History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I, Part 52

Author: Guinn, J. M. (James Miller), 1834-1918; Leese, Jacob R. Monterey County; Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849. Story of San Benito County
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 348


USA > California > Monterey County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 52
USA > California > San Benito County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 52


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52


Judge Breen, who had been the former judge of Monterey county, was appointed by the gov- ernor as the judge of San Benito county and he was still in office when the famous murder case of The People vs. John T. Prewett and Andrew Irwin came up for trial. Through that event Judge Breen proved himself an honest, impartial justice and he was followed by an equally worthy judicial officer, the present Judge M. J. Dooling, who had received high praise from the honest state press. The Prewett murder trial continued for nearly a month because of the well-known standing of the parties and their long residence in the county, Dr. Powers, the murdered man, hav- ing been the first settler in Bear Valley.


About noon September 18, 1885, two young men hunting in Bear Valley suddenly came across the body of Dr. Powers hanging to the limb of a tree near the roadside with two gun-shot wounds in his body, and the many footprints and horse tracks indicated that several parties had been en-


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gaged in the murder. Powers and Prewett were known to be bitter enemies, and suspicion point- ing to Prewett, he and Andrew Irwin were ar- rested and lodged in jail. Fourteen conspirators also were arrested and later released, they all re- fusing to testify against Prewett except one; he confessed the entire plot.


The story of the murder as told in the evidence is as follows: The settlers had concluded to get rid of Dr. Powers, and several vigilance com- mittee meetings had been held by the conspirators to discuss the question. On the evening of Sep- tember 17, while Prewett and Irwin were on their way to one of these meetings, they met Dr. Powers. Prewett immediately ordered the doc- tor to throw up his hands and as he obeyed, Prewett twice shot him with a shot gun, he firing the second shot after Powers had fallen to the ground, dead. The two men then attended the meeting in a cabin on Willows Creek, and when the matter came up for discussion, Prewett ex- claimed, "You need not discuss the matter, I have settled it. The old man is dead." The men were all bound by an oath to protect each other and the conspirators then rode to the body and hung it to a limb of a tree.


Prewett's plea was self defense, and according to his story he and Irwin were looking for cattle late on the afternoon of September 17. They came to a cross road and there separated. Short- ly afterwards Prewett met Powers, and im- · mediately addressing him said, "Good-day, Doc- tor"; the latter replied, putting his hand to his pocket, "I will fight you a duel"; "I had my gun across the saddle pommel," said Prewett, "and raising it up I answered 'I don't want to fight a duel'; as Powers continued to get his pistol, I fired, hoping to disable him ; he still attempted to draw his weapon, and I then shot him in de- fense of my life." Prewett on being asked the question by Campbell, "Did you induce persons to assemble on Willows Creek for the purpose of lynching Powers?" Prewett replied, "I decline to answer. I have taken a secret oath not to divulge anything that would implicate others and no penalty that the court could inflict would cause me to associate others with the killing."


On the second day of the closing argument,


the court adjourned to Wells' opera house to listen to the speech of D. M. Delmas for the defense and J. H. Campbell of San Jose, for the people. Long before the opening of court the building was packed to its doors, and Delmas. closed his argument Saturday evening. Monday morning the house was again crowded, Campbell making a very effective argument against the plea of self defense. The case was given to the jury on the evening of March 15th, and after being out ninety hours, without either bedding or blankets, they were discharged. The jury stood eleven for murder in the second degree and one for acquittal. On the first ballot they stood 9 to 3 and W. H. Phillips in casting his ballot exclaimed, "Here goes old Phillips for not guilty, and he stands by it until doom's day."


Prewett was held in jail until June 16, 1886, and the case was then continued from time to time as it was impossible to obtain a qualified, unprejudiced jury. Several venires were sum- moned and excused, and finally every juryman of the county, over 650, was examined and ex- cused. This practically ended the case as far as concerned Prewett and he was released on bail.


