Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-11
THE ENTIRE COAST.
What John T. Gaffey Has to Say Abo
California and Alaska.

What John T. Gaffey Has to Say About
California and Alaska.
John T. Gaffey, member of the State
Board of Equalization, whose home is in
Los Angeles, is spending a few daysin Sacra-
mento. Yesterday he was met at the Golden
Eagle Hotel by a RECORD ONION reporter.
Mr.. Gaffey was admiripg some fine oranges
that were on exhibition from Oroville. He
said the fruit was remarkably fine and what
no other State in the Union could produce
He said the duties of his Office compelled
him to look into the value of the land in
every portion of the State, and he had be-
came quite familiar with it. There has
been an increase in every part of the State
in some more than others, but there had
been general advance all along the line.
Now look at those oIanges-golden apples
They are grown and ripen to perfection
from San Diego to the foot of Mt. Shasta, a
distance of some 700 miles. The warm
Japan current gives us an equable climate
through a greater number of degrees of
latitude than can be found elsewhere upon
the globe.
You ask what sections have shown the
greatest improvement. Well, sir, in the
south il is most noticeable in Los Angeles,
San Diego and Fresno counties. Ii the
north, in Sacramento, Butte, Sonoma
Napa and Placer. The growth in some
sections is marvellous, and the booms, as
they term them, have grown entirely be-
yond actual values. | asked for reduc-
ton on the Los Angeles roll, and l got it.
but some thought it was wrong. Land sold
in Los Angeles for 81 600 an acre, and the
purchasers expected to get rich growing
ON hot bird IF Uoll
or any sensible man knows that there is
no crop that can be grown with profit on
that class of land. The scale bugs come
along and the crops are partial failures.
BY the way, tank the parasite they are
importing from Australia to destroy the
scale pest is going to clean them out effect
uallv.
The vineyard lands in the south have not
done as well as was expected. The pros
perity OF fresno county is really marvellous.
1t to-day IS growing with such remarkable
rapidity in population and wealth that an
individual must stay there ell the time to
keep up with it. go to Fresno City once
every year, and the town grows so during
the twelve months that l don't know it,
The foothill lands of the county are ex-
ceedingly fertile. II is full of little valleys
protected by the hills from the winds that
sweep the San Joaquin valley.
Speaking of Sacramento county and city,
must say that they are keeping up with
the best, and her resources are such that
she will always lead and never follow.
Butte, Placer, Solano and Napa have the
call IN this upper country, but it is only be-
cause they are better advertised. What
Butte and Placer can do can be accom-
plished by Ell Dorado Amador and Gala
veras. Nature has given them the same re-
sources, they have the same soil, the same
climate, similar streams, as splendid for
ests but an entirely different class of PEG
pie. 1t is the people, after all, that make q
community, city or country. Where
they are industrious and energetic: there
you will find prosperity.
BY the way have hatlering reports from
Southern Alaska. Ii l were young man |
think | would make g break for that coun-
try. young man, with little push and
energy, ought to make fortune there in
lew years. There is a section Of that north
ern country greater in extent than the val
ley OF the Mississippi that has climate su-
perior TO New England and it is said to be
the greatest cattle country on the continent.
Its forests are thousands of miles in extent,
Its rivers and streams TEEN with fish, its
mountains are said to De full of gold and
silver. and its soil susceptible of the high
est cultivation. Most persons, in speaking
OF Alaska, Immediately think of ice and
snow They do not imagine that it has a
greater area than the United States, and ex-
tends through thousands of miles of lati-
tude. Southern Alaska is not dissimilar in
any respect to Washington Territory.