CHAPTER XIV.

PORTUGUESE FARMERS ABOUT SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA. [For General Tables see pp. 896 to 905.]

INTRODUCTION.

There is a strong Portuguese element in the population of San Leandro and vicinity. They number some 2,600, or about two-thirds of the inhabitants. The other races are largely of native stock, with some Italians. Forty years ago there were about 20 families of Portuguese there. Some of these early settlers were sailors, who, when the opportunity offered, forsook their ships and sought the nearest farming community. Others later migrated direct from the Azores Islands. Still others tried their fortunes first in the Hawaiian Islands; sometimes starting from their native land bound under contract to work on the sugar plantations, and then came to the continental United States. And, finally, others have come to the locality from different places in the United States.

For the most part these immigrant farmers left farm homes as young single men. A smaller number have migrated with families. They were actuated by a desire to better their fortunes, for they felt that the Azores, which were becoming more crowded each year, did not offer good opportunities for making a living. Then, too, many young men emigrated before becoming of age in order to escape military service, which entailed hardships with little compensation. United States was selected as a place for settlement because it was a country which offered the best opportunities for money-making, was easy of access, and, in later years, was known to have Portuguese settlements where friends could be found.

The

These Portuguese, coming from long lines of farming ancestors and with little or no education, naturally have been most successful in agricultural pursuits. It has been so in this locality, where the great majority are farmers. Aside from saloon and restaurant keepers very few are engaged in any line of business. Members of the second generation are employed in various business houses by other races, but show little enterprise in undertaking an independent business of their own where skill or careful application is required. The Portuguese farmers about San Leandro are chiefly growers of fruit and vegetables in a system of diversified farming. Often vegetables are planted in the orchards between the rows of bearing trees and in this way three crops, two of vegetables and one of fruit, are obtained in the one year. Markets are close at hand. The better produce is disposed of at the Farmers' Exchange, or through commission merchants in Oakland; that of poorer quality to the canneries near by.

An agent of the Commission secured schedules for 36 representative Portuguese farmers and their families during the autumn of 1908. The details are presented in the following sections of this report.

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THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE PORTUGUESE FARMERS.

At the present time, these 36 farmers control 1,673 acres of rich tillable land. Thirty-one of them own land, but 9 of these, in order to obtain more land for productive purposes, add to their holdings others under lease. The remaining 5 farmers are tenants. Of the total acreage 874.5 is owned; 798.5 is leased for cash or a share of the crops. Though a few of these farms are large, the majority are small holdings. One contains 491.5 acres and 4 others contain more than 100 acres each. On the other hand, 14 farms contain from 2 to 10 acres. While the average holding per farm is 46.6, the median farm contains 12.5 acres. (General Table 306.)

Yet

The region is devoted primarily to fruit and vegetable growing, but the Portuguese are for the most part engaged in diversified farming, with fruit and vegetables as the more important crops produced for sale. No fewer than 30 of the 36 sold vegetables during the year previous to the investigation; 27 sold fruit of one or more kinds; 12 sold animal and 3 dairy products, while 7 sold hay and grain. (General Table 309.) Almost all produced the greater part of their own food supply. All have gardens, and practically all have orchards. All but 4 have from 1 to 6 cows, which provide them with milk and butter, and half of the entire number keep swine, from which they provide a part of their meat. It is evident that the sales represent only a part, and in some instances not the larger part, of the income from the farms. Yet all produce something, and most of them produce a great deal for sale. The smallest amount reported was $50, the largest $19,625, from a farm of 348 acres. Three sold produce for more than $5,000, 5 for more than $3,000, 10 for more than $2,000, and 17 for more than $1,000. The other 19 sold less9 between $500 and $1,000, and the other 10 from $50 to $500. (General Table 309.) The average per farm received for crops sold was $1,960.79, which, when taken in connection with the produce consumed at home, is indicative of a prosperous state of affairs. this is only an average where differences are great. Several of the smaller farmers do hauling and other outside work during the year in order fully to occupy their time and become established in the world, while others find it necessary to employ much help throughout the year. In still other cases the sons as they grow up find insufficient opportunity on the farm, and because of this or a disinclination to engage in farm work, go to the cities in search of employment. Perhaps the whole situation may be summarized by saying that on the material side this Portuguese community is not different from those native American communities sufficiently close to city markets. to have a premium set upon intensive farming chiefly for the market. These differences are well shown by the differences in the amount of wealth possessed, the value of farms, and other things which will be commented upon later. But the majority are fairly prosperous and are accumulating wealth. During the year previous to the investigation 28 of the 36 realized profits (over and above living as well as other expenses) varying from small sums under $250 in 8 cases, and from $250 to $1,000 in 11 cases, to more than $1,000 in 9 others, and averaging $688.39 per man. On the other hand, 7 barely met expenses for the year, while 1 had a deficit of $2,500.

There is one noteworthy difference between these Portuguese and the American farmers, which may be indicated at this point. It lies

in the fact that the former employ their countrymen practically to the exclusion of other races, whether as regular or as temporary hands. These they pay from $20 to $25 per month if regularly employed, or from $1 to $1.25 per day if temporarily employed during the harvest season, always with board and lodging. These wages are about $5 per month and from 25 to 50 cents per day less than laborers are paid by native farmers in other neighboring localities.

