The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-23
CHINESE LEASE
Fruit RANCHES.
GENERAL BIDWELL'S IMMENSE
ORCHARD PASSES INTO THEIR
HANDS.
OTHER LARGE FARMS RENTED.
HUNDREDS OF COOLIES WILL TAKE
THE PLACE OF WHITE
IABORERS.

A syndicate of wealthy Chinese of this
city, composed of membersof the Chinese
Six Companies, has secured lease on that
portion of the ranch of General John G.
Bidwell, the Chico millionaire, that is de-
voted to orchards, and during the coming
fruit season several hundred Chinese
laborers will be shipped to Chico to work
on the property.
The Pacific Fruit Packing Company,
whose large cannery at S04 Stockton street
was one of the few establishments of the
kind that ran full time during the past two
fruit seasons, is interested in the DEAL and
will pack much of the product of the
ranch.
General Bidwell's orchard was for many
years the most extensive fruit-producing
ranch in California, and still ranks second,
containing between 1000 and 5000 acres
planted in deci6uous fruits.
Nor has the syndicate stopped at the one
place Several extensive orchards in the
northern fruit belt, which comprises the
districts about Marysville, Chico, Vina,
Willows, Red Bluff and Oroville, and ag-
gregating several thousand acres have been
secured at rentals varying from $1,000 to
$1,000 per year.
That the coolie laborers who will be
shipped from this city to place the or
chards into condition for the season and to
pick and pack the crop will deprive the
white laborers of that section of much of
their means of support during the summer
season seems certain to the business men
of the belt, and serious labor troubles are
expected unless other employment is found
for the surplus help.
Joel D. Sproule, an attorney of Chico
and grand president of the Native Sons of
10 w Hou
over the laying of the cornerstone of the
orders new building, is conversant with
the State of affairs mentioned.
at is a fact" said MIR. Sproule, "that
General Bidwell has leased the orchard
portion of his ranch, several thousand acres
in extent, to Chinese, and that the work
that has heretofore given employment to
several hundred white men and girls will
now be done by coolies.
During the past four years many large
ranches in the same vicinity have passed
into the possession of Chinese on leases,
and the white laborers of our section have
been growing very restless under this state
of affairs.
MANY business men about Chico seem to
think that we will have trouble during the
coming fruit season, though we hope that
other channels will be found into which
our surplus supply of labor can be turned"
f. w. Stanton, a Sacramento fruit
buyer, whose business takes him through
the section in question several times
year, was also familiar with the operations
of the Chinese.
within the past few years. he said
yesterday, thousands of acres along the
American and Feather rivers have been
leased by Chinese syndicates. L under
stand that the Chinese Six Companies and
the Pacific Fruit Packing Company will
take hand this year and that the acreage
under their control will be largely in
creased.
THE past two seasons have been so hard
on orchardists that they are glad to lease
to Chinese, who are able, from the fact
that they hire their help at half what a
white man would work for, to pay big rem
tails. should not be surprised if serious
labor troubles occurred if the times are as
hard as they were last year"
writes risks in the northern part of the
State among the ranchers, cited several
cases where Chinese had rented orchards
for the coming season, sometimes paying
as high as $4,000 per annum for good lands.