Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1915 — VISITED THE BIG EXPOSITION. [ARTICLE]

VISITED THE BIG EXPOSITION.

T. M. Callahan Returned Tuesday Evening From California Trip. Thomas M. Callahan returned Tuesday night from a month’s visit to the Pacific coast country’. He reports having had a very nice trip and thinks it well worth? the expense for anyone to take who can do so. Mr. Callahan went first to Los Angeles and from there to San Diego, where he took in the California exposition at that place. He says the exposition grounds and buildings there are very nice but the exhibits are practically all state exhibits. At San Francisco, however, they have a real exposition and while not all the exhibits are yet in place, they are on the ground and being placed as fast as possible. The grounds and buildings are very fine and the exhibits are great. Canada has an exceptionally fine display’ there. Japan is also represented on every hand in all the different lines and has a great amount of articles on exhibition. One interesting feature of the machinery hall, Tom says, is the Ford automobile assembling department. Cars are completely assembled there, passing down a line where each man has- his part to do, and every ten minutes a car is cranked up and starts out, fully assembled, in fact, they cannot keep up with the orders, even though a complete car is turned out every ten minutes. The European war has shut off the exports of fruits almost entirely and big, fine oranges were lying on the ground under the trees in the orange groves, the market being simply glutted with them. Fine large oranges could be had at the groves for 5c per dozen, but in Denver, where Mr. Callahan went later, the best oranges sold at 60c per dozen, which shows that there is quite a “pick up’’ between producer and consumer. From San Francisco Mr. Callahan returned to Los Angeles and went from there to Salt Lake City, Denver and thence home via Chicago. At Salt Lake City he found that the fine apples raised in that setcion of the country were also very cheap on account of the shutting off of the export trade, and in buying a nickel’s worth at one of the fruit stores he had to protest against their giving him so many for his money. The fruit growing business is not all a golden harvest by any means. The expenses are very great and this year the growers will practically all lose money. Last year they made a little money on lemons but lost on other fruits, and this year they have not even a prospect of playing even anywhere along the line. Tom states that he would rather have a few acres of onion ground in Jasper county than own a fruit ranch in California. As to the climate there, it was a little too early for it to be at its best, and the breeze from the ocean chilled him to the marrow. He found an overcoat came in as handy there as it ever did in Indiana. The rainy season was on and the weather was not very pleasant, in fact it was most unpleasant a greater part of the time. He was also over the Mexican line a short distance while away, to Fort Teujeuna. A 6-foot barb wire fence divides the line between the United States and Mexico. He w r as not very favorably impressed with old Mexico.