. B. Rider, city engineer, was born at Norwalk, Conn., Oct. 16, l841, and resided in that city until he came to California, January 1, l896. Early in life Mr. Rider served a regular apprenticeship at the trades of machinist and mill-wright, spending nearly fourteen years in this service. In the meantime, however, he studied engineering under a German instructor and in l871 entered upon engineering as a profession. His first work was the construction of a system of water-works at his own city, South Norwalk, with which the citizens were so well pleased that, upon its completion, they presented him, by unanimous vote at a public meeting, with a gift of $500 above the price agreed upon, for his services. Since that time Mr. Rider has completed over forty systems of water-works, fifteen systems of sewerage for cities, and seven plants for the filtration of water; has had charge of the construction of l87 dams and reservoirs, and was for nine years, and until he left the state, inspector of dams and reservoirs in Connecticut.

Mr. Rider is the author of construction tables, giving the cost of laying cast iron pipes, and also of tables for the flow of water through vitrified pipes. These tables have been adopted into nearly every college in the United States. Mr. Rider was married July 4, l865, to Mary Jane Anderson, of Brooklyn, N.Y. Their two sons, their only living children, are both engineers and graduates of the Troy Polytechnic Institute. One of these, W.L. Rider is associated with his father in this city. The other, J.B. Rider, now in Connecticut, is considered as authority on the filtration of water. Most of the public works built by Mr. Rider are in the states of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The last was a plan for a system of sewerage at Mobile, Alabama, which includes 101 1/2 miles. Mr. Rider was appointed city engineer of Redlands June 16, l897. He is also a member of the board of health and was recently appointed building inspector for Redlands. He is a strong advocate of municipal ownership of water-works.

(Source: Illustrated Redlands, l897, pg. 35)