DIVISION SIX — BUSINESS. 449 



talk and work ; and without a hitch or a halt he has succeeded in grandly- 

 overcoming all obstacles, and today his work and his enterprise is crowned 

 with success." 



Of Hon. A. G. Throop's address the Star says : 



"The introduction of the venerable 'Father Throop ' was the signal 

 for a great outburst of applause, which continued for several seconds. He 

 made a characteristic off-hand speech that evoked great laughter and much 

 applause, the leading theme of which was that it is the duty of every man 

 to do what he can for his fellow- men. He referred to Mrs. Lowe in highly 

 complimentary terms as the power behind the throne of her gifted husband,* 

 and made some humorous allusions to the blessings of the married state that 

 aroused general merriment. To those who had become frightened over the 

 finandal stringency he proffered the advice that they take their money out 

 of their old stockings and invest it in the bonds of the Mount L,owe railway. 

 The building of a great observatory on the mountain summit will follow, if 

 Prof. Ivowe receives this sort of encouragement, and Pasadeda will lack 

 nothing to make it a perfect place of residence." 



From Prof. Lowe's response I quote a few passages : 



" It is a great satisfaction to myself and fellow- workers to feel that our 

 work has met with your approval. If anything will stimulate one to farther 

 exertions, your presence here today to celebrate what we have accomplished 

 will surely have the desired effect. * * When I first heard of Los 

 Angeles, Pasadena, and the great San Gabriel valley, I got the impression 

 that it was a vast plain with but few jf any mountains near it ; but when in 

 the summer of '87 I first landed in Los Angeles I was struck with the extent 

 and beauty of the mountains, and my first ride was to Pasadena and the 

 foot-hills of the Sierra Madres. I was then fully impressed that it required 

 only the means of reaching the various interesting summits to enable one to 

 enjoy all the atmospheric changes and temperatures that are usually sought 

 after by thousands of miles of. travel, extending even to Europe and the 

 elevation of the Alps. It was with a full, open belief that the means of 

 scaling these mountains would soon be provided, that decided myself and 

 family to make our final home in this locality. 



' ' The railway to the mountains was even then being talked of, and a 

 small telescope, under the auspices of Harvard University, had proved the 

 superiority of the atmosphere on these summits for astronomical purposes. 

 I, at this time, had no idea of taking upon myself the whole labor and ex- 

 pense of building the road to the summit of these or any other mountains ; 

 but always felt that when others would start such an enterprise, I would be 

 one to aid by making a liberal investment in the same. Consequently the 

 bulk of my fortune was invested in other enterprises before I fully decided 

 to build the road, the opening of which you are today so generously and 

 enthusiastically celebrating. Had I earlier decided to build this road entirely 

 with my own means, if necessary, I should have deferred investments in 

 other directions. Again I thank you for your aid and encouragement, and 

 trust my future work will meet with the same hearty approval as my past 

 efforts have by your demonstration today." 



From an editorial in the Daily Star of same date I quote a few sentences 

 that should go into this permanent historic record : 



*See article on "Leontine Falls," page 382, for another mention of Mrs. Lowe's relation to the 

 great enterprise. 



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