St. Paul daily globe., 1890-05-22
THE GOLDEN STATE.
Makes a Fascinating Exhibit
Of It's Wonderful Fruit
Products.
A Collection Showing "the
Wonderful Climate of Ole
Californy.''
Conmmendable Efforts to
Push the Big Educational
Association.
A Family Row at a Party In
tpuded Upon by the Blue
Coats.

A remarkable exhibit of the products
of wonderful state is that to be seen
OH the train ittingly described as ''Cali
fornia on Wheels" which arrived in st.
Paul yesterday and now lies at the foot
of jackson street. A GLOBE reporter
visited the train last evening, and under
the escort of Supt. r. B. Blowers and
his assistant, S. J. Mathes. made tour
of the train. The impression created
by the sight of so many samples of the
enormous growth attained in the Golden
State by fruits and vegetables. timber
and grasses is one of utter beWllder-
ment. 1t seems that everything meet
ing the eye is an eXaggeratiOn of nature,
which, however, is doubtless the re-
suit of lack Of familiarity with
the Californian possibilities. Squashes
and pumpkins weighing $50 and
400 pounds are said to be
mere circumstances, and several OF
these productions are placed en- evi-
dence in support of the assertion. Irish
potatoes repoSing in alcoholic baths are
seen among olher agricultural bric-a-
brac, and several Of these foot or more
in length and half that in thickness
are registered as weighing thirty to
thrty-five pounds each. A glass jar
about thirtytwo inches high contained
but four oranges. because there was no
room in the vessel for more, and each of
them was larger than the head
of the average reporter pres
ent. and that is saying a
great deal. Almost every sort of
nut grown or known to the civilized
world is grown in California and the eX-
norton
of the field. Dried fruits are shown in
every variety. and among these the
Californian prune is given prominent
place for the reason that California is in
a fair way to supply the entire country
with this staple fruit, thousands OF tons
of which have, until recently, been i'm
ported from France. Interspersed with
OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES
are samples of polished woods of eX-
quiSite color and grain as close as that
of mahogany. The samples comprise
numerous kinds of timber, a section OF
orange wood being finished in such
manner as to show its susceptibility to
high polish and its great beauty when
so treated There are samples of silk
still Oh the cocoon, and, in another case,
of the same product spun and carded.
A few trlfieS, such as SiX-WeekS-old
ostrich four feet high. the bark OF
mariposa two feet thick, a bushel or so
of pears weighing four pounds each, a
bunch or two of grapes, the smallest OF
which weighs twenty-five pounds. and
other things. very indeed Californian,
are to be seen on every hand. Perhaps
the most interesting of all the exhibits is
that touching the olive oil industry. The
olives are shown in the various stages
of development from the green stage to
the red, and again to the deep black as
sumed by the fruit when ripe, and in
which condition it is ready for use as
an oil derivatiye. AS in the case OF the
prunes, California can now supply the
United States with olive oil, and again
the French article is banished from
American ports. Another car is given
up entirely to the wine exhibit. Here
are brands of California wine which are
rapidly becoming as famed as the
famous labels of Rheims. Dozens of
bottles of sauterne, chablls, bur-
gundy, claret, port, sherry and
innumerable liqueurs are stacked
about the sides of the travelling wine
house. The champagne manufacture
is yet in it's infancy in California, yet
several local brands are on evidence
and the exhibitors vouch for the fact
that it is very fair class of wine.
Altogether it is a very wonderful eX-
hibit very ably handled by the gentle
men in charge. The train is in charge
of Mayor J. B. Lauck, and Mrs.
Blowers, Mrs. Lauck, and Miss Vida
Lauck are of the party. Other men,
bers are: Messrs. d. M. White, E. j.
Fraugueloin and A. j. Ketchum. The
train will remain in st. Panl until Sat
urday and will be visited by Governor
Merriam and party to-day.