USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Men of achievement in the great Southwest Illustrated. A story of pioneer struggles during early days in Los Angeles and Southern California. With biographies, heretofore unpublished facts, anecdotes and incidents in the lives of the builders > Part 11
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So Moses H. Sherman came down to Phoenix, which had come to be the largest city in Arizona, and there he organ- ized the Valley Bank of that place. He was thoroughly well known to all the substantial people of the Territory, and he had gained the confidence of these men without exception. Capital to organize the new institution was easily raised, and Sherman was elected president, an office which he held during all the time that he remained in Phoenix. During these years he took a leading part in organizing substantial companies to put in water works, lighting plants and other public utilities in that city. The Governors, no matter what their names, would not allow so competent an organizer to escape from the responsibilities of public life. For three successive terms he was pressed into duty as Adjutant-General of Arizona, and in this office he did for the militia what he had done for the schools. The military system of Arizona owes its organi- zation and the original laws which governed it to the energy and genius of Gen. Sherman.
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About 1889 Gen. Sherman was in Los Angeles on a visit, more of a business nature than for pleasure. A syndicate of Chicago capitalists had recently put in a costly and elaborate system of cable street-railway lines. The winter of '89-'90 was very wet, and the ground washed down steep street grades into the cable conduit, choking them so the cars were stopped for hours and even days. When put in motion the sharp sand cut the heavy cables like cords, and wrought large damage, as the cable systems cost $15,000 to $20.000. Sher- man's quick business eye took in the situation. He knew of the newly-devised electric system recently installed in certain eastern cities to propel street cars. The cost per mile of the new "trolley " road was less than half that of the cable system. The cost of operating was less than half, as it re- quired 60 per cent. or more of the power to drag the great cables along the conduit without a car attached. Sherman went to San Francisco, and in a few days had ample capital
enlisted to build a "trolley" system paralleling the cable roads. With the aid of the late John A. Muir, always Sher- man's close, trusted and dearly-loved friend, a franchise was obtained and the work of construction begun. Times were hard and Los Angeles seemed on the verge of a hard winter for working people, when this new enterprise came in the very nick of time, and as has often been the case before and since in this city good genius saved her from depression. Gen. Sherman was elected president of the Consolidated Electric Railroad Company of Los Angeles, and held the office during the entire period of its existence. The result of the new road was in the end the absorption of the cable system, which could by no means compete with the better system. The bonds floated by Gen. Sherman at 90 cents in a short time were worth $1.28, and made those who held them rich. Sher- man's next big undertaking was an electric road from Pasa- dena to Los Angeles, and this was extended through the city and on to the beach at Santa Monica, making at that time the largest electric railroad in the world, and extending almost from the snow line on the mountain below to the music of the waves on the beach.
So matters went until four years ago, when Gen. Sherman entered into negotiations with H. E. Huntington and asso- ciates, who purchased all his lines excepting that to Santa Monica. In other pages of this work may be read the story of Gen. Sherman's associate in all his ventures-his brother- in-law, E. P. Clark. These two progressive men have ren- dered a service whose importance cannot be overestimated to Los Angeles and the country around it. They are the true founders of all the superb system of urban and interurban roads which make this city and its environs unrivaled in the world in respect to rapid transit. They still hold the line from Los Angeles to Santa Monica, known as the Los Ange- les-Pacific Railroad, with routes via Hollywood, Colegrove and Sawtelle and the Soldiers' Home and what is known as the " Short Line" to Ocean Park and Santa Monica. This is the famous " Balloon Route," and is a most valuable piece of property. The company has recently acquired a rival line and enjoys a practical monopoly in its territory. Nearly a million dollars have been spent by the company on its prop- erty within the past year.
Some twenty years ago Gen, Sherman married a daughter of E. H. Pratt, a distinguished citizen of San Francisco. Their family consists of two sons, Robert and Hazeltine, and one daughter, Miss Lucy.
