Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-07
IMMIGRATION.
The Means Used to Advertise
California.
WORK DONE BY RAILROADS.
The California on Wheels THE
Exhibit at Chicag0-Next
Years Plans.

The prospect appears to be very good
that there will be considerable increase
next year over the immigration OF last,
although it is not, perhaps, to be ex-
pected that the figures of two years ago
will be reached. Nothing but a rate war
or a considerable reduction in the cost of
the round trip will make it possible to
have the experience of two and three
years ago repeated. Nevertheless, in a
quiet way work is being done which
promises to bring about very satisfactory
results.
The greatest ally of the Coast in all
matters of inducing i immigration must
be the railroads. 1t was the sudden and
great reduction of rates three years ago
that started the rush to this Coast. The
reduction started under the guise of a
rate war, but the opinion was entertained
by q good many people that the compet-
ing roads were not unwilling to have the
war take place, as it gave them an op-
portunity to stimulate travel and trade in
this direction. 1t is to be questioned,
moreover, whether in the long run the
tranecontinental routes were the losers
by the temporary reduction, as the great
bulk of the travel came after the rates
were partially, at least, restored.
Last year the railroads did not exert
themselves especially to secure either
tourist travel or immigration. They
counted upon it quite as confidently as
did all other lines of business on the
Coast. 1t did not come, at least to the
extent that it was expected. The result
In that this year the roads are we'll awake
to the fact that if immigration is to be
obtained it must be through vigorous
exertion on their part, and in a quiet way
they are setting about it. Their purposes
and their actions are not heralded abroad
very widely, but they are none the less
we'll known. Their agents in the East
are instructed to be on the watch for all
California colony immigration schemes,
and foster them as far as possible.
Throughout the lines everywhere word
has been passed that all species of adver-
tising schemes looking to the increase of
the popularity of this section, and to
making its advantages better known in
the East and South. should be heartily
encouraged.
One of the best and most active agen-
cies at work in spreading information
about California has been the State
Board of Trade. The feeling that this
organization is interested in the northern
part of the State to the neglect or exclu
sion of the southern part, appears to
have quite disappeared. Besides the
work which the board accomplishes in
San Francisco in offering permanent
exhibit which can be visited by all who
come to that city, where information
printed and oral will be supplied, besides
its work in bringing the trade and COM
mercial organizations OF the State into
cooperative combination, 80 that they
can work together with better results,
this organization has maintained and
kept in motion through the East for
nearly year travelling exhibit, the 60
called California on Wheels" The
board now proposes to have this exhibit
car return to Chicago, lit is at present
in New York State), and locate on
sidetrack near the Exposition building,
where it will show the people who visit
that great concern the advantages of this
climate and section. The Exposition build.
ing in Chicago is located near the lake
shore, and the Michigan Central tracks
run directly back Of it. The fair lasts
about six weeks, and is largely attended
by people from all over the Northwest. A
number of the large land owners of this
section are planning to have booth in the
Exposition, and to exhibit the products
of their lands, so that California will be
well represented on this occasion.
When the Exposition closes the present
California on Wheels will be dismantled,
and large part of its contents used as
the nucleus of a permanent exhibit, which
the State Board of Trade propose to
establish in the city. This will be ar
ranged as sort of California headquar
ters in the East, and it is intended to
make it something which Californians
will be proud to visit and acknowledge
when they make trips TO the East. A
suitable location will be secured near the
center of the city, and a man will be
placed in charge who will make the
existence of the exhibit known to those
who visit the city from the country, and
will be ready to give all the information
that can be desired about this country
and it's products. 1t is confidently be-
ieved that this will be most advan-
tageous form of advertising, not only to
secure immigration to this country, but
also to make it's products better known
among eastern merchants.
The success Of the "California on
Wheels" has prompted the State Board
of Trade to plan similar excursion for
next fall, to be executed on somewhat
larger scale. Instead of one car, three
or four cars will be secured, and they
will be of better style and size than the
one which was employed this year. The
present California on Wheels is in a
large, old-fashioned Union Pacific "Sil-
yer Palace" sleeper, which is too broad
to get through some of the tunnels and
over some of the bridges which are To-
Gated on various roads in the East. The
result has been that the car was unable
to visit number of places to which it
might otherwise have gone, and had to
keep off of some lines of railroad.
Altogether, with socalled "tourist
sleepers' made over for exhibit pur-
poses, the seats being taken out and
shelves arranged along the sides, cam.
paign can be entered into which shall
take in all the East. One car will be
given up to citrus fruits alone, and ir
this will come the chief exhibit of this
section. Another car will be given tc
wines and raisins, and the third an(
fourth to miscellaneous articles. Tn,
whole train will have q carefully pre-
pared route, and will carry competen
corna of exhihifora The Oood raault9 n