The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-20
FOLEY SEES BIG THINGS ON tine
SOUTHERN CALL F0RM0A METROPOLIS

the ocean clear back to the, noun
tains. some thirty miles away. they
are improving residential sections.
Waiting new additions, making all
manner of Improvements and prepar-
ing for the population that seems to
he coming faster than it can be taken
care OF.
And for the cauAe of it all: Well.
first climate. 1t is not tropical, o
exactly north temperate. not uuitc like
any other. In winter, there is a rainy
season of several months, with an av-
erage total of seventeen inches. 1t
is the time when they raise their bar
ley. corn. vegetables and feed. The
rain dow in torrents when it
gets started. but there are many sun
shiny days mixed in with the rain. In
summer it is dry and rainless, and
you may count with eXactitude what
you will do on a certain day in the
future. for the weather will not in
~terfcre. There is a fog in summer
that is not entirely desirable. but it
Keeps things from getting unbcarably
dry. for it condenses and makes
things moist and dewey in the morn
ing. And after the climate. which
ranges around seventy for the year.
with a range of about fifteen degrees
-'A ''S NV A"S III ISI COtIlcS lIt
fact that there is soil here capable of
producing splendid citrus fruits. For
the principal product his county of
Los Angeles is horticultural. The
oranges and lemons are an article of
immense n they thrive
mere and bring many millions of dol
lars to their growers. But, like all
other agricultural and horticultural
business. YOU want to know, first the
kind Of soil YOU have. second whether
1t Is In the frost belt. third the price
upon which it is likely to pay interest,
and lastly. o want to know the or
anec and lemon business and watch it
yourself. With these conditions full
hiled' he orange and lemon ranches
pay big returns. Otherwise, the grow
er is apt to find himself bumped by
ranches need the greatest of care,
cultivation, fertilization and good
trees. 1t isn't all play, the orange
business.
After the soil in point OF advantage
come a number Of things. Location is
one, for the city is near the ocean. and
II is on the lowest and easiest grade
from the ocean country through the
mountains to the big and growing ter
ritorN on the east of them. That
makes for good railroad facilities and
ability to supply the wants of COM
merce on the east. And then there is
the discovery of oil, which Is utilized
as fuel and for by-product. The rail-
roads use it for fuel. it is used for
heating over Los Angeles. and a con-
siderable by-product is made and sold.
Last year the production OF petroleum
N d 6nis o section Of the state was some
.5.Ooo.oO0 barrels valued at $37,5OO,-
900. 1t is an oil with an asphaltum
base, and when burned it has a smell
that make h average gasoline vapor
seem like the perfumes of Araby. But
1t solves the problem of heat and pow
er for a big section. All through the
north and east section of the city Of
Los Angeles. o will See oil derricks,
looking Ike the ~improvised Wooden
towers they use to repair trolley wires
IN the lesser metropoli of Bismarck,
Grand Forks and Fargo. They are
close together and stuck into the back
and front yards Of home owners, or
Wherever there is oil to be pumped.
And there they bring up this stuff day
and night. and make millions for
somebody. Our old friend Bert Town
send of Devils Lake, Grand Forks and
Fargo. who has made a reputation out
mere as a special attorney for the gov
eminent. is setting in TO find out to
whom a big slice of this oil land be-
longs, for it is held under patent by
railroads. but the patents exempt min
eral rights. and that's the point to be
tested. There are millions and hun
dreds of millions perhaps involved in
this suit. which Townsend is preparing
and has been for more than a wear.
He has some seventy-fve lawyers
against him. and so he ought to win.
for seventy-ive lawyers ought to be
able to muddle up any case enough to
lose it.
There are eight counties included in
the territory that is referred to down
here as Southern California" It is a
unique territory. and the people look
upon themselves as peopling a country
all of their own. They do not say
this state" but this country when
they refer to southern California. The
eight counties have a territory of 49,
600 square miles. so you get some
idea of the magnitude Of the counties
-something like Ward in the old
days. Los Angeles county has an
area Of 1000 square miles. North
Dakota has some 10000 square miles,
so YOU see southern California has an
area equal to nearly f~ve-sevenths Of
North Dakota's. There are 275 miles
of coast line along the Pacific. The
population is about 100000. or a third
OF the population of the state. And