The San Francisco call., 1897-01-31

long made her the "City of Refuge" for
tens of thousands of broken-down in
valids from the older Eastern and Mid
die States, many of whom reach the Gold
en- Gate in such enfeebled condition that
exhausted nature succumbs to the exhilar-
alton of real life. the frayed thread of ex-
istence being unable to stand the vigorous
vibrations called into play in the pres
ence of pure air and absolutely healthful
surroundings. Were the deaths from
causes originating outside of the City to
be eliminated from the tables of NOR
tality San Franciscos death rate would
stand lower than that of any other city
upon the globe.
So much for San Francisco as a dwell
ing place. What OF her as a business city
During the year of our Lord 1896, Just
past, California stands upon record as the
largest producer in the Union of gold,
wine, honey, beet sugar, figs, raisins,
oranges, lemons, olives, walnuts and
almonds. Her wheat crop amounted to
nearly &c, OOO, 900 bushels.
In book published in London, England,
in 1876, entitled, History and Descrip-
ton of Modern Wines" the author, Mr..
Cyrus Redding (regarded in Europe as
competent authority, gives very full sta
tistics regarding the matters of which he
treats. He prints, among other lists, one
of the countries producing liquors and
wines, and the list contains but one men
tion of the United States, and that as the
producer of Peach Brandy
Since then, in two decades, what mar
velous growth has been attained i'll wine
production in California. The product of
the California vineyards for 1896 is esti-
mated by very conservative authority to
exceed 10000, 900 gallons, in addition TO
the production of 100000 pounds of
raisins.
Is it good wine? Let those whose
peculiar educational training. fits them TO
be competent judges reply. One of the
best qualified judges of wines, and one
whose opinion is of world wide recognition
and who is now with US engaged in an ex.
iIaustive examination of our wines, saws
unreservedly that mo finer wines are pro-
duced than those of California" The
production of fine wine requires certain
special conditions. For the dry" wine
there must be valleys into which the sea
fogs and mists penetrate; for sweet
wines there is required inland regions, ap-
preaching a degree of aridity Moreover,
there is required a peculiar soil. Italy
and Southern France have long been
recognized as the natural growing grounds
of the wine grape. The special cond itlons
there found are the result of geologic
action-known es volcanic-marked by the
presence of soils due to the decomposition
of basalts and lavas extruded over the
face of the country during periods OF vol
canic energy in the past.
Precisely similar conditions of the
earth's surface are found in Western Cali
fornia. No region upon the face of the
globe exhibits more emphatic evidence of
volcanic action than does the Pacific Dor.
tion of California, and nowhere in the
United States can be grown with equal
success the true wine grape.
For every product Of the State San Fran
cisco is the natural market. Some small
proportion of the products find their way
TO less favored regions of the interior OF
the continent and do not make their ap-
pearance in San Francisco in actual pres
ence; but the transaction of their sale and
transfer is accomplished here; the business
of the transaction is conducted here. The
Board OF Trade, the Merchants Exchange.
the Produce Exchange and numerous
lesser institutions of a similar character
control and really handle the vast masses
OF California; bountiful harvests. Other