CJ9 866 apy 1 Published by authority of the Oh lifoniisi State Hoard of Trai'.e. IH Post fJfreet, Sau Francisco, latioii about California supplied updu application. c/\L|poF^[^i/\"5 r^^^^E^^ Ten Years of the State's Development a.,. TT'RT Compara ve F^e50upees CT^ILE Stiite Board of Trade is enabled, throuoh the kindness of Governor (Oy Budd, to give to the public the following very interesting letter from the Second Vice-President and General Manager of the Southern Pacific Company, A. N. Towne. The ,s'h(rrtdng made in this letter is highly grati- fying to Californians, and will be found very instructive to those interested in California's progress as well as to the student of Califoi-nia's resources. In the matter of statistical data it is one of the most valuable communications that has been sent forth from any source for a long time. In permitting its publication for the benefit of Californians and the information of inquiring millions, the California State Board of Trade takes this method of expressing its obligations to Governor James H. Budd, to whom it is addressed. San Francisco, May 2, 1895'. To His Excellenru, Honorable J. H. Budd, Governor of 'California, Sacramento, Cal. My Dear Sir:— Mr. William H. Mills has read tO me his communication to you under date of the 30th ult., written in behalf of the California State Board of Trade, urging the expediency of temporarily removing the California exhibit, now at their rooms in this city, to Atlanta, Georgia, for the purpose of exhibi- tion at the Cotton States and International Exchange Exposition, to be held at tha laT'.ei- place in SeiJtember, 1895, and while I cannot hope to add anything that V. o.ila strengthen the argumeri advanced by Mr. Mills in favor of this — 2 <,^^^'V proposition, as he is so well informed in regard to all these matters and invariably covers the- entire ground of reasoning- in respect to any position that he takes, I thought possibly in considei-ing this question of placing before the visitors to the exposition at Atlanta these substantial evidences of our resources and possi- bilities, you might find it interesting to note a fevsr statistics, compiled principally from United States Census Reports, demonstrating what a marvelous growth our State shows, particularly during the decade from 1880 to 1890. My object in directing your attention to these figures is that they seem to speak most eloquently in favor of the proposition so strongly advocated by Mr. Mills, and since the prosperity of our most favored State, as clearly indicated by the State Board exhibit, and by the excess percentages herein shown, stands out so conspicuously as compared with the United States as a whole, I trust you will pardon my presumption in suggesting that we should all make a united effort by the combination of every possible interest in the direction of settling up our sparsely populated country, with a view of further developing the many resources of our State, to the end that the next ten years will show even greater progi-ess than the decade herein referred to. California stands to-day in the front rank of the great wheat and barley pro- ducing States of the Union, and we have discovered in horticulture a resource of even greater possibilities, as the following figures will show. Our gold and silver mines have produced in the aggiegate $l,35O,C0O,C€O and we are still mining about $1,000,000 per month; with the revival of hydraulic mining, this product will be very greatly increased. The entire output of quicksilver of the United States is mined in California, the total quicksilver product of this State to date amount- ing to 1,700,000 flasks, valued at $80,000,000. Califoi-nia produces about 40,000 tons of asphaltum, or 90 per cent of the total product of the United States an- nually. It also produces each year 8,000,000 pounds of borax, 100,000,000 bt-ick, and large quantities of building stone. The total value of its mineral products other than gold, silver and quicksilvei- is about $5,000,000 per annum. The bulk of the coal used in California is imported from the North Pacific Coast and from foreign countries, about 75,000 tons being mined yearly in California. We have also an abundant supply of mineral waters, 800,000 gallons, valued at $250,- 000, being produced in 1890, and this industry promises rapid development. The growth of agriculture, commercial, and industrial statistics in California, as compared with other portions of the country, is pretty well illustrated by the following comparisons : AREA AND POPULATION. The total land area of California is 157,801 square miles, or 100,992,640 acres, of which about 40 per cent, or say, 40,000,000 acres may be classed as "arable,"' or susceptible of cultivation. California ranks twenty-second among the States in population, its growth in the past forty years as compared with the remainder of the country being as follows: Yp,„ POPULATION POPULATION RANK OF CAMFOKNIA. UNITED STATES. CALIFORNIA. 