500 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



By Hon. J. P. Irish. 



Hon. J. P. Irish was introduced by President Shippee. Mr. Irish began 

 by a tribute of praise to the spirit of enterprise and appreciation of beauty, 

 that prompted the erection and decoration of the Pavilion. It was an evi- 

 dence of the wealth and liberality of Stockton and San Joaquin County, 

 to which he also paid a high compliment. Referring to the merits of the 

 county, the district, and the State, he said we have enough of wealth, 

 enough to delight life, and these are easy of attainment, all we want to do 

 is to let the world know what our grand advantages are, that those who 

 bear their share of the burdens of life may also reap richly of its bless- 

 ings, and to welcome them when they come to seek them. He instanced 

 the case of a visitor to another county, who asked what land was selling 

 for and was answered: " We don't sell it. We know when we have a good 

 thing and propose to keep it." Though the principle of 



"When you get a good thing 



Save it, save it; 

 When you catch a black cat 



Shave it to the tail," 



Was good enough, it might be overdone. Though we had good land, the 

 best in the world, good to keep, it was a good policy to be liberal in selling 

 to new-comers. We want more people in this Eden. God did not think 

 there were enough in the Eden of old and had arranged for an increase 

 almost at once. It was therefore good policy to build such a structure as 

 this, and have such expositions as this, as the best testimonies of the 

 wealth of this Eden of ours, and to welcome others to share it with us. 

 He dwelt upon the great advantages of agriculture in general, in which 

 the largest part of mankind are engaged and which is the greatest source 

 of wealth. This source of wealth exists in California in a greater degree 

 than anywhere else in the world, and the world should be made aware of it. 



San Joaquin County has its full proportion of this great wealth, and has 

 a greater area than the whole State of Rhode Island, but that State with 

 all the appliances that art could command, if applied to the soil, could 

 never look as beautiful or be as productive as California, yet Rhode Island 

 supported a population of four hundred thousand. When that State can 

 support so many why should not San Joaquin become the imperial county 

 of the United States? Within this county could be grown the cotton, wool, 

 and silk to clothe them, and all the other products for the comfort and 

 luxury of man, and grown in profusion. With these advantages, if San 

 Joaquin will so determine, she can have as great a population as Rhode 

 Island, and support them with greater ease, and that within the next ten 

 years. 



Referring to the increase of Southern California's population, he said it 

 but reflected what San Joaquin could do if its advantages were fully made 

 known to the world. That was the secret of success in Southern California. 



