DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, AND THE DEVELOPMENT 
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 
Voi.. III. 
LOS ANGELES, CAL., APRIL, 1880, 
No. 4. 
INTER-OCEANIC CANAL, 
VIEWS F80M A riiXCTtOXI aTASllPOWT. 
Eihtok Semj-Trowo: Permit me, through 
Hu * 1 columns of your valuable paper, to 
oiler some reflections on the question of it 
ship canal, which is attracting so much 
public attention at this lime, ami with 
such varied opinions. It is quo that 
calls for the thoughtful consideration of 
the people of our State to decide intel¬ 
ligently whether it would prove conducive 
to our prosperity or not, and by whom it 
should bo built. 
The iV< re York Tinm says the Monroe 
doctrine should not be peiinit.tHd to inter 
fere with this project, but that our 
people should work to secure absolute 
neutrality. This would lie right uud 
proper if this guaranteed neutrality could 
be depended upon; but ancient ami mod¬ 
ern history both prove that treaty stipula¬ 
tions are not observed in times of war; 
and in the event of hostilities between our 
country and the powers guaranteeing this 
neutrality, is there a doubt but that the 
first move would be to obtain control of 
this canal as (he key to the Pacific? Other 
journals, anti among them one of our own 
local papers, argue that our interests on 
this coast are opposed U> a nh ip canal, lie- 
cause if built it would divert from ua tile 
be unfit now derived from the Oriental 
overland freight, 
If this canal should be built by any 
olhei nation (as suggested by the Tirnri) 
would not the result bo Hi* same, and not 
only our railroads lose those freights, but 
others would derive all tin: bnuctlt* accru 
ing from the uuiiHtraatiou of the canal. 
I am one of til one who hclievu that the 
increasing commerce of tin world de¬ 
mands that this canal should lw* opened, 
and that it, would not be fair m ju«l for 
uiir (Jovernuuiut to place ub«l ructions in 
•he way atnl at tlm same time adopt 
the policy of the dog in the manger by 
trying to prevent any one dsn from build 
ing it. 
1 have yet to learn on what theory of 
practical experience tlm increasing of 
routes for transportation worl.a to tlm dis- 
advantugo_of a great producing .State like 
California; especially when we consider 
that those productions demand cheap 
freights in order to leave any margin for 
a profit to the producer, 
Tlm through freight, consisting of tens, 
silks, and a few other valuable productions 
that can pay a high rate from the oriental 
world, is insignificant when compared with 
the great benefit which would accrue to the 
producers of California, in obtaining cheap 
transportation fur their wheat, bailey, 
wool, honey, fruits, grape products, etc. 
1 urn glad to know the Board of Trade of 
San Francisco in moving in this question, 
and have appointed a committee to make a 
special report; and if every chamber of 
commerce on this coast would take action, 
the result could not bo but beneficial. 
There are some pertinent reasons, politi , 
cn! and commercial, why we should build : 
and control this canal. First, to facilitate 
the increasing demand of the commercial 
world, and to sat at rout for all time the 
agitation of this question. Second, ns a 
matter of national safety. Our people 
should build and euidruHt, to be able to 
protect our oxtemsivo imssasHious oil this 
coast; for if owned and controlled by any 
ollur nation, I bo expeiiKe of making and 
maintaining fortifinitimis, building and 
manning vessels of war and naval stations, 
would amount to more than Lho cost of 
two such canals. 
Commercially, it would give our mm- 
chant murine a great Impulse, creating n 
much greater demand for our idle vassal*j 
fur the producers a houiu market at much 
better pi n os. 
When wn cun deliver our product* on 
board of ships in ol»r own harbor*, mi l 
have them tmuapuitod to . intern port-, m 
from twenty to twenty live day and u. 
•be purls of Kuropc within thirty days, 
without breaking bulk, obtaining Un¬ 
natural resultsof cheap tiuiieportutian; we 
can say with Humility, farew. il to inomqH 
lies mid high rates of freight. There w ill 
be enjoyed a Commercial prosperity tied 
cun never ho secured by any idle r moans 
of oomraiiiiicutioii. 
Another factor of imparlance is that it w.ll 
bring our commerce into doner relations 
with our near neighbors of Central America, 
towards whom n great apathy exists on the 
part of our people, notwithstanding that 
| country in wonderfully rich, giving tlm 
most varied and valuable productions of 
any on the globe. They arc articles that 
we require and cau not profitably produce, 
such as India Rubber, indigo, cochineal, 
coffee, cocuu, etc. ,otc. For thssewe should 
exchange our own product* nod manu¬ 
factured goods; and yet three fourth* of 
their exports pass right by our door*, ^ek¬ 
ing n market for exchange iu Europe 
With n present population of over two 
millions, uml a capacity for supporting in 
luxury ten times that number, being only 
two thousand miles from u* : v. th thin 
cumd opened uud controlled by our people, 
may we nut reasonably . xpeei a change iu 
all this for our benefit. 
Therefore, t say. every citiren of this 
country Is interested iu the canal project, 
and should use his influence in favor of 
limldiug it; And no slate will derive a 
greater and more speedy mturn from d 
l llali out own BUiiny California 
J. E UoLlJiXMOK. 
Mure F.ikuin*;. I’ntil oar country is 
settled up, and the virgin fertility of' the 
1 now foil i» beginning In lx exhausted, we 
icaii not hopeful that safe ami solid found¬ 
ation for out iigrirnltm* slurb omis from 
mixed fm min;,: When cvn y .. conn » 
to that point whi-u he knows that (os land 
j is a medium through which crude fwrldir- 
ing eleiuruU pawl in becoming food 
vegetables, fruit*, graiuv, fliwh he will 
feel the iiuiauiari.e of a Variety of pro- 
•!»‘ , U a rotation of iM|i ..ml'ihe whin 
of itm limit, in thu economy <d Hi* farm \s 
our country grows older, farmers w ill from 
lie. easily lw tuoic thorough •tudents of 
then prof. s-uon, — i ««i i, m .1,/ro itiun*' 
Tit* pear tre* in the old Mission garden 
nl Santa (’run, which were plauted by the 
•Spanish piiesta, urn now ninety rcui old, 
-Hid yielded an immense crop last icur 
They were »u blossom i ri last N, w Vixi's 
day. 
