Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-27
OUR POPULATION.
ITS INCREASE IN FRUIT-RAIsING RI
GIoNs AND CITIES.
Grain Growing Counties Standing Still or
Going Backward-Struggle against the
Holders of Large Ranches.
From 5. F. Bulletin, october 25th.l

from ,. 4. bulletln, OctODer Zotn.
at the meeting of the State Board o.
Trade on the 21st inst, William II. Mills
who is Chairman OF the Committee or
Publications, asked for instructions at tn,
hands of the Board as to what might Oh
could be published concerning the dis
closures of the census of California. Ii
making this request he addressed thu
Board at considerable length, presenting
facts relating to the State from the censu!
reports, and facts bearing on the presen
financial status of the State, obtained from
the assessment roll and from the Secretary
of the State Board of Equalization. Tht
matter was listened to with marked atten
ton by the members of the Board 1t wa:
upon the array of facts thus presented tina
the Board appointed committee to in
quire into the present industrial condition
of California. Upon these subjects Mr.
Mills was seen yesterday by Bulletin re-
porter, and said:
" Ii must not be assumed that the State
Board of Trade has not heretofore made
inquiry touching the matters presented By
myself at the last meeting. The maj Ority
of the members of that body have been
aware of the general condition of the State
for two or three years. In feet, it has been
a knowledge of these matters which has
enlisted my interest in the immigration
work of the State, and | think little
knowledge and motive have prompted the
very earnest and faithful work done in the
same direction by such men as Tyler
Tocanh Inhn Irish
II. Estee, E. w Maslin, A. T. Hatch, Johp
@ Brown, N. P. Chapman. Eugene Gregory
and other faithful workers in the Board
do not care in any way to anticipate the
report which this committee will make
within the next two months, nor TO ven
ture the opinion at this time as to whether
the report will be published. | have no
hesitation, however, in saying to you that
the statistical facts concerning the growth
OF California are public property and will
become the subject of discussion at the
HANDS of the press. The facts disclosed
by the census are open to all, and the other
statistical facts presentei as to mortgages
are accessible 10 those who have the indus
try to seek for themselves.
WHEAT GROWING vs.. FRUIT RAISING.
THE painest indication on the face OF
returns relates to the difference between
the value Of this commonwealth of wheat
growing and fruit growing. Take the
counties of the Sacramento valley, begin
ming with Solano. The total increase in
that county was 2,010; subtracting the in.
crease in population for the towns and vii
lagos leaves the increase in the country at
about 1900 The population of this county
in 1880 was Is COO The natural increase
in ten years of population Of IS 600 would
far exceed |, 500. So the county has made
a loss by losing the natural increase of its
population; but its gain has been due
chiefly to the fruit growing. The small
gain shown by the county is located ex-
clusively in the fruit growing districts and
in the villages and towns. Going north
from Solsno county, Yolo is the next
county encountered. The total increase in
this county was 9l2, and of these 812 are
credited to the city of Woodland, leaving
100 to the rural districts of the county; and
the other villages of the county are to b.
credited with more than this increase; so
that, in fact, the rural districts of Yolo
county have not only not increased, but
have lost the natural increase of population
for ten years.
The next county northwest is Colusa.
This is almost purely grein-growing
county. 1t is pursuing the methods in
vogue in California twenty years ago, has
made little progress and is deeply cursed
with large land holdings 1t may be noted
here that the old Glenn estate, one of the
largest holdings in the county, embracing
80, 900 acres, is obstructing the construction
of ditch across q portion OF it, threaten
ing to sue the Central Irrigation Company
for damages, and in other respects resisting
growth and improvement outside of its
own holding as much as possible. The
fossilism which is controlling the large es-
tate has grown worse as an opponent to all
progress since the death OF its original pro.
prietor. The total population of this
county in 1880 was about 5000 on which
there mas oeen al increase of 500, chiefly
attributed 10 the towns of Colusa, Willows
and Orland. The county has some of the
most enterprising and intelligent citizens
of the State, who are fighting the battles OF
progress against fossilism there effectively,
and il is generally believed that the devel-
opment OF irrigation in that county will
show coed results.
1.-The next county north is Tehama.
From population of about 10 900 in 1880,
there has been an increase of 577 in ten
wears, of which Red Bluff claims 4S4, leav-
ing the increase of rural population ninety
three. Coming down on the east side OF
the Sacramento, Butte county is found,
with a population of about Is 600 in 1850,
which has decreased Sl7 in ten wears. Oh
this, Chico scores loss of 408. 1t was
thought by some that the loss in Butte
county was due 10 subsistence in mining,
bat that this is not the case Chico and its
vicinity furnishes ample evidence. The
next southwark is Yuba county. Upon a
population of nearly 1900 in 1880 it has
made loss of LIS, of which 1856 is atirib-
uted to the decrease of population in the
city of Marysville. Suffer county, a purely
agricultural county, that is, county with
out mining interests, increased lis popula
ton 496 in ten years. Sacramento, the last
county southwark in the Sacramento val
lev, shows an increase Of 1884, OF which
4 $50 is 10 be credited to the city OF Sacra-
mento alone, leaving balance for the
rural districts and towns of 982 The
towns of Folsom, Gait and Elk Grove will
probably claim this entire increase, leaving
nothing to the rural districts.
no INCREASE OF POPULATION IN GRAIN.
GROWING COUNTIES.
$50 far as the rural population is con,
cerned-that is, so far as agriculture as pur
sued in the Sacramento valley has con
trihuted to the growth of California-tht
group of counties comprising Solano
Colusa, Yolo, Tehsma, Butte, Yuba, Suttel
and Sacramento show no increase whatever
of rural population in ten years, which i:
another way of saying that of the entire
increase, which of itself is very inconsiaer
able, 100 per cent. of it was in the cite:
and towns.
ION the other hand, the county of Ala.
media shows an increase of 80, $40, and o.
these about 1900 are to be attributed tc
the country population. This is fruit
growing county. Nsps county has an in.
crease Of 1909, of which 656 is attributed
TO Napa, an equal number TO st. Helena
leaving an increase of 1000 in the rural
districts. Santa Clara county shows an in
crease Of 1856; its cities are to be credited
with $500, leaving an increase of rura
popnlalon of 1896 Sonoma increased
3 735. its cities and towns 1000, leaving 6
balance to the country of 5,l35. Thus, in
four fruit-growing counties, to wit: Ala
media, Napa, Sonoms and Santa Clara
there is an increase in the rural population
alone of 81 ,036. The aggregate population
of these four counties in 1880 was l37 900
UNFORTUNATELY the same as in the countit'
oror ned as the Sacramento valley.
Like illustrations may be found in thu
San JOAQUIN valley. San Josquin count,
increased 4227, of which Stockton claims
Oq4. leaving practically nothing to tn
rnral districts. Fresno shows an increas
in the county Of % 399, at least one half 0
which is to be attributed to the growth o
rural population. Thus, while large hold