Riverside and Finis. 325 



beautiful of its kind in the State. This should be said for the people of San 

 Bernardino: that nowhere on our journey was greater hospitality shown us 

 than by them. Provisions had been made for our reception and entertain- 

 ment. The headquarters of the Society were at the elegant new Stewart 

 Hotel, where a retinue of carriages was in waiting for the drive among the 

 orchards, vineyards and gardens of the valley. The writer has availed him- 

 self of the eyes — the observant eyes — of our Secretary to obtain a glimpse of 

 the circumjacent country and its products. One circumstance, at this stage, 

 should be mentioned as detracting from the pleasure of the broken excur- 

 sions which remained for the various squads of our members who still held 

 together. President Earle and Vice-President Munson had already set out 

 on their journey homeward, and their absence was regretted by all. But 

 under the lead of Major Evans the party at San Bernardino still rejoiced 

 with the spirit and panorama which had become habitual. Certain it is that 

 of the many entertainments given to the Society in California that at San 

 Bernardino was among the best. The local excursion carried the visitors to 

 Lugonia and the Terrace villa hotel. Here a banquet had been spread, at 

 which our companions regaled themselves for the remainder of their jour- 

 ney. They then passed, by way of Terracina, to the Barton villa and the 

 old Spanish mission. The morning was beautiful, and from the Prospect 

 House a splendid view was obtained of the valley below. The scenery 

 here is romantic. On the one side rises the sublime form of old San Ber- 

 nardino, and on the other spreads away to the southwest the valley which 

 has taken its name from the sparkling Santa Ana. On returning to the 

 Stewart the fragments of our company, some twenty or thirty in number, 

 held their last formal meeting, and passed their last resolutions of respect to 

 the cities and citizens whose bounty we had so greatly enjoyed. Before 

 leaving San Bernardino, a beautiful souvenir in the shape of a gold bronze 

 token of the Board of Trade of the city was bestowed on each of the guests. 

 San Bernardino has a population of about six thousand. She is ambitious of 

 a first rank among the competmg communities of the Golden State. On the 

 obverse of the little token which she gave to our company was this con- 

 fident line : 



" We take jurisdiction of every enterprise." May all your ambitions be grat- 

 itied, O handsome city of the Upper Santa Ana ! 



