Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-01-13
A LAND OF SUNSHINE
Norman Gerard Writes of What
is Going on in California at
the Present Time.
MoNRovIA, CAL, Jan. !, 1905.

LEAN Slh.-I LII SoluS W tIy dIu
redeem my promise to send you a few
lines this beautiful sunshiny morning.
This is surely a land of sunshine and
L am trying to put all the sunshine
that can into my life.
On December 80. we had our first
rain since last September and it rained
all night and every body is happy now.
The farmers have all commenced
plowing and sewing small grains,
mostly barley, and the orange picking
has just begun: the crop is light but
the fruit is fine and prices better than
last year, but the lemons are not
bringing much.
We have fine Congregational
church which | attend every Sunday
as l enjoy the pastor very much. He is
grand good man by the name of ChaS.
NJ. Fischer. Yesterday l attended
vices were conducted by the Masons
at his late home in the front of the
house in the yard and his remains
were then taken to Pasadena and
cremated. They set the casket on a
black stand in front of the furnace
and took the handles eff then the
furnace doors were opened and the
coffin slid in. To me it did not look
just right and | think | would rather
let the remains return to dust from
whence they came.
Last Monday, January 2, attended
the great tournament of roses at
Pasadena California. They estimated
there were $1,000 people and one-tifth of
them were tenderfOotS. The r. r. and
ST. Car companies, sold $4,000 tickets.
For everyone, within fifty miles, that
could go on wagons, wheels or on foot,
were there. The procession was
beautiful indeed and carriages, horses,
wheels and automobiles were profusely
decorated with natural flowers, all
artificial flowers being barred. On
the first automobile alone there were
1000 fresh carnations. The process
sion was formed on Orange Grove
Avenue in the following order:
Trumpeters on horseback, guards,
policemen; then came the automobiles
all decorated with flowers, carriages
with men from secret orders, alder
men, board of trade, band from
Pasadena, two chariotS that were
drawn by four horses aud one small
chariot that was drawn by a small
donkey and driven by little boy;
then came the boys band, Santa
Monica Marching club, more
trumpeters, very pretty float repre-
senting Massachusetts Colony of
Spirit of 1776; float, Ocean Park
sailors ia large boat was one of the
hits Of the parade. 1t presented a
forty-tWo foot float and the boat was
covered with purple and white flowers
and many callas were massed upon
the wagon 20 initiate water while
seated in the boat were the captain
and eight oarsmen all rowing; then
come the high school float which the
boys and girls had trimmed with
80, 900 pink and white geraniums.
Lincoln school was then represented
by q float decorated in poinsettIas and
smilax. Columbia and Washington
schools were drawn by six horses
which were decorated with smilaX
and geraniumS; then come tallyho
in red and white with SIX footmen;
next Mckinley and Garfield schools
in pink and white, projecting from
over head at various angles we're
scrolls from which flower stars
dangled with catchy effect. The
Wilson school tallyho six in hand was
symphony in white daisies, peppers
and other green foliage: Long Beach
band: then a handsome Victoria
owned and driven by Walter Raymond,
proprietor of an immense hotel in
Pasadena. Sweet peas were used
almost exclusively and $1,000 blossoms
were worked into the decoration Of
the vehicle and harness. The beauti-
ful large Maryland Hotel was
represented by float in BignOnias
which was very striking in yellow and
black and girls singing the old famil-
lar air of maryland my Maryland:"
Z. r. A. P. Band, nine more private
| carriages all decorated differently;
| then all the fire departments in the
city, ladies and gentlemen on horse
| back, Ocean Park band, Gen. Homer
| LEAFS half hundred Chinese soldiers
from Los Angeles. They were minus
their queues but they seemed to have
| them when orders were given; then
| there was the Santa Monica Marching
club of forty Stalwart seaside sailors
which carried with them a great
| floral anchor done in pink and white:
| more private rigs including pretty
children'S outfits, tandems, etc. The
parade disbanded at Tournament
| Park after the prizes were awarded
and then chariot and motorcycle races
after which grand concert of more
than one hundred voices ended the
days program.
| [ thank Our Heavenly Father for
preserving my good healtn for these