[McGroarty, JS.] . hmeat to the far-flung scattered mining camps south of Stocktonwas found to be profitable. Men engaged in this businessbegan to drive beef on the hoof up from Southern Californiaand even from Texas and Old Mexico. And immediatelythey found their cattle upon magnificent ranges, fattening likemagic on the succulent wild grasses, needing no shelter, safefrom any danger of thirst and free from every menace. Wherefore, at once, Fresno County sprang into impor-tance as a cattle country. In later years it became world-famedas such, and, even now, when it is calipered into almost co
[McGroarty, JS.] . hmeat to the far-flung scattered mining camps south of Stocktonwas found to be profitable. Men engaged in this businessbegan to drive beef on the hoof up from Southern Californiaand even from Texas and Old Mexico. And immediatelythey found their cattle upon magnificent ranges, fattening likemagic on the succulent wild grasses, needing no shelter, safefrom any danger of thirst and free from every menace. Wherefore, at once, Fresno County sprang into impor-tance as a cattle country. In later years it became world-famedas such, and, even now, when it is calipered into almost count-less comparatively small farms, orchards and vineyards, itscattle industry is a considerable matter. But the old dayswere the days of the great herds and of enormous flocks of ^^ A Thompson Seedless Vineyard. The California nameapplied to the Sultanina Blanche or Turkish Sultana. Theirannual output is 50,000 tons, while ours is hut 12,000 great opportunity for development knocking at ourvery sheep. And gradually these cattle herds were increased asthe rich valley grasses were found abundant for fatteningduring the period of frequent rains. Moreover, the bottomlands and deltas of the rivers in Fresno County offered allur-ing prospects for permanent cattle ranches. These conditionsled to the growth of small settlements such as those of Center-ville and Kingston, near the present site of Laton, on the KingsRiver. The lower reaches of the San Joaquin in Fresno Countyfurnished thousands of acres of perpetual feed, leading to thefoundation of the famous Miller and Lux and the James cattleranches. Naturally, with so many opportunities for stock raising,the activities of the inhabitants drifted away from mining andthe earth was no longer looked to for gold alone. Sheep inevit-ably followed the cattle, and, at the beginning of the 60s, manybands were brought into the county. For a number of yearsFresno County increased its population only as the chance forsucces
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