DIVISION FOUR BOOM. 315 



them. One of the original colonists of Pasadena was J. M. Matthews, 

 brother of Hon. Stanley Matthews, U. S. Senator from Ohio, and maternal 

 half-brother to Mrs. Hayes. Mr. Matthews' colony tract was 60 acres, ex- 

 tending from Fair Oaks Avenue to Arroyo drive, and included the ground 

 now occupied by the fine residences of E. F. Hurlbut, Prof. T. S. C. Lowe 

 and Mrs. Col. Baker. He built a house on the hill where .Mrs. Baker's 

 elegant mansion now stands (18^5) and he and Thomas F. Croft " kept 

 bach " there together. Mr. Matthews was a man of superior talent, but was 

 wrecked by strong drink. He had been a prominent editor at Indianapolis ; 

 and in order to get him away from drinking influences his friends had in- 

 duced him to join the Pasadena colony, hoping that by these better associa- 

 tions and surroundings he might be improved. This hope proved vain, for 

 he continued to drink here, and had fits of delirium tremens, from which 

 Dr. O. H. Conger twice saved his life ; and most of the colony families 

 were kind to him, for he was an excellent man apart from his drink habit. 

 When Hayes received the nomination for president in 1875, Matthews was 

 possessed to go back and take part in the campaign ; and he determined to 

 sell his place and go. Mrs. Hayes had kept up a sisterly interest in and 

 care for this inebriate brother — in fact seemed to have a special oversight of 

 his affairs, and had been in correspondence with Mr. Croft for some months 

 about the matter. Mr. Croft finally bought Matthews' place, upon an un- 

 derstanding with Mrs! Hayes and other friends ; but instead of letting him 

 take part in the campaign for his brother-in-law's election to the presidency, 

 they sent him to an inebriate asylum. Mrs. Hayes had a strong desire to 

 see the place where her poor wreck of a brother had lived, and the people 

 v^ho had been so kind to him ; and this desire of hers was the real ground 

 and incentive of the presidential visit to Pasadena. 



The families of Messrs. A. O. Porter and P. M. Green had only a few 

 hours notice that the president was coming, and they sent word around 

 as well as they could to their colony neighbors within reach, a number 

 of whom came to assist them in making preparations for the great occa- 

 sion. They talked of putting up a floral arch across the driveway leading 

 from Sylvan Avenue up to Mr. Green's house, but the time was too short for 

 this. And all they could do was to send a mounted escort to meet the party, 

 besides having some little girls ready to present them with Pasadena flowers 

 and fruits, and give the guests a warm greeting, for they were expected any 

 minute for two hours before they did finally arrive. 



J. DeBarth Shorb, being president of the Agricultural Society that year, 

 had the president and wife in charge as guests of the society, and brought 

 them out to Pasadena in his carriage, heading the procession. In the next 

 carriage was Gen. Geo. Stoneman and Gov. Geo. C. Perkins, accompanied 

 by Gen. W. T. Sherman and his daughter Rachel ; and there were several 

 other carriages following, but by whom occupied I could not learn. They 



