The record-union., 1897-10-07
OUR PRODUCTS AT HAMBURG
A SURPRISE TO ALL EUROPEAN
VISITORS.
An Interesting Letter From Com
missioner Hector to DR..
G.. L. Simmons.

Robert Hector Of Placer County, one
of the California Commissioners to the
Hamburg Exposition, and now in
charge of the State exhibit there, writes
the following interesting letter to DR..
G. L. Simmons of this city. After re-
ferring to his meeting with the doctors
son Samuel, and some other personal
matters, Mr.. Hector writes:
Hamburg, Sept. 10, 1897.
&C. L. Simmons, NJ. D., Sacramento
Dear Doctor: AS you know, I am here
in the interest of California. The ex-
hibit has done untold good in raising
our products in the estimation of Eu-
ropean people. At present $4,000 cases
of California dried fruit have been sold
in Hamburg, to be distributed in the
interior of Europe. 1t may seem
strange, but it is actually the fact. The
exhibit was instrumental in assisting
Hamburg importers to sell California
dried fruit to England.
THE exposition has been a wonderful
surprise. Rare flowers and plants from
all parts of the world were brought
here. For six months there have been
weekly changes of plants and flowers,
as the seasons progressed. The frigid
temperate and torrid zones, side by side,
changed from week to week, in a night,
always the best, and always beautiful
This can give only a limited explana
ton of the scope of the display and
the vastness of the undertaking. One
cannot grasp the idea in a few days,
but must have the opportunity to see
from beginning to end and note all the
alterations.
Nothing can give the reader a better
understanding than kaliedescope-one
change after the other, in quick sue
cession the last more beautiful than
it's predecessor, and so on. Just at this
time the remaining two weeks are to
be devoted to green fruit exhibits, and
how l do wish I could telegraph one
of our annual State Fair exhibits of
green fruit and have it in competition
with France, Italy, Hungary. Spain,
Asia Minor, and some of the minor
countries adjacent, which are all up
and in arms over the rapid foothold
that California fruit and wine is gain
ing here.
These Governments have each ap-
propriated large sums of money to be
able to successfully compete with Cali
fornia's green fruit exhibit. which
had hoped all the time to receive, but
which hope at this late date I must
9bandon. 1t takes energy and material
to compete with these countries. which
all have made such displays. both with
appropriations and uniformed dig
nitaries.
However. we have the fruit. if we
only had it on the spot. When we con-
slider the limited amount of our appro-
priation, the excellent quantity and
quality of our exhibit. the very fiat
tering actual results of real sales. we
as be ginners should he we'll satisfied
The daily attendance is very large
and uniform. The directors spared
neither time nor money in offering in
ducements and beautifying the grounds.
All expenses are paid. and they have
half million marks at this time as a
surplus
Hamburg is cosmopolitan The large
amount of foreign travel makes 1t ap-
pear like an American metropolis Wis
itors who have Travelled in tropical and
semi tropical countries, who have seen
and tested fine fruits, eagerly inquire
about California. its climate. soil. fruits
and products. l generally leave them
with the best impressions of California
1T will now largely depend upon Cal
ifornians 70 see to it that these good
impressions are not effaced. We must
endeavor 10 have our fruits and wines
always first class. and always true to
label-not mix inferior with good fruit,
hut keep each grade separate. Then
We must abandon consignments. BY
observing these rules strictly. and en-
forcing them. California fruits and
wine will receive what they are justly
entitled to-the highest prices paid any
where for such products"