The San Francisco call., 1896-03-09

will be put up in the usual style, five-gal-
Ion cans being preferred by the Pacific
Coast trade"
While all this activity is proceeding in
the south the Paso Robles Record an
nounces that some of the enterprlsing
cltlzens OF Parkfield and vicinity are TAX
ing the preliminary steps to employ
company to prospect the oil ields OF the
upper Cholame Valley. 1t has long been
known that the indications of the exist
ence OF petroleum in paying quantities are
very numerous there, but no thorough
prospecting has been done, though some
nve or six hundred feet have been bored
at one place. It would not take much
capital, properly directed, to open up those
farKneld oil where indications OF unlim-
ited Oil and gas fields. There is no place
IN the State are more favorable.
The Clovis (Fresno County, Herald has
puDllshed an interesting description OF the
Fresno ..Flume and Irrigation Company's
box factory. The plant can manufacture
2o.0oO feet OF lumber day into boxes, and
Is now running to its full capacity to sup
ply orange boxes for the southern end OF
the State. The lumber is brought forty
two miles in aume from the mountains.
The Riverside Enterprise, in the follow
lngltem, furnishes further evidence of the
progressive spirit of Los Angeles: ''In
Los Angeles company has been formed
1or the manufacture of furnace bottoms.
ROCK suitable for its manufacture has been
found IN the Big Black Mountain, near
west Riverside on the Provo tract. Both
proprietors of the Riverside Land Com.
pany have given the manufacturers per-
mission to take all they desire.''
The promoters of the Clear Lake Electric
rover Company propose not only to fur
nlsh electric power for all uses in Napa
and Lake counties, but also to run an in
dependent electric road from Clear Lake
to Iiburon. 0. E. Moore, superintendent
OF the company, estimates tt tat in the city
OF Napa alone there is something over
one thousand horsepower of machinery
run by steam, costing not less than S. a
horsepower q month, q total of sec, 600
year. In his letter to the Napa Reqseter
he says: IF this machinery can be run
by electric power at one-third the present
cost it would mean saving of $4,000
year."
AT the same time the Sacramento Bee
comes out with serious charge against
the Folsom " ater-power Company. 1t
Will be remem bered that when this COM
pany started its gigantic plant for con-
vertlng the power from the Folsom dam
into electricity and took the current to
Sacramento the people of that city held a
orr rot hro snhi NJ
the prospect of cheap power. But this has
proved delusion. The Bee says: "Some
surprise has been manifested that more
local factories are not using the electric
energy brought from the water wheels at
Folsom. The railroad shops. the big -four
ing mills and other power using establish
ments making steam from coal costing
from IS to $S per ton certainly ought to
find an economy In the use of motors If the
Folsom water power projectors were cor
rect in representing that the electric power
would cost the consumer less than steam |
with coal at 81 so per ton. Inquiry de-
velops the fact however, that all the in
stitutions likely to be benefited by q |
change of the kind have made careful |
investigation, and claim that they cannot |
secure a rate from. the new power COM |
pany which offers any economy over steam
power, while they would be compelled to
throw aside expensive steam plants and |
purchase new electric motor plants, al |
most equally expensive.
"It is evident that any permanent ben
eft anticipated from the Inauguration of
stroyed by continuance of such policy
ha &c h. Eol~
Company"
This is very serious matter not only
for Sacramento, but possibly, also, for users
OF power in Napa County.
Speaking of California diamond mines,
the PIacerville Democrat says: "The or
ganlzation of capital and labor for further
explorations puts setting of rubies, dia-
monds, sapphires and emeralds in the gilt
tering prospect before US. Still better, it
is from the leweled hand of California that
the rarest treasures are to be expected.
And of all the diamond mines thus far dis
covered on the Pacific Coast. those of
Smiths Flat are. the best, if not the most
noted. The diamond sharps will find no
better indications on the continent"
els furnishes beet seed to all communi-
ties that desire to experiment with sugar.
beet culture recalls the fact that beet seed
culture is going to become an industry in
itself. On this subject the Chino Valley
Champion says: "The production of beet
seed is going to be one of the coming in
dustries in this valley. The natural con-
ditions are highly favorable to the produc-
ton of high-grade seed. The articles
heretofore published in the Champion on
this subject have attracted the attention of
prominent European beet-seed growers,
with whom we are now in correspondence.
The prospects are good that arrangements
will be made this summer to start beet.
seed farm on the Chino ranch, at least on
an experimental scale''
The importance of mining as factor of
prosperity is fully understood at Ellens-
burg, Wash. The Capital of that city says:
Times are said to be better in Spokane
than anywh ere in the State. and it is all
due to one thing-mining. Spokane's citi-
zens have always encouraged and fostered
the mining industry, and.sne is reaping a
legitimate harvest. Mining is the business