USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Pomona Valley, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the valley who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 20
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In June, 1889, the association offered to give the library to the city, but Pomona was not ready yet to undertake its support. The city agreed, however, to pay for rent and gas in the new quarters to which the library was moved in the First National Bank Building, then just completed. By the terms of the agreement the offer of the library to the city was open for a year. At the expira- tion of this time the library was formally accepted by the city. The first board of trustees, appointed by the city council, was composed of the following men: Rev. C. F. Loop, Dr. C. W. Brown, J. H. Dole, C. I. Lorbeer and F. J. Smith.
Two events of special consequence have marked new periods of advance in the history of the library. The first event was the gift to the city of the "Goddess Pomona," a marble statue presented by Mr. Loop. While traveling with his family abroad Mr. Loop saw the original of this statue in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence, and was at once impressed with its beauty and with its symbolic worth to his own city in California. Upon inquiry he found that it was a classic work of art which had only recently been unearthed, though probably centuries old, and he arranged for the sculpture of a replica by the Italian artist, Antonio Frilli. It was the presentation of this beautiful statue and the evident necessity of housing it properly that led to the first arrangement with the city and the removal to the
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suite of rooms in the First National Bank Building. Here a special room was pro- vided for it, the furnishings also given by Mrs. Loop.
The second event of special importance in the library development was the building of the new Carnegie Library. The first building was begun in 1902 and completed in 1903, and when this became inadequate an addition was built, in 1912 to 1913. The story of the efforts to secure these buildings, the meeting of the conditions, the drawing up of the plans, cannot be told here ; but too much credit cannot be given to those, especially to Arthur M. Dole, by whom it was accomplished.
Pomona has been peculiarly fortunate in its librarians, Miss Mabel Prentiss and Miss S. M. Jacobus. The latter, since her coming in 1905, has been not only a most efficient librarian, but a generous servant of the people in many ways.
SOCIAL LIFE IN POMONA
The social activities of a city center for the most part in its churches and its fraternities and clubs. Apart from these, or to some extent overlapping these, are other associations which more or less regularly bring people together in a social way. Even to enumerate all these in a work like this would be impossible. Some- times it has been a school district, or the people of a neighborhood like the Kings- ley Tract ; sometimes the people from an Eastern city or state have formed a somewhat homogeneous colony, like the Iowans, or the people from Missouri, or the Burlington, Vermonters. The Grand Army Post and the National Guard in the days of Balfour, and Driffil and Thomas were especially conspicuous with notable dramatic performances. In the days of the boom the Hotel Palomares was a favorite center.
The Choral Union, organized in 1888 and directed for some years by Pro- fessor Brackett of the College, brought together the singers from all the churches of the Valley and gave opera and concert performances at certain times.
To a remarkable extent the social life of the town has found expression in manifold kinds of practical service rather than in pure social enjoyment. This has been true in all sorts of occasions for the raising of money for a thousand and one useful ends, like the flower festivals already mentioned, or in all the beautiful work of the Fruit and Flower Mission of earlier days, and, of course. more recently in the magnificent service of the Red Cross. It has been true also in the clubs for intellectual development and culture, especially in the women's clubs. After the churches, the schools and the papers, perhaps no influence has been more potent in Pomona than that of its women's clubs. Not only in the social life, but in literary, dramatic, economic and political matters, the women in these organ- ized groups have distinctly raised the standards of living, besides accomplishing numerous specific and desirable objects. The first of these clubs was called the Pomona Woman's Club, and was organized in 1892. But the organization and activities of the other strong clubs which have been formed in later years lie out- side the scope of this history.
Of untold blessing to the whole Valley, as well as to Pomona itself, is the new Pomona Valley Hospital, built in 1914 through the diligent efforts of Dr. Swindt and Dr. Kelly, ably seconded by other Pomona physicians, as well as by Dr. Thomas of Claremont, Dr. Brown of San Dimas and Dr. Hubbell of La Verne.
CHAPTER NINE POMONA'S MUNICIPAL LIFE
INCORPORATION AND LIQUOR FIGHT-BEFORE INCORPORATION-THE GREAT ISSUE-DRUNKENNESS-THE CONFLICT-CHINESE PROBLEM-OTHER PROB- LEMS AND CONTESTS-THE MURCHISON LETTER-MUNICIPAL SOLIDARITY.
