Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-04-14
CALIFORNIA LETTER
FROM NORMAN GERARD

FROM NORMAN GERARD
MoNRovIA, CAL, April 6, 1905.
WOOD COUNTY REPORTER,
EGrand Rapids. Wis.
siy first visit to Redlands, January,
%, 1905, a pleasant town made up Of
enterprising American people mostly
from the eastern states with wealth
and push have built up q fine
temperance town of eight Thousand
population. The town is located in
small valley nearly surrounded by
mountains, CSome of them being
covered with snow. Mount San
Antonia better known as "Old Baldy"
is 11,OOO feet high, while San Bar
nardino is 1880 feet high. Mount
San Gorganio is $4,000 feet high.
Among 1.-THE many attractions in
Redlands is place called Smiley
Heights Twins, OF the class of men
known as friends or quakers coming
from the State of New York, with
ample means and wishing to do some
good with their money in this newly
settled part of California and also to
do something to perpetuate their
names and benefit the town and leave
an inference that will llveIfor gener-
ations after they had passed away.
They bought tract of two hundred
acres of high unbroken land about
three miles .from Redlands, several
hundred feet above the town and
built good substantial drive-ways
through the. plat, also wall on the
lower side of the roads, as the roads
which is about five miles long were
made to run in various angles and
curves until it reached the highest
point of this hill, while along the
road and hills were planted trees,
flowers and strawberries OF all des-
criptions, and was told, by one Of
the special policemen that are there
to see that no one does harm to the
place, that there are over one thou
sand different species of flowers,
shrubs and trees. On top OF the hill
they have two large reservoirs that
are always filled with water and used
to water the trees, plants, etc. From
one of the reservoirs a small dam is
made and the water runs from one
lake into another which is little
lower down until there are five pretty
little lakes which are fed from this
reservoir and connected with each
other by dams, making pretty effect.
They have rustic seats covered with
palm leaves which makes a quiet
place for people to sit and lcok at the
large orange orchards, and a short
way in the distance you have a fine
view Of Redlands, and handsome
homes in the valley below while on
the east side of the hill is a drop of
three or four hundred feet nearly
perpendicular into a valley that is
cultivated and the Southern Pacific
railroad runs through it and up quite
a steep grade.
The Smiley's built each Of them a
nice pleasant home on the west side
of this plat nearest the town and the
electric cars make trip there every
thirty minutes, Albert Smiley pas
sed into the higher life few years ago
and left his brother to carry out their
plans, but he has left a name that
will live for generations to come.
The drives in this park are open for
the public free, but with instructions
that no flowers should be picked or
any lunches carried into the grounds.
The Smiley's also have an eight acre
park nearly in the center of Redlands
and A. Smiley built a fine library with
roads, flowers and palms around it
and gave same with 9200 volumes OF
books at total cost of all about
$50, 900 to the city and it is named
A. K. Smiley Free Public Library.
It occurs to me that if more wealthy
men would take pattern by the
Smiley's that they might leave a name
that would be an honor to them after
they had passed away and be the
means of doing good to many people.
In May, President Mckinley made
his first visit to Redlands and was
iptroducod tn the nennle nv Governor
Henry T. Gage, so they have erected
fine granite monument in Smiley
park to his memory; on January
%, his birthday, the children Of the
public schools headed by their
teachers marched to the monument
and one of the professors made short
speech; the children all sang
America and Nearer My God to Thee
and one OF the teachers put a wreath
|of carnations at the foot Of same, that