The herald., 1897-03-18
OR THE INFORMATION OF
COMING VISITORS

I have been notified by their eastern
connections to get ready to handle 1000
people who will visit this coast the COM
ing season in connection with the an
nual convention of the Christian En-
deavor organization. Some of those WIS.,
| itors will come via Ogden and return via
the southern route, and others will come
via the southern route and return via
Ogden 1t is safe to assume that prac-
| tically all of them will visit Southern
California.
What information have we to lay be-
fore them in an attractive and convino-
ing form relative to the resources of this
southern section and the inducements
to be held out to those in search OF
homes?
The state board of trade of San Fran
cisco is getting ready to collect informa-
tion relative to the resources of the
state and place the same before these
visitors. They have the resources and
the ability for compiling a valuable work
of the kind, but will it be satisfactory to
the people of Southern California?
This end of the state can make good
showing of its resources. wealth and
growth.
We can show that the population of
Southern California has increased from
e4,s7s in 1880 to POI, ,s52 In 1890, with an
other increase to s0O.67S in 1896. and that
this rate of increase of population is go
ing on today as rapidly as ever before in
the past. No other section of the state
can make such a showing.
We can show that the mortgage debt
of the real estate owners of Southern
California is only 11% per cent of our
assessed valuation, while in the state
at large it amounts to 15A per cent Of
such assessed valuation, thus showing
that Southern California is in a much
better financial condition than other sec
tions of the state. We can also show in
this same line of investigation that the
percentages of mortgages in Orange
county is only 8 1-3 per cent, and in Los
Angeles county S% per cent, these two
counties making the best showing of any
counties in the state.
We can show that the average rate Of
county taxation in Southern California
is only s1.25 on the hundred dollars,
while the rate in California at large is
s153 on the hundred dollars.
We can show that the citrus fruit in
dustry in. Southern California. having
passed through a crucial period, has now
been placed on a solid foundation, ready
to give profitable returns to the owners
of our orange and lemon orchards. That
our orchards are now located, as a rule
in the frostless belts of our sloping val
ley lands. That the old seeding orange
orchards which were planted, as a rule.
in the colder localities. are rapidly CIV
ing place to the newer navel orange
groves on the higher and warmer lands.
That the lemon industry has al last beer
mastered and that more than million
lemon trees are now in orchard form.
where the frost cannot reach them and
where the fruit natures to perfection,
and that in the next few years these
trees and others yet to be planted will
supply the people of the United States
with all the lemons they may desire to
consume, without the aid or consent of
any other nation" That these lemon
groves will bring to Southern California
millions of dollars annually-millions
that have been heretofore mostly sent
to Europe. That Southern California is
practically the only country in the world
that will produce to perfection the cele-
brated Washington navel orange-an
orange that is today recognized in the
markets of the world as being superior
TO any other orange grown. That this
season two-thirds of the crop has been
navels, and that next season probably
three-fourths of the crop will be of this
superior variety, and that inferior va
rieties are gradually disappearing from
our orchards and. packing houses. That
the new orange groves of Southern Cali
fornia now coming into bearing
are mostly of this superior va
riety, and that as rule they are To-
Gated above the damaging frost lines
That the light crop of 1000 carloads in
1867, bringing to this country an in
come of over $4O0 car, or about 49, 0O0,-
900, will be followed next season by a
crop of 10000 carloads. with possibility
Of its reaching 1900 carloads, giving our
orchardists an income of from s., 500, 900
to s6,oOO,o 900; and that this increasing
source of revenue to this southern coun-
try is here to stay for many years to
come.
We can also show that capital and en-
terprise are now being united as never
before to develop the water resources OF
our country, and that the mistakes of the
past are being avoided in the plans for
the future.
We can show that congress is about to
spend $4,000, 900 in making and improving