The record-union., 1897-10-06
Oxnard's Proposition fIade
to Sacramentans.
All That He Asks is the Planting
of 10000 Acres of Beets.
Sacramento Has the Best Beet Sugar
Land in the State-The FARM
ers Are Aroused.

PROBABLY the most important propo-
sition the people Of Sacramento County
We're ever called on to determine is
now before them, and must be solved
within two weeks.
That question is, Shall the culture Of
sugar beets become the greatest indus
try in the county, and shall a factory
be erected at this city, as central
point for the rich farming lands ad-
joining. or shall the capital now seek
ing investment and anxious to acquire
a foothold here, be told to move on?'
And the question must be answered
by the farmers themselves.
It is not a question of raising dollars
and cents as a bonus or subsidy for
capitallsts-men who thoroughly under
stand the culture Of beets and the pro-
duction of sugar-as they propose TO
erect the plant without one cent of
subscription, but it is a question of
taking advantage Of the chance offered
and planting an acreage to beets which
will suffice to give a factory a full run
throughout the season.
1t has been estimated by conserva-
tive land graders that between 100000
and 10000 acres of land in Sacra-
cessful culture of the beets, and that
10000 to 1000 acres are available, and
recent tests of the articles grown shows
a per centum Of sugar far above the
average And now, in order to secure
the erection, without cost to them, of
a factory having a capacity of 1000
tons Ter day, the landowners have only
to enter into a contract by which they
1.f fr T71a nj fn
of the 10000 acres available to their
culture, and to keep up that acreage for
a period of FIVE years.
During and subsequent to the recent
State Fair the Chino sugar beet ex-
pert, William r. Gird. conducted
number of experiments with sugar
beets that had been planted and grown
under the direction Of the Chamber of
Commerce of this city, and the result
of those tests-an of which were pub
lished in the Record Union invent far
toward opening the eyes of Sacramento
County landowners to the fact that
the lands in this section are better
adapted to the culture of beets than
any other in the State, and with the
steady. lucrative prices paid for the
product they have come to look upon
vor.
But Expert Gird's report did not
stop with Sacramento County. 1t was
placed in the hands of H. T. Oxnard,
President of the American Beet Sugar
Company, and succeeded in enlisting
his interest in this section. He also
avowed his intention Of erecting a fac
tory provided the owners of the land
and the tillers of the soil would help
themselves and insure the company he
represents that sufficient acreage will
be planted to beets to keep a factory
busy throughout the season.
Mr.. Oxnard made no secret of the
fact that he was pleased with the out
look of Sacramento County as a notable
beet producer. and in order to see what
might be done he expressed a desire to
meet and talk with some of the land
owners of the county, with a view to
making arrangements for erecting a
factory at this or some other place to
be decided on before the 1st Of No
vember.
The Chamber of Commerce took the
matter in hand and invited Mr.. Ok
nard 10 visit the city yesterday, and
at the same time extended invitations
to as many representative farmers and
landowners in the county as could be
seen to be present and confer with
him.
Mr. Oxnard arrived at 11:30 D. m.
and was met at the depot by Mayor
Hubbard and a committee from the
Chamber of Commerce, consisting of D.
A Lindley. T. B. Hall. Frank Miller
and J. 0. Coleman. President Steffens
received Mr.. Oxnard at the Sutter Club.
where lunch was served. The meeting
was held in the rooms Of the Chamber
OF Commerce, and was presided over
by the President of the Chamber, JOS
eph Steffens.
After an introduction to those as
sembled, Mr.. Oxnard lost no time in
getting to the subject. He prefaced the
proposition he had to make by the
statement that he had built and is at
present operating a factory at Chino.
having a daily capacity of T50 tons.
and that he had built other factories.
two CT which are in Nebraska
1t is his intention. he said. to build
another factory of larger capacity