Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-09-14
STATE FAIR.
ANNUAL ADDRESS DELIVERED
LAST NIGHT.
Hon. John p. Irish on California
Splendid Racing at the Park
The Pavilion.

day, and the attendance at both Park and
Pavilion was very large. The races were
the best, taken all together, of any day
since the opening of the fair, while the
address delivered by Hon. John z. Irish al
the Pavilion in the evening was a treat to
all who were able to get within the sound
of his voice. About $50 o'clock the crowd
| commenced to fill the art gallery, where
| the gifted orator was announced to speak
and soon afterwards Mr.. Irish was intro
duced by President Shippee, and spoke as
| follows:
| Mr. President, Members Of The Directory and
Fetow- Citizens We are here to indulge in the
regular annual congratulations that California
| has had abundant crops, that she has been
blessed in tasket and store, that the proceeds OF
our industry and fruits of our farms and our or
| chards have been widely distributed through
out the States of our own country and the ma
| tions of the earth, to other people to whom we
| send these as their supplies of the necessaries
( and luxuries of life.
| l have been invited by the Directory of this
\ Agricultural Society to say something of q
| formal nature to be placed in their annual pub
lication and sent forth to the world that shall.
perhaps, worthily present this great State and
the fruits of the industry of our people to others
I at a-distance. | have found myself by the for
mality OF the occasion, compelled to do that
which have not been in the habit of doing,
and this afternoon have written and will read
| from that portion of the address required for
preservation in printed form:
Gibbons says that until men bestow their
regard upon their benefactors and not upon
their destroyers the history of the world will be
largely narrative of campaigns and bio.
graphy of commanders
Yoltaire declares that there are but few Princes
who deserve to have their history written, for
but few OF them deserve to have their memory
preserved. In this country instead of the Prince
we have the politician. Like the poor, he is
always with us. Stand on the main street of
the commercial metropolis OF California and
watch the people as they pass, and while you
watch keep tally OF the battered wrecks of poll
tics, who have sought and held Office and are
still seeking 1t. The people turn and look at
them with certain awe. To have aspired to
high Office to have held il is not a discredit
in free country; but life of office. seek ing,
primary manipulation, running conventions
undermining Others and making hot contests to
get even with rivals is not a life that testifes
to any greatness of character. nor are those who
lead IL the great men of the State. Look
upon the men in the heeting show | have
mentioned! What industry do they promote,
what labor do they hire? Has one of them ever
made two blades of grass grow where one grew
before? Are they our great men and deserving
OF the tribute OF even curiosity? 1t is true they
somewhat rival Solomon in the glory of their
raiment, and resemble that philosopher in other
things though not in his wisdom. Their heels
spurn the earth as if it were too mean to take
disappear tonight what crops would go uuhar-
vested what wheels would stop, what solid in
terest of this newer France aud greater Italy
and better Asia would suffer for their taking off?
They are men who make politics profession
while others toll and create the commonwealth
They parasite their way through life, live soft
handed all their days, and dying full of years
we strain ourselves to build them public monu-
ments, when in truth the sole return they ma ke
to the earth for all its fruits they have eaten
without earning is the fertilzing effect of their
carcasses.
You may look on these men till you tire.
They are not the grea. men of California, whose
memories deserve preserving, nor the men who
should be first honored with the lifted hat. Our
great men are those who are patiently develop
ing the marvellous resources of the State, who
are studying the ways of Nature and watching
the cunning hiding places of her stores Many
of these men may be named, and many of
whom the world has not heard are worthless in
the same list.
When Southern California was a poor cattle
pasture, Rose, of San Gabriel went to that
wilderness, cherishing the tastes of his German
birth place. 1t was thirty years ago that he
took the southwestern trail, through perils that
are now amongst the ancient history of New
land of corn and wine, and it be-
came fact when his first grapes were
| trodden into, wine by the Indians, amongst
| whom he made his home He pioneered that
new Los Angeles. proved the higher utility of a
California COW county" and showed others
how the name of that part OF our State could be
| its figs trees ard vines.
Elwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara, is another
of the great men OF this State, for he has proved
the possibility and the profit of olive culture.
