Orange County is Creeping Closer

February 13, 1967 Page 39, San Francisco Chronicle

Our Man Hoppe

Orange County Is Creeping Closer

By Arthur Hoppe

Orange County

Ah, Progress. new airline called “Air California” has begun five daily flights between

San Francisco and Orange County. And San Franciscans are naturally talking about such a great stride forward in making this a smaller world.

“Just think, now we’re only 60 short minutes away,” they say, “from all those kooks.”

Nonsense. To allay such fears I flew down to interview three representatives Orange county leaders—Mrs. Queen Ester Rankins, founder of the county’s first NAACP chapter; Mr. Walter Knott, founder of Knott’s Berry Farm, the Americanism Educational League and the likes; and Mr. Raymond Cyrus Hoiles, the 88-year-old publisher of the county’s leading

newspaper, whom I found to be dead set against public parks, public libraries, public schools, smoking, drinking and the Internal Revenue Service.

* * *

First, the forces of the militant Liberalism. Mrs. Rankins turned out to be a smashing-

looking, gracious, young Negro lady, who founded and NAACP chapter in Laguna Beach four years ago. It soon numbered 300 members.

She said she was basically against picketing demonstrations or otherwise antagonizing people. Unfortunately, the chapter is now inactive. So much for the forces of militant Liberalism in Orange county.

Mr. Knott, a slight, pleasant gentleman of 77 in high black shoes and gold-rimmed

spectacles, turned out to be Constructive. “I think constructive is a much better word than

Conservative,” he said.. “We people who are labeled conservatives are the most constructive, progressive, element in our society . . . We want to conserve the good out of the past.”

As life-long Constructive, Mr. Knott has not only constructed the Berry Farm—170 acres of restaurants, gift shops, candy stores and bakeries, plus a Western Ghost Town—but he has just recently finished constructing a towering replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia constructed of handmade bricks “to show as Mr. Knott says proudly, “the fingerprints.”

For 50 cents, a pretty girl guide in Colonial costume will give you a tour. It starts with an illustrated slide lecture on the founding of our Nation and the glories of “limited Constitutional government.” This includes and electronic re-enactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence done with rheostats, stereophonic tapes and other such wonders. It seems very authentic.

The tour concludes in the souvenir room of Independence Hall where copies of the

Constitution may be purchased for 25 cents. Or the Bill of Rights on a brass plaque for $24.

Afterward, Mr. Knott kindly led the way through his Freedom Center, where all sorts of

Constructive books, tapes and pamphlets such as “Folk Songs Push Commie Line” are sold, loaned and given away.

“I spent all the time with you,” he said after and hour and a half, “because I want to show San Francisco that we’re not a bunch of kooks down here.”

* * *

So I would certainly urge all progress—minded San Franciscan to refrain from shooting down the next Air California plane they see.

For one thing, they haven’t met Mr. Hoiles yet. He’s far more constructive that Mr.

Knott. And even jollier. I shall try to write up my interview with him. But first I want to lie down

for a while with a cold compress on my forehead.