Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
5000 At IOWANS'
OUTING At BEACH
Many Enjoy Day in Bixby Park
and Hear Prominent
Speakers
CALIFORNIA CORN Is PRAISED
Luncheon Served Under Trees to
Music of the Local
Brass BanC
CALIFORNIA CORN is PRAISED


today for their annual midsummer
picnic in Bixby park. This gathering
is not so large as the usual winter pic
mic of the society. Holding picnic IN
one of the local parks was departure,
but proved eminently satisfactory, save
for the fact that no extra car service
was provided between the park and
Pine avenue, and travel back and forth
was extremely difficult owing to the
great crowd
Special service was given, however,
by the Pacific Electric in running
through cars between Los Angeles and
the Long Beach park. A Salt Lake
special of seven coaches came in from
Pomona in one hour and twenty-five
minutes. Many of the picnickers came
in on other cars, from which they mad
to transfer to the park by way of the
Alamitos bay or Redondo avenue lines.
A committee of fifty Long Beach
IoWans received the visitors, some OF
the committee being stationed at the
Pine avenue depot and others at the
park. Special picnic badges OF a pale
yellow hue were given to all
The park, which embraces more than
ten acres, extending from Ocean ave-
nue. north to Railway avenue, contains
a large number of Spreading trees
Beneath the canopies afforded by their
branches were the headquarters of the
counties and the large cities of Iowa.
appropriate banners being suspended
from the trees and books for register
ing being supplied at most of them.
Strolls through the park or along the
ocean bluff, inspection of the grounds
around the A. D. Myers residence
across Ocean avenue from the park
and the exchange of "reminiscences
Whiled away the morning hours Tor
the picnickers. Basket dinners were
~, g,ff 40 no
Free coffee and lemonade were dis
pensed without stint to all those wear
ing the official badge of the society.
The Municipal band played while the
picnickers lunched. Cheerful smiles
attested that the dinner was a sue
cess, as did the sCatterment OF papers
and emptied boxes around the grounds.
At 1:30 the program of the day be-
gan. The band gave up the bandstand
to the speakers and officers of the as
sociation and they took their places
on the platform.
]. A. Rominger of Long Beach, pres
ident of the realty board. delivered an
address of welcome. His subject was
Iowa VS.. California" He read news
paper clippings giving IoWans' I'm.
pressions of California and spoke of
the weather, grain raising, stock grow
ing and educational facilities and other
lines along which the states could be
compared. Then he produced an enor-
nous ear of corn.
AN EAR OF CORN
'I knew you would be glad to see a
golden ear of corn from Iowa." he
said. 80 l telegraphed to my brother
and he expressed this huge ear to me.
Isn't it a beauty? See how long, how
full and how even 1t is-a typical Iowa
product.
do you want to know where 1 really
got this ear of corn?' he went on.
"Why, I plucked it. from a cornstalk
not far from my office right here in
town. Iowa isn't the only place, my
friends, where corn grows big. Cali
fornia has got Iowa skinned mile.
So why not live in California;"
President E. Henderson of Pomona
responded graciously to Mr.. Romin-
gers speech, the closing words of
which constituted welcome to his
hearers and an invitation to make
Long Beach their home. President
Henderson then called on the associa-
tion's secretary, c. II. Parsons. to read
a letter from Senator j. P. DolliYer
The letter follows;
&C. II. Parsons, secretary Iowa as
sociation of Southern California: In
compliance with your suggestion of
recent date 1 take great pleasure in
giving most cordial greetings to the
former residents of this state now liV-
ing in California. While l cannot but
regret that so many good people have
seen fit to withdraw their activities
and their good influence from Iowa 1
cannot but congratulate them upon
their choice of a now home, for l am
fully alive to the charms of Southern
California as a place Of residence. |
trust you will convey to each and
everyone my sincere good wishes for
their continued health and prosperity
and for their ultimate safe return to
their old home here. With cordial per-
sonal regards I am very truly yours
JONATHAN P. DOLLIVER."
The letter was received with contin-
ued cheers.
Mayor Farley of Pasadena was the
next speaker. In Pasadena, he said
people no longer asked, What state
are you from?" but "What part of
Iowa are you from He paid his
respects to Iowa and then proceeded
to give figures as to the California
crops and other wealth of the state
which fully justified the fame of the
state.
A SQUARE STATE
DR.. L. U. McGee of San Diego, the
next talker, assorted that Iowa was at
the highest point in the pyramid of
states. Iowa, he said, is q square state
geOgraphically and this is illustrative
Of the character Of its citizens. Iowa
people, he said, believe in the length
and breadth Of life and have purposes
in their lives.
Following this speaker Miss Bertha
Hollister rec,ted an original poem,
"The Iowa Traveller" which was so
true to life and. wlthal, so well deliv-
cred that the young woman held her
audience spcllbound. The poem set
forth the beauties and glories of
Iowa, but admitted the transcendent
attractions Of California. 1t carried
out the feeling of the other speakers
that iowa is a mighty fine state, but
California WELL California is simply
the best eyeTl
A thrill Of pleasure passed over the
big open air gathering when Mayor
George Alexander of Los Angeles
1vormed his way through the crowd
in response to the persistent beck Of
the presiding officer and was assisted
in climbing up over the back rail of
the bandstand. After Miss HOLSTERS
poem he was called upon to speak
He told graphically and Interesting
" of his early experiences in Iowa, the
state Of his up-bringing. Then came
the account Of how he happened 10
come to California. Along with this
came the irrepresslble remarks as TO
how he loves this Golden state.
"a high-class citizenship has come
here from Iowa" said he, "and has
helped, more than the people from any