He has shown that our soil and climate will
| produce olives IS rich in oil and flavor as any
that were kissed into perfection by the soft air
| of Palestine on the slopes of the Mount of
| Olives, where the Savior rested and overlooked
Jerusalem. where he was soon to be hailed as
| the Son of David. ElwOod Cooper added new
commercial utility to the industries of this
nrnInQn6 n1iNn nil en-
excellent that the product of ancient orchards
on the slopes of the Mt diterranean finds no sale
in competition with t.though offered at less than
! half its price. What he has done at Santa Bar
| bara, can be repeated along seven hundred
miles of the Coast Range on lands kindly TO the
olive, but otherwise of doubtful utility. Let all
| Caliiornians honor this gentleman, whose genius
! and energy have located here one of The Oldest
| industries of the earth.
| Another great Californian is dead. He served
his country brayely in battle, il is true, but his
title to greatness is not ouly in his record as
| soldier. Naglee of san Jose gave his sword TO
| his country when she needed soldiers. but his
fame rests upon his being the first experimenter
! to prove the ultimate and maximum excellence
| of our vintage, and give a permanent com
! mel cial tame to our vineyards, by proving that
California is the peer of France in brandy pro-
upon one subject, he hunted brandy in the
chemistry Of the soil, guarded its transmutation
| into the sap which is the blood of the vine,
! traced it from the vine to the leaf, and
| thence to the fruit and its dis
tilation, and in the perfected spirit
caught the blush and bouquet of the
| grape, and made it sweet with the aroma of Ma
| lures cologne. This prince of spirits has with
| stood the tests of h 5rd judges in competition
| with the brandie5 of Europe. With q tithe OF
the work and toll of perfecting it. he could have
| packed primaries, purchased nominations and
| had his name inscribed amongst Senators. But
| he chose the pursuit that practically benefited
his S.att by adding to its msterialities: there
fore lit your hat to the memory of the man who
| beat France with California brandy, and con-
| victed cognac of adulteration. There was an
other field left open another useful office to be
| filled, and, without waiting for convention to
| nominate him, Colonel Haraszthy assumed its
delicate and costly functions by setting for him
selfthe task of proving that California can pro-
duce champagne. 1t took better stuff than we
| put into once-holde;s to invest the substance
| and the energy he gave to the maze of expert
| ments out OF which issued California spark
| ling wine. Champagne has in it the soul of the
| wine, the sparkling, speaking spirit Until this
| other great Californian conjured this spirit
] from Lis curoe the vineyards of this State were
| so many bodies only. He touched them with
| the hand OF genius, and each body was quick
| ened by The soul within it. In this
! contact and conversation with Nature
by which these really great men, are planting
| tirmer foundations tor California than could be
| bTilt by all the bones mortared together by
al the brains of her no.sy politicians there are
many co-workers. In sunny little valley, on the
hayward side ofthe Berkeley hills, another great
| Californian has established horticultural
| laboratory. wherein the fruits of Japan are IN
! uergulDG test ard trial, and experiments in hy-
b.idizing are in progress thai are big with i'm
| portance to our stone fruit interest. There
Pryal. OF Temescal, has built the tiny bowers
! in which the marriage of blossoms has been
&c onsummated and he has watched lest q vagraut
lee should steal and sip the wedding sweets or a
wandering breeze pollute the bride and so defeat
! bis well planned matchmaking The layrnan.
looking, may be Indifferent 10 this patient toll
| which, bringing together the germinal principle
| OF ts different fruits in the blossom produces
! Q new fruit with the flavor and excellence of
both parents, but let 1t be remembered that II
| hyD idlzing we owe our delicate nectarine, and
| 1t was the same process that differentiated the
| peach and apricot from some common ancestry
| SO remote as to be for.otten. Kings, Queens and
| Emperors schemed and fought and lied about
the Spanish marriage in the time of Louis
NV, but what was that marriage with ali irs
| dynastic consequences, compared with the
| results which may follow this marriage
of flowers by this patient, plodding man
whose unspoken ceremony may give the
| world new fruit and industry new
creation ty which to increase the profits of its
| toii? %
There are Others within our borders who rank
with them as benefactorS of mankind by having
added To the mastery ofthe resources OF nature.
| aud yet when they come ana co. we burn no
torch ana beleh no brass music in their honor
| Receptions and leyees and leaye-takings are
| Tor others. while our real benefactors pay their
| own fare, ear y their own satehels and are
not pointed out in the crowd to the s,,lze of ad
miratiOn or curiosity or envy.
| What has been wrought here Dy men of whom
these are the type, has been simply the result
n a holl IL =. -