San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-11
CALIFORNIA; INDUSTRY
TEXAS COULD DO AS MUCH OR
EVEN MORE.
Although California Has Slight Ad-
vantage in Possessing Cheap
Chinese Labor.
Written for the LIGHT, by Rev N .Shultz)

NNrIlIen LOT tue Lightly new .ouultLJ
SAN DIEGO, CAL, July 81, 1895.
The question occurs to me over
and over again: Wherein lies the
wonderful success Of California in
raising fruit and cereals? and then
there is but one answer: "The in
dustrous habits of its Inhabitants"
In Texas we have sat on our horses
and waited for cattle to fatten and
when there were plenty Of rains,
good range and high prices for beef
in Chicago, Texas was success.
When any one of these things hap.
pened to fail, then Texas was worse
than ever. During the eight years
Of my stay in Texas, there have
been but two fairly good years;
that is taking the whole country
over, drawing line from Calves
ton to Austin, thence to Fort
Worth, thence to Denison, in short
the whole cattle district west of
that line. 1t has been good les
son to me to see what California
does, and then to think what Texas
misses. We may not be able to do
everything or raise the same things
in Texas as they do in California,
for the winters in Texas are more
severe and the summers more in
tense, but If we cannot raise one
thing, We can raise another and
there is no lack of soil Of the very
best quality. Even in the so.called
arid regions the soil, as rule, is
either decomposed carbonate OF
lime (black land or chocolate
loan. And water is not lacking.
Some of the rivers in our state
carry immense volumes into the
gulf. Many rivers, especially in
the southwestern portions, come
directly out Of the ground carrying
through the most desolate portion
of the country a fine supply Of pure
water. In California the people
would not permit the sea to get 1t
all. They would spend millions OF
dollars to dam up those streams,
and lead the water through canals
and various ducts whereit migh hi
prove of use other than give the
alligaters a fresh water drink.
There is the success of California
to raise a fruit crop when ours
fails, to have plenty Of flour and
feed when we can't cut our wheat
or oats, as have seen it, because
the stalk was only six inches high.
That is "the real lost opportunity"
1t Is possible that our climate in
Texas has something to do with it.
1 have been here in this city and
surrounding country for three
weeks, and have not seen the Their
mcmeter raise above IS degrees,
so that 1 am wearing my winter
clothing. In the morning it is
generally cloudy until 8 or 10
o'clock, then it remains clear the
rest of the day. In the mountains,
east Of here, one can witness an
occasional shower in the morning,
but on the mesa (plain) there falls
nc rain from May till October. In
the more northern portions Of Cali
fornia, l am told, there is more fog,
and also more cold weather. Even
as far north as Los Angeles it gets
cold enough somewhat to interfere
with the lemon crop, but right here
| believe is the most uniform and
agreeable climate on the coast II
not in the world. The country is
still undeveloped, but wherever
man has taken in hand to work it,
he has brought forth most excel
lent results. In the valleys alfalfa
was knee-high, in fact in all stages,
for it is always being cut and grow
ing again, while on the hillsides
are scattered the fruit farms which
form a strange contrast to the dry
appearance Of the uncultivated
portions. Wherever there Is
little water to be had, there is also
a beginning to industry. Oranges,
lemons, lines, walnuts, guavas,
figs, pine-apples, etc., as we'll as
small fruit, bear in profusion. The
branches Of peach trees and april
cots lie on the ground laden with
fruit. L saw fig tree which last
year furnished eighteen hundred
pounds of figs, and palm of which
there were picked last year four
hundred pounds Of dates. Date
palms are as yet scarce how
ever. One sees them in most gar
dens, and some are very high, but
L have not seen any groves OF
them. There are so many things
in their infancy, but the country
and climate have been sufficiently
tested to show what can be done
with industry, and we Texans
ought OF take that word "industry"
70 hnoy.f nro and lam on frQnE /