Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-07
TROPICAL CITY
Flowers Bloom All the Year in
Sacramento.
PARK OF EIGHTEEN BLOCKS
Climate Much Like That at St.
Augustine.
MOTOR RAILWAY CARS IN USE
Sacramento Valley One Of the Last
Sections of California to
Be Settled.
PARK OF EIGHTEEN BLOCKS
MOTOR RAILWAY CARS IN USE
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

be SeLCleO.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
S,~e,al Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record-Herald
SACRAMENTO, Cal. September %, 1909.
Sacramento Is a semi-tropical city, re-
rardless Of the fact that II is located we'll
I'D in the temperate zone. and In ABOUT
the same parallel Of latitude as Denver,
Kansas City, St Louis, Cincinnati and
washington The climate is very much
Ike that of ST. Augustine. except that
there has never been a frost. Oranges.
lemons and bananas may be grown out
of doors: magnolias. camelias and other
tropical flowers blossom the whole year
,.ound in the dooryards, and the resi-
,isnce streets are lined with palmettos' the
finest have ever seen. The Capital Park.
comprising eighteen blocks in the very
center OF the city. is one OF the most ex-
t.nsive and complete botanical gardens
n the world, and contains rare trees and
rlants from every cline, and a most
lrxuriant growth of foliage and vegeta-
ton A botanist would find 1t extremely
Interesting and few parks are so beau
tiful.
Many dooryards in the residence dis.
trict are planted with rare shrubs and
deal of rivalry and pride in this respect.
The streets wide, we'll shaded and
we'll paved, and the residences. built
chiefly with wood. are unpretentious but
comfortable and show a great deal OF
taste in architecture. There is great
deal of wealth in Sacramento 1t is the
chosen home of many retired miners,
ranchmen and lumbermen. The business
streets show a good deal of activity and
the shops and stores are large and we'll
filed with goods. There is bank on al
most every corner. but until recently
there has never been a good hotel A
rather small, but modern. house was
opened to the public a few weeks ago.
and is a great Improvement upon previous
conditions, but 1t is not equal to the de-
mand, and there is talk of a new hotel
to cost million dollars upon the plan
of the ST. Francis in San Francisco,
which is good model to initiate.
Cosmopolitan City.
Sacramento is a very cosmopolitan city.
There Is Chinese quarter, a Japanese
quarter and recently a Hindu quarter,
and various other colonies Of foreigners.
Some of the orientals are rich. There are
Chinese bankers and contractors OF large
capital The potato king of California
is japanese. He is said to control the
potato crop of the entire state, which Is
very large and valuable. and owns and
has leased several farms upon which he
is cultivating potatoes on shares with
some Of his countrymen. He sets an ex-
cellent example for the rest of the popu-
lation in his industry and business meth
DDS. The Chinese. however, are more
popular than the japanese. They have
better reputation for honesty, reliability
and other good qualities. Employers of
labor prefer Chinese workmen to Japa
nese under all circumstances They say
that the Japanese are tricksters and are
dishonest; that they cannot be depended
upon: that they will leave one employer
and go to another without the slightest
provocation if they think it is to their
'pecuntary advantage.
1t is matter Of qualification that the
people of California are beginning to ap-
preciate the long suffering Chinese, who
practice what We preach, and have con-
tinued to set US good example of indus
try integrity. economy, thrift and punc-
tuality. Notwithstanding their continual
persecution by the hoodlums and politi-
Clans who have tried to get the votes of
white workingmen by abusing the orient
ais
A real estate agent who has charge of a
large number Of dwellings and shops rent
ed by Chinese told me that he prefers
Chinese tenants to white tenants under all
circumstances.
1.-The Chinese bring their rent to the
Office on the first day Of every month";
he said. II never knew one to fail; but
we have to chase our white tenants for
weeks and sometimes for months, and
then we may never collect what they owe
U.S."
Street System Like Washington's.
The streets of Sacramento are num-
bered and lettered like those in Washing
ton. and it is easy for a stranger to find
his way about. The street car system Is
admirable and we'll managed. and sew
eral trolley lines run a considerable dis
lance into the country. / have heard
about motor railway cars ever since 1
have been west, but found the first one
here in actual use-gasoline automobiles
running on the regular railroad tracks,
carrying passengers. express, mail and
small baggage on scheduled time to sup
plement the regular railway trains and
relieve them of the local traffic.
These cars were invented by r. Nc
kaeen, former master mechanic of the
Union Pacific railroad. and afterward
superintendent of motive power at Omaha.
Having obtained his patents, he formed a
company, Of which the late E. H.
Hartman was the principal stockholder.
and erected a big shop at Omaha, where
the cars are now manufactured. The
Union Pacific and Southern Pacific rail-
roads take every car they can get. and
have the preference. although few
have been sold to the Erie Rock Island,
the Santa Fee ana other roads.
The Santa Fee company is running
them between Los Angeles and San Ber-
nardino. On September IS they were put
on the road between Salem. Oregon. and
Falls City. distance Of fourteen miles.
making five round trips daily through a
fruit country which is rapidly filling up
with farmers who are planting ten-acre
and twenty-acre orchards They run from
Sacramento to Stockton on the south; to
Folsom on the east, and to Chico and Orc
vile on the north. Chico is the head
quarters OF the Diamond Match Company
Orovilie is the center of a large fruit
district and is the scene of much dredg-
ing for gold. Folsom is the seat of the
state penitentiary. Stockton is the CEN
ter of large agricultural district
Cars are also running between Stockton
miles. 10 rio
and Willows, on the main line Of the
Southern Pacific, about seventy-fve
miles, and between Truckee and Sparks
New, forty miles.
Creates a Local Traffic.
The service began here a year ago in
July and has been very successful. The
effect has been to create a local traffic
that did not exist before. People who did
not travel before are using the motor
cars because they can get in and out Of
town the same day and at frequent inter-
walls, and return to their homes after a
few hours absence. The motor cars are
just the same a trolley, for they stop
at all the crossroads, and the passengers
do not have to go TO the trouble Of buy
ing tickets. They afford the country peo-
pie an opportunity to take small quaint
ties of garden truck. eggs, butter and
rL or xx,{fh j,f,,f,