The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-24


on this coast. Walter continued his ex.
cursions, and kept pouring Eastern peo-
pie into the valley and into the big ho-
tel, which has put profit OF $6O,OOO
year into the pockets of the owner and
convinced him that the hoy's head was
not far out of level. and that the big ex'
pectations OF the community were not
wholly groundless.
Such Is the history OF Mr.. Raymond 8
connection with the hotel enterprise, and
it is of special interest, because it forms
sort of frat link, or, IL you please, a
hook in the chain of even resulting in
a boom for Southern California. The
Santa Fe railroad, the Raymond hotel
and Walters excursions, followed by
private and newspaper descriptions OF
country, climate, ETC., started b)om
westward which continued up TO the
collapse OF three months ago, and made
a great many people rich by the uneI.
pected rise of land.
Among the oldest OF the present resi-.
dents of Pasadena Is Col. Eaton. who
came here in 1858. and run sheep on a
ranch on which Pasadena now stands.
In speaking of the effects OF the boom
on him, the Colonel says, that for a
good many years he had $4,000 acres OF
land and no neighbors, While now he
has Il, 900 neighbOrs and no acres OF
land. But the Colonel is well situated
and imagine did rot part with all his
acres without some compensation. Be
tween 1868 and 1873 the ranch was sold
out in parts, the last lot of 1000 acres go
ing to a colony from Indiana. On that
part the town now stands, But the col.
ony was not altogether harmonious, and
only of the 80 members settled on the
land. In 1875 they named the hamlet
Pasadena and obtained a post office to
accommodate about 100 people settled
in the precinct. A few at this time set
out oranges and other trees, but this in
dustry was not promising because there
was no transportation. In 1880 the popu-
lation had increased TO $780, and village
two and half miles square was laid out
but little growth followed till 1883 when
persons began to drop in occasionally
and buy a few acres for Improvement.
The first railroad came in the fall OF 1888
and in May 1886 the village became an
incorporated city with population OF
$500. The Raymond was completed IN
November 1885, and the first telegraph
line came the next month, A rapid
growth had set in and the height OF the
boom was on about Jenuary, 1887, when
people were increasing too fast to count.
Land was jumping fast enough to con-
fuse and craze the people, building were
going up everywhere and horse railroads
and motor lines and public and private
enterprises OF every description were
projected and completed with dispatch
| =, Il, ,,,.nri.a1 ayaruhnHU The Tl9h
to town was 80 great, and 80 much was
being made out of the purchase and sale
of town lots, that fruit growing and
farming were neglected, The conse-
quences appear in scaley fruit groves
and vineyards overgrown with weeds,
and style of farming which conveys an
unfavorable and false impression OF the
surrounding country than which there
is none better in the state. While towns
and climate have been used as the only
inducement to settlers, the still better
inducement of outside acres for protta'
table fruit growing has been entirely
forgotten.
The boom has now passed by, and
there is but little call for town lots OF
outside property. But the town is still
lively with the construction OF public
Improvements and the building of dwell
ings and business blocks projected while
the boom was on. Nobody is idle eI-
cept the real estate men, But when thu
: present projects are completed stagna
ton is liable to follow, and then, posi-
bly,, Pasadena may discover that she hs
outgrown her surrounding country ant
. must wait for that to catch up. But tn
boom has given her an intelligent, pub
lie spirited and wealthy population, ,wh
! will soon discover the defect and hus
l band all the resources of growth.
( The boom has given to the new town
t of Southern California class Of peopl
: entirely different from those heretofor
! contributed to other localities. Anon
Is the first settlers of towns IN the ne'
e states and territories was a large ele
= ment of roughs from the mines, the ca
e tie ranges, the back streets in lare
3, towns, etc.. making the first society ur
/ comfortable and dangerous to live II
! Not 80 in California. In all these gus
growing towns the better class OF PEI
es ple were first on the ground, bringin
le brains, money and love for law, ord'
h and good behavior. The consequent
g appears in the prompt establishment {
ps excellent schools, churches and good II
al ciety. In many of the towns scarce
la two years old, the temperance sentimel
j, prevails to the exclusion OF the saloo
I'd Such is the case in Riverside and Pas
C, dena. Pasadena supports ten church,
~ costing over 100000, and what is mo
Or remarkable, the seating capacity, as ii
le eral as it Is. does not meet the deman
lie To get a seat in any of the churches,
n is necessary TO go early. The Il
RS churches seat 45l5 and the average a
tendance by actual count is 5365, whiC
10 does not inclu g the overflow every Su
I'd day at several of the churches. SUI
IL is the church going habit in new ci
ne of l2 900 people, and which the q
ly towns back east might initiate with pr,
rn fit.
OF During my stay here am indebted
y Twombly, Randall, johnson, Quimb
al Smith, and other Caledonia boys for a
ne tentions, and for facilities IN seeing Pas
to dena-the best side OF it, of @ urse--aT
d, her surrounding. Twombly, Randall al
ut Morrison appeared with a double rig Il
lO morning after my arrival and invited n
lg to ride, II was real shiney affair, wi
ed bright paint, silver buckles, red ribbO
u and spirited horse flesh. AS we start
ss down Raymond Hill. in style whit
la would shame the proudest team out
a Silsby's Lyndonville stable, Twombly W
n proud driver. Everything worked
ey suit him till one of those horses stoppe
I'D stood on his hind legs and refused to pr
at ceed. Twombly used the whip, and Il
he next moment the animal stood on h
es head and then rolled over under b
Nhnt, onont n n
an curing a change OF horses, when
In were ready to proceed, but Twombly
at pride in a Pasadena livery had disal
es peared, We rode through several
Of the beautiful streets OF the town, the
through the county six miles to the ba
d, of mountain, where we put up at u
IIs villa hotel for dinner and charmiI
view of the valley. In front Of the hot
1t was a large grove OF orange and 9th
70. fruit trees. showing how gravelly soil
ed the base Of the mountains would pr
II. duce. The return drive was throul
IN several small villages, through the ed
he Of the 'Luckey Baldwin ranch to Ea
re San Gabriel, and then to San Gabrit
i'll where a.halt was made to attend the o
he Mission.
10. We were now in the identical sp
nd where the start was made in 81
ly Gabriel valley over a hundred yea
r. ago. The old Mission and some Of Il
il original adobes are before us, aud v
T. are IN the street Of sleepy, half civil
n ed town which grew into existen
an ugder Spanish progress. One or "
to hundred people have existed here, wit
A out ambition, except to eat, sleep al
Ic- be merry, from time out OF mind. The
x or their descendants, are here now. no
IT. progressive, sleepy, and unmoved
lis sight of the progress in every directi,