Page 135

{(Pleasant Grove, con.) 133}

we are privileged to have amongst us.

“Happy he whom neither wealth nor fashion
Nor the march of the encroaching city,
Drives an exile from the heath of his ancestral homestead.
We may build more splendid habitations –
Fill our rooms with painting and with sculpture
But we cannot buy with gold the old associations.”

The guests with us were Mrs. Nichols and
daughter, Cornelia Reese, Frances Hartley Shoemaker.

Martha Holland gave us the following
beautiful and helpful sentiment: - “Look not
mournfully into the past, it comes not again.
Wisely improve the present, it is thine. Go forth
to meet the shadowy future without fear and
with a womanly heart.”

Pattie Farquhar read us an acct. of the
most remarkable railroad in the world, it extends
for 20 mi., providing a direct outlet for
Death Valley of Cal. This road will do much
towards ending the sad story of this region
which is so rich in borax, gold, silver, ochre,
potash, nitrates and many other baser minerals,
and places the deadly aspect of the valley in the
background of history. Skirting the irregular
and almost perpendicular vales of the mts., this
road twists hither and thither like the body of
a snake, and in its route runs towards every
point of the compass. The heat is always intense,
reaching at times 120o. The question
was asked, - “Does any one put vinegar in
tomatoes when canning them, if acid?” No, soda
is preferable.”

Sarah Willson then read two interesting
short articles.

Sallie Janney gave us a beautiful poem
by Browning, “Growing Old”.

Estelle Moore read of the invention of
a woman, of the 1st perfect working portable
oven for gas, oil or gasoline stove, though she
never had the credit. Telling a mfgr in Cleve.
that she wished an oven larger than the ones
in use, and double walled, he refused to
make it as he considered it a wasted of time.
But finally he complied with her request