Under the county government before the city was incorporated, the laws were not severe nor rigorously enforced. The district was "a law unto itself," or one might say that a kind of low license prevailed. Constables of the town- ship were responsible for its good order, and cases were tried before justices of the peace. Rarely did a case come before the county courts or a county sheriff arrest a notorious offender.
In its first issue of October 7, 1882, the Pomona Times includes in its list of county officers, J. B. Parker as justice of the peace for Pomona, and Joe Wright for Spadra ; also W. H. H. Scott as constable for Pomona and D. R. Lilly for Spadra. W. T. Martin, often mentioned in this history, is also well remem- bered as justice of the peace for years in the early days, and many interesting stories are told of the "good old days" when Toots Martin held court.
INCORPORATION AND LIQUOR FIGHT
There was repeated agitation for incorporation, beginning long before it was accomplished. In January, 1884, Len Claiborne and others urged the matter, and the Courier published the charter for a municipal corporation of the sixth class according to the laws of the State. In December, 1886, another agitation resulted in a mass meeting at which J. E. McComas presided and J. R. Garthside was clerk. Len Claiborne brought in a petition for incorporation, to which he had secured forty-two signatures. Mr. Aston and Mr. Weile, among others, spoke in its favor, saying that sanitary conditions demanded it, and proposing to include a consider- able part of the Pomona Tract surrounding the Townsite proper. P. C. Tonner was rather noncommittal; if a majority of the citizens in the 640 acres of the Townsite wanted it, all right ; but the neighboring tract should not be compelled to come in, nor should the saloons have to bear the burden! Already the problem of the saloons is involved in the question of incorporation. H. A. Palmer spoke at length in favor of the fifth-class municipality instead of the sixth, but pointed out that a population of over 3,000 was required, and that it would therefore be better to wait. The outcome of the meeting was that a motion that it was "for the best interests of Pomona to incorporate" was lost.
In March, 1887, another movement led by Attorney Claiborne culminated in an election. The limits proposed were White Avenue, Alvarado Street, Towne and Crow (later Grand) avenues. The proposition was opposed by such men as Judge Firey, Armour and French, who believed the area proposed was too small. They favored incorporation, but "wanted it right." In the election there were 72 votes for incorporation and 110 against it.
Toward the end of the year 1887 everyone wanted incorporation, but there was still a sharp conflict between opposing forces. Now, however, the battle
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front was changed as the new issue became clearer. On one side were the saloon element and those who were in favor of an open town; on the other side were the anti-saloon forces and those who were determined to establish a better order. A few citizens of highest character were conscientiously opposed to the restrictions proposed by the anti-saloon party, and failed to apprehend the magnitude of the issue. High license had not been a success, and the real question was whether the incorporation should permit drunkenness and license of every sort to continue. or whether it should be in such form as to forbid these evils and to encourage the coming of a better class of citizens who would build up a clean, progressive city.
It is doubtless well now to forget the names of the leaders of the saloon forces; and just because they so highly deserve recognition no attempt will be made to list the leaders on the other side, since any such enumeration must neces- sarily omit some unknown to the writer who were just as worthy of mention. The churches and most of the women, of course, were arrayed against the saloon; and we have already referred to the way in which General Wasson, editor of the Times, championed their cause, and at what cost. But there were two attorneys whose relations to the struggle were such that they cannot escape the historian's notice. One of these was P. C. Tonner, whose character and habits have been portrayed at some length. In this portrayal and in the anecdotes concerning Con- stable Slanker, some idea has also been conveyed of the conditions existing in the town. Before the boom in 1882, when the population numbered about 500, there were fourteen or fifteen saloons, or one to every thirty-five people. That would he a saloon for every seven families( !) according to the usual reckoning; and if it be contended that there was then a large population of men without families, it is also true that there was a large share of the population with families of a dozen or more. Women avoided the streets downtown, because of the offensive sights- kegs of liquor on the sidewalks, men standing on the corners and spitting tobacco juice on the walks, others staggering along half drunk and perhaps accosting familiarly any passing lady; others sometimes lying dead drunk in the gutter. When the men working for Fleming and Becket in digging the tunnel north of town were discharged on Saturday night, they would make directly for the saloons in Pomona ; and it was necessary Monday morning for someone to "round them up" like cattle and haul them back to their jobs before the work could go on. Sometimes in a wave of indignation a group of citizens would take matters into their own hands, as when the editor of one of the papers and a few others turned the fire hose on a house of low reputation and drove the notorious offenders out of town! This condition was greatly improved as the town grew, from 1882 to 1887, and especially in 1887. We have seen that Constable Slanker was elected to that office at the beginning of this year, as Senator McComas urged, "to clean up the town." And though he had made great progress, by the honest enforcement of such laws as were in force, yet the conditions were deplorable, though not so public.