In the meantime a curious event happened, a county election had taken place and the defend- ant's attorney, N. C. Briggs, was elected district attorney. As he was disqualified to prosecute the case of "The People vs. John L. Prewett and Andrew Irwin" Judge Breen appointed Judge Montgomery as assistant district attorney. The case was called April 15, 1887, and continued from time to time until December, Prewett being released under bonds. December Ist Irwin was tried as an accomplice to the murder and Mont- gomery succeeded in not only getting a jury, but after twenty-two hours deliberation, they brought in a verdict of murder in the second degree. On the 19th of December Judge Breen sentenced him to a life imprisonment.


Murder was in the air, and the following year William H. Stone, who had been one of Prewett's bondsmen, was in jail for the killing of Cornelius Waters, July 5, 1888, at Mulberry. It was a long contested quarrel over sixteen acres of land which both parties claimed. Waters claimed it as government land. Stone paying no attention


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to his claim, plowed and sowed the land, and in July set a heading crew at work cutting the grain. Waters kept watch on Stone's proceedings, and riding up the field on the day of killing, he re- marked to some parties nearby, "I will put a stop to that business." Riding into the field where Stone and his son Edward were standing, some distance from the header crew, hot words took place between the old man and Waters and finally the latter drew his pistol and fired. The son stepped between the two men to save his father and the shot struck him in the left arm. The old man immediately drew a revolver and a general fusillade took place, bothi men empty- ing their revolvers, with the result that Stone was shot in the face and Waters was killed, shot through the stomach. Stone's wounds and that of his son were not serious, and July 27th he was arrested upon the charge of murder. He was released under $1,000 bail and upon trial the jury failed to agree, the jury standing six to six. On his second trial, in March, 1889, he was convicted, but again released under $15,000 bonds pending a new trial, which was never called.


San Benito county contains an area of 1,476 square miles of mountain and valley land, 650,- 000 acres being what is known as "plow land." On this land wheat was grown in large quan- tities until 1874, but in that year it was dis- covered that the soil produced a very superior quality of Timothy wheat and oat hay. Since that time hay has been one of the principal products, over $300,000 being realized last year, 1909, for hay alone. The county now produces one-third of all the hay grown in California and it is in great demand throughout the eastern states for trotting and running stock. So large is the hay product that the R. P. Lathrop Company have erected warehouses, the largest in the world, the barns, 100x420 feet, having a total storage capacity of 16,500 tons.


Another important industry is that of fruit, especially in the San Juan district, and last year one commission firm alone handled over 800,000 tons of San Benito fruit. The raising of poultry and eggs is extensively carried on and the coun- try is dotted with poultry farms, San Benito be-


ing the second largest poultry county in the state.


The dairy business is rapidly growing in im- portance and the Hollister Creamery turned out 200,000 pounds of butter and 600,000 pounds of evaporated cream. A farmer in the San Felipe. Valley manufactured 325,000 pounds of cheese, .. Berries and other fruits are raised to considerable extent. The lower part of the valley is prin- cipally given up to the raising of finely bred cattle and draft horses.


Another product which is of considerable im- portance is quicksilver from the New Idria mine, situated in the southwestern part of the county. This mine, discovered in 1851, and worked since- 1853, has produced millions of dollars worth of the liquid metal, and it produces more than one- half of the world's supply of quicksilver. The. output yearly averages nearly 7,500 flasks, each flask weighing 75 pounds. Nearly 400 men are- employed the year around in getting out the precious metal. In early days the mine was purchased by J. A. Forbes at a cost of one mil- lion dollars. Later it was in litigation for nearly fifteen years under the name of the McGar- rahan case. Bret Hart made the New Idria the basis of his famous story, "The Lost Mine."


Many of the employes of this mine are- Chilenos, and on the evening of April 21, 1901, Antonio Ruiz was foully murdered by two Mexicans, named Cota and Gonzales. Crushing in the victim's skull with the butt end of a rifle they robbed him, set fire to his house and fled to the hills, near Mendota. Word was im- mediately sent to Sheriff Croxon and in less than forty-eight hours he had the prisoners in- the Hollister jail, without means to employ counsel. Judge Dooling appointed Judge Mont- gomery to defend them and although convicted on their first trial, July, 1901, he succeeded in obtaining a new trial, the supreme court declar- ing that errors had been made during the trial, by admitting Sheriff Croxon's evidence in re- gard to Cota's confession. On the second trial they were again convicted of murder in the third degree, the jury affixing the penalty, and sentenced to death by Judge Dooling; they were- hung in December, 1902, in San Quentin.


