Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-08
PROSPEROUS COUNTIES.
What Agricultural Directors Say oil
Eraspo and N5arcad


Fresno and MERGED.
Mention was made on Monday of the fact
that Messrs. Carts. Green and George W.
Hancock had just returned from a tour
among the San Joaquin Valley counties,
looking up the prospect of securing county
exhibits at the coming State Fair. In an
interview with RECORD UNION reporter
yesterday, Mr.. Hancock said:
Having been called upon by the State
Board of Agriculture to solicit county ex-
hibits, can hardly refrain from saying
few words of my impressions OF Fresno.
Having been somewhat familiar with that
section twenty years ago, when 1t was not
common to be in sight of two habitations
at the same time, you can imagine my sur
prise at seeing shade trees on the public
roads leading out from the town TOR dis
tances of ten or twelve miles. Director
Green and myself were entertained by the
President of the local Board of Trade, Mr..
Thos. E. Hughes. We were taken in a car
rage and driven about the settlement for
thirty or forty miles, and though the day
was what a Sacramentan would call awful
ly hot.
THE places of interest visited did not
leave much time to think of the tempera-
ture, and we did not learn whether the
mark was as high as 1909 or higher, b1t it
seemed warm enough for all practical pur-
poses. The growth of vegetation is mar
velous, and the improvement is vast. 1t is
not here and there sn orchard, with long
stretches of barren land between, but it is
one after another-almost solid continu-
ance-and the loads of fruit on the vines
and trees are secondary affair. Very little
irrigation is being done, except on vines or
trees the first season of planting. One of
the strongest evidences OF stability Is that
one firm there has sold S350000 worth
of lands, wholly on credit, taking mort
cages of the full purchase price, and at the
end of four and five years every mortgage
but one, of 81 600, has been paid.
st would seem that no other evidence
of stability and prosperity is necessary but
will give another. In the town itself, all
of the large new buildings of the place
have been built by men who live in the
town, except two. 1t is not place of nom
resident speculation. 1t is something won
derful, the confidence of the people In their
own county. Street Improvements are in
augurated and work commenced which.
would startle the owners of this stald town
of 40 600 souls. One man will be called
upon tc pay an assessment of $15, 000."
"Well, do you think place of such
enterprise and thrift will fail to make
county exhibit at our coming fair?"
They did not make positive promise
that they would come, but said if they
came they would strike for the first prize,
and that fruit and wine would be their
leaders. And, let me say, sampled some
of the best wines at the Barton cellar that
it has ever been my fortune to taste. The
strong feature of the wine is its delicacy
Fresno will yet produce the most delicate
vintage of the State.'
Speaking of wine," said Mr.. Hancock,
''the most noticeable feature of the county
is the absence of saloons on the public
highways. In a ride of forty miles we did
not find one saloon. 1t seems to be Gus
tom of the county that they are not, as it
is here that they are"
"At MERGED We got a positive promise
that-an exhibit from that county would be
made, and an increased amount of space
will be asked for, and Mr.. Ostrander will
be here in few days to select the location.
The fruit section of MERGED is not close to
the town, therefore we did not inspect it
but it abides there, and the people of the
State will have q chance to see the products
at the coming State Fair ~