The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
AN INCORRECT REPORT.

Two German newspapers, Germdnio and
Die Deutsche Wdrte, published at Mil
waukee and enjoying large circulation
among Germans, who are very numerous
in the Northwest, contained on the 18th
ult. letter from California correspond
ent written in response to request to in
vestigate and report upon the merits Of a
German colony scheme which has been
projected in Nevada County on the narrow
gauge railroad connecting Colfax and
Grass Valley, The letter so grossly mis-
represents that section and the fruit in
dustry of California and is calculated to
work so serious harm to the State that it
cannot be permitted to pass unnoticed.
THE CALL is not in possession of any
direct information concerning the parti-
cular colony concerned, but it has general
knowledge of that region, of the fruit in
dustry and of the successful working of
colonies in California. The assertions
made by the letter are in brief these: That
the land in the colony is not worth $40 an
acre; that in the winter heavy storms of
rain and snow occur the snow seven years
ago having fallen to the depth of eight or
ten feet; that ten acres in fruit cannot
support family, as the people of the Sec
tion have their own fruit trees; that spe-
cially favorable situations are required for
growing late vegetables: that in winter
the thermometer ranges from Is to %
degrees above zero; that the correspond
ent does not see how q town in the pro-
posed locality can exist, as "the fruit
busine IS in the whole State is very rotten
and does not pay many farmers the ex.
penses"; that Grass Valley and Nevada
City can exist only through gold mining,
which the correspondent thinks is O most
excellent business for persons or COM
panies with capital. He winds up with q
warning to avoid colonization schemes.
OF all the farmers who have established
themselves in California the Germans have
been the r,ost successful. They seem pos
sessed of special order of intelligence
that enables them to accomplish wonder
full results, and they can prosper on a
smaller tract OF land than any other
people. This letter ignores that fact, and
does the race All injustice thereby. 1t
attempts to create the impression that
only home market for fruit exists, de-
liberately or in ignorance ignoring the
fruit unions that handle frui. in the East
ern market and the further fact that only
a small part of the product is intended for
local consumption. 1t is true that the
fruit industry has been under cloud, but
that was because of the lack of intelligent
cooperation in seeking an Eastern market.
This machinery is constantly expanding
and improving.
1t is gross misstatement of fact to say
that the fruit business OF California is
rotten" Even in its temporarily de-
pressed condition it is far more profit
able than any kind OF farming in any
other part of the United States, and is re-
garded as Door simply because the enor-
nous profits OF a few years ago have been
greatly reduced; but they will be surely
restored in considerable measure. The
foothill region OF. the Sierra has only re-
Gently begun to be developed for fruit
growing, and 1t is found to give astonish-
ing results. Hardly any irrigation is
required, lands are as yet comparatively
cheap, and the brightest prospects await
those who engage in the industry.
With regard to colonies, it may be said,