Smyrna times., 1923-12-12
BLACKBIRD WOMAN TAKES TRIP

Mrs. George G. Woodkeeper, of
Blackbird, has returned from a trip
to the Pacific Coast and so delightful
were her impressions Of California
and other points, she has submitted
to The Smyrna Times the following
account that her friends of the COM
munity may know what a delightful .
place Southern California is: "Cne .
cannot describe California and be be-
| heved-seeing is believing! Have just /
concluded my second visit, my first |
having been in 1915 at the time Of the !
Exposition,and must admit the charm !
| is stronger than ever. "The weather |
was perfect, warm sunny days, each |
one a delight San Jose, where my |
sister lives is in Santa Clara County, |
situated in the heart of the great |
Santa Clara Valley-between the
Coast Range and the Santa Cruz |
Range of mountains. "This valley is |
the home of the prune, peach, pear, |
plum, apricot and cherry-the largest |
continuous fruit district in the world. |
Here is located the Pratt-Low Pre-
serving Company, one of the largest
in the world a cannery of fruit and
vegetables. l was shown over this
great plant by Mr.. F. A. Wilder, one
of the firm. 1t was interesting to see
all this machinery in motion, the
power furnished by great oil burning
furnaces-the canning, saving of the
lumber, boxes both wood and paper
boxes, made, labeled and nailed by
machinery. 'The pack per season is
a million cases. The maximum ca
pacity, three hundred thousand cases
per day. Full complement of workers
fifteen hundred. "San Jose is rightly
called the Garden City, has pOpula-
ton of fifty thousand. The streets
are lined with trees, and the gardens
are objects of beauty. Seems almost
as tho the landscape gardeners We'd
with each other to produce a more
perfect setting and the results are
superb. "They have no killing frost,
the rainy season is their winter ut
\ is fifty miles south of San Francisco.
The California Metropolis, on the
main line between San Francisco and
Los Angeles. Several bus lines, en-
ploying high powered automobiles
leave every half hour for the metro
polls, their routing being in the wOnd-
erful highway. Beautiful homes and
picturesque gardens add much to the
pleasure of the trip. During my
| stay, the Santa Clara County branch
\ of the League of American Pen wO-
II men gave a luncheon, hOnOring one
II of their members, Ruth COmfOrt
II Mitchell, who shared the honor with
II Lillian Burkhart, we'll known in club
III and theatrical circles. "I had the eX-
treme pleasure of attending this in
III teresting event, being a guest of Elita
III Higgins, one of the officers of the
II League. This affair was held in the
III Grey room of the Hotel Vendome, one
III of the show places of San Jose. A
III very large structure surrounded witE
several acres of gardens. l wa
shown over "The House of Mystery,
the home of the late Mrs. Winchester
HI widow of the Winchester of rifle fame
U She was an exceedingly eccentric wO
man, one of her beliefs being that a
III long as she kept the sound of tn
I'LL hammer going, her days would b
Hi prolonged. So there was carpenter
III ing always going on. She would ad
I'LL to the already large home, and re
lIn model, Just so there was sOmethin
III under construction. There are one hur
= dred and fOrty-four rooms, thOusan
windows, two thousand doors, man
as' beautiful double doors open up to
acc, ace solid wall. l was told Mrs. Winche!
on. ter spent a million in building and r'
the ,i@ building. The grounds are beautifl
Ock many wonderful rare plants and tree
n; 3nd Only a short drive from San Jose
red. the famous Lick Observatory at II
are summit of Mt. Hamilton, 4444 feet
as height. "The largest Pigeon Loft
49,, the world is situated near Haywal
lob and owned by Mr.. c. R. King. H
rye hye like all CalifOrnians was so willing
nee. explain to US the interesting pOin
; to of pigeon raising. He has fiftet
Dad thousand old birds. Fifteen hundrt
hes SQUADS are shipped to market eaC
IS; 'tbs week. Three quarters of a ton
,nce seed are consumed each day for foo
vest | onE 80 = c,.oufo,d TTn;,,ars;+
Orth Wy NlSlI " NNalIA"Au -" NA'
one stands out above all else, situate
1n9s 2ees about eighteen miles north of S;
be Jose, nesting in the foothills ne'
.h.+ Palo Alto, is this co-educatiOnal ur
,son versity. The buildings, and there a
hi, his many, are all of the Spanish Archite
, at ture. Here, one must see it to reali
ln,tSy the beauty. The chapel, built by N
and Mrs. Leland Stanford in memo
rop- of their son, Leland, and called Sta
DC ford University memorial Church,
fl. most beautiful. The interior is mos
'eH'- ly of mosaic, and stories of the Bib
- are told on the walls, made of tt
- ....A e....., L.