282 Transactions of the 



THIRD DEPARTMENT. 



HAEXESS MANUFACTUEE. 

 Statement op J. E. Parker, of Sacramento. 



To the Committee on Gold Medals for eighteen hundred and seventy-one: 



Gentlemen: The exhibition for which I claim the gold medal offered 

 by the State Agricultural Society for the most meritorious display, was 

 made in the third department, and consisted of one set of double car- 

 riage harness; one set single carriage harness; one set double team har- 

 ness; five gentlemen's saddles, and one lady's saddle; also, a number of 

 riding bridles. I do not claim the medal on the ground of a large or 

 extensive exhibition — not considering this necessary to entitle me to 

 merit, but my exhibition was made up of samples of the kind and quality 

 of the work I am constantly turning out of my shop. 



I believe, and have no doubt the committee will agree with me, that 

 there is merit in quality as well as quantity. This is the principle upon 

 which I work, and I find it to lead to success in the general actual busi- 

 ness transactions of life, and more especially in the manufacturing busi- 

 ness, and why not in competing for premiums and gold medals? By 

 adhering closely to this idea I have secured a custom among men — con- 

 sumers of my line of articles — who think the same as I do. Hence, a 

 very large proportion of my work is what is called in the trade as " fine 

 work," for which I receive the highest prices. My single harness are 

 generally made to order at from thirty to one hundred and thirty dollars 

 each. The same may be said of nry double carriage harness, which I 

 sell at from fifty to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per pair. 



I opened a shop of my own in eighteen hundred and sixty-four, and 

 since that time have turned out, on an average, about eight thousand 

 dollars worth per annum. I have made it a rule to use all the California 

 made leather in my work, when I could get it suitable for the purpose, 

 and I will here say, to the credit of our California tanneries, that their 

 leather commands the highest price in all the leather markets of the 

 world, and is really a superior article for all purposes for which leather 

 is used. 



]\ly object has uniformly been to encourage California industry, and 

 California labor, and by adhering to this object strictly, I have been 

 the means of doing my adopted State and her citizens at least some 

 good. By this course, even in my humble way, many a dollar and many 

 thousands of dollars have been kept within our borders and circulated 

 among an industrious class of citizens and farmers, thus encouraging 

 immigration to the State by the most practical way in the world — giv- 

 ing constant and reliable employment to those already among us. 



I might mention here, that since mj- commencement in business I 

 have been a most constant exhibitor at the Fairs of the State Society, 

 and as my exhibitions have been meritorious, they have always received 

 premiums. The premiums awarded me at the late Fair were the first and 

 highest given for the articles exhibited. 



