The morning call., 1892-03-13

the entire State of Rhode Island has but
$4,000 acres OF land. Manhattan Island
contains $4,000 acres, which is less than one
seventeenth the area OF Miller's possessions
Milier's Land lies in the great counties of
Fresno, MERGED and Kern. He can stand
in the ceuter of his Kern County domain
and. sweeping his eye over miles and miles
OF territory TO which no outsider has the
shadow of legal claim, he can say with
the lord of Juan Fernandez that he is mon
arch of all he SURVEYS.
Other kings Of the California soil are: J.
Il. Haggln, who owns 100000 acres; r. T.,
Jack, who has 100000 acres; Joseph Cone.
10000 acres; General Beale, 10 600 acres:
100000 acres; Timothy Paige. 100. 600; Albert
Gallatin. 10000; r. S. Carey, 100. coo: Dr.
T. b. Perrin, 10000; and so on for fifty
names that might be mentioned, each of
which stands for 100000 acres or more.
Haggin's wide domain is nearly all in the
San Joaquin Valley. Jacks is in San Luis
Obispo and Monterey counties. Cone owns
a strip of land for fifteen miles along the
Sacramento River. near Red Bluff
That the tendency toward the increase of
the holdings OF land Is as great in the San
Joaquin district as elsewhere is seen from
few facts which have been obtained with
relation to Fresno County. Fresno is one of
the richest counties in the State. 1t is
there that the raisn is produced in train
load quantities. The figures show that in
1875 there were forty-four holdings of 5000
acres and upward in Fresno County, and
that these aggregated S47.379 acres. In 1880
there were fifty holdings OF 5000 acres and
upward aggregating 995, SIT acres. In 1885
there were forty-elght holdings of 5000 acres
and upward. aud they aggregated ]. O61. 955
acres. In 1890 there were forty-one hold
lngs OF 5000 acres each and upward and the
aggregate was 94S,557 acres. True, this
does not show steady increase during the
five years last included in the computatio
but the largest land holding in ie county
had increased from 169 464 acres in 1875 to
239. 4S6 acres in 1890. A single firm of land
owners had added 173000 acres of land to
their already enormous holding.
Some OF the largest holders of land in
California reside in Eastern cities, not a
few of them in New York. prominent among
them being D. o. Mills The greater num-
are hundreds of men living In this city who
own from 10000 to $4,000 acres, and the
only connection they seem to have with
their princely domains is that of paying the
wage and tax bills and signing receipts for
the money representing the product of the
soil they claim. The annual wage is paid
to class of labor which is not in any way
attached to the soil or identified with the
country. AS soon, therefore, as the crop is
marketed and the money obtained from its
sale distributed back to the labor-at least
such of it as the workmen are likely to re-
ceive, which is small portion. indeed-the
farmhands disappear, going to the villages
and towns, where, as rule. their only saw
ings bank is the GROCERY, and their places
are taken by others of their drifting. shift
ing fraternity, which is here to-day, there
tomorrow, and doing no great good for it
self, even when opportunity is offered.
What is done with the crop money?
The land baron deposits his surplus in
the bank, uses it 10 great advantage in keep
ing up the appearance Of an overfed man,