The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-08-14
FROM REV. WILLIAMS
Former Rector of St. James Tells
of His New Parish.

tsom Rev. w. p. Williams, formerly
rector of st. James Episcopal church,
will be of interest to his many Oska-
loosa friends. 1t was addressed to
Edwin Evans, one of the choir boys:
Dear Edwin: 1t was a pleasure to
receive your good letters and to know
that all Is proceeding so well in ST.
James and Oskaloosa. | presume you
would like to know something of Mo
desto. Well, to begin, 1t is a place of.
over 5000 and growing. 1t has very
wide streets, the majority being paved
with asphalt. Very fine residences in
many parts of the town with big
lawns and palms growing in them.
There is a good high schooi, its base
ball team having no rival this year
for the State High School champion
| ship but one and that was one of the
Los Angeles high schools. There
was 40 opportunity to bring the two
| together, SO Modesto High is the
champion absolute of northern and
central California and shares the
mentioned school There are four
grammar schools, all of concrete, very
modern, and modelled after the old
Indian mission building, with red tile
| roofs. There are quite few modern
apartment houses here. The fire COM
pany has a motor truck and a horse
drawn wagon and uses both. It's like
Oskaloosa in that they have paid and
| call fire men, the latter sleep at the
| fire house at nights. The town has,
| ii is said, more automobiles than any
of it's size in the state, and California
is mecca for motorcycles. The state
highway is nearly completed in its re-
modelling and passes through Mo-
desto. The remodelling consists of
re-arranging the roadbed and asphalt
ing from Oregon to Mexico. Asphalt
roads are numerous in California
Motor delivery wagons are very num-
erous here and our expressman has
huge red truck instead of a dray.
One undertaken has a big Winton
| hearse mobile. He also has a fine
private chapel in his undertaking par
| lors. The town has one first class
hotel and two more being built at the
present, both to be finished by Janu-
airy 1st; also a number of second
class hotels. We are on the main line
of the Southern Pacific and 1t is al
ttrurban which runs to Empire FIVE
miles distant where 1t connects with
all main line Santa Fe trains but two.
The Tidewater Southern running
from Stockton to Modesto gives fire.
quent service north. Il is at present
a steam road but is being electrified
rapidly.
There is no Y. NJ. C. A. but the town
has the equivalent in the Modeto
Christian Association that is under
the Presbyterian church and is in
their guild house Some years ago a
sum of money was set aside by the
church when erecting a new structure,
designated for a gymnasium. This
was built and a very large swimming
pool founded. Membership in the
gymnasium is not restricted to Pres
I byterians nor is attendance of the
Presbyterian church required. 1t is
called the Modesto Christian Associ
alton and is in all except the name ex-
actly like a Y. NJ. c. A. The ministers
are given q free membership which
! is very nice. ] go twice a week to
a FIVE o'clock class and we have eX-
ercises, volley ball and good swim
Can go and swim any time but lady's
day, which is Thursday afternoon
from four TO six. 1t is fin ething to
belong and | enjoy the class. 80
j was given an unusual honor which
/ very much appreciated though
had been here at that time but eight
weeks. had met many of the high
school and when the Seniors elected
their baccalaureate sermon preacher
| was chosen by the class. So We
had the high school baccalaureate and
II was fine for the church and for me.
| was also put on the program at the
commencement for the benediction
and also invited to the class supper
the next day. 1t is very rare any
where that so recent new conner is
elected for the baccalaureate so |
was very happy. The church was
crowded.
A gentleman in the church very
kindly let's me use his automobile and
| take 1t out at times and have a very
enjoyable ride. 1t is good car and
runs quietly and smoothly.
The town has four moving picture
places. The local theatre is a beauty,
was built last year and cost about
| $4,000. Ii has marble walks in the
entrance, big mirrors and a MOSAIC
| floor. The stores and soda fountains
are very good and the whole town is
very modern. There is one restaurant
which has counter parts in other
California towns. They are called
coffee clubs. They are clean and
phenominally cheap. Coffee and two
pieces of bread and butter or two
doughnuts for five cents. Mush with
macaroni and cheese, toast, grape
nuts, rice and milk, prunes, berries,
peaches and cream. all five cents
each. A reading room is in connec-
tion with each and lady's apart
ment. A dinner is twenty-five cents
and 1t is a good one. II Is very large
ly patronized by all classes Of people.
| The days are always sunny. It
rains very seldom. only once did we
have a real rain since | came. The
nights are cool even in warm weather
because of the trade wind which
comes down through San Francisco
bay and the San Joquin river and then
over the alfalfa fields. cooling things
when II Is warm after shutdown. Far
ther down In the valley II Is of course
warmer, being more distant from tide
water.