Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-03-20

other improvements. And from the
ocean clear back to the mountains,
some THIRTY miles away. they are i'm
proving residenttal sections. plating
new addi tons, making all manner Of
improvements and preparing for the
population that seems to be coming
faster than 1t can bs taken care of.
And for, the cause of it: Well, first,
oEmates It is not tropical. not exact
ly north temperate, not quite like any
other kind. LIN winter, there is a
rainy season OF several months, with
an average total Of, II inches. 1t is
the time when they raise their barley.
corn, vegetables and feed. The rain
comes down i'm torrents when it gets
started, but there. are many sunsihiny
days MIXED ip W h the rain. In sum-
u1er 1t 10 a dry and rainless. and you
may count wtth exactitude what You
will do on a certain day in the future,
tor the weather will not interfere
There is a fog IN summer that is not
entirely desirable, but it keeps Things
from getting unbearably dry. for 1t
condenses and makes things moist
and dewey in the morning. And after
the climate, Wtatch ranges around 70
for the year, with a range of about
fifteen degrees during the day and
might. comes the fact that there is
soil here capable Of producing splen-
did citrus fruits. For the principal
product of this country of Los Angeles
~ horticultural. The oranges and
lemons are an article of immense COM
marce, and they thrive here and brdng
many millions Of dollars to their
growers. But, Hike all other agricul-
tural and horticultural business. you
want to know, first he-kind OF, soil
you have, second whether 1t Is In the
frest belt. third the price upon which
it Is Mely to pay interest, and lastly,
you want to know the orange business
conditions fulfilled. the orange and
lennon ranches pay big returns. Other
wise, the grower is apt to find himself
bumped by the rock of bitter ex-
perience. The ranches need, the
greatest of care, cultivation. fertiliza-
ton and good trees. It isn't all play,
the orange business.
After the coil in point nf advantage
come q number of things. Location
is one. for the city is near the ocean,
and 1t rs on the lowest and easiest
grade from the ocean country through
the mountains to the big and growing
territory 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 uti.
liked as fuel and for byproduoh. The
railroads use 1t for fuel, Ut is used for
heating over Los Angeles, and a con-
siderable by product Is made and sold.
Last year the production Of petroleum
in this section of the state was some
75, 000, 900 barrles valued at $37.500, 900
It IL an oil with an asphaltam base,
and when burned it has smell that
makes the average gasoline vaper
seem like the perfumes of Araby.
But It SOLVES the problem of heat and
power for a big section. ALI through
the north and east section Of the city
of Los Angeles, you will see oil der
ricks, looking like TIE improvised
wooden towers they use 10 repair troll
ley wires IN the lesser metopoli OF
Bismarck, Grand Forks and Fargo.
They are close together and stuck in
to the back and front yards Of the
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 Townsend of Devils Lake. Grand
Forks and Fargo, who has made a
reputation out here AZ Z special at
torney for the government, is setting
to ind out to whom a big slice OF this
oil land belongs, for It is he'd under
patent by railroads but the patents
exempt mineral rights, and that's the
point to, be tested. There are millions
and hundreds of millions perhaps IN
VOWED IN this suit, which Townsend
Is preparing and has been tor more
than q year. He has some seventy
five lawyers against .xm and 20 he
ought to win, for seventy I'VE lawyers
ought to be able to qfnddle up any
case enough to lose 1t.
- ~ ~
There are eight counties included
in the territory that Is referred to
down here as Southern California"
It u = unique territory and the people
look upon themselves - peopling q !;
country ali of their own. They do j
not say this state" but chs country
when they refer to Southern Cali
fornia The eight counties have q
territory k $4,000 square miles, 50 you
Get some idea of the magnitude Of the
counties something like Ward IN the
old dsya Los Angeles county has an ;
area Of 1000 square miles North
Dakota has some 10000 square miles,
70 yoa see Southern California has an