The herald., 1893-10-10
THE PRETTY TOWN OF WHITTIER
A Thriving Locality Improved
by the Quakers.
The State Reform School Making
Itself Almost Self-SuppOrting.
The wonderful Crops of the Vicinity
and Those OF East whittier-The
College and the Manner in
which 1t Is Conducted.

The place that bears the name OF tn
Immortal poet Whittier is one OF th
most favored in Southern California
situated as it is in a basin-like mes
ensconced in the Puente foothills ant
no protected by them that frost become
an unknown quantity. The einhabitsnt
are on this account able to raise winte
vegetable and thus keep agriculture alive
the year around. There are two waite
systems for irrigation and other pur
poses, and theee for their needs and de
mands are almost perfect in their ap
pointments.
The soil is a rich. sandy loan ane
yields crops which, if the amount were
told to any person but Californian, be
would believe that some great fish story
were being told. Nevertheless it would
be the simple truth, which, in some in
stances, as in this case, is stranger than
fiction. There is scarcely man, woman
or child in the place but who has some
visible means of gaining a livelihood,
and, to all appearances, want" can
never stamp its mark there.
In 1887 company composed OF MEM
bers of the Society OF Friends purchased
tract of land known as the John
Thomas ranch, on the southwestern
slope of the Puente hills. 13 miles east
OF Los Angeles city, and laid out the
town. The Pickering Land and Water
company developed water in the Puente
hills. 1t has supply of 67,000,OO0 gal
Ions per annum, and four reservoirs
with storage capacity of 4,500, 900 gal
Ions. The water is piped to every
house in the town at a cost of $40, 900.
The East Whittier Land and and Water
company bored artesian wells near Ell
Monte, constructed cement ditch six
feet across as the top, four end ene- ha.lf
feet deep, four feet across at the bottom,
and nine miles long, and which is
tightly covered with two-inch boards.
Over ,O00,0 feet of lumber were used.
The cost of the ditch was about $500, 900.
1t now carries about 700 inches of water.
The flume passes through Whittier and
terminates in East Whittier. The latter
is a prosperous addition to the town.
The total cost of the buildings in the
town proper is over 81. 100000 A large
proportion of these homes are on five
acre tracts that hav. been set out to
citrus and deciduous fruits.
There are two public school build
ings; one cost ST., 900 and the other
$4,000. There is also an academy, under
the auspices of the Friends society,
with DR.. W. V. Coffin as president, as
sisted by faculty of five. This school
has 81 students. 1t is the only Quaker
school in. n.California.
The Whittier state school is located
here and has an attendance of 40 chill
dren-330 boys and so girls. This is an
academic, military, trades and agri
cultural school, under the control Of
and supported by the state.
About two-thirds of the population of
Whittier are members of the Society of
Friends (Quskers). They are not differ
ent from other people either in dress or
conversation, nor are they different in
the conducting of their church service
from the ordinary evangelical churches.
They have very commodious meeting
house which is crowded at almost every
service. The only distinguishing peculi-
arity of these Friends is their industry,
intelligence and sobriety. Wherever
there is member of this society you
IUdy, ICHb dbbulCo tAdb tAOlO l6 dn ia
dustrious and worthy citizen. They are
also peculiar in their earnest belief in a
liberal education, and they have had for
several years fiourishing academy of
which DIR. W. V. Coffin is president, as
sisted by faculty OF six instructors.
Last year this school had 81 students.
mostly from distance, and this year it
opens out with prospects of even a
larger attendance. The Friends are
now erecting beautiful college build
ing, situated on q campus of 20 acres OF
land donated to them by the Pickering
Land and Water company. This build
ing is three stories high. and its dimen-
sions are about 140 by II feet. 1t will
be completed about the 1st of February,
'94, and it is the intention of the hoard oi
directors, of which DIR. G. ]. Cook ia pres.
ident, to transform the academy into q
college with preparatory department
and to occupy this beautiful structure.
This is the only school of this nature
that the Friends have in California, and
1t will be the only college of their soci-
ETY. west of the Rocky Mountains, and
under the able management of DR.. Col
fin, who is classical graduate of the
well-known Earlham college and med.
ical graduate of the Mama university,
there is no doubt but this school will
take prominent rank not only as q
school for the youth of the Friends soci-
ETY. but also as a school where all parents
who have children that they desire to
place under special moral and religious
Influences can feel that here is place
OF safety.
The officers, and board Of trustees:
DR.. G. J. Cook, president; I. i. New
lin, secretary; /. II. Cammack, vice.
president; Lydia j. Jackson, treasurer
Cyrus Trueblood, L. M. Baldwin, Alva
Starbuck, Perry O. Hadley and w. p.
Hunnicutt.
The executive board are Or. J. G..
Cook, |. H. Cammack and I. E. Newlin.
Bookkeeping, stenography, typewrit-
ing, music, painting and drawing and
physical culture are taught in addition
to the academic and classical courses.
The programme of each day COM
mences with chapel exercises, consist
ing OF Bible readings with comments,
together with singing and prayer. These
morning collections will also be occa-
Bions for remarks to students bearing
upon the school work or matters of gem
eral interest. All students will be re-
quired to attend chapel.
The Friends and Methodists both have
we'll organized churches in Whittier
Students will be welcomed at either OF
shese churches, and will be required to
@stend some church on the Sabbath day
Saless excused by special arrangement.
ANY student entering the academy
will thereby obligate himself to conform