Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-06-09
THOSE H.GH.PRlcED LANDS.
Letter from Small Land Owner
Some Practical Thoughts from One
who Knows how It Is Himself-NOt
the Lynx-eyed SpecuiatOr, but the
Industrious Farmer, who Brings up
the Price Of Land.

EDITOR HERALD: There has been
so much said about high-priced land
in Los Angeles county, held by specu-
lators in large tracts, that l would
like to make few statements in your
columns in reference to this subject.
1t has been repeatedly stated in the
papers that there are no lands availa-
BILE to small capitalists or farmers only
at exorbitant prices, but that the land
here is bought up and held by specu-
lators in large tracts. Now, these
statements are without any reasona-
BILE foundation and fail both in refer
ence to spectators and high-priced
lands. In the first place, the lands
that are held by parties in large tracts
were not bought for speculation, as a
general rule, but were acquired from
the Mexican Government years ago for
the sole purpose of stock raising, as
they were then considered valuable
only for that purpose. But within
the past few years another and more
enterprising and far seeing people
came to this county, who saw that
these lands were very valuable for ag-
ricultural purposes. Some of these
small farmers bought tracts at low
rates and commenced farming on
small scale. One of the first tracts
was sold off in small lots at SIS per
acre and on instalments that required
ten years to complete the payment;
and few years later the grant-owner,
Gov. J. G. Downey, sold these same
lands for SO per acre in five year in
stalments. Long before the payments
were all made, those lands were SELL
ing at $40 to 500 per acre. The second
tract was sold by Messrs. Temple and
Gibson at $40 per acre, those gentle
men reserving small portion of the
same for better prices. In less than
one year these small farmers were
offering $40 per acre for the reserved
lands, and in less than three years
these same lands were changing hands
amongst the small farmers, who had
demonstrated their value, without
mprovements, at the advanced rate
of $50 to S75 per acre. The third tract
l wish to call attention to, known as
San Pasqual-now Orange Grove AS
sociation was sold to an Eastern
company by J. S. Griffin and B. ID.
Wilson for So per acre. This COM
pany developed small noun
tain stream of water at all additional
cost oil 81 per acre, and in two years
from the time when these large grant
owners sold the land some of it
changed hands at 500 per acre, or at
the rate of $37 per acre for the whole
tract. Now I ask any candid man,
which of the two parties is responsible
for the raise in these lands? Is it the
keen-eyed speculator or practical farm
er, who knows the value of the lands
when compared with the lands they
cultivated in other States? And if
these farmers find that their lands are
worth $780,, or even $500, per acre to
them, how can any sensible man cry
high priced lands held in large grants
when there are thousand of acres
owned in large tracts by the old grant
ees, who are anxious to sell as fine
land as any in the world for one-fourth
and even one-eighth the price asked
by the small farmers. And further
more, these large tracts are changing
hands and being cut up and sold at an