The morning call., 1893-02-05
A PIONEERS STORY
He Planted Wheat Early
i'm California.
BERKELEY'S SITE HIS FARM.
The Ups and Downs of John Walcom
During the Early Days
of This State.

On Thursday there arrived In this city
man who ought to have been received with
a brass band, an Grafton and torchlight
procession, but instead of that he was
allowed to slip into San Francisco quietly
and he has ever since escaped the notoriety
due him.
His name Is John Walcom and the reason
why he is entitled to all the honors men,
toned is that way back in 1853 he
started what since has become the largest
industry of California.
IL was Mr.. Walcom who. outside of the
Padres. planted the first patch of wheat
in this State, now famous the world over as
a producer Of cereals.
A CALL reporter found Mr.. Walcom yes
terday in the Office of his brother, George
Walcom, and he found him a most interest
ing man to talk TO.
The Inauguration OF the wheat industry is
Just a little past GO years OF age. but still an
extremely vigorous and well-preserved In
dividual; and as he, upon request, made
several dives into the depths Of his memory
he recalled not only his first agricultural
venture in California, but also other equally
entertaining experiences OF the days OF old,
the days OF gold.
His story is best told in his own lam
guage, as near as it can be given verbatim:
"Well, yes, | am the man who, in 1853,
together with Mike Bartel, who is now in
San Jose, hear. rented eighty acres of land
above the old Peralta homestead. across the
bay." said he. leaning comfortably back In
his chair; and he continued as follows:
Il had just arrived from Buffalo. by the
way of Panama and found everybody was
engaged either in mining or in business. so
took look around and considered that
where so many PEG lie lived there ought TO
be good field for produce of any kind.
Everything in that line commanded very
big prices and there was scarcity all the
time.
Lets raise wheat and potatoes and
things" said / to Bartel who was my
All right" said he and we rented the
eighty acres on which is now the town of
BeIkely. We rented it from a lawyer by
the name Of Blake.
There was only rickety old ferry rum
ming from San Francisco to Oakland in
those days.
ut took over two hours to make the trip
and believe they used to charge 80 cents
each way.
Oakland itself consisted of a scattered
row of wooden shantles, and only very few
people lived there.
I'VE plowed our land and purchased
wheat for seed at 6 cents a pound.
1.-The soil was virgin but 1t proved I'M
mensely productive.
THAT wheat grew so rapidly as to aston
ish everybody, and before il was we'll above
ground a lot OF young people squatted all
around and followed our example, so that
wheatfeds became plentiful within few
months
Everybody had large crops and there
was much rejoicing until IL was found that
there was great deal more wheat on hand
al, ..,1 h. haun D. gY.lvr
one small mill in all the surrounding coun-
try. and that one was located near Mis-
sion San Jose.
lone mill could not begin to handle all
that crop. so, as after of course, wheat
became drug 10 the market and brought
hardly cent pound.
This discouraged me considerably, and
after consulting my partner l concluded to
store the 22O0 bushels we had harvested
until prices rose higher.
This we did, using old man Watts place,
which understand is still in existence, g
a storehOuse.
IL then turned the farm over to Bartel,
and concluded to 90 mining.
AFTER spending one season In the various
mining camps l gOs word that Valentine
DreScher, then printer on the Alta, whom
had appointed my agent when / left San
Francisco, had sold my wheat at the rate of
Oh cents a pound and put the money in
"a few months later that bank bursted,
aud the wealth | realized out OF my farm
Ing enterprise vanished in one night.
THE next eight years | spent in the
mines, but when the year 1864 came around
| had Just SS00-exactly the amount | had
when first arrived IN California. ten years
earlier.
II did not have any luck In mining, some
how, although in 1883. on the north fork of
the Trinity River, had a claim with two
others which netted us S38. 900 in nine days.
Every shoyelful of dirt we took out of
that river claim was worth dollar.
I'VE had run largely into debt building
up dams. ETC., because lumber cost us $3.50
for every 1000 feet; but that nine days
work put us even, and we were just about
to make our fortune when September
freshet washed our dams and hopes down
the river. We were out of debt, to he sure,
but fat broke
''Such experiences as these made me think
of home and l concluded TO leave the coun-
try and return 10 Buffalo.
an the winter of 1868 l came to this city.
They used to call me Silent john be-
cause was afraid to doany talking for fear
that | would make bad breaks, but after
passing few months in San Francisco.
which then WAS city, l was fit to return
East once more.
81 left for home. and there soon started
a lumber business, which | have conducted
ever since with satisfactory results.
Il am now paying a visit to the scenes of
my earlier adventures in company with my
family"
This ended Mr. WaIcom's tale, but he
could not help adding something about the
big changes since his arrival.
II tried to ind my old wheat ranch as the
train which brought us here passed the
place where 1t was located. but | had TO
give 1t up" said he, land next week | shall
go over to Berkeley and try once more to
get the bearings"
Mr.. Walcom has met many old timers
since bis arrival. who some forty years ago
were his companions. among them he mem
Weiss. f. Hufschmidt and John RebStoek.
He will make a special trip to Sacramento
TO visit Valentine Dreseher, the printer.
who was his agent in that disastrous wheat