DIVISION TWO — COLONIAL. 1 25 



question. Histories of other colonies were ransacked for precedents and 

 methods of division. Several were suggested, only to be voted down. Ar- 

 guments waxed warm, and a trifle of acerbity was creeping in, when the 

 chair [Judge Eaton himself. — Kd,] proposed that every stockholder appear 

 on the ground at an appointed time and we would have a sham fight over 

 the business. 



This was apparently showing levity about a serious matter, and was 

 promptly opposed, for the reason that it would probably end in a row, and 

 we would be no nearer an amicable settlement of the question than we were 

 now. Mr. Fletcher had sat back in a corner listening. He was one of the 

 largest stockholders. It was nearing midnight and all were anxious to get 

 away, yet nothing had been accomplished. Finally Mr. Fletcher arose and 

 said, "Gentlemen, as we have not succeeded in adopting any of the plans 

 proposed, suppose that we try the suggestion made by the chair, and all go 

 out there and see how many of us can get just the spot we want. I would 

 suggest that next Tuesday — that will give us one day to look over the 

 ground — we all meet at the foot of what I have named Orange Grove Av- 

 enue, and try and settle this matter to everybody's satisfaction." That 

 proposition was adopted, and we met as proposed. 



It was as lovely a day in the month of January (27th) as a California 

 sun ever shone upon. Early rains had fallen and the hills were dressed in 

 living green, while the earth was a carpet of flowers of every hue. By ten 

 o'clock people began to arrive. Men with their wives and children, men 

 with their sweethearts and men without them, and not a few of the neigh- 

 boring settlers attended, as they said " to see the fun." Everybody was 

 happy, surrounded as they were by everything beautiful in nature, 



I was then living at "Fair Oaks," but was taking as much, if not 

 more interest in the establishment of the colony than in my personal affairs. 

 As I came in sight of the grounds I saw men on horseback, men in buggies, 

 and men on foot rushing from one side of the plain to the other, occas- 

 ionally stopping to note the number of some lot that they thought might be 

 desirable. When I alighted at the ground where the group had gathered, 

 joy and pleasure beamed in every face, and I deemed it an auspicious omen. 

 The children scattered about gathering flowers and full of mirth, lent cheer- 

 fulness to the scene. Bountiful lunch baskets were brought out, and every- 

 body seemed disposed to a merry-making time. After lunch, which the 

 ladies had provided in the most liberal style, the men began sauntering 

 along in twos and fours and squads toward the point where the Orange 

 Grove reservoir is located, as this afforded the best outlook over the tract to 

 be divided. When all had gathered there the President directed Secretary 

 Berry to call the roll of subscribers, and requested those stockholders present 

 to announce, when their names were called, the number of the lot or lots 

 they would prefer. (The committee on subdivision [Porter, Fletcher and 

 Eaton] had agreed that they would make no selections themselves until all 

 the others had chosen, and they represented twenty-eight out of the 100 

 shares.) There had been some apprehension felt by the small shareholders 

 that they would be crowded out into some corner, or be obliged to take 

 what was left after the ' ' heavy men ' ' had made their selections. Mr. 

 Fletcher, knowing what was apprehended, had cut some of the most de- 

 sirable sections of the tract into one-share and two-share lots, and the one- 

 share men were called on to select first. After things had proceeded in this 

 way for a time, the secretary was requested to call the names of some of the 



