The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-04
Story of the Santa Fe Ball at
San BernardinO.
100 Couples Participated in the
Grand March.
1900 PEOPLE THERE.
Had a Nursery Coach for the
Babies.
Mayor of San BernardinO Pre-
sided at the Meeting.

The San Bernardino Transcript gives
the following account of the dedication
ball in the new Santa Fe shops at that
point:
In response to the invitations which
the employees of the Santa Fe in this
city had sent out fully 1000 people as
sembled in the coach house of the new
shops Saturday night for the house
warming They came on foot, on the
cars and in carTia ges and at o'clock,
the time set for the Introductory ad-
dress, the great building was full to
overlooking Seats for something over
q thousand persons had been provided
and after they were all filled the aisles
were crowded with several hundred
people who were forced to stand during
the speaking.
The room was handsomely decorated
with flags, bunting and colOred lights.
The whole west half of the building was
reserved for dancing and a splendid
floor had been laid for the occasion by
the employees who worked Thanksgiving
day to complete the work of putting il
in place piece by piece from material
furnished by the company 1t was
neat piece of work and was in itself
evidence of the trouble to which the
hosts had put themselves in order to
give their guests an enjoyable evening" -
Erbe's orchestra was stationed on
platform against the west side of the
building to furnish music for the dane
ing. At the north end of the house
booth had been constructed from which
the refreshments were served 1t was
probably the most deliberately decorated
portion of the room and was in the
form of a canopy of white. covered with
electric lights of all colors and embel-
Hshed with great punches of chrysan-
themumS and strings of ivy 1t was IN
charge of a corps of young ladies' select
ed from the high school who served the
crowd with sandwiches. fruits, cake,
coffee and other delicacies.
Several punch bowls were stationed
in different parts of the room.
A huge floral banner with the initials
of the road A., T. & S. F.. occupied d
prominent place over the head of the
speakers of the evening.
For the benefit CT the children as we'll
as to relieve the parents who desired to
participate in the dancing. a coach was
run into one end of the house, heated
and converted into a nursery for the
time being 1t was in charge of a COM
mittee who were there to care for the
children.
The opening number on the pro-
gramme was an overture by Mr. and
Mrs. c. Herr, who performed on the
harp and violin.
Promptly at o'clock J. J. Hanford.
mayor of the city. who had beer asked
by the committee to make the opening
speech and preside at the meeting.
mounted the platform that had been
erected for the occasion. and addressed
the shODmen and their guests. At the
conclusion of his speech he asked for a
rising vote of all present as an expires
sion of appreciation to the Santa Fe Off
Gals fer having located the new shops
in this city
1t was great disappointment to the
crowd when Mr.. Hanford arose to an
nounce that for business reasons neither
Mr.. A. G. Wells, general manager Of
Coast lines, nor Mr.. F. J. Shepard, gen.
eral superintendent of Coast lines, could
be present. They had expected to be
mere, but at the last minute were obliged
TO forego the pleasure and send mes
sages Of regret which were read by the
chairman.
Mr.. c. w. Werst, general foreman OF
the locomotive department, made a short
address and was followed by Mr. A B.
Todd. division master mechanic. Mr.. c.
swanson. general foreman of the car
department, was the next speaker, and
he told of the manner in which the great
Santa Fe system started with only so
miles of track. where they now have
two ribbons of steel extending from
Chicago to San Francisco" and ex-
pressed the belief that there are people
living now who will see it increased to
four
Rev. DR.. P. H. Hickmen made a short
talk, and Mr.. Henry GOodcen as a pio-
neer told Of the difference in crossing
the plains in a prairie schooner drawn
by oxen in the olden DAYS and the COM
fort with which it is possible to make
the trip in the California Limited at
the present time. This concluded that
portion of the programme, and Mr. Han