Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-05-09
California Letter
Especial TO the HERALD

for the home-making class than any
other section of your Uncle Samuefs
glorious old Union is evident to ali
who have looked into that subject.
To argue otherwise is to plead guilty
to not being informed, that is, among
People who have travelled, have read,
ior in other WAYS become familiar
with the Pacific Coast. The foregoing
sentence may sound just a tritle too
faulsome to suit some Of your legion of
readers, but when one is acquainted
with the facts he viii admit that they
are not eulogistic, for there is nothing
but statement Of self-evident truths
in them all. The reason Of this bet
tered condition Of affairs lies in the
assured building Of a competing line
Of railroad from San Francisco through
San Joaquin(W a-keen)ya to Mozare
| (Mo-ha-rel, where it will connect with
the Santa Fe railroad for Chicago, thus
suppl wing red hot competition to the
monopolistic Southern Pacific COM
pany, which has since its inception
had but one motto in regard to its
patrons. that idea being embodied in
the terse statement,
"cHARGE ALL THE TRAFFIC WILL BEAR. Z
For score Of years Californians
have worked without success to over
come this august preemptor of their
rights Now that the building of
competing line is assured, better
feeling obtains in every part OF the
state The new company. with
Claus Spreckles, sugar baron Of Ameri-
ca and the Pacific islands at its head,
was incorporated about sixty days
ago Even at this early date sur
yeyors are in the field, much Of the
right-of-way is settled, rails are being
shipped from Eastern mills by thous-
ands OF tons, enough money has al
ready been subscribed to guarantee
the new line; as a result it will be
seen that the opening sentence Of
this article is not only confirmed by
facts, but that the people of California
feel very much better, thank You,
than they have for years on account
Of their improved prospects. O'Shang-
messy is reported to have said: ''It's
a foine thing - be born in America.
"WhyPn Because then you don't
have to buy a steamship ticket to ret
here with. That's the way Cali
fornlaus think since the new railroad E!
has given the
OLD MONOPOLY ITS QUIETUs.
Now there will be work for labor !
ing men, increased population all |
along the new line, enhanced values
of real estate, more net profit (from |
lighter freight charges) in fruit grow
ing. These welcome changes should |
cause a wish on the part OF thousands |
of good people to leave the ever
changing climate OF the East with its I
heat and cold. its violent storms of |
wind rain and snow. its months Of |
gray. cloudy weather to locate where |
sunshine is the rule, where at no time /
for years has a lower temperature
than six degrees below freezing been
recorded. whore one can net more /
money on ten acres Of fruit land than
on quarter section of the best grain
or stock growing land at any point |
east III
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
Don't imagine from the foregoing |
that this II boom article. written |
from land agents point of view, for |
Il isn't even little bit 1t only re-
lates the situation Of affairs rs | have
found it nv experience. also IS scores
Of fruit raisers who net from 5000 to
$500 an acre from their lands have
told me. Some make even more
money than the highest figure given
above, ~ | know of no single case
where a fruit ranch carefully handled
has netted less than 5000 per year to
the acre, II the owners word can be
accepted Il there are reasons for
such large returns. reasons why they
are necessary that do not appear at
first sight. The principal cause is the
length of time it takes for trees to
come into full bearing. Orchards are
planted during January. February or
March. That season they yield moth
ing, nor the second season. In the
third year they produce some samples
of most varieties of fruits, peaches
bearing
GOuie ChcI
at that time. Apreots bear year
later, SO do prunes and the last named
fruit includes fully one-half Of the
trees planted 10 this valley. When
one drops romance Of every kind and
is compelled to wait from two to four
years after planting before he realizes
! from an investment OF thousands,
he no longer wonders why orchards
in fun bearing sell for from $500 to
$1,000 an acre. nor why from five TO
ten acres i the size 81 most All the
ranches that are devoted to fruit rails
ing. After trees begin TO bear there
i no more pleasant manner Of living,
none more independent or more profit
able than fruit ranching in the semi
tropical coast But the years of wait
ing are long. The small amount Of
| Grain nr VEGETABLES that can he