THE SETTLEMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE PORTUGUESE FARMERS.

As already stated, this is an old Portuguese community. Some have long resided there, while others have come in comparatively recent years. Of the 36 from whom data were obtained, 3 had been in the United States from five to nine years, while the others had been here from ten to fifty-five years. Of the 36, only 10 were 25 years of age or over at the time they came. Six of these were married and came with their wives in search of a new home. Of the others, 10 were between 20 and 25, 7 between 18 and 20, and 6 under 18 years of age when they came.

Fifteen were "at home" prior to coming to the United States, 3 were assisting on their fathers' farms, 10 were farm laborers, 2 were farmers, and 3 wage-earners in different occupations. Almost all came with little or no money. It is but a natural sequence to find 24 of this number working as farm hands as their first occupation in the United States. Six, however, began as common laborers, 2 as wage-earners in the city, while 1 purchased land and began immediately to farm on his own account. (General Tables 307 and 308.)

Most of these farmers worked for a comparatively long time as farm laborers before leasing or purchasing land. Including the one who purchased land upon coming to this country, 6 of 31 became farmers on their own account in less than five years after their arrival, 9 others in from five and nine years, 8 between ten and fourteen years, 3 between fifteen and seventeen years, 2 after twenty years, 1 after twenty-five years, and 1 after twenty-six years.

Of the 32 farmers, 19 began farming on their own account as tenants, 10 purchased land to begin with, while 3 purchased small plats of land and leased others during the same crop year and began farming in that way. After leasing for a time and accumulating money, however, most of the tenant farmers purchased farms. Of the 19, 9 have purchased farms and no longer lease land, while 5 others have purchased small tracts which they cultivate along with rented land. The other 5 have continued as tenant farmers. The majority have worked for wages and farmed as tenants for several years before they have come into ownership of the land they till.

The progress of these farmers is indicated by several facts. The first purchases made by the 31 who own land aggregated only 255.25 acres. They now own 874.5 acres. This difference is accounted for by the fact that 9 have purchased more land, in some instances large tracts. The amount paid for the first purchases was $116,617.50. (General Table 306.) Of this $93,167.50 was paid in cash, leaving a mortgage indebtedness of $23,450 owed by 15. The value of the land they now own, with improvements, is estimated at $508,500, or an average of $16,403.23 per farm. Mortgage indebtedness is outstanding against 7, the total amount being only $16,150. Only 2 have other debts, the amount being $3,060.

In contrast to the nominal sums of money brought to the United States, most of these Portuguese farmers now have much property. One tenant, it is true, is reported as having less than $250, the value of furniture excluded, and three others have between $500 and $1,000 each. Another farmer has between $1,500 and $2,500 and 5 have between $2,500 and $5,000. Twenty-six of the 36 have property worth more than $5,000. In 11 cases the amounts were between $5,000 and $10,000, in 10 between $10,000 and $25,000, in 5 more than $25,000. The total property, less indebtedness, is $597,895, an average of $16,608.20 for each of the 36 farmers. This represents the savings of an average residence in the United States of about twenty-eight years.

SOCIOLOGICAL DATA

While the Portuguese houses are not so large or so well furnished as those of the Americans of the neighborhood, they are quite comfortable and well kept. The average number of rooms per house is 5.67. In many houses modern water-supply conveniences are installed. Of the 36 studied, 16 have city or tank water piped into the house. There is no crowded condition in housing, for practically all have living rooms used for no other purpose, while the majority have dining rooms separate from the kitchen as well. As a rule the furnishings are inexpensive, limited to necessary articles only. A few, however, have "parlor sets," and one has a piano. The value of the furniture in each of 18 homes is less than $150. The average, however, is reported as $224 per household.

Upon immigrating to this country the Portuguese have, as a rule, quickly severed relations with their native land. This is evidenced in one way by the fact that, in 1907, 12 of the families investigated sent abroad a total of only $275. All of these farmers expect to remain permanently in the United States. Yet in spite of this fact, of long residence in this country, and of the position to which they have attained, 12 of the 33 men are aliens, 2 have their first papers, while the remainder are citizens. They are of the opinion that our political institutions are superior to theirs, but take little interest in them. Their interests are primarily economic-making money, saving, and buying land. The second generation, however, is showing more interest in politics.

In literacy the Portuguese rank low. In the 36 families from which data were obtained there are 75 foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over. Of the 42 foreign-born males only 17, of the 33 females only 21, are literate. They have also been slow in learning English-partly because they are clannish. Twenty-two of the 75, though they have been in the United States for more than five years, can not speak English, while only 15 of the entire number can read and write the language. In marked contrast with these, however, the second generation shows every evidence of the educational advan tages offered in the excellent public-school system of California, as well as in the parochial Catholic schools. The entire number of 55 Portuguese-American children over 10 years of age can read and write English. There are 37 children between the ages of 6 and

Crops had been harvested and sold at the time of the investigation.