A start in life.

by C. F. Dowsett.

I have ent.i.tled this little book "A Start in Life," because it conveys information which would enable any person possessing a small capital, with some industry, patience, and steady habits, to make a start in life which, humanly speaking, could not fail of success.

The old countries of Europe contain a superabundant population; every branch of professional and commercial life is so overcrowded, that there exists a compet.i.tion so keen, as to reduce the incomes of the largest, and, in many cases, to prevent the smallest workers, in whatever sphere, from getting a remunerative return for the activities of brain, muscle, and money.

To inform the public, therefore, how a young man may make a first start in life, or an older man a fresh start in life, is offering an advantage which, I doubt not, will be appreciated by many who read these pages.

I am prepared to hear the objection that, in the proposals set forth herein, I am seeking a personal advantage as Agent for the sale of the lands at Merced, in California, that I refer to, and I meet it with this statement: Let the objector consider his prospects of success in the place where he now is, and if they are reasonably good, let him stay there; if they are not, then let him intelligently consider what his capabilities are--whether he has any special or technical knowledge, and, if so, in what place he can expect the best return for a full use of his talents. If any opening appears probable in any of the old countries, he will, perhaps, first consider that; but if he can see no opening at home, then let him consider, by careful investigation, the more distant fields; let him learn all he can about all the British Colonies, and other countries, and especially Canada and the United States, as being nearest to Great Britain. Having learnt something generally of these distant places, then, having regard to his own abilities and capital, and his personal desires as to distance from the Old Country, climate, &c., he should make his choice as to which of the places he has read of seems most likely to give him a fair prospect of success; and then, having come to this decision, he should learn all he can about that particular place. I admit that I shall receive a personal benefit by persons settling at Merced, in California; but--I say this with great confidence--if, after an intelligent consideration of other places, any person, desiring a start in life, comes to the conclusion that Fruit culture in California is an occupation, and a country, that would suit him, then let him consider all the places in California where openings for this occupation are presented, and let him choose which of them he considers most suitable; and, at the risk of appearing invidious, I would add that he should not believe all he reads, but should make his examination and inquiries for himself, on the spot. I do not ask him blindly to believe what is set forth in these pages, but if he thinks that California is a suitable place of settlement for him, then I do say, with great emphasis, that he should not settle upon anything in California until he has been to Merced, and proved for himself that the statements are credible. After he has been to Merced, I have little doubt that he will be convinced that that place presents an opening which would be worth his decision.

If he proceed to California by the Southern Pacific Railway, he could break his journey at the various other places of Fruit culture settlement, and inspect them, reaching Merced last, as the nearest to the great centre of San Francisco.

A careful comparison of the various fields of Fruit culture enterprise will, I am a.s.sured, show him that Merced possesses peculiar advantages.

It is well known that the great drawback of California is want of water; and intending settlers must not be satisfied by the statements of agents, or owners, that their lands have water advantages, but they must satisfy themselves that they can have water by irrigation (not by the expensive, laborious process of pumping it up from uncertain springs), and in such a quant.i.ty as to be permanent.

At some places lands now supplied by irrigation will fall short presently, when the owners carry the water on to thousands of adjoining acres; therefore, a full and permanent supply of water is an essential.

THE SPECIAL ADVANTAGES

my clients offer settlers at Merced are:--

1. A permanent supply of Water, for a perpetual water right accompanies every lot of land sold.

2. Contiguity to a Railway Station on the main line, and to a Town, with commercial, professional, educational, social and religious advantages.

3. Instruction in Fruit culture gratis by a specialist, who is paid by my clients to instruct settlers on their lands.

4. A rich Soil, of which, on another page, an a.n.a.lysis is given.

5. A ready Market for produce. Buyers come round the country and purchase the crops as they are on the trees, taking upon themselves the picking and packing. The Continent of North America is a sufficient market in itself for all time especially considering that its population increases nearly a million and a half a year.

6. The prices range from 75 dollars to 150 dollars per acre. At some other places in California, land is offered at a less price, but I can sell some land at even 10 dollars per acre; yet that at 100 dollars per acre is far cheaper, having regard to its advantages. Our land at 150 dollars per acre will favourably compare with lands fetching much higher prices.

7. Free Conveyances will be given, with a perfectly clear and satisfactory t.i.tle.

8. Two-thirds of the purchase-money may remain on mortgage.

9. Merced is only 14 days from London.

10. A liberal competence may be secured by a reasonably industrious settler.

11. Merced is a very healthy locality, and is nearer to San Francisco than other Fruit growing centres.

12. My clients, the owners, are well-known gentlemen of wealth and position in California, and not irresponsible land speculators, members of a syndicate with an unknown personality.

COMPARISON AND WARNING.

I have already said that applicants should verify for themselves the statements made by persons who, like myself, would be personally benefited by their settling upon the lands offered for sale. Letters sent to this country, and advertised by agents as a guarantee of advantages, written by persons soon after arrival in California, and who have not compared the place of their location with other places, can scarcely be a sufficient recommendation. Some parts of California advertised in this country for sale have not a permanent water supply; are too hot; are swept by winds; are at a considerable distance from a railway station; have a poor, sandy soil, some even mixed with alkali; and some are so situated as to be "notoriously unhealthy," and produce chills, fevers, and general malaria, and, in one case, I have heard of an embarra.s.sed t.i.tle: therefore, I say that intending settlers should remember there is a California and a California--that it is not all gold which glitters, and that they should, personally and intelligently, investigate for themselves, on the spot, the statements made by those who, at a distance, offer the lands for sale.

