The San Francisco call., 1907-01-18
BOOM IN EASTERN
CONTRA COSTA
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE cAI.L.


BYRON, Jan. 17.-Eastern Contra
Costa is coming to the front at rapid
rate. The towns of Byron. Knightsen.
Oakley and Brentwood are all pros
porous and growing. The people are
progressive and energetic and full Of
enthusiasm for the future
An evidence of the awakening of the
district is the installation of a farmers
telephone. embracing all prominent
farms in radius of thirty miles.
one branch is now completed from
Brentwood to Knightsen, a distance of
six miles. On this line there are fifteen
subscribers and the cost to each was
s33, or total of s495.
The Byron Knightsen branch is much
longer and extends over twenty one
miles of territory. The number of
signers is thirty three. at a cost TO each
of $50. or a total of $500.
This makes in all forty -eight mem
bers representing a total outlay of
s14S5.
The line is the exclusive property of
the farmers. The cost will be So a
year for interurban communication.
Connection has been made with the
Sunset for outside service.
The Byron branch is known as the
Byron Farmers Telephone Company,
with the following ISt OF OfflcerS.
President, Volney Taylor; treasurer.
w w. Hoffman; secretary, A. ]. Living
stone; board Of directors-W. w Hoff-
man. president; L. V. Richardson. trea-
surer; Mott Preston. secretary; Roy
McCabe and H. T. Hammond
As soon as the Byron-Knigrtsen
branch is completed, which will be
about the 2Sth of this month the Oak
-Knightsen line will be taken IN.
he Il <,f0 0o1x leu !,
vice now to the island country, but it
is thought they will connect with the
main farmers line.
The agitation for a rural telephone
was commenced three months ago by
the Byron Times, which published long
articles each week calling attention to
the advantages to be derived
Efforts are also being made to in
terest capital in the construction of an
electric line from Stockton to Byron
across the island country. The building 2
of such a line would result in the
greatest boom Contra Costa ever en-
joyed. 1t would attract great atten-
tion to this wonderfully rich district.
The travel from pleasure seeking
standpoint would be tremendous. for
there is no more beautiful ride any
where An effort will be made to raise
a large bonus to induce the Central
ton to take the matter up. Failing in
this, 1t is believed a company will be
formed and place 100000 in bonds on
the market to carry out the project.
Eastern Contra Costa and the island
country contain the most fertile lands
in the State. The amount of hay pro-
duced in this district the last season
exceeded all records and the farmers
obtained splendid prices for the product
IN he nf ha wall lox
alfalfa is raised the year round with
out irrigation. as many as six and
seven crops being produced. In the
island country, notably on Jersey
Island, Clifton Court, the Byron Tract
and Orwood, most OF which has been
reclaimed in recent years, the yield of
potatoes, asparagus and celery was
enormous the past season.
Several island farmers cleaned up a
profit Of s1O,o each on 240 acre tracts
of potatoes. The finest celery produced
is raised on the Jersey tract near
Knishtsen. The celery beds are one of
the wonders of the country. The
product is shipped in large quantities
to the East. where 1t has obtained a
great reputation 1t is pure white and
commands a premium
Another movement for this district S
DEVELOPMENT will soon be inaugurated.
The proposition embodies the bonding
of several large tracts of land and
placing them on the market They will
be sold in forty. sixty and hundred
acre lots. Several of the large land
owners have signified willingness to
give up portions of their holdings for
the purpose of inducing settlers to come
here.
The rains during the last few weeks
have been more than sufficient Ten
inches of rain has fallen for the season.
The wheat acreage will be small. owing
to the heavy rains, but the barley
planted will exceed all previous records.
The outlook was never better and the
farmers of this prosperous region ex-
pect a banner year.