The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-03-19

100 men owning all of the agricultur-
al lands in California. The nephew
of Coils P. Huntington owns ranch
of between $4,000 and 100000 acres.
This ranch is divided up into many
small ranches of from 800 to 1000
acres. The smaller ranches are SUBJ
let to poor sucker farmers who come
in from the East or who happen to
get caught there. Huntington gets
one-quarter of the crop. The farmer
is grubbed by the merchant, who
takes mortgage on the balance of
his crop. At the end of the season
the farmer has a living and only a
living. The second year he does
likewise. But the third year his crop
is failure, he is penniless and his
merchant is a loser. Huntington is
sure gamer. The farmer pulls out.
Some one else takes his place and his
tory repeats itself. On the basis that
he is always winner Huntington fix
es the price of his land. 1t is so high
that very few people can touch it. Mr..
Knowlton believes that the single tax
theory is the only hope for California
as it will force these immense land
owners to sell their land at reasonable
rates.
The rector touched on the frui
growing industry of California. There
are onl y certain portions of California
where oranges will grow, he said.
Some oranges, he continued, are bet
ter than others. cit is a case of the
survival of the fittest, and those por-
tons growing poor oranges to-day
will soon have to cease the growing.
1t is the same way with other fruits.
Take prunes, for instance. One Sec
ton grows a better quality than the
other, and the latter will have to drop
out of the market. Olives are profit
ably grown down around San Diego
and one other portion of the State, to
my recollection. On account of the
failure of the Florida orange crop last
year all of the orange growers are re-
alizing this year, because the good
and bad oranges are being sold, but
the bad, and they are large portion,
can never compete with the Florida
orange.
81 want to tell you of a little in
stance of migration. 1t is so near tc
us that it will be more than interest
ing. A South Dakota colonization
party, numbering 200 families, had
saved up large sum of money in a
number of years for the purpose Of
buying California land and moving in
body. AS the scheme was about tc
mature the colony selected ex-Gov
Mellette and gentleman named Mr.
Barnard to go to California and make
selection of land for their future
home. The order was carte blanche
The two gentlemen came there anc
looked the whole State over. They
returned home in an uncertain mood
Mr.. Barnard returned again. He wal
. the shrewder of the two and it was my
pleasure to talk with him on both oc
casions of his visit. The last time, at
ter thorough inspection, he returned
home and shortly after the colony dis
banded and the savings we're returned
Mr.. Barnard saw that the Californi'
boom scheme was a sucker plan 70
bleeding purposes only.
"The apple raisers of California ar
the only producers that are maxim!
money now. Of course, apples cal
. only be raised in a few sections. Blu
the product brings a good price ant
will for some time to come. But it
only question when the better grade
from Oregon, Washington and Idah
are sent down to California and driv
the California apple out of the mar
ket."
Mr.. Knowlton spoke of the irriga
: ton in California. He stated tina
boomers advertised free water right
; but after land had been purchased b
innocent buyers, their gardens or OF
chards set out or started, and they re
quested that water be turned on the
learned to their sorrow and expens
: that water rights and privileges wer
two different things. Mr.. Knowlto
remarked that when irrigation wa
', first put in around Fresno the peopl
used the water SO freely that to-da