The San Francisco call., 1896-02-28

moral for every resident OF the PACING
Coast and may serve not lnapproprlateiy
to introduce the theme that is to follow.
The story-It happened a year or two
ago that this very estimable and wealthy
woman wanted blankets for the beds OF
her house. She was IN a measure wise,
for. having an adequate purse, she resolved
TO get only the very best woolen blankets
the market could afford. So she placed
her order with the largest and most
famous dry-goods importers in the United
States-a New York firm. She stipulated
no price, only requiring that the blankets
should be the very best.
She waited fortnight. Then the pack
age came-and the bill with it. She paid
the latter unquestioningly, then opened
the package to feast her eyes on the soft
white wooden things that had, perchance,
come all the way from india, or at least
from Germany or Scotland-or from
wherever it was that sheep gave the best
wool and men made the best blankets
thereof.
Behold! each feecy blanket bore upon
it modest little blue trademark upon
which was the unromantlc because ia
miliar legend, "Stockton Woolen Mills,
a legend which, to European or Asiatic
ears, sounds of luxury and wealth. The
very estimable and wealthy woman was
astonished and indignant.
"You have sent me Stockton blankets!"
she wrote to the New York house. "You
have cheated mel L could have bought
these at home and saved the freight! l
ordered the very best!
Madam, we sent you the best blankets
to be had in the worlds markets." wrote
the New York house.
:: The moral-It is so plain that he who
reads may also run.
= The theme-This bustling, thriving city
where "the best blankets in the worlds
markets" are manufactured, the Chicago
of the San Joaquin ValIey-Stockton.
Extravaganza in words, some may think,
to compare Stockton with Chicago, but
these know not the remarkable activities
OF Stockton, her ambitions, her energies
and her almost limitless resources. Sup
:; pose old Captain Weber had been gifted
with foresight enough to compare the viii
lage of Stockton that he founded in 1871
with the city of Stockton in 1896; and sup
pose he had been daring enough to formu-
late his vision into words to the rough cat
tlemen and miners who helped him drive
his tent-stakes into the rich soil; and sup
pose-but the analogy is already clear
enough.
Have you been to Stockton and seen its
broad, level, welI-paved streets, it's hand
some Courthouse, its beautiful Public
Library building, its noble and costly
churches, its fine residences, its thousands
of small homes and cottages, its imposing
business blocks, its hotels, its theaters, its
great fouring-mills, its many busy fac
tories, its shipyard, its electric and steam
railroads and streetcars, its tree-lined ave-
nues, its parks its famous baths, its natu-
raj gas wells, its wholesale and retail
establishments, its immense warehouses,
its schools and academies-have you spent
weeks in the city and seen some of these
and more? If you have not, then, in a
modern commercial sense, there is very
large and interesting chapter in California
life still before you.
What brings Stockton to claim so very
large share of public attention just at
this time is the fact that she is taking
giant strides on the road to commercial
supremacy at present. A great competing
line OF railroad is focusing its strength
and power in her lap and will soon
be bringing all the treasures of
the great San Joaquin Valley to
her arms. Only yesterday the great
San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley
Railroad stretched out its steel rails from
Stockton to the Stanislaus River. To-day
the rails are being laid across Tuoiumne
River, maybe tomorrow they will have
reached Fresno and next week Bakersfield.
Stockton is grasping. She is planning to
lay under tribute all the wealth of the
greatest valley of the Golden State of the
Union. She reaches out for the figs and
the wine and the grams Of Fresno, and
for the cattle and the oranges and the
olives of Kern, and casts even
glances of longing and wistfulness down
into the sunny gardens of San Gabriel and
Riverside, though she has at her very door
all the fruits of the earth that prosper
under genial skies and on rich SOIL Stock
ton is ambitious! And she is something
more. She has not only the possibilities
of the present and future; she has within
her true touch of the spirit that made
Chicago great.
And in Stockton's present and future
greatn ess all the State reioices. Fresno
and bakersfield will welcome the steel
tentaeles and pay their tribute gladly-even
protitably to them mselves-and Los Angelo 3
welcomes her wistful and longing gIances
and will, in time, shoot out q steel tentacle
from its own. bounoless resources across
the Tehachapi and join hands with Stock
ton.
Consider the geographical location of
Stockton-at the head of all that vast won
derful valley of the San Joaquin; at the
head of tidewater navigation on the San
Joaquin River. Its situation alone is suf-
fieient to inspire all faith in its future
greatness. California cannot grow with
out enefiting Stockton. The great valley
must cease to produce the richness of the
soil and sun or else Stockton will 60 on
and on. She has direct tidewater com
munication with San Francisco Bay. Cap
tain Weber chose the site for his first tent
stakes better than he knew.
Consider Stockton's present thrift and
greatness. Skim over it but in the oriefest
fashion; volume could not do it full JUS
tice. Hold on! Stockton is not the only
city IN the world. 1t is well to consider
beforehand that there are other cities.