The San Francisco call., 1896-11-20

which attended his enterprises in Solano
County caused him to mortgage the mag
nifcent orchards and lands in the Suisun
Valley to buy and cultivate vast tracts of
land elsewhere.
1t has been known to money-lenders,
bankers and others for the pas: two years
that his situation in financial sense was
critical, but not until the Bank of Suisun
foreclosed on the valuable land in that
locality did his friends surrender hope in
his ability to weather the storm.
a. I. Hatch was seen at his Office in the
Flood building yesterday and acknowI-
edged that he was not able to meet the OBJ
legations pressing upon him. When asked
if the statement+elegrap phed to THE CALL
from Suisun yesterday was correct he
said:
1.-THE CALLS report is correct, but in
one of the daily papers 1t is stated that
neglect of my property was one of the
causes of my failure. This is not true.
There has been no neglect. When
/ have not been able to give that
orchard my immediate personal super
vision It has been in the control of a COM
petent superintendent"
"WiIl many people suffer from your
financial mDarrassmentP" he was asked.
YES he replied, "some creditors for
small amounts in sums of $1,000 and $1,000
may be affected seriously. The banks and
other creditors for large sums are secured
by mortgages on the land"
Replying to other questions, Mr.. Hatch
said the failure extended to all OF his
landed investments throughout the State.
He did not blame his creditors for the
action they bad taken. In only one in
stance had proceedings been taken which
were unjust and uncalled for, but he de-
cIined to specify that instance.
Responding to the suggestion that he
had economical and denied himself per-
sonal comforts in order to tide over the
stress of adyersity, he said:
YES have lived in $40 room and
contented myself with 15-cent meals in
order to pull through. My failure now
does not in any sense mean my ruin. l
shall start again and am sure that will
again succeed. l have the utmost con-
fidence in California as a fruit growing
State"
Mr.. Hatch added that San Francisco
merchants would not lose by reason OF his
failure.
Among bankers. capitalists ana whole
sale trult men downtown the failure was
discussed. Many had been familiar with
Mr.. Hatch's struggles to avoid the COL
lapse and were therefore not surpr1sed
that Z. ID. Robbins of Suisun had lore
closed to collect notes amounting with
accrued interest to 5000, ,000
The foreclosing creditor at Suisun is a
correspondent of the Anglo California
Bank, but Mr.. Lilienthal, the manager of
that institution. said his bank was in No
wise concerned. 1T would be a GREAT
benefit to the State" said Mr.. Lilientba
''if California had few more men Like
SC
Semblance OF crookedness in his faiiure
He simply over-reached himself. He at
tempted TO carry heavier load than he
could bear"
A. G. Freeman, the manager of the ].
K. Armsby Company, spoke in the high
est terms of Mr.. Hatch's enterprise and
sbility. mo fruit-grower," he said "has
surpassed Mr.. Hatch in intelligence and
industry. His study of fruit culture has
added vastly to the wealth of the State.
He was the first man to risk the experi-
ment OF shipping fruit to the Eastern
markets by the refrigerator process
When that plan was adopted only few
carloads were sent East; now thousands
of cars are employed in such shipments.
hatch maintained model orchards, and
his example in this respect was not lost
On his neighbors.
In the held of almond culture he
achleved the greatest results. He simply
opened market for California almonds
by propagatlng new varieties and study
Ihg the demands OF trade in connection
with the capabilities OF the soil. Yes. Mr..
Hatch has contributed in large measure
20 the development and wealth of Califor-
MIA, and his misforiunes will surely be re-
gretted wherever he is KNOWN
a. w. Porter of Porter Bros. & Co. as
serted that A. I. Hatch by active work