For many years agricultural fairs were held for


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the exhibit of pavilion displays and live stock and horse racing. The association was organized in 1891, with F. A. Cunning as president, M. T. Dooling secretary and J. A. Barg as treasurer. A tract of land on the Santa Ana road of some fifty acres was rented from the Hollister Land Company and a half mile track enclosed. For sixteen years fairs were held, but the association is now defunct and the race track property is in litigation.


One of the defendants in the suit is Thomas S. Hawkins, the pioneer banker of the town. The bank of Hollister was established in 1873 and later absorbed the San Benito Bank estab- lished by R. L. Baldwin. This bank at present has a paid-up capital of $250,000, a reserve surplus of $150,000, and is under the same man- agement as the San Benito Savings Bank, estab- lished some years ago. The Farmers and Mechanics Bank, organized many years ago, was merged into the First National Bank. The three banks now have on deposit nearly three million dollars, a splendid showing for a little county of 7,000 inhabitants.


The oldest land mark in Hollister is a por- tion of the Old Hollister House, now located on Fourth street, opposite the grammar school. It formerly stood upon the site now occupied by the school and the property was sold by Hollister, perhaps in 1869, to F. I. Hodges, a miner, who came from the mines with some $40,000. Hodges rented the place to Mont- ·gomery, he opening the well known "Montgomery House." On the night of November 2, 1877, the building was destroyed by fire, the firemen, however, saving the wing of the building. As it was in the way of street improvements the unburnt portion was removed to its present lo- 'cation and is now occupied by Mr. Hodges' widow.


N In this house J. N. Thompson, the pioneer school teacher, opened the first public school. Mr. Thompson was born in Ohio in January, 1844, and coming to California in 1869, he located in Hollister. The San Justo Association realiz- ing the value of good schools donated to the school trustees of the Hollister district (Thomas 'S. Hawkins, J. A. Owens and James Swain)


$1,400 to erect a school building, at the foot of San Benito street, together with the land on which it stood. The building was in course of construction when Mr. Thompson arrived and as he had had two years experience in teaching in Ohio, he was engaged to teach the school at a salary of $75 per month. The school for two weeks was taught in the Hollister House, the schoolhouse at the end of that time being fin- ished. Mr. Thompson opened the school with ten scholars, among them the present Judge M. T. Dooling, and at the end of the four months term he had enrolled 72 pupils, with an average attendance of 60.


In that year, 1869, there were five school districts across the mountains, and in 1875, the number of districts had been increased to twelve, namely: Hollister, San Juan, Erie, Fair View, Jefferson, Live Oak, Loan Tree, Pacheco, Santa Ana, San Benito, Tres Pinos and Union.


There were at this time 1399 children of school age, between five and seventeen, and 862 were attending the public schools, 196 private schools, and 398 had no schooling. Six years later, 1881, the report gives 1,539 children of school age, and 1195 in school with thirty-three teachers and twenty-four school districts and schools. In 1884 there was a decrease, attend- ance of pupils being 1,143, with 90 only in private schools and 438 not receiving any school in- struction. The census marshal of 1890 reported 1,918 children in the county, 1909 being of lawful school age; of this number 1388 were being educated, 136 of them in private schools and 392 were running wild. At this time there were fifty-one school districts and forty-two primary and nine grammar grades. The schools were all taught in wooden buildings, forty-three in number. Four years ago, 1905, the schools made a splendid showing; there were in the county 941 families, with an aggregate of 1,615 school-age children. The public schools were educating 1,352, and 281 were not receiving any education. The teachers numbered forty-seven, fifteen of them being normal school graduates and ninety children were that year prepared to enter the high school.


