The “McKinley Lily”

ALAMEDA COUNTY, one of the counties that border on the Bay of San Francisco, has a great variety of products, of which it has for several years maintained an interesting exhibition in the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce at Oakland, its chief city. The work of preparing the flowers, fruits, and vegetables for exhibition is in the hands of Mr. W. D. Nichols, who has a process whereby he is able to preserve them for a long time without losing their form or color. One of the most remarkable exhibits is what is known as the “McKinley lily.” A large lily was placed in a glass jar with the preserving fluid, and after several weeks its petals began to droop a little. A visitor noticed the extraordinary resemblance to the features of the late President of the United States, William McKinley, when looked at from a particular point of view, and the flower has since been called the “McKinley lily.” Every effort is being made to keep it in existence in its present state as long as possible, as it has proved a great attraction and object of interest to visitors.