HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 99 



markets her six hundred and forty-three ves- 

 sels." 



Naturally as the Mediterranean products reached 

 the outside world by water, the speaker was impressed 

 with California's fitness for rivalry through her equal 

 maritime situation. The building of an overland 

 railway was quite as early descried as requisite to 

 the agricultural development of the State. This 

 picturesque declaration of it was made in 1856 : 



"We have one great, overshadowing want a rail- 

 way connecting us with the Atlantic seaboard. We 

 have been too passive under this neglect. We have 

 for eight years past quietly shipped our millions 

 upon millions to Wall Street, from which golden 

 streams were distributed throughout the land enrich- 

 ing every part of the confederacy, whilst in return 

 for all this treasure we have received little else than 

 our board and clothing with the indefinite promise 

 of a railroad at some future day. It is time we had 

 demanded as a right the fulfillment of that promise, 

 and if we shall live to see the day when the iron 

 horse, with his impetuous speed, shall come from the 

 Atlantic to quench his fiery thirst in the cool waters 

 of the Pacific, then will our fondest visions have 

 been realized and clouds of doubt will no longer 

 obscure the bright future of California." 



It may assist the reader to secure a comprehensive 

 view of the development of agricultural production 

 in California and the leading special features thereof 

 if a scenario is undertaken, thus : 



1850-1860. Decade of wonders and dreams. Dem- 



