California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 J. S. CARDOZA. While every nation has its representatives in California, few citizens of Portuguese ancestry and birth are to be found within the limits of the state, and among these few doubtless none has been more successful than Mr. Cardoza, the owner of a valuable al- falfa and dairy farm situated two and one-half miles south of Newman. A record of his life shows what it is possible for a man to accomplish in this land of opportunity, even when he is hampered by poverty, inconvenienced by unfamiliarity with the language, and ignorant of the soil and conditions of the country. The place which by unaided exertions he has ac- quired lies in Merced county across the line from Stanislaus county and consists of one hundred and fifty acres under the canal. At the time of making his first investment here he bought eighty acres and later added to the size of his farm by purchasing an adjoining tract of seventy acres, all of which is in alfalfa. The trees on the land have been set out by him since 1888, and in 1903 he erected a neat farm house. Other buildings have been con- structed from time to time, including two hay barns and a cow barn 120 x 48 feet. A pioneer in the dairy industry and an original stockholder in the New Era creamery, he has al- ways been a believer in the possibilities of dairying, and by his early success he encour- aged others to purchase dairy herds. In 1889 he started a cheese factory on his farm and until 1902 manufactured cheese for shipment to San Francisco, but in the latter year he gave up cheese-making and since then has used a separator, shipping his cream to the city mar- kets. At this writing there are one hundred and thirty cows in his dairy and at times he milks as many as one hundred and ten, making his dairy one of the largest in the vicinity. Holsteins and Durhams are his specialties and fine specimens of each may be found in his herd. Each year he cuts about four hundred tons of alfalfa, all of which he uses on his farm. Not only is he an active and energetic man, but capable and resourceful as well, meet- ing every emergency with sagacious judgment and promptness of decision. Mr. Cardoza is a native of St. George, Azores, Portugal, and was born October 12, 1859, being second among three children, of whom his only brother, Emanuel, is a resident of Nevada county, Cal. His parents, Anton and Anna (Sylvara) Cardoza, were likewise natives of Azores, where the former in the years of active life followed farm pursuits, but is now living retired. The mother died in 1869 when her son, J. S., was only ten years of age, and after her death the latter began to be self-supporting. Though too young to be given a man's work, he helped on a farm and his hours of toil were long and monotonous, with few pleasures to give him in his manhood any joyous recollections of childhood days. Looking about him he saw little to encourage him to remain in his native land. Conditions were un- promising and difficulties discouraging. However, he had heard of America as a country where the poor might hope to attain success and though a mere lad in years he decided to sail across the ocean to the new world. When fourteen years of age, in 1873, he arrived in New York, among strangers, with little money and no friends. Fortune favored him and he secured work on a farm in Rhode Island. His wages were so scant that when he came to California one and one-half years later he had scarcely more than enough to pay his passage. During December of 1874 he started for the western coast and on New Year's day of 1875 landed at San Francisco, with only twenty-five cents in his possession. However, a willing spirit and robust constitution will bring a livelihood and such he found to be the case. Work- ing his way to the west side of the San Joaquin valley, he secured employment on a farm. Each year he economically saved his wages, by which means he was enabled in 1881 to em- bark in farming for himself. The first land which he leased consisted of one thousand acres well adapted to the raising of grain, and each year he added to his leasehold until he cultivated twenty-five hundred acres of grain land. About 1885 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of the Page tract, which he put into alfalfa, but this place he sold two years later upon buying his present homestead. On the organization of the Bank of Newman he be- came one of its original stockholders and he still remains a director in the institution. In addition he is a stockholder of the Rochdale Company, proprietors of a grocery in Newman. The marriage of Mr. Cardoza was solemnized at Centerville, Cal., and united him with Miss Mary Munyan, a native of that place. During the exciting days of 1849 her father, Frank Munyan, crossed the plains from the east and experienced all the hardships incident to frontier existence and a miner's occupation ; after a time he abandoned mining and turned his attention to farming in the vicinity of Centerville. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Car- doza are Charles, Lena, Geneva, Carrie and Lenas, who under the supervision of their par- ents are being prepared for positions of usefulness in the future. Their father, having been deprived of educational privileges in his youth, is solicitous that they may have every advan- tage and may enjoy in their youthful days the recreations and innocent pleasures which found no place in his boyhood years of toil. Since coming to America he has familiarized himself with national institutions, has studied the issues before our country, and in the disputed questions of tariff, currency, etc., finds himself a believer in Republican principles. His fra- ternal connections are varied, including membership in the Knights of Pythias and Uniform Rank, Ancient Order of United Workmen and Degree of Honor, Woodmen of the World and Women of Woodcraft, United Portuguese Union and Knights of Honor.