JAMES RUTTER

 

James Rutter was born in August 1827 in Cornwall, England, his parents being James and Elizabeth (Barrett) Rutter. He was educated and learned his trade (at which he worked two years) in his native town, Hayle Copperhouse. In this town the engine used to pump the water out of Harlem Lake, in Holland, was built. He came to America in 1849 and settled in New York, where he worked at his trade for a year as journeyman; then left New York for the West, going up the Mississippi River to Churchville, then down the river to Quincy, Illinois. He stayed there until 1851, working at his trade. In January of that year he started for Galena, Illinois, leaving his tools at Quincy, as there was no mode of conveyance till the navigation opened up in the spring. He traveled parallel with the Mississippi till he struck Rock Island, then took the stage. He found Galena very dull but managed to make a living at his trade until spring; and when spring arrived commenced working regularly. In the fall of 1851 he married Tomsine Penberthy, a native of Cornwall, England, located about six or seven miles from where he was born. In April 1852 he and his wife came across the plains by means of ox teams with a train of twenty wagons and sixty persons. They reached the Sink of the Humboldt without having encountered many thrilling events. From there they started to cross the desert at about nine o’clock in the morning; had dinner at one o’clock at a place where the ground was literally covered with the accumulations of the iron works from the wagons that had been burned there to cook food. After resting about an hour they continued their journey to Carson Valley. The last ten miles of the journey was the hardest on account of the sandy roads. They noted that the sand was springy, which was caused by the accumulation of the carcasses of animals that had died there and over which the sand had drifted; they traveled over these bodies for a distance of ten miles! About the 5^th of August they reached Diamond Spring and stopped there. Mr. Rutter worked at his trade at Hangtown for awhile, but soon went to Sacramento city, where he worked at his trade in the Overton Block on Third and J Streets. During the fire of 1852 his tools were destroyed and he also lost his wages; after that he was occupied in helping to rebuild the city, at $10 a day. January 1, 1858, he moved upon his present ranch at Florin. He first pre-empted it and afterward located it under the laws of the State. The place is beautifully situated about eight miles from Sacramento, and is the dividing line between Brighton and San Joaquin townships. The ranch is what is called plains land; the formation is of a bed rock three feet from sruface, commonly called “hard pan,” and the water is eight feet from the surface and of first quality. The soil will grow anything that can be raised in California. The land was unimproved, and there was Spanish cattle running on it when he first went there to live. The first year he planted 500 peach-trees, which grew up nicely, but the grasshoppers came and destroyed all but 158 of them; he renewed them and got a fine growth. In 1864, on account of the drought, he had to improvise some method of watering them; he did so and obtained a fine growth; this was the commencement of irrigation. There was very little fruit in the market that year, and he could command almost any price for his; one-half the proceeds from the first crop paid off the mortgage on his farm. The first year he also planted a small vineyard, principally fine Muscats; they fetched from 25 to 30 cents per pound for the first lots. He kept increasing his vineyard yearly. He sent the first grapes on the railroad, when it was completed to Chicago, and realized a large figure at that market. His vineyard now consists of 100 acres in bearing. He has been shipping to Martin & Co., of Denver, for the past seven years. He produces a great many wine grapes which are consumed here. In 1872 he was awarded the diploma at the American Institute at New York City for the display of Muscats, Alexandria and Flaming Tokay. In 1873 he was awarded the silver medal by the American Pomological Society in Boston for the best collection of grapes grown west of the Rocky Mountains. In 1874 he sent a fine collection to Nebraska and was awarded the medal by the Horticultural Society of that State. Some of the clusters of fruit were selected and sent to other fairs. For the last twelve years he has held a regular exhibition at the California State Fair, and has received hundred of dollars in premiums. At the California Fair held in 1879 he was awarded the golden prize by the California State Agricultural Association for wine grapes, table grapes and raisins. He is a member of the California Fruit Union and the Dried Fruit Association (a new society started last fall). Mr. Rutter has one daughter, Agnes, wife of L.M. Landsborough, resident in Sacramento.