The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-10-23
TELLS OF CALIFORNIA LANDS
Former Kenoshan Believes that Time
will Come When California will be
Suitable Place for Farmers but Finds
Many Drawbacks at the Present time
Riverside, Calf, Oct. II. 1913.

After a six months residence in the
state the agricultural possibilities of
this part of California are still more or
less of a conundrum to me and naturally
was eager to yisit the first county fair
ever held in River5ide county, which
was in progress in this city during the
past week. One of the first persons
the newcomer is greeted by is the real
estate agent. The real estate profess
sion is by far the most popular of all
the means of making a livelihood in
the west. The agents constitute Of
themselves a reception and welcoming
committee to the tenderfoot who is apt
to be surprised that his acquaintance
is so eagerly cultivated and his friend
ship sought for in land of strangers.
Tie reason becomes plain later on.
The real estate men are a great help
to the country in many ways. They
help the newcomer to get acquainted
with conditions and they put him in
contact with the land, which most
newcomers seek. But they are also
detriment to the country and in too
many cases play the part of 81 the old
man Of the sea in the tale Of Sinbad,
the Sailor. Once they get their legs
twisted around the neck and are,
metaphorically speaking, comfortably
seated on the back Of the country, they
are a most burdensome handicap. A
blight of speculation and land gambling
follows in their trail until is developed
an assortment of land owners whose
sole idea of the producing power Of
land is that it shall when sold produce
a profit over its purchase price.
This does not apply to land alone,
but to houses and business property as
well. People build houses for the pur-
pose of selling them at profit and it
is recognized that the cheapest way
to get home is to buy lot and build
for yourself. This leads to condi-
ton where whether property yields
an income or not it is highly import
ant that the possible purchaser shall
think it does and I could name many
instances Of questionable enterprises
INDUCED in for the sake Of the sell
ing effect on the tenderfoot with
checkbook. Among the saner propos-
ais are the growing Of oranges, lemons,
walnuts, peaches, apricots, grapes. All
of these are profitable to growers
whose land is properly selected and
adapted, but many newcomers have
learned by sad experience that they
can not be grown anywhere and by
anyone. Above all they should not be
gore INTO by people removed from the
scene of industry. I would as lief
invest in mining shares any day as in
an orange orchard located in remote
section. Yet there are a number of
companies in Southern California who
make business Of selling orange land,
and planting and cultivating for alb
sentee investors.
Granted he has health and strength
/ believe a farmer can succeed CON
siderably easier in ths middle west
than he can in California. That is, un-
der present conditions. Some day when
they get the hot air squeezed out of
land values there will be race of
yeomen here who will raise alfalfa and
chickens and cultivate the dairy COW.
There is fine opportunity. Butter in
October is 45c pound and eggs are
38c dozen.
But we started for the county fair.
A visit there will give you an idea of
what they raise in this country. The
fair was held in Chemawa Park in the
south end Of the city. Riverside is
seven miles long and two-thirds of the
soil within the city limits is devoted
to orange growing. There is half
mile race track at Chemawa Park.
Several large tents and a number OF
small ones were erected within the cir
cult. In the large tents were the ex-
hibits and in the small ones were the
concessions and side shows.
Naturally there was crudeness every
where, but the display was surprisingly
good considering the newness Of the
country. What California can do when
she sets about it was Illustrated in the
hundred pound squashes and pumpkins,
peaches as large as musk MELONS, big
pears and giant apples, grapes as large
as walnuts. There is no country can
beat California in raising grapes. The