The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-01
First Train Over the Widened
Track Welcomed by a Big
Demonstration.
HUNDREDS OF GUESTS FETED
A Day of Rejoicing Over the Prog
reSS Of the Pretty and
Prosperous City.

era In the history OF this pretty and pros
porous town, for the first bread-gauge
train, with nearly 1000 passengers, arrived
at the depot shortly before the noon hour.
The Southern Pacific Company had fin
ished the laying of third rail along the
old narrow-gauge line from San Jose and
this was an event which the citizens
thought worthy of a grand demonstration.
Los Gatos was opened to the outside world
with standard railroad facilities, and, as a
speaker expressed it at the open-air meet
ing, Los Gatos had become 'broad. gauge
town."
The town was in gala attire in honor Of
the event. Every store was decorated with
ample folds of bunting, many of them be-
ing still further beautifed with bamboo or
masses of evergreens. These decorations
were mostly of red, white and blue, though
in not few instances brilliant effects in
color were reached with more effective
hues. From every fagpole the National
colors foated, even the adjacent pictur-
esque hills being dotted with the National
emblem wherever a. villa or mast was
seen.
AS for the people of Los Gatos they gave
up business for the time being to partici-
pate in the celebration. Hundreds visited
the town, coming in buggies from the
beautiful suburban homes and, orchards,
and many more rode in on bicycles. The
Los Gatos Board of Trade was out in full
force, each member wearing a distinctive
yellow badge, and the other business men
showed by their numbers and enthusiasm
what a sincere interest they took in the
proceedings.
When the train from San Francisco
pulled up at the depot large crowd was
present. The Santa Clara band played
welcoming music, and presently there was
monster parade to the canyon picnic
grounds, just two blocks away. There was
a delightful absence of conventional cere-
monies. Officers of the Board of Trade
led the way and everybody followed, until
they were gathered together under majestic
oaks, where dancing platform stood.
A. Skinkle Jr., president of the Board of
Trade, called the meeting to order and
occupied the chair. Among those on the
platform were other officers of the same
organization, as follows: George Adams,
vice-president; P. r. Bell, secretary; D. c..
Grumpy, William Pepper Jr., B. NJ. Greg
DRY, directors. ID avid Rich, Joseph B..
Toplitz and D. w. Carman, representing
the Hslf-million Club; T. w. Dohrmann,
president of the Merchants Association,
and Colonel w. H Mention of San Fran
cisco were present.
An address of wei come was delivered by
Editor D. D. Bowman of the Mail, in the
course of which he said:
in a crescent of emeralds, we bid you most
cordial welcome. We have enough for you to
eat and enough to drink and you have the
freedom of the city. Paint it any color you
h wish, even though your taste runs to bright
vermilion. Bask in our sunshine, climb our
mountains, enjoy our matchless scenery or
doze away the happy hours under these leafy
temples, which the benefcent Father placed
here for your benefit.
We are not aUctioning off any town lots nor
are we selling you assorted packages of Los
Gatos climate at SO much per square foot. All
that we ask of you is to enjoy yourselves That
is what we brought you here for. Do that and
take away kindly feeling toward us and our
town and we are satisfied. When you grow
tired of the fogs and the raw chilling winds or
burning suns of other less favored places let
your minds revert to this scene and the beauti-
full city among the foothills and come and make
your homes with us and assure you that both
man and nature will conspire to see that you
never regret it. Again, we bid you welcomed
Alfred Holman, who has taken promi-
nent part in Los Gatos affairs, was intro
duced to the audience. He spoke in a
happy vein, extolling the many attrac-
tons of the town. He portrayed the his
tory of Los Gatos how it grew from a
shanty on trail, when only a Spanish
mule and vaquero could get either into
or out of the place, until by rapid strides
it became promising village with a mar
row-gauge railroad. Then the fruit or
chards began to spring up all around it
and wealthy men began to build their
homes in the suburbs, that they might
enjoy and reap real benefits from the salu-
brious climate. But now Los Gatos was a
broad-gauge town in every sense of the
word. The products of her orchards could
be shipped to markets without second
handling at San Jose.
This ended the formal celebration.
Immediately all present adjourned to
where lunch was served under the trees.
The crowd enjoyed the refreshments pro-
vided by Los Gatos Board of Trade and
soon afterward dancing began on the plat
form. During the afternoon a constant
stream of visitors passed through the
boards rooms on Santa Clara avenue,
where wonderful displays of Santa Clara
fruits and other products were shown
and presented in little baskets as souvenirs
of the occasion. Nearly every visitor from
San Francisco carried home sample bottles
of Santa Clara wine and olive oil or a
basket of most delicious fruits with the
com pliments of Los Gatos and the neigh
boring orchardists.
A large number Of the excursionists
were driven through the orchards and the
beautiful foothills. Ali returned to the
railway station before o'clock and were
given hearty farewell by the towns
people.