The San Francisco call., 1904-04-11
Modesto Tells What
Coming Jubilee
Signifies.
Alameda Makes Plan
to Secure More
Attention.

Among the IedQ1nS events now inter-
esting the interior counties of Califor-
MIA is the coming Jubilee at Modesto
on April % and %, to commemorate the
completion and successful operation of
great Irrigation system. A circular
has been issued by the Jubilee Press
Committee from which some idea of
the Importance of the event to be cell
ebrated to the people dwelling in and
about Modesto may be gained. The
circular asserts that the jubilee will
mark an epoch in the history of Cali
fcrnia," and continues:
1T will signalize the completion and
successful operation of the greatest ir-
rigation system in America, one of the
greatest in the world, planned, con-
structed, owned and managed by the
owners of the 260,000 acres of land ira
Versed by the canals--by the people,
organized for the purpose in two mu-
nicipal corporations known as the
Modesto and Turlock Irrigation dis
tricts.
Thirty thousand acres have already
been withdrawn from grain cultivation
and devoted to alfalfa, vines, Cali
myrna figs, oranges. almonds, peaches,
sweet potatoes and other products for
which irrigation is necessary, and the
results to date have more than graft
fed the most sanguine expectations.
Settlement and development are
proceeding at a rapid pace. From the
Stanislaus River to the incredible
tween which the districts he, the
Tuolumne River (navigable to Modesto
for a portion of the year, dividing
them and furnishing an abundant sup
ply of water for both-a vista of new
folds
chards and vineyards presents to the
traveller; and score of great canals,
veritable rivers on the plain, feeding
the distributing bitches, are crossed In
passage. Visitors on the occasion of
the Jubilee will be taken on train and
carriage excursions through these
scenes so pregnant of transformation
and prosperity.
SETTLERS BY THOUSANDS.
within less than eighteen months
over 5000 settlers have made their
homes in these districts, and once un-
broken grain ranches of from $40 to
10000 acres in a body have been sub
divided and score of families will
now often be found where formerly
there was but one. On one of the
largest tracts fully 100 families now
have homes, and on another in excess
of 1000 men, women and children, all
from the Middle West, have made
their habitation and are prospering.
Modesto's population has in the in
terim jumped from 1000 to about 5000,
the settlement of Ceres has doubled in
population and the little town of Tur-
lock has trebled it's people and business
houses.
''The cost of this great enterprise
was s2,5O0O00, representing bonded
Indebtedness of less than $40 per acre
on the land, of which only the inter
est, at per cent, is payable during the
next twenty years. Enhanced values
and business already represent double
the investment.
"A great concrete dam thirty miles
higher up on the Tuolumne River, con-
structed ten years ago at cost Of
$3.50. 600. raises the water to a level
from which 1t is taken on either side
by the main canals of the districts. One
of these is IA and the other ga feet in
width on the bottom, and they are
designed to carry volumes Of water
eight and six feet in depth, respect
lively. These main canals are each
twenty-five miles in length and supply
200 miles of laterals ranging from 40
down to 20 feet in width.
Great wealth for the people of the
districts and for the State will flow
from this enterprise, and the example
will stimulate the people of other sec
tions to place themselves in like posi-
ton. independent of the exactions of
private companies, deriving the water
at minimum cost and attaching il to
the land inalienably and in perpetu-
ity."