Surely here is an inspiring story of the successful career of a schoolmaster. Gen. Sherman today is in the very prime of life, actually reveling in the hard work of a busy life, with more substantial friends ready to join him er help him along in his best undertakings than almost any cther man in the State, and may well be envied the high place. he occupies in industrial world. He is the same modest, unassuming. approachable, affable, kindly friend he was among his pupils when a country school teacher. Spontaneously as one writes this story, the verses of Longfellow's Psalm of Life rise in the mind :
" The lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of Time."
Nor are these words quoted to flatter the vanity of the subject of this brief sketch. But the writer could not forget the next verse that follows :
" Footsteps that perhaps another Sailing o'er Life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, may take heart again."
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MEN OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
EDWIN T. EARL.
N O HISTORY of Southern California would be com- plete without a sketch of Edwin T. Earl. The first development of the resources of the State was in hor- ticulture. The growth of population and wealth in all parts of California, excepting the purely mining counties, was in the orchards of the State. Los Angeles county vineyards in 1880 were paying $100 per acre and upward, and the orange groves netted as high as $1000 per acre a year. These returns naturally led to extensive planting. In consequence, it was not long before there was more fruit of many kinds than local markets would take at profitable prices. The same con- ditions applied to the de- ciduous fruit interests north. The task of find- ing a market for the sur- plus fruit crops of Cali- fornia was beset with many complicat i o n s. They grew 1000 to 3000 miles from the castern markets. California fruit was considered a luxury which only the rich could use. It was of a perishable nature, and required great care in handling. It would not endure extremes of heat or cold. The problem of successful transporta- tion proved the most dif- ficult. California fruit had great merit as re- gards appearance and flavor. Experimental shipments to eastern markets demonstrated that the fruit would sell if delivered in good or- der, at a reasonable cost. In 1880 the fruit ship- ments to eastern mar- kets were handled by passenger train, at a cost of about $9c0 per car to Chicago, and from there it was necessary to dis- tribute the fruit by ex- press, at additional cost. to markets further East. The policy of the only transcontinental road ex- isting at that time was to charge all the "traffic would bear," instead of fostering the industry and encouraging its devel- opment. The fruit industry not only had high freight rates to contend with, but was also greatly handicapped by not having suitable cars for the proper preservation of the fruit in transit. The only cars available were ventilated box cars. When the temperature was just right, oranges could be shipped East in such cars with fairly good results; but when the temperature was cold, the fruit would freeze en route, and when the weather was hot the oranges would heat and
decay. In 1885 the fruit growers of the State looked the sit- uation in the face with absolute despair. Production had outgrown the local and Coast demand, and the only outlet was the eastern market. High freight rates, unsuitable cars and slow time made eastern shipments unprofitable. The orange crop of Southern California during the winter and spring of 1885 did not average the growers much over 50 cents per box on the trees. Many growers realized less than this price.
At this juncture there came to Southern California the " one man in ten thousand,' who saw the way out of the difficulty.
EDWIN T. EARL.
It is an interesting fact that the solution of the problem which confront- ed the orange growers was worked out by a Native Son. Edwin T. Earl grew up on a farm, and. as a boy, took part in the cultivation and marketing of deciduous fruits in Central Califor- nia. After his school days were over, he en- tered into the business of fruit shipping. His first experience in this line was with the ordi- nary ventilated cars fur- nished by the railroads. This experience demon- strated to him the im- possibility of the success- ful marketing of Cali- fornia fruits East in ordinary ventilated box cars. The fruit was still mostly handled by pas- senger train, at a trans- portation cost of $900 per car from California to Chicago. The failure of successfully marketing California fruits in ven- tilated fruit cars caused Mr. Earl to turn his at- tention to refrigerator cars, and in the later '70's he brought out re- frigerator cars from the East, and used them in the transportation of de-
ciduous fruits from Central California, by freight train, at a much lower cost, compared with the passenger-train rate. These shipments in refrigerator cars, by freight train, how- ever, did not meet with the approval of the railroads. They preferred to handle the business by passenger train. Difficul- ties were put in the way of the use of refrigerator cars. Ice could not be obtained at reasonable prices in California and along the line. Ice alone cost $50 to $60 per ton at loading points, and as high as $30 per ton at points in the mountains of California. Mr. Earl contended with these transportation