1850 92,597 23,191,876 29 I860 379,994 31,443,321 26 1870 560,247 38,558,371 .^24 1880 .... ... 864,694 50,155,783 24 ' 1890 1,208,130 62,622,250 22 Pi'om the above it will be seen that the percentage of increase in population in Califcjrnia for the decade from 1880 to 1890 was 40 per cent as compared with only 25 per cent for the whole United States. California ranked fifteenth in railroad mileage in 1893, showing that, in pro- l)ortion to its population, the State is abundantly supplied with railroad facilities. The number of miles of railroad within the State has increased from 23 in 1860 to 4,692 in 1893, the increase from 1880 to 1890 being 114 per cent, as compared with 90 per cent for the whole country. V^XLUE OF PROPERTY. The vahuition of property in California has shown a remarkable growth in the last forty years, the total true valuation of real and personal property, ac- cording to the census figures being as follows: TOTAL TP.UE VALUATION. VALUATION PER CAPITA ^''■■■^'* lALlKOKNIA. UNITED s:ATES. CALIFORNIA. 'JNITED STATE.S. 1850 $ 22,161,872.. .$7,135,780,228 $ 239 $ 308 1860 ... 207,874,613 ... 16,159,616,068 547 514 1870 63S,767 017 .... 30,068,518,507 1,140 780 1880 1, 343, 000, 000 43, 642, 000, 000 1, 553 870 1890 ... 2,533,7.33,627 65,037.091,197 2,097 .... 1,036 For the period from 1880 to 1890 the total true valuation of property in Cal- ifornia increased 88 per cent, against a similar increase of only 49 per cent for the whole United States, while the valuation per capita in California increased 35 per cent as compared with 19 per cent for the whole country. Although Cal- fornia ranks but twenty-second among the States in population, it ranks sixth in total wealth, or valuation of property. In this connection it is interesting to note that the tax rate per $100 on total assessd valuation decreased in California from $2.16 in 1880 to $1.70 in 1890, a falling oft" of 21 per cent. For the whole United States the tax increa,sed from $1.81 to 1.85 in the period in question. FOREIGN TRADE. The total value of California imp( rt^ and exports to date amounts to nearly $2,000,000,000, the bulk of v/hi<-h passed through the Port of San Fran- Cisco. The couiparative gi-owtli o; the imports and exports is illustrated in the following table: TOTAL VALUE OF IMPORTS. TOTAL VALUE OF EXPORTS. TEAR. s,VN FRANCISCO. UNITED STATES. SAN FRANCISCO. UNITED .STATES. • 1870 .. . $15, 982, 549 . . $435, 958, 408 $13, 385, 991 ... . $455, 208, 341 1880 35,221,751 667,9.54,746 .31,84.5,712.... 823,946,353 1890 ... 48,751,223 ... 789,310,409 35,962,078.... 845,293,828 The inci-ease in value of imports for the ten years, from 1880 to 1890, was 38 per cent for San Francisco, against 18 per cent for the whole United States; and in exports for the same period San Francisco shows an increase of 13 per cent as compared with only 3 per cent for the entire country. The total tonnage of vessels entered and cleared from foreign countries at San Francisco shows an increase from 1880 to 1890 of 51 per cent as compared with an increase dviring the same period for the whole United States of only 10 per cent. MANUFACTURES. California manufactures have shown a remarkable growth since 1850, as the following comparative table will show: VALUATION OF PRODUCTS OF MANUFACTURE. YEAR CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. 