The other attorney, so conspicuous in the struggle, was Charles E. Sumner, who had been living a hermit's life in Live Oak Canyon on account of his health, and who now came down from his retreat like another David against the Goliath of the Philistines. In the end Tonner and Sumner were both elected on a com- mittee to draw up the articles of incorporation for the city. Both were keen attorneys and the result might easily have been a compromise, but the extreme terms of Attorney Sumner were at last adopted by popular vote, and the first and most important victory was won for good order. But a long contest followed
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in the enforcement of the new liquor laws. Sumner was elected city attorney for this purpose and gave his whole time to the struggle. The laws which he had framed himself were well calculated to accomplish the desired end. One clause prohibited visiting a saloon. Some startling arrests were made and there was furious indignation, but the cases were tried and convictions followed. One man was tried for visiting a saloon, before a judge who was himself in the saloon at the time! Altogether eighteen cases were tried under this ordinance while Attor- ney Sumner was in office, and convictions were secured in every case. Moreover, the Supreme Court sustained all the cases carried to it.
Other able men succeeded Attorney Sumner in the city office, who also won important battles for the city. Among those who have served in this capacity were Robert Loucks, Edward J. Fleming, J. Joos and C. W. Guerin, whose ten years now in the office are sufficient evidence of his ability.
THE CHINESE PROBLEM
In 1885 and 1886 the town of Pomona was much excited over the presence in its midst of the "heathen Chinee." For there was a "Chinese Village" then between First and Second streets and extending east from Garey Avenue-a series of cheap one-story shacks-and there was much complaint because of the filth around the village. There were items in the papers about it, and occasionally an editorial. Toots Martin one day advertised an "Anti-Chinese Garden," with the injunction "Patronize our own people and have done. once and for all with the heathen." Whether the agitation would have been created if there had not been a general movement against the Chinese throughout the state is doubtful. But in the month of March, 1886, there was organized "The Pomona Branch of the Non- partisan Anti-Chinese League." The Progress came out with a boycott editorial, advising against a wholesale simultaneous boycott as likely to precipitate war and impossible of success, "but a carefully considered and systematized attempt applied to one business after another * * * may win." "John Must Go" is the heading of the article in the next issue reporting the proceedings of the second meeting of the Non-partisan League. At this meeting Toots Martin was in the chair and C. I. Lorbeer presented the report of the executive committee. This contained four recommendations, requesting the people : first, to withdraw patron- age from Chinese laborers and merchants ; second, to patronize the two American laundries ; third, to replace Chinese labor by white; and fourth, to discriminate in favor of American goods when purchasing. In the course of the discussion which followed, Mr. Eno spoke for the Chinese. He thought it wasn't good and Christian-like to boycott them. What would become of the 200,000 Chinese in the state if this plan were carried out? What of the merchants? Should they be allowed to starve? And Mr. Aston, the undertaker, replied: "I have been here for thirty years [not quite] and I have always boycotted the Chinese [doubtless] because I knew them to be a damage to the morals of the country as well as a blight upon its material well doing [!] The Chinese are a growing plague-spot upon the future of our children, and a constant and growing menace to the labor- ing masses. %
* I would refuse a Chinaman employment, [yes] but were he hungry I'd feed him[?] ; were he sick I'd nurse him [ fancy !] ; were he dead I'd bury him!" [verily he would]. Followed then Mr. Hicklin, the liveryman, who declared that those who oppose the boycott only whimper, and whine, and dodge, and squirm, but they have no case. "Let the people stand together and hypocrisy
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must stand aside." So the boycott was put in operation and "John" was so hard hit that he did have to go. In course of time the little cluster of old houses with the picturesque ( though quite untidy ) fronts with the red and gold paper name plates, inscribed in big Chinese hieroglyphics, were deserted, and then they were all removed.