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MEN OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
difficulties for a number of years. His experience demon- strated that California fruits were destined to receive a wel- come reception East as soon as transportation difficulties were overcome. He persevered, and, after meeting with fair suc- cess in the marketing of deciduous fruits from Central Cali- fornia, came to Southern California in 1886 to engage in the shipping of citrus fruits. Up to that time the eastern deal- ers knew practically nothing about California oranges. The eastern markets were supplied with oranges from the Mediter- ranean and Florida sections. The dealers could not realize that California was destined to supply the American markets with oranges, and that the day would soon come when Mediterranean oranges would be practically unknown in our markets. The idea of marketing California oranges success- fully at such points as New York and Boston was laughed
the only other cars available were ordinary refrigerator cars, which, to a certain extent, would protect the fruit from freez- ing, but at the western end of the journey oranges required ventilation, and ordinary refrigerator cars would not provide it. The methods of packing California. oranges in 1886 were crude. It was necessary to introduce new methods of pick- ing, hauling, grading and packing. These new methods grow- ers were eager to adopt, thus insuring the fruit being in proper condition for eastern shipment ; but difficulties of transporta- tion were apparently insurmountable, and orange shipments to eastern markets continued to meet with indifferent and uncertain results until about 1890. Mr. Earl introduced many new methods in connection with the picking, packing, loading and selling of California oranges, but he had the transportation to contend with. It was proved conclusively that California
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RESIDENCE OF EDWIN T. EARL, LOS ANGELES, CAL.
at by eastern dealers, and was not seriously considered by many Californians, either. Mr. Earl's study of eastern fruit markets demonstrated to him that California oranges had merit and could be successfully marketed as far East as the Atlantic Coast.
Early in 1886 the Santa Fé completed a line into Southern California and began handling orange shipments. California oranges begin to ripen about January each season, and the shipments continue during the winter, spring and summer months. The difficulties in 1886 of shipping California oranges to the eastern markets during the winter months were very great. The ventilated fruit car furnished by the rail- roads would not protect the fruit from freezing en route, and
oranges had great merit, and eastern markets, as far East as New York, were ready to accept them at good prices, if the transportation difficulties were overcome. These difficulties occupied a large portion of Mr. Earl's attention for several years, and in 1890 he invented the first successful combina- tion ventilator-refrigerator car used in the transportation of California fruits.
Mr. Earl had founded the Earl Fruit Company, a corpora- tion, under the laws of California, with a paid-up capital and surplus of $250,000. It was the largest fruit-packing and shipping concern in the State. His combined ventilator- refrigerator car was first made use of by the Earl Fruit Com- pany, and Mr. Earl's original intention was simply to provide
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MEN OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
cars for the Earl Fruit Company's shipments. The demand, however, for the Earl ventilator-refrigerator car proved so great that Mr. Earl was compelled to establish a car line, and from the first, his C. F. X. car, operated by the Continental Fruit Express, was eagerly sought for by all shippers. These combined ventilator-refrigerator cars were not only eagerly sought for by California shippers, but by fruit shippers and dealers all over America. The car was extensively used in the transportation of Florida oranges, Southern strawberries, as well as California citrus and deciduous fruits. The Earl combination ventilator-refrigerator car filled a long-existing void. The car line grew until it was operating about 2000 ventilator-refrigerator cars, representing an investment of $2,000,000. The car line's business far exceeded that of the Earl Fruit Company, and in 1900 it handled over 12,000 car- loads of fruit and vegetables.
In 1900 Mr. Earl received a very handsome offer for his interests in the fruit-shipping and refrigerator-car business, and concluded to retire from a strenuous life covering a period of over twenty-five years, and did so, with a fortune. Since 1900 Mr. Earl has devoted his attention to large real estate investments in Los Angeles, and to the growth and expansion of the Los Angeles Express, the leading afternoon paper, and the only one published in Southern California at present with full Associated Press news. Mr. Earl's home, which embellishes page 79, is located in Los Angeles; it is in the old English style of architecture, constructed in a most substantial manner. The large grounds are profusely orna- mented with rare and beautiful plants, trees and flowers. It is a notably handsome place, and is presided over by Mr. Earl's charming wife, who was formerly Miss Emily Jarvis, of Louisville, Ky.
