Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-12
Trip to Wilmington.

iTtp 10 wilmington.
A run on the cars down to Whining
ton is always a pleasant trip. We
found business apparently reviving in
this pleasant, quiet old town. The
Southern California Co operative
Warehouse and Shipping Association
are still pushing forward their great
enterprise with characteristic vigor.
The solid earthwork for the roadway
and railway, extending from their ex
tensive warehouses to the new wharf
they are just completing, is now being
bulkheaded on each side Of the entire
length by encasing it with thick red
wood timbers, spiked to piles of the
same material which are driven
firmly into the solid earth, below the
mud and anchored into the bank.
This places this roadway beyond any
possibility of being damaged by high
tides and rough waters or from any
other cause. These earthworlls are
1900 feet long, and by its side, eX-
tending from the warehouse to the
bay they are constructing a canal of
sufficient capacity to run in small
crafts with wood, ETC., which will be
great auxiliary in their main shipping
operations. The wharf is structure
of superior strength, and 50 arranged
that at present three ships could be
loaded or discharged at the same time;
and the cOmpany'S franchise extends
several thousand feet further down
the channel, upon which the wharf
can be extended when the commerce
of the country requires it. They have
made ample provisions for a solid
road, track to extend from the main
track of the Los Angeles and san
Pedro Railroad to the end of their
wharf, SO as to transfer freight, bag
gage and passengers direct from the
cars to the ship, and vice versa. a
proposition has been made to the old
company to run their ears out on this
wharf, giving them the privileges of
these new improvements, but no re-
sponse has as yet been made, and as
the grain is beginning to come in on
the cars the warehouse company are
obliged to haul it from the depot to
the warehouse for storage, on account
of the producer. We understand that
large quantities of our abundant bar
ley crop is now coming forward into
the hands of this company to he held
i'm store by them for better prices.
Their receipts are considered first
class collateral, upon which any bank
on the coast will loan money. South
ern California has long felt the need
of an institution of this kind, and we
hope that it will receive the patron
age and enjoy the confidence
that such an important movement
Justly merits. A few more words with
reftren to the wharf, bulkhead and
warehouses OF this company may not
be uninterestlng. The wharf is forty
two feet wide and four hundred and
sixty feet long from the bulllhead at
the end of the earthwOrk, and is built
upon piles six feet from center to CEN
ter, driven to the hardpan, thoroughly
spiked and braced, and f1OOred with
heavy planks. The bulkhead is of the
most solid character and thirty feet
long. Their warehouses embrace the
extensive buildings erected by the
of the largest in Southern California.
seventy feet long by seyenty-two wide,
and two wings two hundred feet long,
with central sheds two hundred by
sixty feet. They are OF immense ca
pacity. Their fire protection embraces
a strong force-pump with six hundred
feet of two-inch hoe. b. ID. Wilson
and Norman G. Jones have recently
purchased the large mills and manu-
| featuring works built for the military
post, and more recently owned by
Banning d Co., including the grist
mill, planning mill. blacksmith and
wagon shops, together with all the
| landed estate belonging to the same,
and are putting them in repair and
| beginning to operate the same, intend
ing to extend their operations in this
| direction so as to embrace the manu-
cture of furniture. Their blacksmith
! shops embrace seven forge $; the wagon
| shops six benches, with all facilities
| for turning off first -class work; the
| planning mill runs one muly saw, two
circular saws, two gig and scroll saws,
one moulder with all variety Of knives;
| turning lathes with spoke and felloe
cutters. They employ white laborers,
except eight Cinnamon on the corral
| excavation.
Through the politeness of Messrs.
Jones and Wilson we took ride
around town and the adjoining
country, and saw much to admire.
The crops are excellent. Mr.. Wilson
and few others are testing the growth
of the vine and semi-tropical fruit
trees here without irrigation. His
place is one mile back from the water
front at the garrison grounds. Mr..
Wilson took US into his young orchard
and vineyard. and out of 1900 grape
cuttings set out last Winter only ten
failed to grow, and we never saw more
fresh and vigorous vines than these,
and in his orchard of almost every
variety of trees set out last Winter,
he has lost none to speak of, and no
iriga ion.
lie Wilson College, the gift of Mr..
w. is located upon these grounds,
and .ey report in a prosperous con-
dition.
The Wilmington Exchange (IIotel)
is a large and commodious house,