OF so VTHEBN CA LIFORNIA . 467 



and rapid transit, either by rail or steamer, between places and races 

 separated by long distances, climate, tastes, habits, and laws; rods, 

 furlongs, miles, and leagues have been practically annihilated by the 

 march of science and enterprise. The steam engine on its steel rail, 

 and compound engines of the screw propellers, carrying their 

 immense burdens along at a rate of from fifteen to sixty miles per 

 hour, have changed all the laws of commerce as considered by our 

 forefathers. 



The tastes and habits of a people are constantly undergoing many 

 and important changes. Those tastes, the gratification of which in a 

 jmst age were confined to a very limited number possessing large 

 wealth, as then considered, have become to the present generation 

 matters of every day necessities. Nor does this change from luxuries 

 to necessities, brought about by use, require even one generation to 

 effect. The rapidity with which this change is accomplished seems 

 limited only by the capacity to bu3^ To form any correct or approxi- 

 mately correct opinion of the future value of an}' commodity, the 

 history of commercial interchanges between nations must be con- 

 sulted. In fact, it has been commerce more than large armies that 

 has made histor}', and told the story of the rise and fall of empires. 

 I do not propose, however, to carry you over all this ground; but I 

 cannot see how I can very well escape from the necessity of going 

 back to Genesis to find my first vineyardist. Noah was the first we 

 read of — a bad and unfortunate originator of the wine interest, we 

 admit, for he was guilty of the indiscretion of drinking more of his 

 own production than was good for him — an example that all other 

 seafaring men have not failed to follow to this day, when they reach 

 land. 



But few of nature's great gifts to man are so widely and generously 

 ■distributed. In almost every clime and zone you find the grape. Its 

 home is almost everywhere; its adaptation to man's want as universal 

 as its home. It is one of the best of foods, whether taken in the way 

 of matured luscious berries, or drank as wine. It carries nearly all 

 the nutritive elements necessary to life. As wine, it serves to cheer 

 in those hours of depression, care, and trouble incident to every man's 

 life ; it stimulates to renewed exertion the disappointed and dis- 

 heartened; it warms man's blood, and enables him to withstand the 

 cold of the frigid zones ; it protects him from the deadly malarious 

 influences iind fever-ladened atmosphere of equatorial countries, 

 and, finally, restores health to many shattered constitutions when all 

 •other remedial agents fail. 



The wine interest of California originated with the early mission- 

 ■ary fathers at San Gabriel, in 1772 or 1773. There, at least, the first 

 vineyard of any size or importance was planted. From my piazza I 

 can look down on the site of the old vineyard, partly surrounded by 

 the cactus fence. This vineyard was still in a flourisliing condition 

 in 1841, when the late B. D. Wilson came to this State. Now deep 

 indentures mark the spot where stood the vines, made by the vandals 

 who, under Mexican rule, dug them up for firewood. From this 

 vineyard vines were distributed to the other missions, and hence the 

 name of Mission grape. 



From Mr. Arpad ITaraszthy's able report to the Chamber of C'om- 

 merce of San Francisco, during- the agitation of the Chouteau— so 

 miscalled — reciprocal treaty, we find that the first official report of 

 the vines then in the State was given in the State Register, stating 



