The herald., 1897-02-28
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF PROGRESS
Southern California as II Was and as It Is Now


Grating conditions.
The Santa Fe company secured pos
session of the Atlantic and Pacific rail-
road, then built line from Barstow
through the Cajoh pass to San Ber-
nardino, to Cotton, leaving Riverside
little to one side, going through Box
Springs canyon. through the ives, end
Of the San Jacinto valley to Elsinorc
lake, then down through the Teinecula
canyon and along the coast to SAL Di-
ego.
A little later line was built from San
Bernardiuo westward along the foot
hill section to Pasadena and Los Ange
les. Another line was built from Los
Angeles to connect at Oceansde with
the original lise, and still another line
was built from what was afteiwari
called East Riverside down the valley
through Riverside, and South River
side (now Corona) to Rincon, then down
through Bedrock canyon to Orange,
where it connected with the surf ,ine
from Los Angeles TO San Diego
Still later the loop line was built from
San Bernardino to Redlands, through
the Highland country, crossing the
Santa Ana river to Mentone, therca TO
Grafton and Redlands back to San Ber
nardino again.
In 1881 the Chaffey brothers made
move to develop the foothill country in
the western part of San Bernardino
county. They first bought tract of
country and founded Etiwanda having
secured about two hundred inches Of
water for irrigating 1900 acres of land
on basis Of one inch to eight acres.
Having successfully launched this en-
terprise and sold most of the land they
purchased the large tract of land where
Ontario now stands, reaching from the
Southern Pacific railroad to the noun
tains They then procured half inter-
est in San Antonio creek and founded
the San Antonio Water company on
basis of an inch of water to ten acres
of land. They laid out that magnificent
double drive, Euclid Notwithstanding
seven miles from the railroad to the
mountains. They founded the Chaffey
College of Agriculture and endowed it
with half the townsite Of Ontario, which
covered a section of land. This college
is today magnificent monument to their
business sagacity and liberality. A
couple of years later not being able to
sell land fast enough to meet their LA
bilities they retired from the enterprise
with heavy loss and went to Australia.
Chaffey brothers were better for the
country than for themselves.
About fifteen years ago Richard Gird,
who had made a small fortune mining
at Tombstone, Ariz., purchased the
Chino ranch and some land contiguous
thereto for about $250,0 The entire
tract embraced about 5000 acres. Soon
after being natural chemist. he began
to investigate the sugar beet industry.
He raised his beets under all conceivable
conditions and analysed them himself,
for several years, spending many thou
sands of dollars in that work He then
induced the Oxnards to build the Chino
beet sugar factory which is the largest
beet sugar factory today in the United
States. Last year the output of the fac
tory was 22000, 600 pounds of sugar from
beets raised on 10000 acres of land. 1t
would require 1875 such factories to sup
ply the sugar now used by the people
Of the United States. that is now i'm
ported from foreign countries at a cost
Of SIPS, ,000,0 900 per annum. This would
| require 1880, 900 acres Of land on which
to grow the beets. California can pro-
duce that sugar and Southern Califor-
MIA can produce the most of 1t as will
be shown by The Herald at little later
date.
Mr.. Gird has recently sold his Chino
ranch interests, including his stock
horses and cattle-to an English COM
pany for s1600,000 and will have, it Is
reliably reported, over one mihien lett
after paying off all debts Mr.. Gird has
been a good man for Southern Califor-
declining yearA
Rialto Is one Of the latest develop
ments in San Bernardino county and it
has been one of the slowest also. The
old Semi Tropic company tried to spread
the waters of Lytle creek out over too
much land, and there could be but one
result: The company went into the
hands of a receiver, the San Francisco
bank foreclosed a mortgage and took
In the lands and recently has sold the
lands to an eastern company that pro-
poses to plant large tract Of canaigree,
establish a large tannery ana develop
a new industry on this coast. The peo-
pie have already begun active work. 1t
will require time and money, and the
company has both.
Outside of this canaigre movement
the Rialto country has large number
of orchards and vineyards which are
doing well.
The Cotton Terrace was developed
soon after the establishment of Cotton.
1t is one of the choice fruit sections Of
Southern California.
On the building of the loop line by the
Santa Fe system the Highlands country
began to develop its orchards and 1t
produces as fine fruit-citrus and decid-
uous-as is grown anywhere.
In 1891 the state established branch
insane asylum at Highlands which now
possesses one of the finest buildings
in the state.
Five years ago Riverside got permis-
sion from the legislature to set up a
new county government on it's own
hook, taking with 1t nearly one third of
the wealth and population of San Ber-
nardino county and yet Notwithstanding
this fact, that county today contains a
population of 26,S75 as against 25,497 in
1890, before Riverside withdrew.
San Bernardino has been considered
the empire county of the state. 1t has
within its borders the elements Of
wealth, and before the close of the pres
ent decade, before the close of the present
century-its population, will reach very
near the $4,000 mark and its wealth will
increase proportionately
The Herald appreciates the many en-
terprises within this great county and
will ever be found willing to lend help
ing hand in their development.
An Interesting, s. atssman
The official declaration of two MEM
bers of the executive committee. which
conducted the single tax campaign in
Delaware last fall, to the effect that Ly-
man j. Gage, the newly appointed sec
retary of the treasury. contributed $l00
toward the expenses of that campaign
is exceedingly interesting. 1t confirms
the very general belief cherished in Chi
cago that Mr., Gage remains still a
single taxer, as he was avowedly few
years ago. The atmosphere of a national
bank parlor being decidedly ,unfavor-
able to Independent and radical thought
and expression, he has of late refrained
from joining openly in the propaganda,
hut this very gen eYo1a rift to the, Della