Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-04-19
All About Santa Ana.
what . Man Sees who Travels with
His Eyes Open.

what . Man Sees whe Travels with
His Eyes Open.
We make the following extracts
from letter written under date Of
April 18th, by that intelligent traveller
and wide-awake gentleman, Stephen
Massett, and published in the Southern
Californian:
You asked me to jot you down
line from this thriving little town.
First, then, I am indebted to your
townsman, F. r. Lafaucherie of the
Planters Hotel, Anaheim, for intro
ducing me, the day before yesterday,
to this delightful valley and to the
spot from which I am writing; for be-
hind spanking pair of brown mares
we came in dOuble-quick time, and
caught the first view of this charming
spot.
"wHo LAID OUT THE TOwNw
Was the first conundrum propounded
upon my arrival. Well, it was none
other than William H. Spurgson, a
twenty-secOnd cousin of the great
London preacher, whom he very much
resembles about the white of the eye.
He is Postmaster, storekeeper, Mayor,
Alderman, Marshal, and in company
with his brother (Granville) keeps up
q large mercantile establishment,
where you can purchase anything from
darning needle to a Chicago ham.
Great big teams at the door remind
me more of a mining town store in the
days of '49 and 80 than anything else.
Mr.. Spurgeon laid out this town in
1870, buying seventy six acres for
about $500. And now a little bit
about its surroundings and the people
who are here.
To the southwest lies Gospel
Swamp" named from the fact that
several missionaries came out here
Ground the Horn," or Gin horn," to
educate the Digger Indians, and they
have never been heard of since. Tustin
city lies three miles east. The man
who laid out this town just in time
has "gone to better place above"
viz: Richland, laying northeast and
distant three and one-half miles. All
these places are furnishing and doing
we'll, and when you think that four or
five years ago it was almost a bowling
wilderness, who says this is not pro-
gressive age, and that the Yankee is
not the greatest nation in all creation!
HERE is A SCHOOL HOUSE
With N. o. Stafford, wealthy farm
er from Vermont, whom met in Sac
ramento in 1868. He is now School
Trustee, has married a second time,
has a young and blooming family of
fledglings, and his charming wife, to-
day, as We came along the road, fired
and killed, at distance of 100 yards,
rabbit, which is being cooked now
for dinner. Mrs. Stafford is consider
ed the best female shot in this coun-
try. In this same school house four
different religious persuasions meet,
and never by any chance quarrel. Mr..
Spurgeon has donated magnificent
piece of land to the city for a
PUBLIC SQUARE,
On the north side of which, and 'front.'
ing on Fourth street, is an artesian
well $50 feet deep, giving the most
delicious water all the time. A. w.
Birch, Esq, another wealthy farmer,
has also succeeded in getting fine
flow of artesian water in another part
of this fiourishing township. Captain
Abbott is successfully farming here;
while fields Of wheat and barley are
furnishing all around. N. o. Stat
ford has 200 acres in splendid cultiva-
ton. The store Of Nessrs. Frankel
Brothers, from Bavaria, is one of the
leading features Of the town. They
face the Public Square, and do large
trade. I. c. Hickey has Just COM
menced erecting q livery and feed
stable, and the Inevitable blacksmith
shop, with swinging sign, looks CHEEKY
and homelike. A. w. English, from
jacksonville, keeps the hotel-when
1t is open. AS the case stands now,
every citizen keeps one in his own
house. This speaks volumes for the
prosperity of the village. Mr.. Palmer,
we'll known in Clara, whose ranch
there joined the celebrated millionaire
Col. Mclaughlin has settled here, and
bought 700 acres of the
MOTT TRACT
OF land, intending to put in 800 acres
in corn and beans. He "acknowledg-
ed the corn" to be good. Mr. Roper,
Mr.. Cole, and Mr.. Seavers, all from
CohCo Siaia, nave tdhtH up tHelT
abode here. The Semi-Tropic Water
Company are extending their bitches
to Santa Ana and Tustin City. The
contracts have recently been let for
their construction. This will be a
great benefit to the entire valley. 1t
is not generally known that stage
passes through this town daily from
San Diego to Los Angeles.
NEWPORT.
Yes Sir and fashionable place it
will be yet. For only eight milesfr from
this embryo city is the harbor of New
port, at the mouth of the Santa Ana
river, where there is wharf and ware
house all ready to be used for storage.
Here then is an opening for some
enterprising capitalist to start lum-
Der yard, when the entire valley can
ha oI,rpIiaH tho rrade ora cord ,rJ