The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13

PROJECT C6ICu lSteu 10 ROB II OF It's reward VI
efforts to bring people from the East
An exhibit OF the commercial territory trib-
utary 10 San Francisco IN this CITY would en-
phasiZe its positon as its capital; but would II
rod California II some one naturally pTedS-
posed To settle i'll Oregon should have that dis
position REINFORCED by an exhibit brought 10
ms attention in this city? Would 1t rob san
FRANCISCO 10 double the population OF Nevada!
The underlying truth Of this matter Is That the
growth OF all The Pacific States is lntroacuve.
There can be no prosperity in any part OF the
supporting territory OF any commercial center
that Is not immediately felt and rejected at
the center. Shall it be said 10 the people of
the Pacific States and Territories that san
Francisco regards their prosperity as rob
berry OF California; Shall We inculcate the doc-
Uine among these Pacific subdivisions OF
unified commercial territory that the pros
perity OF one portion can be achieved only by
the impoverishment OF all other sections? 1t
is not true in any sense that the prosperity OF
one portion OF California can exist only ~ the
impoverishment OF another portion. It is not
true that the incoming OF desirable settlers in
one portion of the State Is the robbery of
other portion, and il Is equally untrue OF the
whole Pacific Coast territory. The incoming
OF population TO any part OF the Pacific Coast
territory is a distinctive reinforcement OF the
prosperity of the whole coast. 1t is an eX-
ample OF the highest value.
The people OF Southern California have done
more TO advance the prosperity of the whole
State OF California than any fundamentally
that has been adopted, or any device which
has been put into practice since the founda-
ton Of the State. The uneXampled growth OF
the southern lAGI OF the STATE. the OpDullQlilE
OF magnificent cities, the founding OF great
commonwealth upon a small territorial area,
have VlndlCated the capacities of our soil and
climate in manner which is q distinctive
service to every part OF the Pacific Coast.
The spirit of the interviews under consdera-
ton is libel upon the City of san Francisco.
This City does not look with jealousy upon the
growth OF the outlying States and Territories.
This City'S horizon is not bounded by The State
lines OF California. The leading merchants
and bankers Of this City understand full well
Tfp of al
parts OF the commercial territory OF which it is
the great center.
Reciprocity is the law OF all commercial
transaction We must give something for
whatever we receive. San Francisco, as the
commercial metropolis of an outlying terri
tory, has duties and responsibilities which it
cannot afford to ignore. Let il 60 forth that
the leading men of San Francisco declare that
the growth of some other portion OF another
country Is robbery 10 this state. Let the
Little PedhnEtOn' expression, that we see no
reason why we should help build up other COM
mOnwealths, become representative of us, and
we will reFudiate our claim to commercial
supremacy among the cities OF our geographi-
cal subdivision.
The question has boon raised as to the value
OF permanent exhibit OF the products Of Cali
fornia in this City. The special disadvantage
und er which California Iabors is found in the
fact that the intending settler cannot visit it,
select a location and return home to bring his
family 10 the place he may have selected. This
was possible TO the sta es Of this Union the
frontier OF civilization rolled westward.
The people OF New York and Pennsylvania
could visit Ohio without their families and
return after selecting q location. From Ohio
10 Indiana, from Indiana 10 Illinois, from Hill
nOlS 10 Iowa. and so across the continent To-
day it is practical for people from the more
Qensely populated portions OF the country to
visit Kansas, Nebraska and The DakotaS, and
return for their families; but people of mod
crate means cannot afford to do this with re-
Ietlon TO California. One OF the parties inter
viewed by your contemporary says that the
people who have come here have come intend
ing 10 Stay. Desiring 10 treat these gentlemen
with that courtesy which is due them gem
tlemen from gentleman though l have a
right TO plead the want of il al their hands,
permit me 10 say that whoever made this state
ment has proven that he is not familiar with
the truth of the matter. Whoever attempts 10
teach should first vindlcate his right 10 do so
by proving that he is in possession OF the ne
cessary knowledge.
Now il is not true that the people who come
TO California have come intending to stay
California has been visited by thousands of
people who did not remain after they had
made thorough examination OF its adyan-
tages and resources. In 1878. %, 900 people
came into this State. Before the end of 1874
nearly all or them had returned. The difficulty
which besets the newcomer is in finding a
location. II he has brought his family with
him, il Will exhaust his resources to place
them in boardin g-house and travel over this
State for the purpose OF finding suitable
home. Many OF those who do come intending
TO stay, find their means melt away before
they can find a suitable location. am speak
ing by the card in these statements | have
met these people and have cOnversed with
them. But the great majority OF those who
visit California do not intend TO stay; that in
tention is formed by attractions presented
here.
The register of the State Board of Trade
shows that thousands OF these people have Wis
tied the exhibit and have become acquainted
with and attracted TO the resources OF the State
by it. To be convinced that this is true it is
only necessary to ask Where could any one go
to-day to be made acquainted with the differ-
ent portions OF the State of California by COM
ing to san Francisco? True, they might be
told OF various localities which they might
visit; but for more than half OF the wear there
is nothing 10 be seen. The fruit haryests OF
California do not last the year rould. 1t is
only during a few months OF the year that
what California is capable OF doing could be
exhibited by showing its orchards. But through
the splendid exhibit OF the State Board OF
Trade the capacities OF those orchards are pre-
sented in an oDlect-lesson which can never be
forgotten.
An exhibition OF the capacities of the whole
Pacific Coast would be invaluable, because the
great majority of those who come have not
come intending TO stay. But such all exhibit
ton is of peculiar value TO the State CT Califor-
mia. When its resources are shown in the form
OF an object lesson continually presented, and
when it is shown 10 hundreds of visitors every
day equally illustrative of the capacities of the
State at any time OF the year, the desire is Gre
ated in the mind of the beholder to examine
the State with reference to his ultimate settle
ment here.
The exhibition should be greatly enlarged
1t should present all the raw materials suitable
for manufacture-sand for glass, clay for pot
terry, stone for building, iron ores for smelt-
ing, with full round of meteorological re-
sources of this metalliferous region.
The gentlemen who have been interviewed
speak OF an exhibit OF California produ at
the East if it were and original. Cali
fornia made exhibit at the East during the
Worlds Fair. l. cost the State $500 600 To
make that exhibit. Mr.. Ferguson, one of the
parties interviewed, a gentleman whose eff
cheney and local patriotism will not be doubted
was the superintendent of that exhibit. He
was the special representative of the Kern
County Land Company. He knows that more
people examined that exhibition of Califor-
MAS wonderful resources during the time of
the Worlds Fair than would permanent
exhibit in Chicago in five years. 1t would be
interesting TO have Mr.. Ferguson's testimony
to the direct effect OF that exhibit upon i'm
migration TO California, not OF the general eff
feet of inducing the belief that California was
g wonderful country and melting a feeling in
the minds OF people that at some indefinite
time and in some indefinite way they will be-
come citizens OF this State but that direct eff
feet which resulted in the establishment of
prosperous colonies traceable directly to the
exhibit made By California at the Worlds Fair.
The State Board of Trade by the assistance OF
the Southern Pacific Company sent out ex-
hibitions in train called California on
Wheels" They were leisurely examined by
two millions OF people. This was g more com
prehensiYe Eastern exhibit than has yet been
made