Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-16
At THE EAST.
THE WORK OF MIR. MASLlN,S
PARTY In THE NORTHWEST.
Making California Known by Lee.
ture and Views-Sacramento
Pilgrims in Better Prospect.


Eps. RECORD UNION: When last wrote |
/ think stated that We were to lecture at
Saltwater, town about twenty-five miles |
east of St. Paul, and that l would write
you the result of the meeting did not
write; there was nothing to report. We
had an audience, but not such as we ex-
pected, and we were disappointed.
1t was not a theory but the conditions
that confronted us. The people do not
wish to migrate except to the Northwest.
1t was stated that the town had 10000
inhabitants, but doubt it. 1t may have
during the numbering periods, but not at
the present. The business part consists of
one street, behind it rises the bluffs fifty
feet high. At certain points few streets
run up to the residence portion, at others
access is had by means of wooden steps.
1t may be amusing to describe the wav
we get up our notwithstanding Still
water as type of work at other places
We find the owner of the hall and have
the place opened and heated. |, at once,
proceed to put up the curtain, and here
comes the trouble. 1t has to be adapted
to each stage. Sometimes | have rickety
step-ladder; at other times | mount on
| tables, placed one upon the other, to the
danger of my neck. Meanwhile, White is
making gas. Then we go down in the
streets and pack up, to the second and
| sometimes third-story, stones weighing
forty to fifty pounds, for pressure on the
| bag.
At Saltwater we had an anvil weighing
ninety-two pounds. | had to get up the
next morning at $50 and pack it down
and return it to the owner. By the time
the preparations were over / was not in
| first prime condition for lecture. Indeed,
this trip is the hardest work ever had.
The disappointment experienced is worse
than the work.
On last Saturday we came to Mason
City, in Iowa. We secured the Opera
House for Monday night, and by the gem
erosity of Mr.. Parker, the owner, at one
half the usual price. On Friday night |
went to Charles City to secure hall and
bill the town. Here also, Mr.. Mahara,
the owner of the hall, generously reduced
the cost to one-third the usual rental.
At Mason City Mr.. White visited all
farmers sleighs and left poster in each
| When | went to the hall | was fairly
astounded. The lecture was announced at
| s, but by 7:30 every seat was taken and the
corridors were filled by persons standing.
| The hail has a seating capacity of $50 and
| there was fully 500 people in attendance
| was very much encouraged. 1t was an
| oasis in desert of Indifference We were
| interviewed by a great many people in
| quiring about our section. At Charles
City at least 400 people listened to us with
great attention. You could have heard
| pin drop, so close was the polite attention
of the people.
/ remained here to-day to talk to people
who had expressed desire to see me-
White has gone on to McGregor and
Dubuque to secure halls and advertise
/ do not think there will be much of a
movement before the spring, but that there
will be a movement by that time am
doubly sure. Iowa agriculture is at a
standstill. Wheat-growing is, and has
been for long time failure, and the peo-
pie are turning their attention to stock
raising and corn culture, but with not
much better results. Butter chickens
stock, corn, in prices, are at the lowest ebb,
and farmers are discouraged.
As a very intelligent farmer said, ave
start at one point at the beginning of the
year, and at the end we are at the same
| point, if indeed, We are not behind"
He said that he and four more farmers
will be in Sacramento in the spring, and
| that if the facts of our section were known
there would be gratifying immigration at
| that time.
| regret now that we did not begin
earlier in Iowa. l am much impressed
with the Iowa people. have not met so
| polite and agreeable people since | started
| The farmers are intelligent and active
and the storekeepers are especially afl;,ble
The manner OF people in Chicago is, to
| you, as if you were a criminal. ! suppose
it is so in every large city. People don't
have time to practice the sweet amenities
of life.
| We have to answer all sorts of obec-
! tons to CalifornIa-that there are too
many feas; the Chinaman pulls down
wages Of farm labor; that it rains all
through the rainy season; that land is
| poor and only climate is sold; that we had
a food in 1862; that it is too hot in sum
mer; that fruit will be over produced, ETC.
OF course | am armed against all these OBJ
jects, but | confess that ] tremble some
times when | tell of the wonderful fer
tility of our soil and the profits of fruit
| culture 1t does seem fairly incredible to
these good people.
| | find that there is an impression that
| some people have been bitten by purchases
in another part of the State; yet it is adj
mitted that these purchases were made
upon speculative basis, and the failure to
realize is not the result of fruit culture.
There is a deal Of educating to he done to
| thoroughly instruct people as to the merits
of Central California. First, TO make
known that such a portion of California
really exists and next as to climate, fertil-
| ity of soil and resources for agriculture
and manufactures. / have LAID particular
stress on the value of the water-power
which flows by the city.
| When you perceive what has been done
by the Falls of st. Anthony towards the
building up of Minneapolis, it will amaze
you when You appreciate the value of the
water-power available to the citizens of
| Sacramento city.
| Our city should by right be the manu-
featuring city of the State, and instead of
| 10000 there should be 100000 people
within decade. | will venture to say, if
there was such a water-power on the Miss
issippi, below St. Paul, from what now
know of the energy of the people of Mimi
| S>ot'', THAT III ten years tHeTe WOulu De at
such point city of $4,000.
| We will soon be called home, but |
hope the work will not cease. There is
wide field for effort in Iowa. The people
are ripe for movement in the spring
There should be ample literature pro-
vided. 1t could be distributed from Sacra-
men;o to the address of every person in
Iowa, whose name could be obtained, in
! the usual manner. The tactics of the
railroad people should be adopted. Insert
an advertisement in each country news
paper, and have short statement reIat-
ing to our section put in the racks used for
| timetables in each hotel. The press is
| the engine TO use. 1t is worth all other
efforts combined. An advertisement con-
tiuuously speaks. The successful mer-
chant advertises and the more he adver-
tises the more he sells, and why should we
ncf advertise our section of the State?
Tie Northern Pacific Railroad has turn
ed, ay simply advertising, the attention of
all Minnesota and Wisconsin towards Ore
gon and Washington Territory Don't ex-