Sutter
County
Biographies
MORRIS SCHEIBER
The
most extensive dairy farm in the Sacramento valley is probably that of Morris
Scheiber & Son, located about three miles south of Nicolaus. This splendid property represents the direct fruits
of persistent and well directed industry and merits special reference in this
work. The Alps Dairy, as the ranch is
called, comprises about one thousand acres of choice bottom land along the
Feather River, in addition to which a five hundred acre tract is rented, so
that a thousand acres of good land are utilized in the dairying
operations. The livestock on the ranch
includes one thousand high grade Holstein cows and twelve grade Holstein
bulls. Fourteen to eighteen men are
employed in the various departments of the farm, and alfalfa hay is raised
extensively, the annual production being more than three thousand tons. Morris Scheiber & Son are among the
largest producers of milk in the Sacramento Valley and find a ready market for
their product, which is noted for its purity and superior quality. More than three thousand pounds of milk are
produced daily and the entire product is taken by the Capital Dairy of
Sacramento, a Borden interest. The
company operates a regular line of trucks, which bring the milk from various
sources to its Sacramento plant daily, and it is a matter of common knowledge
that the Alps Dairy milk holds first rank in that company’s ratings.
Morris
Scheiber was born at Schattdorf,
in Canto Uri, Switzerland, July 7, 1867, and is a son of Karl and Marianna (Furrer) Scheiber, who were
natives of the same canton. Morris
Scheiber is the twelfth in order of birth in their family of fifteen children,
eleven of whom came to California. None
is now living in Switzerland. The father,
a well educated man, engaged in buying and selling farms, was a livestock
dealer, and also served as government appraiser. He died in his native land in 1909, at the
age of eighty-one years, having been preceded in death by the mother, who
passed away in 1892, at the age of fifty-eight years.
Morris
Scheiber attended the public schools in Uri until
twelve years of age, when, with his parents and family, he moved to
France. There he worked upon a large
dairy farm for four years, during which time he also acquired a speaking
knowledge of the French language. They
then returned to their former home in Uri, Switzerland, but after a short stay
there Mr. Scheiber went to the state of Lombardi, Italy, where he worked on
dairy farms and learned the Italian language.
His own people talked German, which language was taught in his home
schools, so that he is somewhat a linguist, speaking the German, French,
Italian and English tongues.
In
1889 Mr. Scheiber emigrated to the United States and
came direct to California, locating first in Sacramento, where he found work on
the Wittenbrock ranch. Ten months later
he and his brothers, Joseph, Anton, Albin and John bought the dairy business on
that ranch, also leasing the ranch property.
In 1891 Scheiber Brothers leased land at Nicolaus, Sutter County, and
started dairying, at the same time continuing their operations in Sacramento
County. Later Morris, Joseph, John and
Albin Scheiber purchased the Nicolaus Allgeier ranch of six hundred acres,
which was one of the oldest ranches in the valley, having been located by Mr.
Allgeier, the first settler in this locality, in whose honor the town of Nicolaus was named.
There they engaged in dairying on a large scale. They brought their dairy herd from Sacramento
County to their property at Nicolaus, where they purchased additional ranches
until they owned two thousand six hundred and twenty acres, besides leasing
several thousand acres additional. At
one time they ran five big dairies. They
manufactured full-cream California cheese, which they sold and shipped to
Marysville, Sacramento and San Francisco.
In 1895 they also conducted a large dairy on Battle Creek, northeast of
Red Bluff, known as the Battle Creek Dairy, where also they manufactured
cheese. In 1906 they sold two thousand
acres of their land, divided up the proceeds and dissolved their partnership.
At
that time Morris Scheiber purchased his present place, the old Claus Peters
ranch of three hundred acres of fine farming land, and established his present dairy. Since then he as purchased several other
ranches, all of which he has checked and planted to alfalfa, making him the
largest individual land owner in the Nicolaus district, where he is regarded as
a millionaire. He inherited his father’s
judgment of land values, and his land is recognized as among the best in
California, being particularly valuable for dairying and the raising of
alfalfa. A large pumping plant and tank
house have been installed for the benefit of the dairy herd, and other wells and
pumping plants supply an abundance of pure water for stock and plenty for
irrigating purposes. One of the most
valuable features of this property is the fact that in the drilling wells
plenty of water is found at depths of from sixty to one hundred feet. Mr. Scheiber has built a commodious and
attractive country residence, as a cost of ten thousand dollars. He also has two large dairy barns, a horse
barn, milk house and other necessary buildings, such as bunk house and cook
house, necessary on a farm of this size.
From fourteen to eighteen men are constantly employed. One of the barns has a capacity of a thousand
tons of hay, and more than three thousand tons are put up every year. The dairy barns are supplied with five Empire
milking machines, operated by vacuum pumps, electrically driven. The ranch and dairy are kept scrupulously
clean, particular attention being given to all sanitary measures, and it is a
delight to visit this great dairy farm, which is one of the show places of the
Sacramento Valley.
Mr.
Scheiber is very progressive in his ideas and methods. He is a strong advocate of good roads, the
building and maintenance of the levee along the Feather River, and of other
public improvements, and is strongly opposed to hydraulic mining, the debris
from which filled the river beds and caused an overflow over the lands of this
section. He possesses a keen business
mind, is a splendid executive and his thorough system enables him to secure
maximum results at a minimum expenditure of effort.
On
May 28, 1892, in Sacramento, California, Morris Scheiber was united in marriage
to Miss Emma Margaret Peters, a daughter of Claus Peters, who came to this
valley in 1852, being numbered among its earliest settlers, and here became
well known and prosperous. Mrs. Scheiber
was born and reared here and secured her education in the schools at
Nicolaus. Mr. and Mrs. Scheiber are the
parents of two children, Aileen and Holden.
The latter, who was born February 20, 1903, is
now in partnership with his father, under the firm name of Morris Scheiber
& Son. In 1924 Mr. Scheiber and his
entire family made a three-month trip to Europe and had a most enjoyable time,
though none of their old-world relatives were surviving to welcome them. The family are
adherents of the Roman Catholic faith and Holden Scheiber is a member of the
Benevolent Protective of Elks at Marysville.
He is a young man of fine personal qualities, takes an active part in
the management of the dairy business, and is very highly esteemed by all who
know him. Morris Scheiber has achieved
outstanding success in his affairs because he worked hard and persistently
along a definite line of action, and during all the years of his residence here
has been guided by the highest principles of honor and commands the confidence of
respect of all who have had dealings with him.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3, Pages 82-84. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Sutter County
Biographies