The Washington times., 1901-12-01
WELCOMES ARE FLowERY.
An Eastern woman's Wonder mt Cal
norma Roses.

A woman who has travelled much was
other day. She said: 81 have never seen
people who treat strangers as the Cali
fornians do in any other portion of the
world.
Sacramento was the first city of the
State which my daughter and | entered
Having few hours to wait before taking
train, we strolled out and encountered
little girl with an armful of magnificent
roses. 1t was the middle OF winter, and 1
remarked on the sight TO my daughter
The girl heard me and exclaimed:
-" oh, you can have them / said that
would take one. but she forced the
whole armful upon me-
- was just taking them to school,
she insisted, I can get plenty more at
home.
After lunch We walked out again and
stopped at a residence to look over the
fence at the roses in the garden. The lady
OF the house saw us from the window,
came out, and picked great bunch for
US. We were fairly abashed at such treat
ment. We had come from the East, and
we didn't know what TO make of it,
Later we were at Pasadena one day
riding on one of the trolley cars that
run out into the surrounding country. The
road was lined with beautiful pepper
trees, with great punches of scarlet
peppers among the glossy green leaves.
] made the remark that / wished I had
bunch to dry and take home with me.
Tn get you bunch" said the con-
ductor. and he actually stopped the car
and got me a bunch Of those peppers.
lady on the car asked us If we were
going to the Rose Carnival. l told her
I knew nothing about it. She explained
about ii, and said;
" Everyone who attends is expected to
bring a bunch Of roses. When we get eff
the car l will take you to my home and
give you roses to carry, and show you
where the opera house is. She did SO.
and armed with beautiful lunches OF Ios-
es we entered the opera house Every
seat was sold. and we bought standing
room. The entertainment was a sort of
spectacular affair, in which the young
girls of the city were dressed TO repre-
sent different roses. Every inch If The
woodwork of the building was concealed
by massed roses. every person in the
house carried roses, and at the close of
the programme, by some sort of mechan-
nlcai arrangement overhead, a shower of
rose leaves fell upon the audience. 1t
was the prettiest thing l ever saw. But
the most astonishing thing about 1t was
that two gentlemen left their seats and
forced us to take them.
We said, Why. we cannot take your
seats; you have paid for them, and we
have bought standing room They re-
piled, oh. you are strangers, and we
can't allow company to stand up in Cali
fornia. And they gave up their seats to
us. after paying 81 apiece for them. How
they knew We were strangers. 1 don't
know, but they always spot you in Cali
fornia, and dc something nice for you be-
fore they let you go.
MY brother went to convention in
San Francisco. and when his delegation
had reached the headquarters they had
chosen they found a perfect bower OF
golden California poppies and great bas-
kets Of fresh fruit. nesting in its own
leaves, on every hand. And each day the
faded flowers and old fruit were removed
and fresh put in their places. At all the
other delegation headquarters II was the
same. It's little way they have in Cali
fornia. New York Times.