FERD K. RULE.
T THE noteworthy individual successes in Southern Cali- fornia seem in many instances to have been due quite as much to personal tact and ability as to exceptional opportunities or unusual luck. As an instance in point the writer finds few more pronounced examples than the subject of this sketch.
Ferd K. Rule was born in St. Louis, Missouri, December 6, 1853. He received his education in the city schools and
FERD K. RULE.
later graduated from the University of St. Louis. He entered the employ of the Waters-Pierce Oil Company while a young man, and remained with the company for a number of years, being connected with their interests throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Old Mexico, where the com- pany did an extensive business.
In 1887 Mr. Rule entered business upon his own account in Kansas City, where for the ensuing three years he was engaged in the banking and brokerage business. Too close application to the duties imposed upon him threatened to undermine his health, and he sought relief in the more genial climate of Southern California, where he arrived in 1890.
Shortly after his arrival he purchased a twenty-acre fruit ranch near Pasadena, which he retained for two years. At the end of that time his health was so much improved that he determined to seek the first opportunity to re-engage in active business. His wishes were gratified in April, 1892, when he entered the employ of the Los Angeles Terminal Company. His advance was marked from the start, and in 1899 he was made general manager of the road, holding that position until the road was sold to the present company in April, 1901. He was accorded a place upon the directorate of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, and acted as auditor of the company until September, 1903, when he was made treasurer of the entire system.
In public affairs Mr. Rule has always displayed a spirit of great interest. He is the president of the Chamber of Commerce, a Police Commissioner and a National Executive Committeeman for the United States League of Republican clubs. Socially he is a member of the California Club and Union League Club of this city, while for seven years he has been president of the Jonathan Club, and as such has been largely instrumental in securing the two upper floors of the nine-story Huntington building for club rooms. Fraternally, Mr. Rule is an Elk, a Knight Templar, a Shriner, and a Thirty-second Degree Mason. He is one of the most popular and successful club men in the city, and is ever alert to the best interests of the organization of which he is a member.
Mr. Rule makes his home on West Washington street, where he has a handsome residence. He devotes his time and attention to his extensive and varied interests, and under his business direction they are expanding and developing. Mr. Rule is a typical Western man, generous in his business relations and jovial in his social intercourse.
Mr. Rule's name has been identified with the best interests of the city and State, since he adopted California as his home. He occupies a prominent position on the directorate of a number of successful mining, industrial, manufacturing and banking corporations, and is an indefatigable worker in promoting the best interests of Southern . California. He identifies himself with all progressive movements and socially is as popular as he is financially successful.
As president of the Chamber of Commerce Mr. Rule has rendered this section of the State services that cannot be overestimated in their value to all residents of Southern California.
NATURE'S TREASURE MOUSES.
BY A. RICHARDSON, LOS ANGELES.
HAT is known as the Southwest mining region is the most extensive and, possibly, the most richly-mineralized region in the United States. The most extensive, because it has an area of about 175,000 square miles, and, to repeat, possibly the richest, because its present production of gold, silver and other metals and minerals, with very partial development, has a closely-estimated value of $60,000,000 a year, of which Arizona produces more than one-half.
This region embraces the Territory of Arizona, the southern portion of New Mexico, Southern Nevada, all of Southern California, the States of Sonora and Sinaloa and the territory of Lower California, these three latter being in Mexico. This vast extent of country is described as the "Southwestern Region."
lies in its mineral deposits. Nor are these confined to the desert portions of the Southwest. The precious metals, copper and other metals, are found in all portions of Arizona, in the southwestern portion of the State of Nevada, in portions of San Diego, San Ber- nardino, Riverside, Orange, Santa Barbara and Kern counties in Southern California, all of which portions contain much arable land. Before entering upon any detailed account of the various mining districts and camps in this southwestern region, it may be well to at once mention some of the metals and minerals that are being produced in commercial quantities ; the recital of them will help the reader to form a better estimate of the great mining possibilities of this great South- west : Gold, silver, copper, lead, petroleum, cement, borax and salt. All of these are being mined, and the
ARIZONA COPPER CO.'S CONCENTRATOR, ARIZONA.
because of its being all tributary to Los Angeles, that city being now the recognized commercial and financial center of the Southwest. That is a fact that must not be forgotten.
