The record-union., 1896-05-15
RoseviIIe's Board of Trade.

ROSeVille'S Board OF TRADE.
Eds. Record Union'': promised our
home people that I should, with much
pleasure to myself and, hope, with at
least some interest to them as well, let
them hear from me from time to time,
and the sections of country in which L
visit, through the columns of our dif-
ferent valuable home papers II l am
honored with space.
The weather here now is warm, and
people are very busy planting corn,
garden and tobacco seed in beds for
plants later on, although these crops of
about all kinds of last year were light
and brought very low prices, espe-
cially tobacco-the latter only brings
now, when a buyer can be found, at
from two and a quarter to four cents
per pound-good filters and wrappers,
all baled and seeming to be fine to-
bacco, and put up with great care and
in cases. On most of these farm lands,
as far as / can see as yet, they put on
q load Of manure, lime or some other
fertilizer, and hope to get back this
coming fall a load of some kind of
products. This country is among the
first to be settled up in this and ad-
Joining States, and the old homesteads
have been cut up and subdivided and
handed down, until now the farms are
very small, and in most cases thin and
worn out. The people seem to have
plenty to live on, and comfortably sit
uated, good houses and barns, but these
farms, as rule, are from three to forty
acres. and every day they say to me:
well, our lands have been subdivided
and handed down until now it cannot
be divided again; and I have a number
of grown children that will soon need
homes, and 1 must go to where lands
are cheaper and more fertile, and buy a
tract and divide it up with our chill
dren-" These people have all got more
or less money in the banks saved up,
q few pennies or dollars at time, and
their little homes are very valuable
here-from $3.50 to 5000 per acre.
l spent the most of last week in the
town of Mainline 1t is situated about
nine miles from here and six from Lam
caster, the latter being the county seat
Of this Oancaster) county Mainline
is a beautiful city of about $500 in
habitants, with some manufactures.
The farmers are all in a very prosper
GUS condition, and many are very
wealthy. Quite a number have gone
from this place and near it to Wash
ington, and bought lands. I made an
exhibit of fruits near the Postoffice, and
at times had the street flooded with peo-
pie looking at them and my twelve
foot tree, the growth of one year. and
potatoes that were furnished me by our
Roseville Board of Trade. In talking
California there were great many very
much interested, and they had a thou
sand and one questions to ask, and
tried to answer as many. 1 circulated
our Roseville circulars among them and
also bundle of papers that 1 had just
received.
About the first question asked was
rs this land colony scheme a boom
proposition?" I told them that it was
not. That I was sent here by the
Board Of Trade of Roseville, Placer
County, California, which was an asso-
citation Of farmers, fruit-growers, mers
chants and others, TO show them some
of the resources of our county, and to
the best Of my ability explain to them
the advantages Of our section Of Cali
fornia, for the purpose Of encouraging
immigration of a desirable kind, and
that l felt assured of finding the de-
sired class among the Industrious peo-
pie of Pennsylvania; that the circulars
handed out were furnished me by the
Board of Trade, and were only for the
purpose of giving such information as
might be omitted in my explanations
and give them more time to consider
the advantages we were offering. After
this statement everyone became inter-
ested, and had many qustions to ask.
There are thousands of people in this
-tcloi
change, and will do so in the near fu-
ture, just as soon as they can shape
their business so as to enable them to
locate elsewhere; and about everyone of
that kind have talked with say: "Well,
i would like to just see that country,
and you will see me there. I am going
to California, sure" But all join in
saying they would not put a dollar in
a colony. They want to buy place
for themselves. If I should want to
drive a crowd from me at any time 1
would only need to say that 1 had a
big colonization scheme to offer them
a fortune In it.
I received a number of letters in an
swer to the articles published from
me.
I am, however, only working for and
in the interest of our two counties,
Placer and Sacramento. While the en-
tire State has my best wishes, l can
not do justice to more counties than the
two mentioned, and, perhaps, not TO
them, but will be found trying, If my
work is encouraged and appreciated by
my home people 1 feel encouraged
with the promises of our future sue
cess and the benefits that will be en-
joyed by hundreds of others, who will,
no doubt, make their homes with US III
land of fruit and flowers.
l have just returned from my second
trip to Lancaster, having spent three
days there, meeting with the agricult-
ural and horticultural association and
the G. a. r. delegation, both orders be-
ing represented from all parts of the
county. They made me very welcome
in their large halls. and a table was fur
nished for display Of my samples, pho
tographs etc. 1t would require too
much space In your valued paper 10
write you out full particulars, but will
say that there was much interest taken
ir my statements and the fine products
OF our section: and I assure you it was
not only a matter of business but a
matter of pleasure as well, and l am
very sure that my visit here will in the
near future mean a. visit from number
OF them to our counties.
The principal inquiry is for small
places from ten to forty acres, and
when they are told that they can get
a good quality of land, suitable for
IL