1850 $12,862,522 $1,019,106,616 1870 66,594,556 4,232,-325,442 1880 116,218,973 5,369,579,191 1890 213,403,996 9,370,167,624 This is, indeed, a remarkable showing, espcially since it is so little under- stood by our people. For the period from 1880 to 1890 the increase in output of manufactures for California was 84 per cent, as compared with 74 per cent for the whole United States, showing that we have more than kept pace with the remainder of the country, even with respect to our manufactures. FARM STATISTICS. The number of farms in California increased from 872 in 1850 to 52,894 in 1890; the increase from 1880 to 1890 was 47 per cent as compared with an increase of 14 per cent for the whole United States during the same period. For the period from 1880 to 1890 the total acreage in farms in California shows an increase of 29 per cent, as compared with 16 per cent for the whole United States, and for the same period th(^ area of improved land in farms in California increased 15 per cent. From 1880 to 1890 the value of land, fences and building on farms in Califor- nia int.'reased "66 per (ient ag.iinst an increase of only .32 per cent for the whole United States while the value of farm implements and machinery increased 74 per cent in California and only 25 per cent in the entire country. The value of live stock on farms in California-increased from $35,500,417 in 1880 to $60,259,230 in 1890, or 70 per cent, while in the same period the value of live stock in the svhole country increased but 46 per cent. California ranks fourteenth in the value of its live stock, first in the number of sheep on ranches, and ninth in the number of horses on farms. As regards stock-raising, there is no country, con- sidering all the conditions, climatic or otherwise, so favorable as California. Our horses, in every test, as you well know, have proven themselves fully up to the best standard of horses bred in the famous Blue Grass regions of Kentucky. FARM PRODUCTS. California ranks tenth in the United States in the value of its farm products. The increase in total value of all farm products in California, as compared with some of the principal agiicultural States, and with the United States is shown by the census figures as follows; YEAR 1890. TEAK 1880. INCREASE. DECREASE. California $ 87,033,290 $ 59,721,425 46% New York 161,593,009 178,025,695 9% Illinois 184,759,013 203,980,137 9% Iowa 159,347,844 136,103,473 17%.... Pennsylvania 121,328,348 ... . 129,760,476 7% Ohio 133,232,498 156,777,152 15% Missouri 109,751,024 95,912,662 14%... . Indiana 94,759,262 114,707,082 17% Michigan 83,651,390 91,159,858 8% Mississippi 73, 342, 995 63, 701 , 844 15% .... Alabama 66,240,190 56,872,994 16% Kentucky 65^ 948, 485 63, 850, 153 3% Wisconsin 70, 990, 645 72, 779, 496 2% Arkansas 48,128,155 43,796,261 21% North Carolina. . . 5 (,070,530 51, 729,611 3% Virginia 42, 244, 458 45, 726, 221 8% United States. .2, 460, 107,454 2,213,402,564 11%. ... WHEAT. In 1893, California ranked third in the United States in the quantity of wheat produced. The average fai-m value of wheat per bushel last year (1894) was 57 cents, which is higher than in any other section of the United States. The average for the whole country being only 49 cents. From 1880 to 189J, the increase in California wheat production was 41 percent against an increase of only 1 per cent for the whole United States. In 1890 there was grown in California 9 per cent of the whole crop of the entire country. The bulk of the California wheat product is shipped to foreign countries through the Port of San Francisco, the total value of this trade being one-fourth of the total wheat exports from the United States to foi-eign countries. Nearly all of the wheat is exported to Great Britian, though considerable of it is sent to China and Central American ports. BARLEY. California is the leading barley producing State in the country, producing in 1890, 22 per cent of the entire barley crop of the United States. Although large quantities of barley are consumed at home in the feeding of horses, hogs, and cattle (this cereal in this respect occupying the same place which oats does in the East), a considerable amount of it is exported by sea and sent overland to the Eastern States, California barley having a high reputation among brewers. HAY. In 1894, California ranked fourth in the production of hay. From 1880 to 1890 the production in this State increased 184 per cent against 53 per cent increase for the whole United States. The total value of the hay crop of Califor- nia in 1894 was $30,529,647. HOPS. In 1890 California ranked third in the production of hops, being exceeded only by New York and Washington, and in that year this State produced 17 per cent of all the hojis grown in the country. The rapid growth of the hop produc- lion, the amounts being stated in pounds, is shown by the table hereunder: YEAR. CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. 