Of the total area, a large proportion is classed as " desert land," but that term is a misnomer. It is desert and remains desert so long as it is not cultivated, but when, as has been demonstrated at Imperial, water is introduced upon it and the soil cultivated, it pro- duces almost everything that grows, including semi- tropical fruits, and ripens those latter earlier than they are produced in other sections of the United States.
But the greater wealth of this so-called desert region
DETROIT COPPER CO.'S CONCENTRATOR, ARIZONA.
production of them is large. In addition to them, the following may be mentioned, all of which are knownl to exist, but which are not yet produced in quantities sufficiently large to justify classifying them under a commercially-productive head; they are: Iron, nitre, graphite, coal, manganese, quicksilver, mica, serpen- tine; also several varieties of gem stones. In struc- tural material, such as marble, granite and sandstone, both Arizona and Southern California are rich, possessing them not only in abundance, but of superior quality for building purposes. Many other substances classified as mineral substances might be added to the list, but because of their remoteness from economical transportation they are not yet being developed.
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MEN OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
ARIZONA.
Of the several sections comprising this southwestern region, Arizona has the greatest metal production, chief of which is copper. It may be said that copper is mined in almost every county in the Territory, the bulk
ANOTHER VIEW AT BOSTON GROUP
CYANIDE TANKS AT MILL
of it coming from Cochise, Graham, Gila and Yavapai counties. One will better understand the importance to Ari- zona of that branch of the mining indus- try when told that the production of that metal has increased from 23,274,965 pounds in 1883 to an estimated produc- tion of 167,000,000 pounds in 1903, which latter quantity represents at pres- ent market prices a value of $21,710,000. If to that amount there be added the gold and silver production which, according to the report of the Director of the
Mint, for the year 1902 was $7,046,153, it is seen that Arizona is producing copper, gold and silver of a value of $28,750,000 a year.
The most important copper mine in the southern portion of the Territory is the Copper Queen, in Co- chise county. It is Arizona's sec- ond largest copper producer, and stands an easy seventh in the list of the world's copper producers, its present production being some- where about 33,000,000 pounds a year. The mine is the property of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company, a close corpora- tion-about as close as they make them-controlled by Messrs. Phelps, Dodge & Co., of New York, with Prof. James Douglas as presi- cent of it. In addition to its smelt- ing works at Bisbee, the company is erecting immense reduction works at Douglas, close to the Mex- ican line. Besides its Copper Queen mine, the company owns copper mines at Nacozari, Sonora, Mex. ; also several lines of railway. But of all its mines, the Copper Queen, at Bisbee, is the most inter- esting ; the one that has been the means of attracting so much capi- tal to Cochise county. The forma- tion in the Copper Queen consists essentially of two limestone beds, the upper one white, the lower one blue. dipping southward and flank- ing a granite core. The most in-
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HOIST AT BOSTON GROUP
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VIEWS AT QUARTETTE MINE, SEARCHILIGHT, NEVADA.
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MEN OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GREAT SOUTHWEST.
portant finds of ore have been at the base of the upper limestone. De- velopments of the last two years have shown that the formation car- ries extensive ore values much deeper than was formerly sup- posed-a fact of the greatest im- portance for the future prosperity of Bisbee. In the limestone, caves are occasionally encountered with good bodies of ore usually found beneath them. Large masses of native copper are frequently found, and, strange to say, not near the surface, as is usually the case in other copper districts, but at con- siderable depth: One of these chunks of native copper was found last year in the Copper Queen, weighing over 200 pounds. It was cut into pieces of about half a pound, which are used as paper weights by those to whom the company presented them. The capacity of the sinelter at Bisbee was 1000 tons of ore a day, but the plant has been partially dis- inantled. Portions of it-such as could be made use of-were moved to Douglas and incorporated in the new plant, the capacity of which will be 1500 tons of ore a day.
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