Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-25

Gil the Side-Tha Englishman to the
Rescue--The Work of the Santa Fe
People.
As intimated yesterday, it is impossible
to give, in the brief compass OF single
article, anything like resume OF the in
teresting facts one learns about River
side-iacts that ramify into hundred
heads.
Here we have settlement embracing
forty-seven hundred people, according to
the official census of the United States.
1t is quite likely that, with the persons
who were missed by the enumerator, and
those who have come to Riverside since,
the number has been increased to over
five thousand. Last year fifteen hun
dred carloads of oranges went forward
from Riverside to the east. Each car
load consisted OF three hundred boxes,
and the average price per box received
by the Riverside shipper was at least 50.
We have thus 100000 boxes, yielding an
income of 100000. Taking the large
raisin shipments into the count, with
all other fruits, dryed and canned, and
it is not strained assumption to say
that at least $3.50, 900 additional came
into Riverside last year from abroad
and into settlement that is as yet in its
infancy.
To get an adequate idea OF the way the
thing stands we will take the present
year. The crop is enormous. The state
ment that Riverside has sustained any
appreciable damage through the late
Santa Ana" is mistake, as can tes-
tifv to from personal observation. The
trees are loaded down with fruit, and
the oranges are unusually large and
promising looking. There is no question
but that the Riversiders will this year
send out fully two thousand carloads Of
that staple. This means six hundred
thousand boxes. At 50 box one
million, two hundred thousand dollars
will be realized from this single crop. The
outlook is even better than that, for the
reason that prices promise to be spe-
cially good, and ~ 50 box is likely to
be the ruling figure for the fruit on the
trees. But we will not press that point,
and allow just enough in excess OF 50 a
box to make the 81 100000 million
and quarter dollars. Add $250,0O0 for
all other fruits, raisins, canned and
dried fruits, and we have a community
of five thousand souls averaging $500 a
year for every man, woman and child in
it; and five thousand acres of land,
every acre of which, rough and smooth,
is earning $500 per annum.
Nor is that all. The fact should not
for moment be lost sight of that not
more than one-half of these five thou
sand acres OF orchard have reached the
producing stage. Many OF the groves
are in all stages of growth anterior to
the point of profit. And still this does
not tell the whole story. The trees that
are in bearing are by no means mature.
1t is not an exaggeration to say
that their yielding capacity will be
doubled. We are thus confronted
with the bewildering proposition
that ii Riverside were still to remain in
the same five thousand hands in which
its ownership lies now, and all the
orchards were advanced to the stage of
mature bearing, this income of $500 per
capita would in all likelihood ultimately
rise to 5000 for every man, woman and
child in that enchanted circle.
How 1t Is Done.
When l started out to tell the facts
and l deal only with facts--about River
side, l was determined not to be brow
beaten from telling the truth simply be-
cause the details looked incredible.
Southern California is land of miracles,
and the circumstance that thing ap-
pears strange does not make it untrue
to sensible people. Old Don Benito
Wilson, of the San Gabriel valley, once
told the writer that he sold $3.50 worth
of oranges off of q single acre OF his
oldest grove in one year. 1t sounded
strange to me, but l knew that my in
formant was incapable of an untruth,
and swallowed the statement, and have
since seen many confrmations of it.
Riverside is fairy ground, and for
the genii OF the Arabian Nights we
must simply substitute the genius
Of Judge North and his successors. 1t
really has required a high order OF
genius to create the richest spot in the
world out OF sheep range in period of
seventeen or eighteen years, and to grow
avenues that cannot be surpassed in
Prospect park, Brooklyn, or Central
park, New York, in such brief space.
To understand the enigma of River
side, the fact must be borne in mind
mat the class OF people brought there by
Judge North possessed considerable
means, marked intelligence and that
faith which moves mountains. They
belonged tpthe nil desperandum guild,
and "never say die" was an instinct
which they could never shake off. The
soil of Riverside does not explain the
miracles of production reported from that
place. There are places in the San Ga
briel valley where the soil is ten times as
good. The soil of Redlands, where the
latest miracles of citrus production are
being worked out, is away ahead of that
of Riverside. The latter is in many
cases hard adobe, in other places an
almost intractable clay; but "The Man
with his Elbow" to employ an aborig-
inal form OF speech, was in Riverside
from the opening day of it's settlement,
and the elbow was well supplied with
grease in it's every joint.
Tho vaopla of Rivarciflo did not a,@ar