The San Francisco call., 1895-07-30
OBJECT TO JAPANESE.
Serious Threats Made Against
the Life and Property of
OrchardiStS.
A VIRTUAL REIGN OF TERROR.
The First Overt Act Results in the
Destruction Of Considerable
Property.

WOODLAND, CAL, July 29.-The Or
chardists living about the town of Winters
in this county are in deadly fear of the
white orchard-hands in that vicinity.
These fears have been prevalent for some
time, but they were brought to culmi-
mating point Saturday night when some
one set fire to the smokehouses, fruitdryer,
bleachcars, fruitboxes and trays belonging
to Clay A. Blake, who lives on Putah
Creek, about three miles east of Winters.
The trouble arises from the hiring of
Japanese orchard help by all the ranchers
from Winters to Vacaville. Hundreds of
white men have been lying around out of
employment because of the fact that all
the orchardists persisted in hiring the
cheap Japanese labor, and nearly every
orchardist in the valley has received an
anonymous letter conveying threat to ap-
ply the torch to some of his buildings, to
shoot him from ambush, to burn down his
home, to kill his stock, or do some other
equally atrocious act should he persist in
hiring Japanese to the exclusion of white
people.
Among others, George W. Thistle Jr.,
an orchardist, had been threatened so
much that he did not dare go out to his
barn after dark to milk his cows without
taking some one with him.
Last Thursday Clay A. Blake received a
letter threatening his property with de-
struction if he hired Japanese help or sold
to the Japanese company that is buying
the fruit on the trees all over Vacaville
Valley. The next day Mr.. Blake got fair
offer from the Japanese company and he
sold.
The news of the sale did not leak out till
Saturday, and on that day little knots of
men were seen here and there along the
creek in earnest discussion. That night
the buildings were fired. The blaze was
started in the main building. where 5000
boxes and trays, valued at about $1,000,
were stored. This building and its con-
tents were totally destroyed. The flames
rapidly spread to the surrounding build
ings, consisting of smokehouses and the
like, and they, too, were consumed, with
the cars used for taking fruit from the or
chard to the bleachers.
This fire was the first overt act following
the threats that have been made upon the
orchardists of Winters, and it has set them
all on the qui vive.
The town is surrounded with unem-
ployed men, who are sleeping in the hills
and along the creek banks. and who do
not attempt to conceal their feelings in the
least. They come out boldly in some in
stances and say that the orchardists will
suffer if this hiring of japanese help con-
tinues. One of them said to-day to Jack
son, prominent fruit-grower here:
"We can't get work and we can't starve.
We would just as soon be in States prison
as living this way. We would be a great
deal better off"
One letter received is written in a fair
hand, though apparently disguised. 1t
says: "You are hereby given notice that
you are expected to fire every - Jap you
have on your place and desist from hiring
any more. If this don't go you will be
sorry. Every - thing that is destroy
able will be put to the torch. TIP"