Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-01

has overtaxed the heretofore existing
| routes, causing delay and loss to Cali
fornia shippers.
| From the edge of San Francisco bay
| to the summit of the Sierra the new
road taps one OF the richest parts of
| the American continent the great CEN
trail valley Of California. Watered in
| it's northern half by the southwark
| flowing Sacramento river, and in its
| southern half by the northward flow
| ing San Joaquin, with many narrow
| side valleys extending into the recessco
| of the Sierra and drained by tributary
| streams, the valley of California Is
an empire in itself, rich both in soil
and minerals and capable of support
| ing twenty times Its present popula-
| ton. The Western Pacific cuts di-
rectly across the middle of this SPLEEN
did country at the point where it,
| avenues of communication from both
directions naturally converge and taps
| II at its three most important centers
Sacramento stockton, and Oakland.
From these points its branch lines can
| reach out to the extremlties of the
whole 400 mile range of the valley
which is far from having adequate
railroad facilities at present and can
draw traffic from the whole of i,s
1000 square miles. Eastward from
the great valley, in the Sierra region,
the road opens a new mining and tim
her country larger than the state of
Connecticut and heretofore without
transportation facilities. In the Sierra
the virgin forest extends so miles from
the right of way on each side and
IL is estimated that the timber traffic
alone from this district will amount
to Sl.000000 a year.
GREAT TRADE OF SAN FRAN
CISCO.
Around San Francisco Bay and in
the central valley of the state are
found more than two thirds Of the
population and wealth of California
Through the cities of this region passes
still greater proportion of the trade
of the state. How great that trade is
may he conceived from the figures or
CALIFORNIA; development and produc-
ton in the past two years. There
were entered in California, under the
homestead acts in 1906, 211 .567 acres
OF public lands; In 1907 l13.43S acres.
The total sales of public lands for
cash under the homestead and other
acts We're. in 1906, S09,Sll acres and In
1907. 5192si acres. There still remained
In the state, I'm 1907. 30,391, 900 acres OF
public lands unappropriated. Much OF
this land lies in the regions on the
slopes of the Sierra and will becoms
valuable on the opening of the terri
tory to markets. Caifornia's timber
production in 1906 was 1,34S 600, 900
feet worth 500, 726, 600 and. as previously
described, there are millions of acres
of practically virgin forests still within
| the state. In the national forest re-
serves alone, mostly in the Sierra re-
gion, there are 2S,000000 acres. secured
| from destruction, which will be per-
manent source of future traffic under
| wise methods of use.
Then there are the mines. In 1906
they produced gold to the amount of
SlSS32. 900, and silver TO the amount of
$l.027.0 600. Some of the most productive
| gold fields of the state are in the ter
ritory traversed by the Western Pacific.
There Is also to be considered the
manufactures of the state, which use
raw material to the value of over
1925, 900 annually and turn out over
$3.50, 100000 in products. These manu-
featuring industries are largely concen-
trated I'm San Francisco. Oakland,
Stockton and Sacramento.
All this is without consideration of
the agricultural product of the state,
which is greater in value than all the
others combined. More than 90 900 car
loads of fruit. wine and vegetables
alone are shipped from the state an
nually. and the trade in these products
Is increasing by leaps and bounds
There is also to be considered the
traffic wholly within the state from the
producing points 10 tne distributing
centers, and especially to the port OF
San Francisco, which last year shipped
abroad S33, 100000 of goods and In 1906
nearly S4O0 900, 600 The imports into San
Francisco, which are also for the most
part distributed by rail to interior
destinations, were s54. 100000 in 1907 and
| over $4,000, 600 in 1906.
| II is possible. however. to obtain moro
detailed figures on the traffic yielded by
the regions which the Western Pacific
reaches. In California the road touch
| es or crosses the counties of IAssen.
| Plumas, Sierra Nevada, Butte, Placer.
| Yuba Suffer. Sacramento, San Joaquin,
| Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa
| ana Solano These counties include the
portions of the Sierra, the Sacramento
Valley and the Bay region directly
tributary To the road. In addition, it's
| connections in the south will open to
| II the San Joaquin valley, embracing
the counties OF Fresno, Kings MADEIRA,
MERGED, Stanlslaus, Tulare and Kern
the trade of which passes naturally
| through Stockton.
In the year 1908 the products of these
| counties shipped out OF the state In
cluded 4,7s1,Co0 boxes of fresh fruit.
i us ,d pounds Of other orchard and
wine and brandy 1859 600 pounds of
| wool and 100000 bushels of grain, be-
sides dairy and poultry products in
| large amounts.
These figures do not by any means
| represent the entire product of the
counties mentioned, but merely that
portion OF their product which was re-
! ported ms shipped to points outside the
state. Even on this point they are adj
mittedly not a complete representation
OF the traffic produced by the district
| covered. For example that portion OF
the product first shipped to one OF tho
several distributing points within the
| state and then transhipped to destIna.
lions in another State are in large part
not included, or are credited as pro-
ducts of the place Of transshipment.
Nor do these figures take any account
OF the traffic wnolly within the state
| Tho traffic possibilities of the terri
tory directly reached by the Western