Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-22
ROUNDUP TOPICS.

The money drain to pay for eastern
produce for Los Angeles consumption is
about stopped. For the past six weeks,
General Mathews informs us, Not crate
of poultry has been received from abroad,
and all the eggs needed for our market
have come from our own farmers for the
last three weeks. All the table butter
we use is either made here or in the ad-
joining counties, and other articles OF
produce are supplied by our own pro-
ducers. Not dollar of our money should
go abroad to pay for hams or bacon. Ii
our farming industries were adjusted as
they should be, we would raise not only
all the pork we consume, and cure 1T,
but have large overplus for exporta-
tion. Los Angeles county has shown in
the past that she could raise as fine
pork as any place in the union, and the
Berkshire hog was an important part of
the live stock of every farm. We shall
gradually come back to this, and pork
curing factories will become conspicu-
GUS feature of our local industries.
In connection with this matter,
General Mathews informs us that
the resolutions passed by the farmers
of Cahuenga, censuring the commission
merchants of this city as spectators,
ETC., does them great injustice. He
knows of but one firm that may be
amenable to that censure. On the other
hand, the conservative merchants are
doing their business ON basis which is
fair to the farmers and just to them
selves. They cannot control the fuctua-
ton of prices. These are regulated by
the law of supply and demand, and
when the market gets overstocked with
any particular produce the prices will
go down in spite of anything they can
do. He says that if the farmers would
stop a moment to consider they would
see that it is to the interest of the per-
manently established commission houses
here to do all in their power to encour-
age the prosperity of the home pro-
ducers. They are indirectly benefited
by the prevention as far as possible OF
the importation from abroad Of products
that come into competition with those
that are raised here, for the more money
is kept here the better it will be for
their business as we'll as everybody else.
He cites the fact that it is due to the es-
tablished produce merchants here, who
formed themselves into a board some
years ago, that the rate per carload upon
oranges was reduced to two hundred
dollars the first pop and he claims that
no sensible commission merchant, who
is in the business to remain, would pur-
sue policy injurious to the farmers.
They are too intelligent to enact the
folly of killing the goose that lays the
golden egg.
Don Marco Foster was in town yester-
day, and he talked very encouragingly
OF the prospect of the successful develop
ment of the cement deposit on the Raw
son ranch, about nine miles this side of
San Juan Capistrano. He says there is
mountain of it rising up from the val
ley that borders Also creek. Our local
architect, Mr.. Frank J. Captain, is one
of the principal owners and developers
Of this important discovery. No doubt
seems to be entertained OF the quality
of this cement, for the owners are not
only building works for it's preparation
for market, but are also about to con-
struct a wharf at San Juan to facilitate
its shipment. Excepting good coal
mine, we can think of nothing that
could be discovered in this section of
the country that would be of greater
general value to the public or source
of larger revenue to it's owners. Cheap
cement would be a godsend to every
town and city on the coast. 1t is be-
coming more indispensable, and its uses
are being more greatly ramifed every
day. We want it for our streets, our
sidewalks, our sewers, our buildings. 1t
makes the most durable of foundations
piers and for abutments; it can be
fashioned into all sorts of ornamental
stonework, and is available for a thou
sand and one uses which we are not pre-
pared to enumerate. The monopoly of
the Portland cement, which is the only
cement that architects and contractors
employ, has sent the price of that arti-
Gle up to enormous figures. Much more
would be used if it could be had at
cheaper rates, and less bad work would
be turned out by scrimping the amount
used, if we could get a good article at
reasonable figures. Don Marco is sure
that the Fathers who built the Mission
church at San Juan got their cement
from this deposit. There are indications
to the effect that the bed has been worked
The cement used in that church has
proved its splendid quality. In tearing
down some of the walls ruined by the
earthquake of 1925 the picks of the
worlImen were blunted in trying to pen
citrate it. The tests that have been
made by the present owners of the de-
posit have given complete satisfaction,
and there is a concensus of opinion