The morning call., 1894-12-07
AN IMMENSE TRACT OF LAND.
The Chino Valley Railroad Also
in the Sale.
sPRECKELs THE PURCHASER.
An Indication That Beet Sugar Can
Be PrOfitably Made Without a
Government Bounty.

Several days ago check for S1,5OoOoo
was drawn upon the Nevada Bank by
Claus Spreckels. and such an extraordinary
large financial transaction caused a great
ueal OIL inquiry to be made as to what pur-
pose such an amount of money was 10 be-
devoted to.
Mr.. Spreckels at the time was disposed
to treat the matter lightly. and in answer
to all questions simply renIieo that the
"hole transaction was of but little conse-
duence; that If the check had been for
ten times the amount then it might lave
given cause for inquiry.
However, 1t turns out that Mr.. Spreckels
had big deal on hand, so it is said. which
included the purchase OF 10000 acres of
land on which is located the Chino sugar
factory.
Just why SO much secrecy was observed
after the deal had been consummated does
not appear on the surface, but it is suz-
gested that there were still other transac-
tons which 1t was desired to close before
the fact was given publicity that Mr..
Spreckels was the purchaser of the prop
erty.
In the neighborhood of the Chino ranch
lies Anaheim, where large tracts of land
have been devoted to beet-raising for sew
eral seasons past. Quite recently an effort
was made to get the farmers in that neigh
borhood TO enter into contract to plant
5000 acres In beets for FIVE years, but they
refused to make such deal. The reason
assigned for this refusal was that they
already had under way a proposition to
build sugar factory of their own, and it
may be that it is for the purpose of fore
stalling this enterprise that Mr.. Spreckels
has thought it advisable to keep in the
background for the present.
c. 81. Phillips of San Luis Obispo is the
gentleman who engineered this deal and in
whose name the property was purchased.
Mr. Phillips is contractor and promoter
OF large means, but it is said that his CAPT.
tai would not quite enable him to swing a
transaction of this magnitude alone. He
makes business of developing large pro-
jects through capital supplied by others,
and was one of the two gentlemen who
had the contract for the construction of
the coast division extension of the South
ern Pacific from Santa Margarita 20 San
Luis Obispo.
Richard Grid, the man from whom the
property was purchased, bought the great
Chino ranch of more than 10000 acres in
1880. He established the famous sugar
works and practically built the town of
Chino. The deal just made, il is claimed,
is the largest real estate transaction in the
history of Southern California. The trans
fer includes the townsite of Chino, the
Chino Valley Railway, the water system,
some live stock and the contract with the
Chino Valley Beet Sugar Company.
The Chino Valley Railway is a narrow
gauge road extending ten miles into the
valley. 1t was built by Mr.. Grid, who
originally contracted for building it thirty
miles. but finally extended il only the dis
lance mentioned.
This railroad could be made TO play an
important part in supplying the sugar
factory with necessary material, and it is
probably Mr.. SpreckePs intention to ex-
tend its territory.