In most of the school districts the school-


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houses were small buildings, costing from $1,000 to $1,500 each. But in the Hollister district the citizens take pride in their buildings; the Pioneer schoolhouse was soon overcrowded and in 1875 the trustees erected a fine two-story lath and plaster, four-room building at a cost of some $6,000. This building was used for the primary and grammar grades until 1881, when more school room was an actual necessity. An ad- dition was then made to the Pioneer building at a cost of $1,800 and the primary grades occupied that building.


The first graduating exercises from the gram- mar grade took place June 3, 1881, the grad- uates being Bell Hitchcock, Olena Wekk and Ella McCray. Ten years later "more school-room" was the cry and the present grammar school site, the south half of the block, was purchased, and the trustees erected a splendid eight-room building with all the modern improvements, including basement heater and ventilating flues, at a cost of $30,000. In 1909 they purchased the north half of the block for play-ground purposes and State Superintendent Hyatt com- menting on this improvement said, "It is a splendid thing to have doubled the schoolhouse grounds in such a manner. Opportunity to play is just as necessary to young children as op- portunity for food or drink. I would venture to recommend bars, swings, ladders, etc."


Three years after the building of the grammar school, August 29, 1895, a high school was or- ganized in the old grammar school building, and during the first six years fifty-seven scholars graduated. The graduating class rapidly in- creased in number and the largest class of any one year, twenty, received their diplomas in June, 1909. The high school that year bid good- bye to the old schoolhouse, to enter, August 23, 1909, a magnificent new county high school, erected on West street. A special bonding elec- tion for the new high school was held July 14, 1906, and the bonds carried by a splendid ma- jority, yes 587, no 201. A two-story brick and steel building, with all the latest im- provements, was erected at a cost of $45,000. All the necessary appliances for high school and laboratory work were purchased and the stu-


dents can fit themselves either for Stanford or the State University, the school being upon the accredited list of both universities.


No greater help can be given to a high or grammar school than a good library, and Hol- lister needs a public library. Their present library was established many years ago by the Mechanics Association, and maintained in a little old wooden building ; it contains only about 900 volumes. The books are loaned free to Hollister citizens, the country residents paying about twenty-five cents a monthi. About 375 books are issued each month. Fremont Parlor No. 44, N. S. G. W., have taken the matter in hand and are now working to have erected a Carnegie Library.


The church organizations of Hollister are a leading factor in social as well as religious life, the town having six church denominations, as follows : Methodist Episcopal North, Rev. Frederick Sheldon, pastor; Christian Church, Rev. John Young; Presbyterian, Rev. James Falconer ; Episcopal, Rev. Robert Connel, he also having charge of the chapel in Gilroy; Methodist Episcopal South, Rev. William Good- pasture; and the Catholic with Fathers Brady and Tayes in charge.


The Methodist Episcopal North was organ- ized in August, 1869, the Rev. William Mc- Donald there holding services in January of that year in the Hollister House. Later, services were held in the schoolhouse, in Baldwin's and Brown's Hall, and in 1878 the trustees purchased the Mor- ris Seminary on the corner of Monterey and Seventh streets. H. Z. Morris, the teacher and first county superintendent, had died in June of the previous year. Later, at a cost of $1,600, the present church was erected.


The Methodist Episcopal South was organized in 1874 and a creditable house of worship erected on a lot corner of Monterey and Fifth streets. The present pastor, Rev. Mr. Goodpasture, be- lieving it would be a good plan to establish a so-called Institutional Church, such as those of the eastern states, interested the Hawkins broth- ers and their sister, together with others, in the movement, and subscriptions were obtained for the new church, along Y. M. C. A. lines. The


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entire building, including an auditorium, Sunday- school rooms, gymnasium, swimming tank, read- ing rooms, etc., was planned, to cost about $15,- 000. The old wooden building was moved to the south and fitted up for social purposes, and a new brick church erected with a frontage on both streets of 200 feet. The building was finished in February, 1910, and fifty cents per month is charged for the use of gymnasium and swimming tank. Strangers are always welcome and rooms of rest have been provided for those residing in the country.


