East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-01-02

SOOO acres rive Nears III AuNahce'
With mutteriugs of an international
war between the United States and
Japan occupying the attention of the
reading public. the statement that the
potato king OF the world is a Japan
Cse and that he has the potato mar
ket of California by the throat, will
doubtless be received with considera-
ble surprise. says the Oregon Sunday
Journal.
Nevertheless, that statement is true.
The spud king is also Jap and he
operates in and about Stockton, the
potato center of California, and re-
sides in San Francisco. His name is
George Shima and his domain consists
Of 5000 broad acres of the richest
delta lands of the world lying just
west of stockton. Shima leases this
land and he has his rent paid for five
years in advance. The coal famine
d6es not worry him. He meets it by
holding out for an additional sc on
each bag of potatoes.
Rockefeller may raise the price of
oil and his subjects burn candles, but
when King Shima raises the price OF
spuds his subjects pay it, for he has
the spud market in California cor.
nered.
But there is no joke about George
Shima being the potato king. He is
the greatest potato grower in the
world. He farms a larger tract of
land to potatoes than does any other |
cne man or one firm. He grows more
bags of potatoes than does any other
person or corporation. He counts his
acres by the thousands and his profits
BY the hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. His employees are legion, and
with the exception of the white men
who operate his launches and act as
his agents, his help are all japanese
and Chinese. The latter look to him
as more than a king. Next to their
incense honored idol, he is their god
King Is Americanizcd.
George Shima is not a heather ia
vorite of fortune. He is Americana
ed in business, domestic life and re-
lig!on. That he is not an American
citizen is more the fault of the laws
Of the land than of his desires, but as
ne is denied citizenship in the United
states he remains a patriot subject of
his mikado. His family of wife and
three children reside with him at 1859
Fulton street, San Francisco, but he
is forced to spend the greater part of
his time experimenting the work on
his Potato ranches and watching the
potato market in Stockton. He has
learned potato growing from drudg-
cry tn cpulence.
Seventeen years ago, at the age of
% years. George Shima came from
Japan to New Hope. in this country.
He went to work for Arthur Thorn
ton pulling stumps along the Muke-
lume river. Shima was good stump
puller. but as he did not come to
America to pull stumTs, hut to get an
education in farming he worked at
thet labor but a few months. He soon
saw that there was great money in
growing potatoes in tho rich delta
lands of this county and he set about
learning all there was to be found
ont about growing potatoes.
Rents Few Acres,
With his new knowledge and q few
dollars saved from his meager wages
he rented a few acres along the Mo-
ke.umne river and planted his first
crop of potatoes. He had to hire the
pIowing done and the hoeing and dig
ging he did with his own hands. He
hung on to what he made.
Each succeeding year he had more
and more potatoes to ship from the
river bank TO the Stockton market
The steamer companies insisted on
him paying cash for the freight on
delivery. Now they would give him
credit for a steamboat line, but he is
still paving cash, or rather by check.
Net much was heard about George
Shima until last season. Their when
the potato buyers needed potatoes and
needed them badly they found that
George Shima had the only available
supply. Shima knew this before the
buyers came to him. He was not
ready 10 sell. The market went up
and up. and suddenly the potatoes
which the buyers had secured in Col
Orado and Utah came and the market
broke in day. Shima lost $4,000
but he did not whimper.
This season, just coming to a close
found Shina the 81 eatest potato grow
OF In the world. He dug over 100000
hags Of fine potatoes on his leased
ground Refore he had finished dig
ging them he had leased for five
years nearly 5000 acres of the newest
delta lands in the county and had paid
Si5 cash rental per acre and paid in
advance