Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-07

crop ct 1891 u.s shoas $4,000 soss.
valued ~ q. 80. 80.
There are loo. Uoo cattle "a TIE eoas.
" aud nssr;v oos~hsIt ga iion sheep
and thousands at the nosst nurses.
The ilnber resources OF Fresno are
immense. The mountains OF The east.
ern porton Ut tue eouaty are covered
With dsas. growth 81 pins. cedar and
red wood. The amount of tmseT ia
ose section OF the coaaty. south OF
hlaxs riser, 10 estimated at :, osse. 90, -
voo snd viii require i've generations 10
sxaAast II
There are several long hnmes bring
ing lumber from the mountain s&w.
al.Iss. Que 81 Sanger - SIX les .oag
carrying Sso. 90 feet . day NJ the rate
OF az miles al hour. Al MADEIRA 10
the longest timber fiame IA the world.
slxty I'VE miles long. which. carries tie
lumber down from the mountains at a
speed OF about esght 10 ten m.les All
hour.
Cold. silver. iron, copper. lead. anti
mony, coal and other minerals are
found in abundance. The streams IN
the mountains carry placer gold, the
san Joaquin having yielded rich
amounts ia the early days. In the
northeastern part quartz mines and
mills are IN operation. The Minaret
Is a mountain of IRON. Copper mines
have been extensively worked. Coal
IS mined lr the western part Of the
couaty.
Colony farms of twenty and forty
acres are quite numerous, that number
OF acres being found profitable. Tue
n imber OF farms In Fresco county in
1850 was s26; in 1891, 2,552. This large
increase 10 caused by irrigation, and
cutting the land up into small tracts.
Ihls same system Of colony homes has
increased the population OF the county
from 9,47S IN 1850 TO 81. i5S IN 1891.
New canals are being built for the
thousands OF acres yet to be brought
INTO market.
Inspiring scenery.
On tie western slope of the Sierra,
and within a email belt 10 seen some of
the grandest scenery Ia the world.
Here, at the foot of Mount Waitney.
one of the highest mountains in the
United States lover 200 feet, are TO
be seen three Of the grandest canyons
or valleys on the comment. In these
valleys are the highes. waterfalls, and
grand and sublime scenery. We were
told that the "D,g trees" of this section
surpasses those Ut any other locality.
Fresno IS the county seat OF Fresno
county. and has u population Of over
1900. IL is the centre OF the wine,
wool, ralsin and fruit interests of the
great San Joaquin valley. Itisa pros
porous and beautiful young city.
The business portion 10 Quilt up
solidly with brick and stone and con-
tains many elegant blocks. The streets
are handsomely paved. All the mod
ern Improvements that belong to a
metropolitan city are to be foudd here.
Fresno stands a. the very front in irri-
CATION DEVELOPMENT and IN the newer
section one company - bringing water
upon 100. 900 acres Of government land
that needed only the touch of water to
turn 1t into q perfect garden. There
are many magnificent water irrigation
works which are developing some Of
| the richest land in America.
Fresno county 10 now the greatest
raisln producing district Of America; 1t
produces as much as ali OF the rest Of
| the stAtea combined. Formerly the
chief supply of raisins for America
como from Spain, but OF late the Fresno
article has almost crowded the Spanish
! product from the market this
side of the Atlantic. Its present
pr sperity 10 only beginning Of what
il will be when the lands are all Guilt
waited INTO vineyards. What has
transformed Fresno from q shamb-
ling, dirty resort of cowboys, wheat
and cattle ranges into one OF the pref
test little cities Ia California Is the
raislng OF grapes.
The present crop is on about $4,000
acres in full bearing. and is valued nj
81. 000. 900. Some idea may be formed
| OF the revenue that will come to the
Fresno vlneyardists when all this
choice land is planted and in full
bearing. Not one-fifneth Is under cul-
tivation yet.
What makes the prospect Of perma.
nent prosperity surer is the fact that
nine IN every ten of the new settlers
are content with twenty-acre tracks, as
one of these is all q man can well care
for. while the income from this little
| vineyard will average larger than ie
| enjoyed by three-fourths of the pro-
fessloual men throughout the country.
c. G.. S.
| IT. -. Anra.vA