The Catholic Church on West street, between Fifth and Sixth, is one of the largest and best in Hollister. Early in the history of the town the building was erected and in 1889 it was enlarged, and a new altar and stained glass win- dows put in at a cost of $8,000. The sisters of the "Sacred Heart" conduct a school at the foot of Fifth street; the building is a large two-story brick, and the grounds are handsomely laid out in plants, trees and shrubbery.


An institution of great value to the country is the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital erected for the general use of the public, by Thomas S. Hawkins, as a memorial to his step-daughter, Hazel, who died because of lack of delicate sur- gical treatment. The handsome two-story struc- ture was erected at a cost to the generous donor of $45,000 and it was dedicated with appropriate ceremony on the afternoon of November 23, 1908, with vocal and instrumental music and ad- dresses by Judge M. T. Dooling in behalf of the public, Dr. McNulty of San Francisco for the physicians, and Dr. Cloas of San Juan. The presentation of the deed to the hospital was made by Thomas S. Hawkins to the board of trustees previously appointed, consisting of N. C. Briggs, M. T. Dooling, R. P. Lathrop, William Palm- tag, A. D. Shaw, C. S. Hawkins and George H. Moore and the chairman of the board, N. C. Briggs, received the gift in a very appropriate speech. The building has accommodations for twenty-five persons, is heated by steam, has per- fect ventilation and a surgical room fully equipped with all manner of surgical instru- ments. In training, there are at present six nurses, with Virginia Blair as superintendent.


Rooms have been fitted up for the various secret societies, one room being especially fitted by Mount Lodge No. 166, I. O. O. F. This is the largest lodge in the county, 180 members, and was organized June 20, 1870, in the attic of the Montgomery House with a charter mem- bership of fifteen. They purchased the W. C. Land property, their present building, in 1877, paying $6,000, and eight years later remodeled the second story for lodge purposes; they dedi- cated the hall October 18, 1885. The earthquake damaged the building to the extent of $3,000, but again refitting the hall at a cost of $2,500, they now have one of the handsomest halls (35 x60 feet) in the state. Fidelity Lodge of Re- bekahs was instituted July 27, 1875.


In the year 1870 San Benito Lodge of Masons was working under a dispensation from the Grand Master, and October 17, 1871, in the bedroom of a brother Mason, the lodge was in- stituted with R. Ruckledge as the first Wor- shipful Master. Their hall later was over Cox' store and in 1885 they celebrated St. John's day, June 24, with appropriate exercises. Form- ing in line, they marched to the depot, and there met San Jose Lodge No. 10 of San Jose, Texas No. 46 of San Juan, Keith Lodge No. 187 of Gilroy, and led by Hastings' Pythian Band of Santa Cruz, they marched to Staube's Grove. Prayer was offered by Grand Chaplain William Winter, and the president of the day, N. C. Briggs, then introduced the orator, William J. Hill of Salinas. In the evening, at Beatty's hall, they danced away the hours.


The Masons had all their plans made for a plain brick $20,000 hall and building, when the earthquake completely demolished the building in which they were located. Their plans were immediately changed for a steel and brick build- ing on San Benito, corner of Sixth, and the corner-stone was laid June 1, 1907, with ap- propriate ceremonies by Grand Master Edward Hart, the Watsonville Commandery Knight Templars acting as escort to the Grand Officers. In the evening the Grand Master was tendered a ball in the Brown & Chappell building. The temple complete, withí lot and furniture, cost about $36,000. The furnishings of the hand-


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some hall cost about $3,000 alone. The lodge at present has a membership of 105, George A. Jean being Worshipful Master. Athena Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, have a large and flourishing chapter.


In the county there are published four weekly newspapers, one, the Tres Pinos Tribune, being published at Tres Pinos. The oldest paper, the San Benito Advance, is issued by A. D. and A. E. Shaw, their father having first issued the Advance in June, 1872. The Hollister Free Lance was issued in 1883. The present pro- prietors are Stevenson and Hall. The Hollister Bee is a lively little paper.


