Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-23
NRIaHRoR1NG COLONIES.
Success OF Highland Park, Oak Pari;
New Ramona aud Orange Vale.

Success OF Highland Park, Oak Park,
New Ramona aud Orange Vale.
One of the favorite modes of settling up
Southern California has been that of the
colony scheme. To cut up large holdings
into small farms and building lots has
enabled many person of limited means
to secure good home. While this scheme,
as it may be called, was carried to extremes
in tie south, especially the laying out of
town lots for seventy miles along the bar
rem coast and cutting up sandy wastes into
prospective cities on paper, still the most
of them were legitimate speculations. The
real estate boomer sometimes " got in his
work. the initiation of values was aston
ishing and prices were paid for land that
never again can be realized. While the
south had the call on the real estate boom,
the Eastern investors fiocked there, and the
result was that millions of Eastern capital
found investment in the home of the
orange. Los Angeles and San Diego grew
apsce, hamlets sprang into villages and
villages into cities. There is an end to all
things in this life, and the southern
bubble seems to have been pricked. North
ern California rejoices in the prosperity
of her southern neighbor. While the
Eastern immigrant was passing by hun
dreds through our fertile valleys, over our
wellwooded plains, down our mountain
slopes covered with forests of the finest
timber, through which meander thousands
of streams of pure, clear water from the
everlasting SHOWS of the Sierras we asked
them to tarry with us a while or at least to
stop over on their way back. For this our
southern neighbor chided u.s. When we
said our climate was equal TO theirs, our
soil as productive, that we could raise
oranges here earlier and better that we
could sell more and better land for less
money than they could, they accused us of
lying about them. These sectional bicker-
ings are all of the past, and it is to be
hoped there will be in the future the best
of feeling existing between the people of
both sections. They can afford TO live to-
gether as one happy family, for they oc-
cupy both ends and the middle of the
only Paradise on earth.
Several colony schemes have been started
in Northern California, all of them good
investments, and so far as can be learned
all have been successful. One of the first
to commence that business in this section
was Francis d. Myers, who purchased a
tract of land southeast and adjoining the
city. 1t is just outside the city limits. He
had it surveyed of into 342 building lots.
He opened up streets and avenues, graded
and sprnkled them, planted shade trees on
their sides, and soon had it in g most in
vihng shape. a year has scarcely rolled
around, and the lots are all sold, but about
40, and II of those have been Withdrawn
from sale. Where was a grain field twelve
months ago is to-day Highland Park addi-
ton to his city. Fifteen families are liv-
ing upon the tract, aud before another
year rolls around it will be entirely
built ap. Mr.. Meyers connected the park
with the,city by street railway line, and
nthe laboter can ride to or from his work at
the railroad shops, three miles distance, for
fSe cents. Mr.. Meyers is public-spirited
man. He sold many lots and erected
houses thereon and is taking his pay in
monthly installments of say from $25 to
$50. In this way the occupant is merely
paying rent. and in the course of a few
years the property is paid for and he has a
home of his own. Mr. Meyers decided a
schoGl-house site TO the county and a
school district has been formed with thirty
five census children and school-house
voted that will cost 81, 100. This is a very
| fair showing Tor me enterprise one -ifa-
dividual in so short time.
| A short distance to the east of Highland
Park is the Oak Park Tract. Near Brighton
Station;is New Pomona Colony. Opposite
Folsom. on the north bank of the Ameri-
can, is Orange Vale Colony. All are owned
and ma1sged by Sacramento capital and
all are Igood investments. Each one of
these bets will be written up in the
Recon- NJNIoN in few days.