The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-26
DRIVEN ABOUT THE CITY.
Mayor Mccall Bids the Excur-
SioniStS Enjoy Their HoSpi-
tality.
BANQUET IN THE PAVILION
All Unite In the Expression of De-
sire for Solid and Progress
Sive California.

STOCKTON, CAL, April 25.-All morn
ing the ladies of Stockton have been busy
covering every available spot in the big
Agricultural Pavilion with flowers in prep
aration for the coming of the visitors who
were expected from the south with the
Half-million Club excursion. Arrange
ments were made to meet the visitors at
the train, and about twenty surreys and
wagonettes were at the station on the ar
rival of the visitors at 2 O'Clock and dele
cation of fully fifty of the leading men and
women of the city.
The excursionists were driven to the
rooms of the Stockton Commercial Asso-
citation, where they met another delega-
ton who were waiting to take them about
the city. After brief address of welcome
by Mayor Mccall the visitors were again
taken to the vehicles provided by the COM
mittee and driven to points of interest
about Stockton.
The pottery works were visited, and the
members of the excursion party expressed
much astonishment at the variety of wares
turned out by the Stockton mandatory.
The woolen-mills, the great Touring mills
and other similar institutions were in
visited. This evening the guests sembled
in the big pavilion where they were BAN
quoted by the ladies of the city. Many
prominent Stocktonians were present and
ten large tables were filled. Besides those
who sat at the banquet tables hundreds OF
spectators lined the long galleries about
the hall to watch the proceedings and
listen to the speechmaking.
P. A. Buell., president of the Stockton
Commercial Association, acted as toast
master, and welcomed the visitors in neat
address. He was followed by W. NJ
Bunker of the Half-million Club, who
referred to Stockton as the Chicago of the
coast, and paid a glowing tribute to the
spirit of enterprise she has lately mani
tested.
W. c. Patterson, president of the Los An
geles Chamber of Commerce, was the next
speaker He told of the methods adopted
by the people of Southern California to
build up that section. He, like all the
other speakers of the party, declared in
favor of united California, and wanted no
State division.
Professor Keys of the Pasadena Board of
Trade, made an eloquent speech, in which
he declared that all sections should unite
in an unselfish endeavor to bring about the
peopling of the whole State with plenty of
enterprising men.
MI. Daniels, president of the Orange
growers Bank of Riverside, declared that
nothing could be done in this regard with
out more railroads, and urged the people
of Stockton to stick to their work of aiding
the Valley road in carrying out its pro-
posed designs.
The members of the party all declared
that the reception accorded them by the
people of Stockton was the most cordial
they had met with since leaving their
homes.
"Our idea," said one of the promoters of
the Half-million Club, "was not so much
to bring a number of people, but to bring
along the representative men of Southern
California who could tell the people of the
valley and of San Francisco how to build
up ther localities. We have secured repre-
sentative men from all the leading cities
and towns of the south and have them
with u.s."
The visitors left at midnight for Sacra-
mpntO