The unreasoning prejudice against Orientals as a class had its own way in Pomona, as it would in many quarters today. Few seemed to have learned to discriminate between the Chinese merchant or laundryman or vegetable man who is always honest and reliable, on the one hand, and the Japanese speculator who corners the vegetables of a State and destroys enough of the crop to maintain his high prices, or who illegally acquires great tracts of land, who can not be trusted either in private or in public affairs. Shall we ever learn that corrective legisla- tion should be directed against the evil itself, directly, and not in sweeping evic- tion of a race. How easily the uncleanliness of the lower Chinese classes is regu- lated and their faithful service to the people retained! The more flagrant and national crimes of the Japanese must also be met by direct legislation, by far more strict and universal immigration laws, by immediate and severe punishment of offenders and by many individual deportations, rather than by unwarranted discrimination against a proud nation as a whole.
One important result of the Chinese agitation was the incorporation of the Pomona Steam Laundry, with J. B. Camp as president and C. I. Lorbeer, secre- tary. The latter raised a large part of the capital stock by solicitation.
OTHER PROBLEMS AND CONTESTS
Not all of Pomona's "scraps" have been intra-mural. She has shared more or less in contests of county and State, as in the movement in 1885 for a division of the State ( though by no means unanimously ), and in the later struggle to form a new county, to be called San Antonio County and to include the portion of Los Angeles County from Azusa eastward, and the portion of San Bernardino County from Cucamonga westward. This movement also, though possessing more of merit and winning a larger following, was by no means unanimous. There have been battles also, almost literally, between the city and great corporations demand- ing entrance with unwarranted rights. There was the fight against the Sunset Telephone Company which undertook to erect its poles without a franchise and was only prevented by the actual fighting off of its laborers, City Attorney Loucks himself chopping down one of the poles. Combining with Los Angeles and Pasa- dena, the case was carried to the Superior Court and won.
Within the memory of many was the plucky fight in defense of the Salt Lake Railway's right of way, when the Southern Pacific attempted to defeat them by interfering with their laying of track and running a train over the road in specified time. The mayor, W. H. Poston, himself drove about the town sending men to the scene with shovels and hoes ; and the foreman of the Southern Pacific gang was spirited away in a wagon till the work was done and the fran- chise secured.
Probably no event has given Pomona and a Pomona citizen the notoriety that came with the publication of the "Murchison Letter" and the disclosure that its author was a Pomona man. The letter, it will be recalled, was a decoy letter written to Lord Sackville-West, British Ambassador in the United States, from a son of British parentage, asking for advice in his exercise of the newly acquired
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right of franchise. When the Murchison letter and the Sackville-West reply were published they created a profound sensation, not only in California but throughout this country and England. The author of the letter was known at first to only a select few, including Attorneys P. C. Tonner and W. A. Bell, Judge W. F. Fitzgerald, of the Republican State Executive Committee for Southern California, and Colonel Otis of the Los Angeles Times. It was to have been a secret until the day of President Harrison's inauguration, but some one "let the cat out of the bag," and George Osgoodby of Pomona was revealed as the real and only writer of the "Murchison Letter."
In November, 1910, after much careful study and discussion, a Board of Freeholders was elected to prepare a new charter for the city, and in March, 1911, this charter was approved by the State Legislature.
Pomona has had a series of devoted and efficient mayors. The last during its existence as a municipality of the sixth class was Colonel F. P. Firey, under whose administration the fine new city hall was erected. Mr. Lee R. May, the first mayor under the new charter, served till 1913, when he was succeeded by Mayor W. A. Vandegrift, recently re-elected after six years of faithful service.
It is significant that the election of city officers in Pomona has rarely followed party lines. Mayors Firey, Poston and Vandegrift, and Attorney Guerin, have all been Democrats, when the number of registered Democrats was only about 600. All were nominated and chosen for merit, regardless of party affiliation.
