The record-union., 1892-03-05

| agricultural land in the county, the
actual loss as shown by the census was
| 1870.
To pursue the statistical facts, however,
let us present an aggregate of the popula-
ton in the four counties as shown by the
census of 1880 and that of 1890. The four
distinctively Sacramento Valley counties
| had in 1880 a population of 81, So; in 1890
the population was 55,I79. The natural
increase of 52,S52 in ten years would be
1883; the increase shown by the census
was 3,049. There was, therefore, in the
rural districts OF the Sacramento Valley,
the fairest and most fertile valley of the
State of California, an actual loss OF
/ population equal to ,534
These facts do not relate to remote
country. The details of the operation are
under our immediate observation. The
process and the reason for IL are not far to
seek. In the first instance, large land
4 holding superinduces absenteeism The
owner Of 10000 acres of land derives an
income which affords the opportunity for
the qualification of the higher wants OF
his nature. The country which his large
holding has made desolate of churches,
!
opportunity for the qualification of wants
called into being by opportunity. Hence,
the family resides in the city. The small
holder on the margin of the greater has
no neighbors in one direction, except
the few very undesirable farm labor
ers, comprising chiefly tramps and China
men, and his growing family demands at
his hands educational opportunities
and higher social enjoyment. He de-
clares that he is ready to sell, rather than
submit to this isolation. With each sale
the unfavorable condition is intensified,
and thus the land becomes cheaper as the
social condition attending its ownership
becomes more undesirable. During the
last year citizen of Butte named John
Crouch purchased of one Bowers twenty
one hundred acres Of land, adjoining the
large ownership of Mr.. Crouch. Upon
the land purchased there stood a beauti-
full brick residence, which had cost Bowers
$4,000. lie was a social being, entertain
ing the belief that some embellishments
might attend life in the country; that
some Of the exaltations OF civilization
might be enjoyed even in the rural dis
trict. But his neighbors were few, and
he sold to his nearest neighbor and larg-
est holder. Immediately upon obtaining
possession of the land John Crouch de-
stroyed that brick house, because the land
was assessed at an additional sum in con-
sequence of the improvement. He used
some Of the doors and windows for the
construction of shanty in which to en-
terrain the men who would cultivate that
I 4 i IL
SCISSOR would not value very high as i'm
provements.
In Paskenta Township there stands the
| remains Of twelve houses and barns, I'M
| tenanted because the owners of the land
surrounding them have yielded to the
| inevitable, sold out and left the country.
They fell victims to the extension of land
monopoly in this State, one at time.
Some yielded reluctantly, for they were
content with their homes. But these
homes had become hermitages and their
families were being deprived of all social
enjoyments, religious privileges and edu-
I cational advantages.
In the Colusa san of December 10,
1891, is the following:
That portion of the county on the east
side of the river, with Butte County as
the business center, is unsurpassed in
fertility by any spot on earth. Land is
lntrinsically worth from $50 to $50 an
acre for the production of wheat alone.
The large landowner is its only draw
back.
Nearly the whole of the river front
land, and for distance of five miles
back on the west side, of the river, be-
longs to the Glenn estate, to the Cham
bers brothers of st. Louis and other large
land holders. We believe that there is
not single child of school age belonging
to the land on this entire district of 255
square miles. The soil is unsurpassed.
In small tenement, of which mention
was made in recent publication, in the
City Of New York, there were fifty-six
families, with sixty-eight children
under two years of age.
As has already been noted, the entire
gain in the four counties, as shown by the
census, was 3,049. Of these, five towns in
Colusa County gained, LILO, one town in
Yolo County gained 918, two towns in
Tehama County gained 641, and two
towns in Butte County gained $40. Here,
then, in five or six towns of the counties
there is gain Of 1856 in excess of the en-
tire gain of the district; and to this must
be added the gain of villages not noted.
The effect of this upon the commercial
and industrial activities of the State is
very far-reaching, When a single indi-
yidual owns 100000 acres, he enjoys the
source Of wealth derived from that vast
area. At the end of year, when the pro
duct of q region so vast is distributed
back to the producer, the owner receives
practically all, for what is paid to the
farm laporer barely affords to him a sub
sistence. There is single family capa-
bic of gratifying the higher desires of
civilized life from the cultivation of
land. In the entire Sacramento Valley
the one hundred largest holdings embrace
1,654, 900 acres of land. Ninety per cent. of
it at least is capable of supporting a
family on each 100 acres, or employing
the industry of single agricultural culti-
vator with the assistance of his family on
each fifty acres. Take the larger figure.
however, and 100 holders in the Sacra-
mento Valley have 1,654 farms of 100
acres each. The proprietorship of 100
acres of fertile land under favoring eli
matte possibilities would give to these 100
holdings 1,654 families. The urban pop
ulation demanded by these would be
more than double that number. Thus
$500 families are displaced in the Sacra-
mento Valley by the holdings of 100 men.
But excluding these 100 largest holders
in the valley, the next 200 below them
own still greater quantity. Thus 800
men usurp the opportunity for subsist-
ence of at least {, 400 families. They dis
Fl r,1a az,