The record-union., 1891-11-05
PROGRESS OF LARGE LAND-HOLD-
ING IN COLUSA COUNTY.


lusa County and the progress made in
the direction Of bodying up the lands in
that county by a comparison of the state
ments derived from the assessment-roll
Of the county for 1880, 1856 and 1880. We
propose, even at the risk of extending
this article to unusual editorial length,
to present the names of the first or largest
$50 land-holders. Before such presenta-
ton, however, and because, perhaps, but
few of our readers would be willing to
study the full significance of the lists in
their entirety, we will deal with some Of
the most salient features of the case by
first instituting comparison between the
holdings aggregating 5000 acres and up
wards
In 1880 there were 25 owners in Colusa
County whose holdings embraced over
5,0O0acres. The largest was IS, Coz acres and
the smallest was 5,2O2 acres. The aggre-
gate of these holdings, that is, the aggre-
gate of land owned by the 25, was 1896, ,5s1
acres.
In 1885 there were % owners whose
holdings embraced 5000 acres and up
wards. The largest was A, ,951 acres, and the
smallest was 5,119. The aggregate of these
holdings was 347, 1882 acres, a difference of
u,S51 acres; that is, the aggregate oflands
held in tracts of 5000 acres and upwards
increased from 1880 to 1885, II ,351 acres,
The reader is requested to note that this
is very considerable increase, and that,
therefore, while the tendency toward the
continued aggregation Of land between
1880 and 1885 was very marked, still it
was not so alarming as is exhibited by a
comparison with 1890. We proceed 10
that comparison, and by way of repeti-
ton beg leave to say that in 1880 there
were 25 holdings of 5000 acres and up
wards, embracing an aggregate of 336, ,5Sl
acres. In 1885 there were ~ holdings of
5000 acres each, embracing an aggregate
of 347, 1872 acres.
In 1890 we find thirty-seven holdings of
5000 acres and upward, embracing an ag-
gregate of 400, ,534 acres, an increase in
lands embraced within the 5,O00-acre
holdings of lis, ,602 acres. Thus while the
aggregate embraced within the 5,00O-acre
holdings between 1850 and 1885 showed
an increase of IL ,351, the increase alone
between 1885 and 1890 embraced within
these holdings was I1S,602 acres, the ag-
gregate reaching the enormous figure of
466, ,534 acres.
In the next instance we propose to in
stitute comparison between the largest
fifty holdings in Colusa County, in order
to elucidate the tendency ON a more ex-
tended scale than that presented by the
observation relating to 5,OOO-acre hold
ings.
In 1SS0tthe fifty largest land-holders in
Colusa County held an aggregate of 423, :
69l acres. The largest of these holdings
was 5000, and the smallest was 1856 In
1885 the fifty largest holders held an ag-
gregate of 0,7O9, the largest being 44.95l
acres and the smallest 2,96S acres. The
increase therefore in the aggregate ofthe
fifty largest holdings in the county was
27,01S acres. Let it be noted that while
the largest holdings had fallen from 5S. .0O9
acres to 44,951 acres, the smallest holding,
or the fiftieth man in the list, had in
creased from 1855 to 2,96S acres, and the
aggregate increase as already noted was
27,01S acres.
Let us now observe what happened be-
tween 1885 and 1890 in Colusa County in
the direction of placing the entire landed
estate of the county in the hands of a
few. The fifty largest holders in 1880 ag-
gregated 523,743 acres. The increase be-
tween 1885 and 1890 was Il, ,OS4 acres.
But still broader view of this whole
situation may be taken and one which
fits the exhibits to follow. We present in
the exhibits following the holdings of $50
largest holders of Colusa County.
In 1880 the largest holding was 5000,
and the smallest. or 150th in the list, was
500. The aggregate held by the l5O men
was 554,S acres. In 1885 the largest in
the list was 44,95l, and the smallest 523
acres, the aggregate holding being 0,6l9
Thus, when the observation is applied to
$50 holders, the increase in their holdings
is 35, ,742 acres. But in 1890 the 15o holders
held an aggregate of 1926 acres, the
largest being 4, 449, and the smallest be-
ing 1850 acres. The increase between
1885 and 1890 was 157, ,657 acres. Thus
while the increase in the aggregate of the
holdings of $50 men between 1880 and
1885 was but SO, ,742 acres, the increase in
the same number of holdings between
lSS5hnd 1890 was 157, ,667 acres.
The most discouraging fact relating to
this exhibit relates to the increase in the
number of holdings of 5000, 1900, 5000
and 1900. The largest holding in Colusa
County decreased from 5s,009 in 1850 to
II, ,449 in 1890, while at the same time, dis
tributed to $50 holdings there was the enor-
nous increase in the ten years of 1913, 400
acres, the increase in the 150 holdings
between 1880 and 1890 being 1913. 400 acres.
f~ha average increase in these holdings