The newspapers were completely demoralized by the earthquake of April 18, 1906, but the Advance published an extra regarding the crushing to death of Mrs. Griffith by the falling of a heavy iron girder as she ran out of the collapsing Lathrop Building, and the complete covering of Annie Berg from the falling debris of the Naderman Building. Miss Berg was un- conscious when taken out and died the follow- ing day. According to the experts on quakeology, Hollister was on the extreme line of the "fault," but nevertheless the damage ran up into the thousands of dollars. Thie Lathrop Block col- lapsed completely, together with the Naderman and the Grangers Union Building. The Mason Hall was completely wrecked, the I. O. O. F. Hall badly damaged, and the second story of Rosenberg's store went down with a crash. The building of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart was twisted and thrown out of place about eight feet. The loss was estimated at $100,000, yet the hearts of the people went forth in sympathy for those who in the stricken metropolis had lost everything, and in less than two days generous- hearted Hollister had sent on to San Francisco food, clothing, twenty cases of eggs and $1,400 in money.


In the growing town of Hollister some form of government was necessary and the legislature at their request gave them a town charter, which provided for town trustees, a marshal and treas- urer. In the following year, 1875, a town hall, a two-story wooden building, was erected at a cost of $10,000, where now stands the present


hall. The money was raised from a $20,000 floating bond issue. After the earthquake a special election was held July 14, 1906, for the bonding of the town, to obtain money for a new town hall, the old building being badly de- molished. The bonds carried by a good two- thirds majority, yes 492, no 297, and the board purchasing the adjoining lot, erected at a cost of $14,000 the handsome Hall of Records. The board also made arrangements with the Masons for the placing of a town clock on the corner of the Masonic Temple. The clock was pur- chased at a cost of $675 and it strikes the hours and half hours on a 500-pound bell.


The town has an excellent water system which was first put in operation in 1875 by R. M. Shackford. Boring artesian wells, he installed a costly pumping plant and built a reservoir with a capacity of 200,000 gallons on top of Sally Hill. Financially unable to carry out his plans, although the town trustees gave him a bonus of $9,000, his plant, February 9, 1879, was sold at sheriff's sale and it was purchased by a corporation, the Hollister Water Com- pany. This company immediately began making extensive improvements, pipes were laid to all parts of the city, with hydrants for fire purposes, and water was brought from Cienega Valley fourteen miles distant, through a ten-inch iron, pipe. From this source a strong pressure and plenty of water was obtainable in case of fire, and the fire department with their 75-pound pressure can play a stream of water higher than any building in Hollister. In May, 1906, a sec- ond reservoir was dug, with a capacity of 300,- 000 gallons.


The streets of Hollister are shaded with a splendid growth of Locust, umbrella and pepper trees planted many years ago, but it is only within the past two years that she had arisen to her present high standing. During this time, miles of concrete side and cross walks have been laid and San Benito street its entire length is now a handsome, paved thoroughfare. It has all the up-to-date improvements, sewerage, gas, electricity and telephones and over $300,000 have been expended in public and private improve- ments.


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A public park is now contemplated, the old Boyd lumber yard, 300 feet square, San Benito and East streets being selected. Such a park was one of the first plans of the town, and it was proposed to lay out a park on Sally Hill. Evergreens and firs were donated and planted by J. Berg in 1876, but the project was aban- doned as people did not enjoy climbing. The trees, however, rapidly grew and it has since been used as a picnic ground.


No civic improvements can be successfully carried out, except with the co-operation of the merchants, and the Merchants Association, deep-


ly enthused with civic pride, in their banquet November 12, 1909, in the Hotel Hollister, mine host, J. L. Welch, heartily endorsed the building of good roads, the park, the lowering of the steep San Juan grade and improved schools. Said Dr. H. J. Macomber, "For twenty- three years I was a resident of Los Angeles, and I know the value of these things."


"Let us then be up and doing, With a heart for any work, Still achieving, still pursuing, Seek to labor and not shirk."


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