Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-01-31
ATTENDS AN low APICNIC
IN A PARK AT PASADENA, CAL
Mr.. Bigel0w Describes Gathering &
Three Thousand Iowans. His Third
Letter Very Interesting 0ne-

Garvanza, CAL, Jan. "A. 1890
Special TO PUBLIC o. INIoN:
This country takes the lead for wheeI
riding. Old, young and middle-aged
constantly line the road and for that
kind of locomotion the roads are pc
culiarly adapted, as they are level, hard
and smooth. The horses are usually of
medium size and excellent travellers
although in the cities the well knowE
NOrmans are generally used for heavy
work and / have seen some of the finest
mule teams here l ever saw. Horae
back riding is also INDUCED in to Some
extent by high toned ladies, but ue-
tice that they do not use side-saddles.
but ride on both sides of the horse q
the same time.
Those living in the outskirts Of the
cities nearly all keep cow and they
are universally Jerseys, aud good ones
too. 1 have not seen poor COW since
1 have been here. They pay very WE'LL
as milk is seven cents quart. Nearly
everything else in the food line, i'm
Guiding groceries, is about the same
price as in Iowa. Dry goods are also
about the same.
Last week / visited the Ostrich farm
and saw all sizes, from the chicks about
as large a. a common hen, up to the
head of the herd. which weighed 400
pounds. What a rattling old Christ
mas roast he would make; but suspect
he would be tougher than Charle~
Haas beefsteak.
At Raymond Park, Pasadena. lass
week, an Iowa picnic was held and
5000 were there, all Iowans. Music,
speaking and sociability was the order
of the day. Those born in Iowa wore
blue ribbon, those who came there be-
fore 1850 white, and those after 1859 a
red. The natives were invited onto the
stand with the speakers. After several
had spoken the speaker of the occasioe
tOoh q labu WIG odctdCSSy anu tAAA
was Robert J. Burdette, the famous
humorist. His remarks were combi-
nation of wit and wisdom, and kept the
audience in q continual smile with the
only regret that he was too short He
couldn't see why the natives should hs
exalted so much, as they were natives
because they couldn't help themselves
They brought nothing into the state
added nothing to its wealth. while lie
came hundreds of miles to be an Io~xa
and brought into the state shirt and
u suit of clothes. He was glad becauss
his son was born in Iowa, as it Was
likely he would be U. s. Senator If he
lived long enough for Allison and Gesr
to get through with it. Mr.. Burdests
is now a preacher in the PresbyteriaE
church in Pasa dena, and it is always
crowded to its utmost. Among other
old friends met the old time chair
man of the Winneshiek County Boaax
of Supervisors, Nj. S. Drury, who has
changed but little in the last twenty
years. He now lives in Pasadena
This is a very beautiful city and strictly
temperate. as there is not saloon init
Almost untold wealth is centered in
Pasadena. 1t is said there are a ha,t
dred millionaires living there. Ea
ormous fortunes have been made In
California, and yet in my opinion the
largest share of the wealth has -heex
imported here.
From all appearances the most eess
tented and happy people are those wts<
live in innumerable pleasant cottages
in the suburbs of the cities, and wha
seem not to he burdened with grexi
wealth nor extreme poverty. ArpsE
emily ''they toll not, neither do they
spinn," yet solomon, in all his glory
was not attired like their yards aisd
gardens.
My first news direct from Iowa Was
received yesterday.
II. A. BIGELow