During the early nineties Pomona was represented in the Senate of the state. In 1889 Mr. J. E. McComas, who had been identified with the best life and growth of the city from its beginning, was elected on the Republican ticket, and served for four years as senator for this district.
In the thirty-two years since its incorporation, the municipality of Pomona has developed a strong corporate entity and consciousness. It has had its ups and downs, its periods of inactivity, as in the days of depression following the boom, and its periods of advance, as in the prosperous years; but on the whole it has a record of which the city may be proud.
CHAPTER TEN
THE FOOTHILL CITIES ALONG THE SANTA FE
COMING OF THE SANTA FE-RAILROAD ACTIVITIES-BOOM OF NEW TOWNSITES --- EFFECT OF SANTA FÉ ON SOUTHERN PACIFIC AND POMONA-NORTH PO- MONA-LA VERNE, LORDSBURG AND LA VERNE COLLEGE-SAN DIMAS-MUD SPRINGS-CANYON SETTLERS-THE TEAGUES-MOUND CITY LAND AND WATER ASSOCIATION-SAN JOSÉ RANCH COMPANY-WATER COMPANIES AND LITIGATION-CITRUS INDUSTRY-GROWTH OF SAN DIMAS -- CHARTER OAK-CLAREMONT AND POMONA COLLEGE-THE BOOM AND ITS COLLAPSE- INDIANS AND WILDS OF THE DESERT-TOOTS MARTIN-PETER FLEMING- BEGINNINGS OF POMONA COLLEGE-CLAREMONT BUSINESS AND CITRUS FRUITS-SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
The upper part of the San José Valley, from the north lines of the Rancho San José to the foothills, has been later in its development than the country farther south. Except for the settlement at Mud Springs, and a few scattered ranchers and bee men at the canyon mouths, this development began with the coming of the Santa Fe Railway. This event may be said to mark the division between the prehistoric and historic age of the foothill towns. Eastward from the moist lands of Mud Springs to Cucamonga, the whole upper country, includ- ing the sites of Claremont, Upland and La Verne, was formerly known as the desert. Over it herds of wild antelope roamed, in the sage brush and cactus.
THE COMING OF THE SANTA FE
Rumors of the coming of another transcontinental railway line were heard as early as 1875, but it was not until 1885 that these rumors had any basis in fact. On the first of January, 1885, it was reported that an official of the Atlantic and Pacific Railway was visiting Los Angeles in the interests of terminal connections for that road, and the prediction was made that trains would be running from Pasadena to San Bernardino by January 1, 1886. Would the road come by way of Pomona, or what route would it follow ? At this time there were three railway systems which were evidently working to establish overland connections, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé, the Atlantic and Pacific, and the California Southern. But the public was informed repeatedly that they were not the same road at all, though some of the same stockholders were in each. It was necessary then for people coming to Pomona by the Santa Fé and Union Pacific to come first to Los Angeles and pay local fare from there to Pomona via the Southern Pacific.
The California Southern had built its line from Colton to San Diego and was running trains (by a contract with the Southern Pacific) from San Diego via Oceanside, Murrietta, Perris and Colton to Pomona and Los Angeles, and also over the Cajon Pass to connect with the Atlantic and Pacific at Barstow.
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In October of 1885 its construction crew drove the last spike, which established connection directly with the East.
Arrangements were made by which Santa Fé trains from the East came from Colton to Los Angeles over the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railway. This arrangement continued for a year and a half and nothing was heard of the direct line for some time. The first of January, 1886, came and the first of January, 1887, but no railway. However, in November and December, 1886, surveying parties were noted running lines west from the San Gabriel and past Mud Springs. By the first week in January, construction forces of the "Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad" had crossed the San Gabriel wash and were pushing toward Mud Springs. At the same time a gang of men were working westward from San Bernardino for the California Southern. During January and February, the coming railway was the most absorbing topic of conversation. It was defi- nitely announced that the A. T. and S. F. Company had purchased the San Gabriel Valley Railway. A gap of only thirty-five miles remained. What would be its path across the Valley? Then came the representatives of the railroad to arrange terms for the right of way.
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