The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
TRIUMPH OF THE TENDERFOOT
1T rs HE VINO GETS TIE PRIZES
IN THE WEST.

Lost Opportunities Of the Pioneer I'm Mining,
Real Estate. Business -Fortuncs Given
60 Newcomers by the Mistakes of the
ONd settlers Chances Overlooked.
SAN Francisco. July The story Of
the West might be told "a one OF neglected
opportunities. Talk 10 a pioneer and HI
can unfold a tale OF what might have been.
The frontiersman seems to ave been
without the gift to look into thef future, and
after all IL IL the tenderfoot who has the last
laugh. The one who penetrates the wilder.
ness is content with the sufficiency OF the
hard knocks of the day; he who follows In the
trail that has been bla2ed scans the horizon
for tomorrow signs. discovers oppor-
tunity and selves IL. He who has danced
TO the ripping crack of revolvers has become
the lord OF the West.
Grizzled forty-niners will tell how thew
rushed over the Comstock lode in pros
pecting stampedes. Settlers braved the
drvness of the Coalinga section, only TO
aldon in despair the homesteads from
which gushed millions in oil a few years
alter. The range owner whose only Use
Tor river water was to Stake the thirst Of
desert herds was forced to give way to the
irrigationist who built empires Of wealth
and plenty.
The great commercial houses from the
East established agencies and gathered
the richness Of trade. In tho real estate
booms the late conner has been the one who
profted. The pioneer did not see oppor-
tunity until he had il pointed out 10 him,
and then he was not only too late 10 invest
TO advantage but he usually was the debt
ridden property holder when the imitation
was punctured.
Professors who have been connected
with the University Of California at Berkelcv
have always preferred to live in rented
apartments in San Francisco. across the
bay, amid the scenes Of metropolitan
activity. Janitors who>came later bought
home sites cheaply near the campus. Real
estate has scared marvellously in the college
in the last few years, and while the
men Of learning are struggling along on
moderate salaries that the ~eX-janitors are
living in affluence.
The man who once owned the present
site Of the great Flood Building in San
Francisco was glad to sell it cheap. because
IL was encountered with a sand dune and
would require large expense for excavation.
A householder in the same ne~ighborhood
tOOh duNautaBC VI III
and sold him his home at what was regarded
as an e~xtravagant figure.
The householder took up his residence
in a suburb across h bay n is still a
small tradesman. Within a few years
the property brought the fastener a
fortune.
of the vagaries of fortune, always to the
- Al g.. a Al
ground. But the i'll luck Of the early bird
is not confined to the past. At the present
day opportunity is being overlooked rs
much as ever throughout the West.
II was not so long ago that the great
discoveries of gold and copper were made
in southern Nevada. though that State
had been flooded with prospectors for
more than half a century. Gravel deposits
in California have lain untouched IN equal
OF time. Within the last two or
three years dredgers have begun exploiting
them and are taking out untold millions.
On the American River rich vineyards
are being dug out that the richer ground
NAV be washed out. Houses that have
from the earliest mining days In
Folsom are being torn down hat the dredger
NAV rob the ground Of its wealth.
Tho men who have recently seen the
possibilities of developing electric power
on the streams in the Sierra Nevada for
the use Of the populous valleys below and
the cities on the coast have seized oppor-
tunity while the pioneer has been doing.
The late conner has demonstrated the
to be gained in suburban traction
Dads. Capital has not been wanting in
the West to take up these enterprises, hut
it has not seen, has not appreciated the
field before it.
Every city of consequence in the West
can furnish its examples of opportunities
miss ed. Take the case Of the beautiful
to wn OF Los Gatos, sixty miles dow the
peninsula from San Francisco and at the
foot OF the Santa Clara Valley.
The fountain rise gradually at first
and then toweringly from the town. They
a crescent in rounding the end 81
the valley. The early settler voide the
climb OF the slope Of the hillside and built
his home beside the creek. Cattle were
to Craze AMONG the stately oaks
view OF the Santa Clara Valley.
The visitor was escorted up the mountain
side to view the great sea of blooming
orchards stretching out in the valley below.
scented bree1es came as II from para,
disc. As far as the eve reached spread
the whitened expanse. Blossom day was
and people came from afar 10
look upon the wonderful sight.
On the highest peak of the encircling
range stood the dome of Lick Observa-
tory. In the distance. rising from the
midst Of the garden. were the clear outlines
of the city Of San Jose. With the changing
OF the season came the changing of the
coloring. Green and white and gold fol-
upon one another. The like Of the
view from the Los Gatos hillside cannot
easily be matched.
Yet the folk Of the town continued to let
their cattle grave over the mountain. People
OF wealth began to come to build summer
Prospects frightened for the town
and lots jumped from $40 to $50. Still the
pioneer slumbered.
IL wa 8 a New Yorker who nosed out up
portunity on the hillside not moro than a
year ago. He appreciated the value Of the
bay window view. He saw that it was one
the most attractive homesites TO be
the world over.
The cows are feeding further back in the
now. Building lots. where they
grazed 30 long. range from $500 to 81. 800
in value. Dozens of wide ~verandaed
homes have been built. At their very
doors wealth had laid for the good people
of IOa Gafna Tho oitfaidar Uhn Aianoyared