CAPITAL REQUIRED.

It is recommended that settlers intending to establish Fruit farms, should have a capital of from 600 upwards; but those who have a smaller capital--say, 300, or even 100--may, in other ways, find some opening for employing it, if accompanied with intelligent, industrious, persevering work.

=A Start in Life.=

To ensure the stability of a building the foundation ought to be substantial, so in like manner a good start in life goes a great way towards ensuring a successful career. By success I do not mean the making of a rapid fortune by leaps and bounds of prosperity, but I do mean an ultimate prosperity, acquired through patient, persevering, and intelligent labour. To make a large fortune quickly it is necessary to have command of the requisite knowledge of the business in hand, the requisite capital, untiring energy, and a trait of genius. Beyond these it would be necessary to have the mind absorbed in the one thing, and therefore, supposing one possessed the requisites, would it be worth while to sacrifice all else to the mere acc.u.mulation of money? To live for mere money making is a grovelling existence, and utterly unworthy the aim of any man possessing the finer instincts of human nature and the intelligence with which it is endowed.

No, I am not pretending to offer the means of making a rapid fortune--such accidents fall to the lot of but few out of the millions of our species--but I do claim to be able to offer to men willing to live a steady industrious life, the opportunity of acquiring, on easy terms, a small freehold estate, into which they can put the golden seed of their own mental and physical effort with the certainty of reaping a golden harvest proportionate to their area, their ability, and their industry; for when once a Fruit farm is planted it increases in value every year.

To own a freehold estate of 20, 40, or 100 acres, with a comfortable house and buildings, and the land well stocked with choice Fruits, with a ready market, presents a prospect, by the use of a small capital, with the addition of muscle and brains, of future competence. When such a property is fully matured, labour can be hired, and one's own personal energies may be diverted, if preferred, into other channels, or continued in the same with largely acc.u.mulating benefits.

I ask my readers requiring for themselves, or others in whom they are interested, a start in life, to read these pages carefully, for I do not know any calling, in the old or new world, where a small capitalist fond of country life could find an occupation more congenial than the one I offer at Merced, in California, and which is described herein.

Residence near to a young town, which will probably increase rapidly in value, and which now possesses extensive commercial, locomotive, social and religious advantages, a climate than which the surface of this globe scarcely presents one more desirable, a fortnight's journey from London, and a soil pregnant with inherent virtue, are amongst the considerations of importance which will determine thoughtful investors to settle at Merced.

I am prepared to show to applicants samples of the soils and fruits, and also views, books, maps, &c., and to answer questions, if they will call personally upon me, at my offices--

3, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,

so that they may have every a.s.sistance in enabling them to come to a decision as to whether the start in life I offer them at Merced, in California, is one suitable in respect of their inclination, capital, abilities, and energy.

WITHIN A FORTNIGHT OF LONDON.

To prove the convenient access of this land, called "British Colony"

from London, I may say that on November 22nd, 1890, I left Liverpool in the Cunard steamer "Etruria," which reached New York on the following Sat.u.r.day evening, just too late for the Custom-house officers to examine the luggage, so that we could not go on sh.o.r.e till the next morning. I stayed over the Sunday (26 hours) in New York, leaving on Monday by the first overland train, and after calling at innumerable stations, and staying 14 hours at Chicago and Council Bluffs, to "make connections"

(_i.e._, catch other trains), and staying 52 hours at San Francisco, I arrived at Merced at 10.23 on Monday night, December 8th, _i.e._, say 16 days 6 hours after leaving Liverpool. Had I have left Liverpool by the Wednesday instead of the Sat.u.r.day steamer, I should not have needed to have stayed over Sunday in New York, and, of course, there would be no necessity for a settler to stay at San Francisco (I had to meet my clients there); therefore, deducting these two stoppages of 78 hours, or 3-1/4 days, it would give 13 days to Merced in the _winter_ season. In fine weather the journey could be made in less time; some steamers, in the summer and autumn months, have crossed from Liverpool to New York in about six days, so that the journey _could_ be made, in favourable circ.u.mstances, in say 12 to 13 days, but we may safely put it at 14 days.

I went by the Northern Prairies and Rocky Mountains, and returned by the longer route of Southern California, the Desert of Arizona, the Plains of Texas, through the sugar and cotton districts of the Southern States, and thence, via New Orleans and Washington, back to New York.

Thus, after remaining eight days at Merced, where I was fully engaged each day in inspecting the lands for sale and the country around for many miles, and after allowing for stoppages on the return journey over Sundays, and waiting three days at New York for the Cunard steamer "Servia," I reached Liverpool on January 4th, and was back again in my office on Monday, January 5th, being six weeks, one day and 22 hours from the time I rose from my chair in my office to the time I was sitting in it again.

=Across America.=

LONDON TO CHICAGO.