The San Francisco call., 1897-09-09


certain amount of trade because see lay
in the heart OF fertile section of land,
abundanty watered No Vaccinations
could deprive her OF this foundatlon.
Nevertheless, The foundations were not
wide enough in themselves 10 allow OF
much expansion. The country tributary
to Visalia look up frult-growlng when
that industry began 10 assume the Lead IN
California. but planting was restricted in
proportion to The difficulty of reaching a
market with the produce. hay and grain
and livestock growing were held back to
the same extent.
Thus Visalia lived. or perhaps only
existed, pluckily, tenaciously, sanguInely
somewhat like a town in an old COM
muni1y OF the East, somewhat as N any
towns OF the great West had done before
her. Four to six years ago new effort
was made by some of the citizens to re-
we things, and possibly to pave the way
toward an ultimate expansion. A num-
Der OF cooperative or stock fruit com
panies were formed, the shares OF which
were sold almost entirely within the
community. Through their lnstrumen-
1aiity hundreds of acres of fruit. prlnci-
pally peaches and prunes, were set out.
Early in 1895 the proposed construction
of The San Joaquin Valley Railroad was
hrulted. Visalia had had four years of
poor business and many of her people
had become discouraged. The possibility
OF a new railroad came TO them like a
dream of new hope. Notwithstanding
their long period of depression thev
rallied, held meetings. raised funds and
got ready to assist the proposition.
Less than a year later the Valley Rail-
road not only was organized, but WIS actu-
ally built through to Fresno. Quick as
sharp business foresight can possibly
work the merchants OF the city saw their
chances and put on q line OF freight teams
through 10 Fresno. The effect was more
instantaneous than tue most hopaful
could have anticipated. The contemDla-
ton OF Visalia, the fOreSworn, III inde-
pendent unicatlon with the outer
word was like a heavy, rafting earth
quake 10 the Southern Plcific. EXorbi-
tant freight rates, which had existed for
wears, were fractured within a week;
schedules were reduced, special conces-
sions were made, and SHORTLY the neces-
sity of the freight-team service was en-
tirely obviated.
The passing of few months additional
brought the Valley road 10 Hanford.
Then II was announced that II would
reach Visalia by July i There was de-
Law, however, ana August "a was next
announced as the date of the com pletion
to this point. VlsaIia began TO get ready
TO celebrate the occasion. The entire
community was enthusiastic The Valley
road was on every body's tongue. From
Hanford northward the road was offered
more business than 1t couId handle. VI
salians and Tulareans in ,eneral seemed
10 be hoping that The road would reach
their vicinity in time TO handle their
years produce also.
In July the Southern Pacific suddenly
acquired possession OF the little line OF
railroad running between VVSalia and
Goshen. Late in August the same COM
pany announced a special through train
from San Francisco 10 Y isalia-exactIy
the thing it had refused to concede twen-
ty-two years previously. exactly The thing
which il had declared i; would never Go
unless, perhaps, over the ruins OF the
town.
The capitulation-for such IT was-Came
too late. The people OF Vlsalia were con-
cerned in nothinp but their own road
the San Joaquin Valley road, the means
by which they had whipped their time
worn enemy and accomplished their own
liberation.
July had passed and August "a had
passed, but the 9th OF Septem Der was still
to come, and on that dav the way would
be clear; the world could come 10 Visalia
If ii chose at F.salia's own invitation
over EiSalia' 8 own road.
The 9th of Septem ber will arrive to-
morrow. Is Is the anniversary of the ad-
mission of California to the Union; ii is to
be the admission OF Nisalia 10 California
After its years Of repression this section
OF the country begins again to grow and
push forward. In the words of w. II.
Hammond, City Clerk and acting Mayor
Our fruit orchards are just coming into
bearing. The trees which We planted
some years ago are now maturing and we
are producing enough fruit TO BRING the
buyers here. Hitherto our farmers had
no one 20 sell 10 and therefore got dis
couraged and quit planting. One COM
pany alone will put out $50 900 worth OF
fruit this year and paw $25, 600 in wages to
local people, besides distributing its re-
sources to local stockholders. Our grain
growers are protiting by the high prices
and their money Is coming into cur local
banks, so that the banks have plenty of
money to loan and credits again are good.
I'VE have canneries which EMPLOY from
300 to 400 of our own men, women and
children. We have an Ice factory which
has reduced the price of ice from IL TO u
cen per pound and which has Increased
the consum ton OF ice by three times lis
original quantity. We have a hourmill
which is independent of the Sperry COM
bire and which is running night and day
to supply the local demand. We have a
planin g-mill, two packing houses, and we
grow plenty OF hogs and cattI". Our
horses, the Perkins stable for example,
are making records in the State meet.
"a Los Angeles company is erecting q
power plant up in the hills from which we
shall derive electricity by the first OF the
new year for our canneries, our water
works. our planning mills and our lighting
system.
The Valley road reaches Us just when
we are ready for ii, just when we need it,
and it has helped to get us ready 10 need
it. With good freight rates we can now
reach the outer world with our abundant
produce. We are become chick out OF
the shell and ready to lay"
1t would be impossible to state the situ-
alton more succinctly than Nj Ham
mond has done. The new freight rates
enforced by the Valley road guarantees
the CITY competing liberty with the rest
of the State. Since the road first assumed
tangible form the rate on -four from
Fresno has dropped from liz 10 s cents
on sugar from San Francisco the rate has
fallen from y 10 49, on canned goods,
from 70 to 81; on wire and nails, 63 TO "a
on hard ware, from "A 10 81; on buggies,
wagons, eic., from 81 30 to 80; on farming
implements, from 81 10 So; on furniture
and bedding, from 81 so to 99;on dry
goods and clothing from "A tn 61
MO ARM0h-fL6TE FACTORY.