1850 : 3,497,029 I860 80 10,991,996 1870 62o,0()4 25,456,669 1H80 1,444,077 26,546,378 1890 6,547,338 39,171,270 From 1«80 to 1.S90, the hop production of California increased 284 per cent, while in the same period the total production of the United States increased but 48 per cent. Since 1890 the California ])roduction of hops has increased 50 per <-ent, the greater part of the product being shipped overland to the Eastern States. VEGETABLES. California produces aliout 2 per cent of the potatoes grown in the country. The California potato crop increased from 10,292 bushels in 1850, to 3,571,488 bushels in 1893. This State produces 23 per cent of the beans grown in the entire country, ranking second in the United States in this respect in 1890. The Cali- fornia bean crop for 1893 amounted to 72,000,000 lbs., equal to 3,600 carloads of ten tons each, or equivalent to a train 25 miles long-. The total shipments of California vegetables to eastern points by rail in 1893 were: potatoes 16,687 tons; beans, 24,481, tons; other vegetables, 28,639 tons; a total equivalent to a train, each car loaded with ten tons of vegetables, 47 miles in length. FRUIT. The development of the orchard industries of California in the past twenty years has been most remarkable. The total value of orchard and vineyard pro- ducts is about $30,000,000 annvially; the output is increasing each year, and, with the extension of eastern market for our California fruits, the possibilities of Cal- ifornia in this connection seem almost unlimited. The following comparisons of eastbound shipments out of the State is most interesting: Green, deciduous fruits. . . .1871—1,8,32,310 lbs Citrus fruit 1876—2,000,000 " Dried fruit 1875— 548,227 " Raisins 1874— 220 " Canned goods 1872— 182,090 " ..1893— 159, 905, 000 lbs. ..1H93— 161,514,000 " ..189.3— 82,476,800 " . .1893- 74,788,000 " ..1893— 55,681,400 " In addition to the above, there was moved locally in 1893 by the Southern Pacific Company lines alone 234,418,000 lbs. of green fruit; 42,990,000 lbs. of dried fruit, and 15, 842, OUO lbs. canned goods. Estimating 5 lbs. of green fruit to 1 of di-ied fruit, and 3 lbs. of grapes equal to 1 of raisins, the total orchard and vine- yard products of California amounted to about l,500,000,OJulbs. in 1893, and the output for 1894 was very considerably larger than this. To further illustrate the magnitude of the orchard industry in California, it may be said that this prodig- ious amount is sufficient to fill a train of cars, each with 10 tons of freight, .of over 500 miles in length, or more than half the distance from New York to Chicago. AVINE. California produces much more wine than any other State in the Union, there being made in this State in 1890 more than 60 per cent of the entire out]>ut of the country. Experts from abroad acknowledge that the quality of the average grade of French and German wines is not superior to that of California wine, and agree that this State has a great future in the manufacture of wine as well as brandy. California wines are coming into general use throughout the United States, our yield having shown a development as follows: YE.VR. (AUFOKNIA. rMTKH . . TEAK, TEACHERS. SALARIES. TEACHERS. S.'.l ARIES. 1872 2,301 $1,321,949 229,921 $ 45,9.5,681 1882 3,777 2,456,311 299,079 60,594,933 1893 6,136 4,055,588 383,010 104,090,607 The number of teachers from 1882 to 1893 increased 02 per cent in California, against an increase at 28 per cent in the whole country, and in the same period California shows an increase of 65 per cent in the compensation paid teachers. The average annual salary per teacher in 1893 was $061 in Calif ornia, as compared with an average of only $272 for the whole country, or less than half as much as paid in California. Although this State ranked in 1393 only 24th in the number of teaohei's employed, it ranked 7th in the amount paid to them for their services. Total Expenditures for Maintaining public schools. YEAR. CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. 1872 $1,881,333 $ 74,234,476 1882 3, 122,666 88,69U,406 1893 5,709.687 162,794,948 Increase 1893 over 1872. . 204»o' 117% In the amount expended for the maintenance of its public schools in 1893, Cal- ifornj.a was exceeded only by the great States of New York, Pennsylvania, Massa- chuf^etts, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa, all of which have a far larger popu- lation than this State. A striking example of the high standard of excellence of the pubhc school edu- cation of the children of California is found in the following table, showing the amounts expended on the maintenance of public schools by the States named, all of them having a greater population than contained within the borders of California i:^ POPfl.ATlKN A^IOCINT EXPENDED ON MAINTKXANCE EX.SUS OK iS9ll. OF PUBLIC SCllOOLS, YKAU 1S93. California ].