The record-union., 1892-07-06
A PRACTICAL STORY.
Fair Alden" and Its Wonderful
Boom.
How the Thing Began; How it Worked;
How 1t Came Out-A Tale
With a Moral.

1 air Auen was 0ulSHeu tOWH. NO1O
came, none went; none bought, none
sold. Good rains meant good crops.
Medium rain, little crop. Light rain, no
crop. Every farmer owed the merchant,
every dealer owed the wholesale man.
Everybody wanted to sell, nobody TO
buy. Dollars were rare curiositles. AS
fast as the sacks came from the separator
the merchant put on his brand and as
soon as they went into the warehouse
drew against them to hquidate part OF
his debt in the city.
The editor of the Backbone went on an
excursion to Los Angeles and came back
a raving crank on irrigation, advocating
in his very next issue the formation Of
Wright District. They wanted to mob
him, but he showed how many dollars
worth of labor it was going to take, and
so captured the whole saloon influence,
and it was not the first time that whisky
and water had worked together, either.
Next, he secured the backing of mer-
chants and mechanics, who saw that lrrl-
cation meant settlement and increased
trade.
When the vote was taken the opposi-
ton made desperate but useless strug-
gle, and the bonds were sold and the
water brought IN the meantime many
farmers anticipated disastrous results,
ruinous taxes, etc, and were desperately
anxious TO sell. Many would not take
the water or incur the expense necessary
to distribute it over their land. Some
thing must be done. The professional
men, merchants and mechanics, with
now and then a farmer, formed q Board
of Trade. The editor was disciple Of
Horace Greeley, who thought the way to
resume specie payment was to resume,
and he made the people think that ifany-
thing was TO be done they must start.
At the meeting they appointed an adj
Vlsory committee TO correspond and
confer with those who had made success
Jul development in other towns, and a
committee Of investigation to learn the
extent of business tributary TO that town,
value of property, etc. The advisory
committee reported that Boards OF Trade
had generally spent some money IN Sc
curing and maintaining horticultural
exhibit attracting attention Of citizens
and chance visitors at first, but soon
growing dusty and finally sinking into
"innocuous desuetude," as President
Cleveland said.
GPamphlets had often been printed that
had failed of circulation, and were to be
found dusty and out OF date in the corners
of printing offices all over the country.
Instead of copying these measures, they
cited the history of Anaheinl, and recon-
mended the formation of a cooperative
company 10 plant a thousand acres Of
fruit, and, with that end in view, asked
the appointment of a committee, consist
ing of their best fruit men, business men
and lawyers, to draw up plan.
The Committee Of Investigation re-
ported that the active working capital in
vested in business in the town was $780,
600; in city real estate, $4,000 and in
banking, S50, 0O0. 1t commanded a trade
of in in oh cd
by 1900 people, owning real and
personal property to the value of 81 $780,
Coo. In other words, the community of
5000 people represented about 100000
in property.
At the next meeting the Committee on
Fruit reported that peaches, prunes,
almonds and pears had been shown well
adapted for cultivation in their locality
on a commercial scale, and that
average net proceeds Of such fruit
had been and was likely TO continue at
500 per acre, annually, after orchards
were in bearing. They estimated that
tract of land well adapted to cultivation
of these fruits in subdivisions could be
had at $50 per acre, and that it would cost
$50 per acre to plant trees, fill vacancies.
prune and cultivate for three years in
best manner. They also reported that
crop worth picking could be expected on
the third year, one worth $50 per acre on
the fourth, and another worth 500 per
acre on the fifth year. Business mem
berS of the committee recommended the
formation of q stock company with
capital of 100000 to plant and sell in sub
divisions on the installment plan thou
sand acres Of orchard in such way that
citizens interested in the DEVELOPMENT
would be responsible to wage-earners de-
string to secure homes, that their install
ments would be faithfully applied to pur-
chase Of productive homes on most favor
able terms.
Legal members of committee recon-
mended that company of above capital
be incorporated and books opened for
subscriptions to stock to this amount
Next, that proposals be solicited for a
suitable tract of land and for planting
and cultivation of that land for term Of
years, according to plans and specifica-
lions; that notes to an amount not over
p per cent. of the makers, property be
taken in payment OF the stock and that
said notes and the company property be
used as security for a loan to purchase
the land; that a salaried manager be APP
pointed whose business should be TO see
that the terms of the contract were car
ried out faithfully by contractor and re-
port every month to Board of Directors
elected annually by stockholders: that
the company issue bonds, describing
fully land purchased, agreeing to plant
and care for same in manner specified in
sum paid down on each acre. and a
monthly installment for fixed time
afterwards.
10 secure an equitable division they
recommended that when time matured
to surrender land to iustallment share
holders, division should be made by
auction sale of choice of lots and pre-
miums equally divided between holders:
that bonds be required of Treasurer
and that installments for first three wears
be made to provide pay for contractor, in
.Ierest on cost of land, salary of manager
commission OF solicitor and q margin for
contingencies.
All these recommendations were favor
ably considered, and the Committee on
Lands carefully examined all tracts
offered and chose one two miles from
town, of fine soil, easily irrigated and
well drained, with fair buildings and
well equipped with stock and farm ma
chlnery, Tor $4,000. They contracted
with a responsible party, under heavy
bonds, to plant this with frst-class trees
of varieties indicated by plot, and care for
the same for three years in the most
thorough manner, for a cash payment of
$4,000 down and 81 600 per month Tor the
next thirty-six months. He agreed to
allow 5000 for the stock, plows, har-
rows, harness and feed on the ranch and
they sold the balance of the machinery
headers, wagons, threshers, seeders, etc.
Tor SZs0Cb.
The owner of the ranch took the COM
pany note, secured by collateral deposit
of the stockholders notes received in pay
ment for the stock. He was to receive
his principal GA or before five years. and
as interest $500 per month. He was well
secured, for he held the company who
owned the ranch, now being rapidly i'm
proved, with their obligation not to sur
render the same, and, aside from that,
good notes for an equal amount. Next,