The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-05-17

farmers ever flourished before in Amer
lea in so short time
Their gross sales that year approx
mated $15O,O00. They established a
commission house in San Francisco
under the firm name of j. M. Horner
& Co.. Mention Is made of reports of
Californa's barrenness sent out, one
result of which was the formation Of a
company in New York ito run a
steamship line between San Francisco
and the Sandwich Islands for the ex-
press purpose of supplying California
with vegetables"
The Horners bought a steamer In
| 1851 to carry their produce to market.
Their gross sales that year approx
| imated s270,000. In the fall Professor
Shelton, botanist, held the first agri-
cultural fair ever held in California,
and some months afterward John M.
Horner received a silver goblet, the
| largest premium offered, from the pro-
fessor accompanied by letter in which
he assured him he fully recognized his
right to the title of pioneer in that
branch of public industry.
! In 1852 Mr.. Hosmer sent his brother
William east on business and he
brought out with him their father and
mother and all their other children
and children's children, together with
two of John MS wife's sisters and a
brother and others, making a company
of 22 altogether. They kept on buy
ing lands. letting some out to tenants,
and in 1853 their potato crop reached
the enormous quantity of 22.OOO,O0O
pounds and they had 1900 acres OF
wheat and barley. besides great crops
of cabbage, tomatoes and onions. They
built a flour mill at a cost of $S5,000.
the first in California. That year they
were awarded silver cup for the best
exhibit among eight of California made
-four The Horners started stage line
to San Jose and opened 16 miles or
public road which have never since
been changed except to reduce their
width to 66 feet from the 100 feet the
pioneer builders had fenced them.
So the Horners grew largely wealthy
for those days but, having little con-
fidence in commercial banks. they plac-
ed their money in lands and business
| investments. In connection with others
they bought 21O0 acres, the tract known
as the Potrero, and soon after PAID
$500, 900 for a confirmed grant just
above it. The names they gave the
I streets in the portions plotted are still
retained In San Francisco, and the
4 property Is assessed as situated In
"Horner's Addition" and in a separate
set of books from other city property,
I Mr.. Horner could not remember hav-
ing ever refused, at this time, to give
loan or an endorsement to any of the
large number seeking such favors from
him. This was up to 1858, of which
period Mr. Horner writes:
"Our prospects at this time We're
bright and our property ample to gra-
I tify every wish, and yearly increasing
/ and as | nor my brother neither ever
drank, smoked. gambled or dissipated
in any way, no cloud of doubt ever
crossed our mental visions, that our
property should not always continue to
Increase as we attended strictly to
business
From that he tells a tale of disaster,
coming when the first wave of money
panic struck California, and swept
over America with such disastrous re-
suits from 1853 to 1889 Space Will not
permit details, but IA single item Is
that 1t cost the Horners S2S0,000 in gold
to pay a $4,000 endorsement. Mr., Hor-
ner was left by the financial storm
where he had started from seven years
before. Dauntlessly, however the Hor-
ners went to work again taking con-
tracts and farming, but from various
malefc causes their crops failed and
their progress the last few years In
California was slow,
In 1879 ]. NJ. Horner and his brother
made contract with Claus Spreckels
TO come 10 the Hawaiian Islands and
cultivate sugar for him on shares. They
chartered schooner to bring their
families, numbering is souls, household
effects. horses and farming tools, and
arrived ON the Island of Maui on De-
cemher 25, 1879. They had 800 acres
allotted 10 them Having planted a
much larger area than they had con-
tracted for. j. NJ, Horner a Sons bor-
rowed $4,000 the first year When the
crop was harvested In two years they
returned the borrowed money with in
terrst and had a net profit from their
venture OF $4,000. As Mr., spreekeis
could not let them have more land
they prospccted ON different islands,
While his brother William Y. Horner
settled on Maui and prospered, John
NJ H0rner A sons established the