-j,iS, 13 i $5,709,687 Missouri l',67<), 184 5,705,110 Indiana ■. . . 2, 19i',4,H 5,609,655 Minnesota 1,8)1,826 4,692,891 Wisconsin 1,686,880 4,678,689 Kansas 1,427,096 4,250,000 Texas 2,235,523 3,925,000 New Jeivey 1,444,933 3,834,103 Kentucky 1,S5S,635 2,385,000 Vii-gima 1,655,980 1,798,158 Tennessee 1,767,518, .. 1,647,799 Georgia 1,837,353 1,631,221 Mississippi.. 1,289,600 1,192,844 Alabama 1,513,017 890,000 North Carolina 1,617,947 69. ',320 In this connection the following- data, compiled from the United States census of 1890, I'elative to public schools, is interesting: EXPJENDITURES ON PUBLIC COMMON SCHOOLS. YEAR. PER HEAD OF POPULATION. PER CAUTA OF PUPILS ENROLLED CALIFORNIA. UNITKD STATES. CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. 1880 $3.51 $1.59 $18.77 $ 7.99 1890 4.24 2.24 23.0J 11*03 California leads all other States in amount expended on maintenance of public schools per head of population, being almost twice the average of the entii-e country. That the quality of the buildings used for school purposes in California has materially increased during the decade from 188.) to 1890 is shown b.y the fact that although the total school enrollment increased but 37 per cent, the value''of school buildings increased from $6,949,9o3 in 1880 to $13,624,143 in 1890, or 96 per cent. COLLEGES AND irjNiVEKSlTIES. According to reports of the United States Commissioner of Education the number of teachers in theological, law, medical, and liberal aru colleges and in colleges for women, compares as follows: YEAR NUMBER OF TEAOIIKRS. NUMBER OF PUPILS CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. CALIFORNIA. UNITED STATES. 1886 307 10,0;]0 2,697 116,527 1890 428 i::,839 4, 1 17 ^70,487 1892 505 15. 7ir6 4,551 ....... 188,686 Increase 1892 over 1886 65% . . 57,''o 41,9^.... 38,9-0 The above table shows that, in the higher institutions of learning, we are pro- gressing more rapidly than the remainder of the country, and that wo have 0"> full quota of the higher colleges is evidenced by the fact, though Caliioi-uia ii.to less than 2 per cent of the pc>-nlation of the whole country, it has 2.4 per cent of 14 the pupils attending the colleges, and 3.2 per cent of the teachers employed to instruct them; and, as is well known, the quality of the instruction to be obtained at our higher universities will com})are very favorably with a,ny similar insti- tutions in the United States. Since^the year 3892 large increases have been made in the number of pupils attending universities and colleges in the State of California. I have also prepared for your information, to that it may catch the eye more readily, a graphic chart, illustrating thefgeneral' facts contained in the closing portion of my letter tiO Govei-nor Budd, which is attached hereto. Yours truly. A. N. TOWNE. Diaflrarri of ComparaMve Re^ouree^. The relative importance of certain Californian industries in comparison with totals for the United States, as shown by the census of 1890 and other data as set lorth under the head of "General Facts" in preceding letter to Governor Budd from Mr. Towne, is graphically pictured hereunder (the total for the United States being- taken as 100 per cent, and the percentage for California in each case I'epresenting its ratio to the whole country). The value of this illustration is more apparent when, in noting the percentage opposite each heading, it is re- membered that the population of California represents only 1.9 per cent of the total for the United States. CALIFORNIA. PER CENT, Population 1.9- Miles of Railroad 2.6— Area 4.4-" Improved land in Farms 3.4"" Value of Output of Manufactures ... 2.3" Farm Products 3.5— All Property 3.9— Farms and Live Stock 4.8^ Imports and Exports 5.0— Productions. Minerals: Gold 38.0 Silver 2.1- Quicksilver 100.0 Asphaltum 93.0 Stone 4.n— Mineral Waters 6.3^ Petroleum 1 .*> Cereals: Wheat 8.T— Barley 22.C Oats 1-8- Rye 0.5- Hay 5.0— Hops ■ . . . . n.o Broom Corn. 1 • '" Beans 23.0- Wine <><••''- Raisins 100.0- Beet Sugar 80.0- Wool If^-O- Honey 6. 1^" Eggs l-"*^' Butter on Farms 2.6- Cheese on Farms 2. 1- Milk 2.1- Live Stock: Horses 2. 7- Mules and Asses --4- Ox n, Cows and other cattle 2.6- Swine ^■^' Sheep 6.9- Sawed Lumber Produced 1.9- Expended on Public Schools. . 3.5- LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 017 064 392 6