The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-21
A NATURAL TRADE CENTER.
Sacfamento's Splendid Railroad and
Navigation Facilities.
Something of the City's Early History
Center of One of the Richest
Districts in the state.

fought their way TO the coast across the
dreary plains, likewise of those who
braved the fevers Of Central America
and came by the isthmds, as well as Of
the adventurous ones who sailed in ships
around 1.-THE Horn" No matter by what
route they came, nearly all found them
selves, soon after their arrival, at Sacra-
mento, and there are now scattered about
through the various States of the Union
thousands Of gray-haired men who can
recall incidents of their sojourn in Sacra-
mento in the early days-''the days of
old, the days of gold, the days of 49,"
They all remember the old Suffer Fort,
in the outskirts OF the then young city.
The old fort was erected by Captain John
A. Suffer, sturdy Swiss adventurer, III
1893. Here he gathered about him few
white men and set about developing the
country and opening it up TO settlement
by the whites.
Suffer was a farseeing man, and when
he was granted certain landed concessions
by the Mexican Government he selected
ms land at the confluence of the Sacra-
mento and American Rivers. lie recog-
niZed IL as the most favorable point, geo.
graphically, for the city which was TO
command the interior commerce Of the
great valley of the Sacramento. 1t was
here that the first American civilization
was started and ii was while men in
Suffers employ were engaged in a lum-'
berng enterprise III the foothills near by
that gold was discovered. That discoY-
cry startled the world, and brought hither
the tide of immigration that opened up
the vast mineral wealth OF California and
paved the way for the wonderful develop
lneut of her agricultural resources.
sacramento Civ WAS soon TppOpulZpJ
as the natural distributing point for the
interior trade of the State. an advantage
that she has always held, and always
must hold. IN 1850 Captain Suffer and
his son laid out the present site OF Sacra-
nentO City and William IecumSeh Sher-
man, then a Lieutenant in the army, who
was encamped near by with a small Gov
eminent exploring party, was engaged
TO survey the street lines. Little did the
young soldier then dream that he was
laying out the lines of a city that was to
become, in a few years, the Capital of one
OF the richest and grandest states IN the
Union, or that the Union itself was yet to
be saved from ACKNOWLEDGMENT largely
through his own military genius and
valor.
NATURAL BUSINESS CENTER.
a study of the map of California will
readily show why Sacramento was thus
early selected as the trade center of the
haps more beautiful and picturesque
valleys about the bay and distributed
through the Coast Range, but Suffers
practical eye saw that this was the natu-
1al business center; that it was sur
rounded by as fertile lands as any coun-
try under the sun could boast of and
here he "Set his stakes" To the north,
south, east and west stretched the rich
valley lands for hundreds of miles in
nearly all directions, while past her doors
flowed the chief river Of the State, navi-
gable for several hundred miles from the
greatest natural harbor on the continent
The first great mercantile houses OF the
coast were established here after the dis
covery of gold, and to the present time
Sacramento has possessed several of the
largest wholesale business houses on the
coast, Her commerce has grown year by
year, notwithstanding the decadence OF
the mines. which were her first sources OF
trade, until her yearly transactions have
reached upward OF S50, 000,G00.
AN ENTERPRIsING PEOPLE.
To Sacramento belongs the credit
Of having inaugurated the first great
transcontinental railroad enterprise,
which few Of her philosophical citi-
ZenS carried to completion. The first
earth for the great overland railroad was
broken in this city on the I'D of Eebru-
airy, 1868, and six years later the golden
the Union Pacific road, was driven o.
the sagebrush desert near salt Lake
Year by year that railroad enterprise
conducted by Messrs. @. =. Huntington.
Charles Croker, Leland Stanford and
Mark Hopkins, has grown TO such di-
mansions that its roads now penetrate all
sections of the coast, and Sacramento has
developed into the railroad center of the
State some forty trains arriving and de-
parting daily; while still holding her adj
VantageS of river commerce. In all the
progress that has marked the history OF
California, Sacramento has held her place
socially, financially and otherwise.
Other portions of the State have in
dulged in spasmodic "booms.' with their
attendant reaction and misfortunes, but
Sacramento has maintained a steady.
conservative and permanent growth
which gives much promise of the future.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
Sacramento County is one of the most
productive in the State 1t contains
about 1000 square miles, two-thirds OF
which yields taxable revenue. 1t is
bounded on the north by Suffer and
Placer Counties, on the east by FL Dorado
and Amador, on the south by San Joa-
quin and on the west by Yolo and So
lano. The Sacramento River flows along
Its western border, bringing distant in
terror points in connection with tide
water. The American. Costumes and
AIokelumne Rivers flow westerly from
the Sierra Nevada through the county
and into the Sacramento.
THE SOIL OF THE COUNTY
May be divided into three general classes
-foothill, plain and river bottom-au OF
which, except what is designated as
"plaiu land. I" is under high state of emil
tivatiop. These higher lands. along the
foothills between the American and Co
sumnes Rivers, are largely devoted TO
pasture. This is the only land in the
county that requires irrigation TO make il
productive, and there are now enter
prises on foot looking TO their being
Nyatered by the American River.
The rest of the soil is devoted to the
raising of cereals, fruits of all kinds,
vegetables, berries, etc. 1t is a remark
able fact that there has never been n fail
IRE OF crops in Sacramento County. The
better lands are those that lie along the
American. Costumes and Sacramento
Rivers. There no irrigation whatever is
required. the soil producing several crops
. year Of alfalfa, vegetables, etc
DAYS RIDE THROUGH ORCHARDS.
One OF the prettiest sights TO he met
with at this season of the year is that en-
joyed by ride from the city of Sacra-
mento along the river to Walnut Grove
some thirty-fiye miles south. on the
right flows the beautiful, broad stream
that takes its rise AZ the foot of Mount
Shasta, while on the left is one continu-
Gus orchard for the entire distance after
passing Freeport, six miles from the citv.
Now one passes for miles along peach
orchards, then forest of pear trees, then
cherries. apricots, apples, etc, with
here and there a vineyard, or strawberry
patch, or field of vegetables.
SMALL. FARMS.
a Practical Demonstration of What
May be Done on Small Farms.
As an evidence of the profit obtained in