Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-16

Northern California Citrus Fair, which took
place on Tuesday evening, January 18th,
and to which reference is made elsewhere.
Albert Gallatin, Chairman ofthe Executive
presided. After making few
remarks, speakers were intro
duced and addresses made as follows:
SENATOR j. a. PITCHERS ADDRESS.
Hon. J. A. Filcher spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, Ladies and FelloeU- Citizens :
In addition to the timely remarks of our
able President, may be permitted also, on
his behalf and on behalf of the officers and
associated with him in the
great task which they have so successfully
performed, to bid you welcome to this, the
first Citrus Fair of Northern California.
Welcome, / would say, to this rare and
beautiful exhibit prepared for you-tor
YOUR admiration and instruction, and for
the instruction of the civilized world. Let
me repeat to you, also, welcome to the
Queen City of Northern California, the
proud capital of our State, the seat Of learn
ing and of art, and the home of refinement
and of enterprise. Sacramento, more perhaps
than any other city of our day, is noted for
its liberality, for its hospitality, and for its
business enterprise. Possessed OF an in
domitable will and an unconquer-
ed and uncomfortable energy, the
business men and citizens general
ly of this city have successfully
combatted all obstacles to her progress, her
prosperity and her safety. By work
prodigious in its proportions, this city has
been raised at least ten feet from her origi-
nal level, and to-day, proud of her achieve
ments, she stands forth in her exalted posi-
ton and with an air Of importance becom-
ing the second commercial center of the
great Golden State, bids you, through me,
a most hearty and cordial welcome
This fair, this bountiful and handsome
display of citrus fruits, so generous iii size,
so handsome in appearance, so rich in
flavor, and all produced in northern Cali
fornfa, tell q tale that to many will be
wonderful. Those silent fruits preach a
sermon, the eloquence OF which is all
powerful, the lesson of which is all-instruc-
tive, the truth of which is all-convincing.
Their eloQuence reaches the remotest
bounds of civilization. and they tell man
kind in convincing terms that the olive and
the vine, the lemon and the fig thrive to
perfection in northern California.
We are young State. We had much to
learn. We have much to learn vet The
for the production of anything more than
grass for grazing. As late as 1889, when L
with my parents, arrived in California with
our OK teams, after crossing the plains, we
found the only settlements were along the
rivers and were told that all the good land
was taken up. What are now the great
wheat fields of the greatest wheat growing
State in the Union-a State that in 1854
produced about COCO 600 bushels of this
staple cereal-were then vast prairies, COW
cred with droves of wild cattle, the only
use for which they were considered valu-
able. The first who attempted to till the
plains land" as it was called, were con-
sidered foolish. To-day they are the pos
SCISSORS of fine homes, and are considered
fortunate. The virtue of the plains land
being discovered, it was soon taken up as
far as to the border of the foothills. Our
people began TO concede that any where in
the valley good crop could be raised by
proper tillage, but the same wise heads
that were forced to this admis-
sion by. the experience that sur
rounded them, would grayely tell you
that the foothills possessed no elements OF
production. 1t is not ten years since those
who invested in foothill lands at any price
were considered as taking desperate risks.
Yet to-day as good fruits as were ever raised
in this or any other country are those which
find their way to market from the foothills
bordering the great Sacramento valley; and
as showing the extent of the business in
that region, let me state that from two sta
tons in the foothills OF the one county
of Placer there were shipped this last sea-
son 5,931, 100 pounds of fruit. The entire
from the foothills of that coun-
ty for the season aggregate, as nearly as
can be ascertained, about 1000 900 of
pounds. This is exclusive of raisins and
other cured fruits, and of citrus fruits. the
shipment of which constitute a consider
able item; and it is exclusive also of the
many tons Of grapes grown in that region
and manufactured into wine and brandy.
Referring to the foothills, inasmuch as
they constitute an extensive area of north
ern California, and inasmuch as their de-
has at this time but fairly COM
would like to say that from nv
observation of number of years | am
to believe that they are des-
tined, in the comparatively near future, to
become the most attractive portion Of Cali
fornia, and for homes the most desirable.
1t Is demonstrated that the soil and climate
of the hills are particularly adapted to the
growth and early maturity of all the STABLE
fruits in the highest degree of perfection
not excepting the orange, the lemon the
olive, the pomegranate, the vine and the
1g, as the exhibits here attest. Oroville is
IN the nils, Nacaville and Winters are in
the hills, Coloma is in the hills, Mokel-
umne Hill is in the hills. Auburn and
Newcastle are in the hills Each of these
places IS represented here by liberal dis
play of the finest and choicest citrus fruits
The climate of the foothills is unparal-
eled-aboye the ocean fogs, yet below the
mountain snow; and in summer warm
out dry and invigorating. Water and tim
Der are abundant for all necessary pur
poses and the scenery-with the snow
;apped mountains in the background and
he great Sacramento valley, with its rivers
5listemng under the sun like
silver threads, i'll the fore
grounds simply enchanting; inspiring
he denizen with nobler, grander thoughts,
lifting him nearer his Creator, making
lim purer, greater. In health the foot
lillS are in themselves a sanitarium. and
already hundreds, not alone from this
State, but from other climes, are seeking
hem for rest and recuperation, and for re-
LET from all manner of bronchial and
ailments, and it is gratifying to
De able to state that few of those who pin
heir faith to the inyigorating properties of
he foothill climate are called upon to suffer
he regrets of misplaced confidence
As showing the possibilities of the foot
nils, in general way, may be permitted
o cite a case or two that have come within
he scope of nav own observation. These
instances, believe, will be interesting to
many caiitoTniars, IS well as to our visitors
rom other States. since it is true that most
u Us, IS have shown in the outset, are
prone to he sSeptical regar,ling the true
merits q u ach Of orr own State.
In 1917 J.'si;i Wells moved with his fam
iy ironr Msndoeino county, on the coast.
o the foothills Of Placer County. He was
'aTat out where he had been living and
lad nothing left TO start with but his
lands. he secured forty acres ofland and
vent 10 work on it. He is hard working
nan and has worked hard In the fall Of
Soi, when he was relating to me his ex-
he said he had Supported his
amily had paid for his r,Jaca ba3 49,