The record-union., 1893-08-23
NAPA AND MENDOCINO.
ThAState Equalizers Question Officials
From Those Counties.
Ravages of the Phylloxera in Napa's
the Assessment Roll.

the Assessment Roll.
Mendocino County had its "day in
court" before the State Board of Equal
izatlon yesterday.
Assessor S. D. Paxton and Supervisor
J. NJ. Manning appeared as:its represent
tives to explain the knotty points in the
assessment roll.
Mr.. Paxton said that there was an ap-
parent falling-off in the assessment roll
OF that county, which was caused by the
Assessor not assessing the property of
several sea coast villages, which, although
they had been entirely deserted, have been
carried on the old basis until this year,
the Fort Bragg Railroad, a logging road,
has been torn up, the timber having been
cut out, which makes a difference Of
$4,000, it having been moved to new
locality. The villages of Whitesborough
and Little River, where there were for
merly mills, have been deserted, the
mills having been moved away and the
inhabitants gone. Of course the assess
ment on the real estate had to be reduced.
The Salmon Creek road has been aban-
borough, and when the timber through
which it ran was cut off there was no
further use for it and it was torn up.
A HEAVY REDUCTION.
Mr.. Morehouse thought that if the
rails and rolling stock had been simply
removed from one part of the county TO
another, to be put down in new place
where they could be of use, there should
not be much drop in the assessment roll
ON account of their removal. There was
only little over SIX miles of the Fort
Bragg road, which had heretofore been
assessed at S2,744 per mile, and deduc-
ton of $4,000 because part of it had been
removed was, he thought, rather sweep
ing reduction.
Mr.. Paxton said further, that the hop
lands were assessed from 500 to Sl50, and
farming land near Little Lake at from $40
to $50 per acre. He thought that those
were fair valuations.
Vichy Springs was assessed at Sl5, 900.
A few years ago it was assessed for S35, 900,
and could possibly have been sold for
$4,000, as there was then demand for
that kind of property; now there is very
little demand for it, as very few springs
in the State are good paying property.
Mr. Morehouse thought that the Nichy
Springs, with the 100 acres of land on
which they are. would bring more than
that at public auction, to say nothing of
the rest OF the property, which at the
worst would be classed as grazing land.
MENDoCINo HOGS.
In response to a question as to why
Mendoclno hogs were only considered
worth 81 l9 apiece, Mr.. Paxton explained
that they were not to be rated as belonging
to the corn-fed variety, but were razor
backs of the purest strain, in fact, genu-
inc blue-bloods and members of the high
pSt ariEtnCfapU of tho
like many of the Old World aristocracy,
they are too poor to be assessed high.
a comparison OF items in last years as
sessment and that of this year shows that
in 1892 real estate was assessed in the
country at s., ,292, ,273, and improvements,
I,147, ,2lI; city lots, S5l4, 900, and improve
ments, S7l7, $40. Total, S9,6Sl,6 ,6lS.
In 1893 the figures were: Country real
estate, S7,305,574; improvements, l,0S4,-
336; city lots, S523, 942, and improvements
at S748,34s. Total, S9,662, 30.
In 1892 there were ., ,493 horses, assessed
at Sz7l ,OO0, while this year there are only
8, 4S4 horses, assessed at Sl32, ,922.
Mr.. Morehouse thought that there was
very large discrepancy between the two
years and there must be something wrong
somewhere.
NOW FOR NAPA.
In the afternoon the board heard from
Napa County.
District Attorney Gwynne, Assessor
Meacham and Chairman Deweese of the
Board of Supervisors were there to look
alter the interests of their county, and to
answer such conundrums as the State
Equalizers might see fit to PROFOUND.
The Napa roll shows a decrease of Sl29.-
600.
Mr.. Swan asked Assessor Meacham
how he accounted for NaDas falling of.
in the face of the fact that the deprecia-
tion had not been general throughout the
State.
The theory that all should be alike
will not work in this case" replied
Meacham. "Napa suffers peculiarly. be-
cause it is wine county. The VINEYARDS
in that county have been devastated-ab-
solutely destroyed. in many instances
by the deadly phylloxera. This can
not be said of other counties eXcept as
regards personal property. But in Napa
we are not only on a par with other coun-
ties on personal property depreciation
but we are permanently damaged in real
estate and improvements by the gloomy
outlook OF the vine market and the raw
ages of the phylloXera."
JACKSON'S SPRINGS.
The Assessor was questioned about his
figures with reference to the assessment
OF Jackson's Napa Soda Springs. He
said he placed the valuation at SO 900
This caused Mr.. Swan to say that he
knew that Jackson was clearing :. 600 a
month of the springs.
Being asked why be assessed cows in
Napa for less than they were assessed in
Mendocino, Meacham said he believed
the Mendocino cows were superior to
those of his county.
The usual queries were made with ref
erence TO telephones, type writers, sew
ing machines, and the like.
After the Napa representatives de-
parted the equalizers drifted into a con-
versation regarding the raisin industry
in Fresno County. 1t was suggested
that many mistakes had been made there
in picking out land upon which to grow
the raisins. 1t was really alfalfa land in
many cases, said one.
They are raising good deal of alfalfa
as it isl said Mr.. Beamer.
'They are raising h there inst at
present." said Mr.. Morehouse, who had