from a pipe connecting with a contiguous spring-a benison that is vastly appreciated by the herds that roll in luxury on Mr. Sneath's broad acres. About a quarter of a mile from the Mission road is situated the neat dwelling of the proprietor, surrounded with everything to give it an air of comfort, and of being the home of happiness and contentment. A short distance west from the house is the blacksmith shop, where all the smith-work of the ranch is done. It might also be called the hospital, where all the wounded and battered of the regiments of milk cans are repaired. Near by is the mill for grinding feed for the stock. It is both a wind-mill and a water-mill, either motive power being used. It is also supplied with a steam engine, which however, is only employed in very rare instances when from any cause the other motion is not for the time being available. To the west of this, at a convenient distance is the barn, a brief description of which may give an idea of the scale on which business on the great dairy farm is done. The barn completely covers an area of two hundred and forty-eight by forty-eight feet; the middle or main part faces north and south, and is three stories high, while the east and west wings are two stories. On the lower floor, two hundred and eightyeight cows are stalled separately every night, while the upper floors of the wings are filled with hay.

Milking is commenced at eight o'clock in the morning and eight o'clock in the evening. The milk is carried by the milkers to the center of the barn where it is poured into a large, double cooler. This is made of tin, having an inside and an outside wall; and there are two sections, one placed above the other. The central part or basin of each cooler is filled with cold spring water, which is constantly running in fresh at one place and out at another. The milk is poured through a strainer fixed to the upper section, around which it is made to flow in a current, following a system of wires until it reaches the bottom, when it passes through a faucet into the lower section, continuing its motion along the wire guides until its temperature is reduced almost to that of the body of cool spring water in the center of the coolers. From the lower section it passes into a tank from which the cans in which it is taken to market are filled. This cooling apparatus occupies the ground floor of the central part of the barn. On the second floor is the hay cutter, and also a large tank for soaking the ground grain on which the cattle are fed. The grain is elevated to the third floor and is poured into the tank below as it is needed, through spouts, the flow being started or shut off at will, by means of little gates or slides at the bottom of each spout. Adjacent to the barn is a building where the cans are daily put through a process which keeps them clean and perfectly sweet. The plan is original with Mr. Sneath, and is entitled to more than a passing notice. Near the center of the building is a long iron tank, with a furnace underneath. The tank is divided into three sections, one of which contains boiling hot water; the second, water moderately hot; and the third,

warm water made into strong soap-suds. Over the suds are two brushes, one large and long and the other short and small, on vertical spindles, to which are imparted by a simple water-power contrivance, a rapidly revolving motion. The cans are dipped in the suds, then held to the brushes, which polish them to a silvery brightness, leaving no spot untouched. They are then placed in the hot water, after which they are washed outwardly in the medium tank, then rinsed in pure, cold spring water, and put away for use. The covers of the cans are cleaned in like manner, except that the short brush only is used. To the westward of this group of buildings is another residence, with barns and appurtenances like those above described, except that they are of more recent date, better built, and fitted with valuable improvements suggested by the proprietor's long experience.

The product of these dairies is taken to San Francisco in a large wagon drawn by six mules, there being relay teams, one of which goes in the day time, taking the milk for evening delivery, and the other making the night trip, with the milk for morning delivery. It is all consigned to the city office, No. 835 Howard street, where, upon arrival, it is taken by the route wagons and delivered to customers. This dairy is one of the bright jewels in California's industrial coronet. To it she points with pride, and challenges the . Union to show its rival as a source of pure milk supply. It furnishes twice in the twenty-four hours, to ten thousand people, five hundred and fifty cans of pure milk, from six hundred head of the best breeds of milch-cows. The daily average of milk supplied from the Jersey farm to San Francisco is eleven thousand gallons, amounting in a year to the enormous quantity of four millions, fifteen thousand gallons, and not adulterated with one drop of water. The dairy is under the superintendence of George R. Sneath, while the business department in San Francisco is in charge of his father.

KNOWLES' TROUT AND CARP PONDS.-In addition to his dairy business, Mr. I. G. Knowles has in latter years given his attention to breeding game fish. His first essay in this department was in 1878. He prepared a pond, and on the 4th of April of that year stocked it with fourteen carp; in the following year he added sixteen more of the same species of fish, and since that time he has increased the number of his ponds, which are now teeming with over thirty thousand carp. His trout ponds rank among the finest in the state, affording sportsmen from the city, who appreciate so rare a privilege, an opportunity for indulging in the exhilarating and remunerative pleasure of angling for trout.

We have only given in the foregoing chapter a history of a few of the leading dairy farms in San Mateo county. There are others, and their histories can be found in other portions of this work. Dairying, especially along the coast,

is one of the prime industries of this county. It has steadily grown with its growth, until to-day its proportions have become a matter of which every resident of San Mateo county may feel proud. When the projected railroad is completed along the ocean shore, thus bringing quick shipping facilities to that locality, then it will be that San Francisco will have a supply of milk which will equal, if not exceed that which is now sent to her market on the Southern Pacific railroad.

It is well to state in this connection, that butter and cheese are the products from the dairy farms on the coast side of the mountains, while on the bay side, the milk in cans is immediately shipped to San Francisco.

GRADY & Co's TANNERY, COLMA.-In 1871, the tannery business of J. J. Grady & Co., at Colma, San Mateo county, was first established. From time to time the premises have been enlarged and improvements added, until to-day the firm have all the necessary appliances and machinery for carrying on a general tanning business. Their specialty, however, is in leather for bookbinding. These volumes are bound with the manufacture of this establishment, and from this circumstance we were reminded that unwittingly mention in the proper place of this concern and its meritorious products had been omitted.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

Alexander Moore. This gentleman is one of California's earliest pioneers. His portrait will be found among the first in the history of San Mateo county. He was born December 17, 1826, in Cock county, Tennessee. In 1835 his father, Eli Moore, moved to Jackson county, Missouri, where the subject of this sketch resided until he came to California. It was in Jackson county that he married Adeline Spainhower, February 2, 1847. She was born in Stokes county, North Carolina, July 28, 1822. This amiable wife and most excellent lady has been a faithful companion and helpmate to her husband, and still shares the blessings that the world and a course of unflinching rectitude have brought to them and their children, in their declining years. On the 9th of May, 1847, Mr. Moore, accompanied by his father, his brothers, Thomas and William, and his sisters, Emeline and Elizabeth, started from home in Missouri for Oregon. A company of about fifteen families was formed for the long and tedious journey; John Hopper, of Sonoma county, and Mr. Easton, of this county, being among the number. Soon after reaching Fort Hall they met. Fremont and his party, who informed them that peace had been declared between the United States and Mexico, and a portion of the company, including Mr. Moore's family, took the route for California. They arrived at Johnson's ranch on Bear river, October 2, 1847. Captain Weber, hearing of the party's arrival in California, sent to San Francisco for provisions, brought cattle to Stockton, where he was then living, had the town surveyed and platted, and then went forward to meet the emigrants. He met them near Sutter's Fort, and offered Mr. Moore a tract of land one mile square and two village lots if he would settle at Stockton. Mr. Moore accepted this generous offer, as did others of the party. Mr. Moore's father, however, was determined to proceed to the lower country, and used his utmost endeavors to induce Alexander to accompany him, but without avail. When the father left Stockton, his son went with him as far as the San Joaquin river to assist him in crossing the stream. Here the father again tried to induce his son to go with him to the lower country and being again refused, finally agreed to return to Stockton, ostensibly for the purpose of inducing his daughter-in-law to go with his party on their southward journey. This proposition was accepted by Alexander as an easy method of pleasing his father, for he verily believed that his wife