 600 now.
OF coEEse the legal features of the trans
fer to the State, requiring an Act of the
State Legislature, involved much time and
care. But it is entirely consummated.
and the building of the university must be-
gin soon.
The Act reezting the puraase of the be-
quest on the part of the Senator and his