Dear Sir:
Will give you a short account of our trip from Ontario April 4th; our first stop was at Bakersfield, where we visited Elmer Smith and family, found them all well and doing nicely. From Bakersfield we went to San Francisco, where we made a short stop. They are making great preparations for the Panama Exposition. The city has built up wonderful since we visited it 6 years ago. Building restrictions are very strict since the earthquake and fire. For future protection they have built at the corner of each block a large cistern that will hold from 75,000 to 100,000 gallons of salt water in the business section of the city. This will supply demands for fire in case the city supply should be cut off as it was by the earthquake. Out at the cliff house we met Bernie Gragg and family. He told me, he with his brothers, Hiram and Ernie, would settle at Modesta, about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
San Francisco has three buildings in course or construction at present that reaches the million dollar mark, one opera house, a state building and a hotel. From San Francisco to Portland the main industry is lumbering. Through the Shasta mountains we wound our way up through the mountains with three large engines pulling twelve coaches to an elevation or 3,100 feet, then down to a drop of 9 miles elevation 1,200 feet, about the same as we started up.
Portland is a very picturesque city, about 250,000 inhabitants. From Portland to Seattle we saw lots of fruit, berries and dairying. Seattle is a lively city, some 400,000 inhabitants. After sight-seeing there for a day we left for Spokane. Through the Cascades we passed through about 30 miles of snow sheds, then into the great apple country, where apples are selling as low as 30 cts. A box and potatoes 30 cts. per 100 lbs. From Spokane through the Rockies lots of lumber camps and smelters. Thence on to Billings, Mont., via Great Northern R.R. Homesteads and dry farming. The northwest is dry this spring, not so much rain as usual. A great many people are planning to visit California in 1915, who differ in opinion about the cost of living. After visiting so many of the coast cities I find hotel expenses no higher than in the east. Good rooms from $1 up and meal from 25¢ up. Will leave Billings where we visited my sister, Mrs. J.W. Brannon and family April 17th. . . [a line or two missing here] . . . spring work. From here we expect to stop in Denver, Colo., also make a short stop in Hastings, Nebr. Expect to arrive in Lowell about April 23.
ELMER HAYDEN.
The casket was then taken to the Christian church, where services were held. Rev. Roadhouse preached a splendid sermon filled with a note of personal sorrow, For Mr. Hayden had been a faithful worker in the church and in the Men's Bible Class. The choir sang beautifully, "Asleep in Jesus," "My Heavenly Father Knows," and "Sweet Bye and Bye." The interment took place in Mountain View, a beautiful little cemetery above San Bernardino. The pall bearers were: Sherman Hayden, of Los Angeles, Frank Love, of Riverside, J.G. Smith, William Stewart, W.O. Cline and W.O. Deardorff, of San Bernardino. The services were largely attended by friends from Chino, Azuza, Ontario, Los Angeles, Whittier and San Bernardino. A wealth of flowers was sent by friends as a testimonial of love and respect.
Mr. Hayden was born in Kankakee county, Illinois, February 4, 1856. He was the oldest child of Jacob and Sarah Hayden, and is survived by two brothers and four sisters -- Roy and Fred Hayden and Mrs. Jessie Clark, of Lowell, Mrs. Alice Smith, of Sherburnville, Mrs. Bertha Brannon, of Billings, Montana, and Mrs. Martha Hayhurst, of Altoona, Kansas. The father and mother and one brother and sister -- George and Grace, preceded him to the Heavenly home.
On December 4, 1878, Elmer Hayden was united in marriage to Nancy J. Smith, of Sherburnville. Three children were born to this union: May, who died when two years old, Mrs. Cora Belt, who resides at Bear Valley near San Bernardino, and Floyd Hayden, who is principal of the schools at Azuza, Calif.
For nearly twenty-two years Mr. Hayden was a farmer in West Creek township. In 1901 he moved to Bloomington, Ind., to accompany his son, Floyd, who was attending the state university there. In 1905 he returned with his family to Lowell, where they resided during the next seven years. During his residence in Bloomington and Lowell he was engaged as traveling salesman for the International Harvester Co. In 1912 he and Mrs. Hayden moved to southern California to be near their son and daughter, who were engaged in school work in that state. For two years they resided in Chino and then moved with their daughter, Cora, to San Bernardino. Last spring Cora was married to Robert Belt, of Bear Valley, and since that time Mr. and Mrs. Hayden had been living alone in San Bernardino, making frequent trips to visit the children and grand-children, Sheldon and Corinne Hayden. On the morning of the untimely accident they were on their way to take Thanksgiving dinner with friends at Rialto and intended to drive on to their son's at Azuza the following day.
Go to Elmer Hayden, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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