Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-04
GOOD TIMES ON THE PACIFIC
Gerrit Fort Deeply Impressed with
Natural Beauty and Mans Enter
prise in California.

Gerrit Fort assistant general passenger
agent of the Union Pacific, who has been
making a three weeks trip through the
west has returned and brings glowing re-
ports Of the prosperity which is enveloping
the whole western country.
II have been to California a number of
times, but have never before seen 1t under
more favorable conditions" said Mr.. Fort
"or been so deeply impressed with the be-
lief that the development of the state Is as
yet in it's infancy For some days before
my arrival in southern California there had
been a heavy rainfall which was much
needed When l arrived the weather was
beautiful and continued so during my en-
tire stay.
The orange growers of southern Cali
fornia are commanding fairly high prices
for their product this year and are happy
and prosperous. Los Angeles and the towns
surrounding it are developing at a rate
that fairly astounds an eastern man, but
the growth seems to be a substantial one
and not at all of the mushroom variety,
although there is an unmistakable boom
The building of the San Pedro, Los An
geles G. Salt Lake railroad has been an inn
portant factor in giving an impetus to the
development OF southern California, and
the low rates which all of the transconti-
mental railway lines have made each spring
and fall for the last few years, and which
will be again authorized this year from
February IS to April l. have been the means
OF attracting hundreds Of thousands Of
tourists, a considerable portion of whom
either have remained in the state or made
investments there.
"A noticeable fact which ! heard COM
mented upon frequently by California peo-
pie is that a large portion Of recent settlers
in that state came from Nebraska, Iowa.
Minnesota and Dakota. 1t seemed to me
nearly every man | met in Los Angeles,
Pasadena. Riverside Long Beach and the
other towns l visited in the southern part
of the state hailed from Iowa or Nebraska.
Californians are congratulating themselves
on securing this desirable class Of settlers.
From Los Angeles | went to San Fran
cisco over the Coast line of the Southern
J Pacific, stopping route at San Jose,
( which is located In the beautiful Santa
| Clara valley. This valley Is, To the eye at
| least the most attractive spot in all CAL
| ifornia. IT is one vast garden of deciduous
fruits and grapes, he orchards being mainly
in the valley and the vineyards covering
! half way to their summits-the hills which
| surround IL.
Our representative In the Santa Clara
valley is Mr.. R. S. Ruble, who is well
known in Omaha. He showed me letter
! from Mr.. Goerltz, business manager of the
Metropolitan Opera company and who is Mr..
Ruble's personal friend. telling Mr. Rubie
| that he was thinking seriously of making
the Santa Clara valley his permanent home,
! and asking him TO look around for a suit
| able place which he could examine on his
next trip to California. Coming from a
1 co., xsrtfl ha NNsDn 10 nf
! Europe and who has lived for years in
Italy, II seems to me this Is pretty high
! testimonial to the attractiveness of life in
| California.
"One may search the United States with
out finding more hosptable or generous
hosts than the California people. They all
! take a deep pride I'm the development of
/ their magnificent state and are anxious to
| show Il all to visitors from the east, and
do not know Of any more attractive place
| in which to sojourn or abide permanently
L A. 4. IL, .a,SITa