Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01

quicksilver has been discovered 10 sew
eral localities. There are several i'm
mense deposits of tin ore of great rich
ness in the county, but the capital has
not been forthcoming to work them
as yet. Coal has not been found in
large quantities, or in any accessible
localities, though it is greatly needed
and eagerly sought after. Marble of
excellent quality has been found near
Anaheim and at San Fernando.
The mines of Inyo and San Bernar-
dino counties, ranking among the
richest in the State, have been a
source of great profit to Los Angeles,
the supplies for the various camps be-
ing formerly obtained here, and large
quantities of ore and bullion finding
their way to this point. The upper
mining districts have transferred most
of their trade to Bakersfield, but it
will be restored to us as soon
as the Los Angeles and Inde-
penGence Rail Road is completed.
The Panamint Mines in Inyo county,
about 200 miles from Los Angeles, are
first in importance. The ores range
from 500 to $4,000, averaging $500 per
ton. The principal mines are now
owned by the Surprise Valley Mill
and Water Co., of which Senators
Stewart and Jones, of Nevada, are the
principal shareholders. Some 1900
persons are in the camps in this dis
trict. Cerro Gordo, also in Inyo, fur
nishes large quantities of pure lead
mixed with sufficient silver to pay the
cost of reduction. The New CosO dis
trict in that section has attracted
much attention and promises well.
The San Bernardino county mines are
by no means insignificant. In Bear
Valley gold quartz and large deposits
of silver are found, and the same may
be said of Holcomb Valley. At Lit
tie Creek there are placer mines now
worked mainly by two hydraulics.
the Ivanpah mines are rich in silver.
Around San Bernardino, within ra-
dius of forty miles, new mining re-
gions are being opened up constantly.
But, as we have said before, the open
ing up of Arizona will create an i'm
mense mining interest in Los Ange-
les. not inferior even to the Interest of
San Francisco in the rich mineral de-
pOsits of Nevada. AS mining CEN
ter, therefore, the prospects are GER
tainly tlattering.
VALUE OF PROPERTY.
The city and county assessments for
the year 1875, clearly indicate the
progress being made in Los Angeles.
Total cash valuation of all descrip-
tions of property in the county, $l5,-
152, 367; all descriptions Of real estate,
$lO,S24, 19l; real estate other than city
or town lots, S4,S6I, ,sO6; improvements
on the same, ST, ,O42, 295; city and town
lots, $3,033, 256; improvements on the
same, $l,357,1 Total personal prop
erty, $4,764, 176. Last year the returns
showed country real estate and i'm
provements, $4,90l,8 1915, and city, $3,-
059,053; total, $7,960,92S. Total real
and personal property, $l2, 2S4 1852.
There has been an increase, therefore,
during the year of $2,S72, ,0l5 in the to-
tai valuation of all property, and an
increase in the real estate of $2,343,-
698 or nearly thirty per cent. The
present rate of taxation for State and
county purposes is 1.9S outside the city
and 1888 inside; and the city tax Ito.
The municipal government is compar-
atively free from debt, and from the
temper of the people likely to remain
SO for the present at least. Among
the items Of personal property the as
sessor's list enumerates 484, ,6S2 sheep,
16, 40S neat cattle, 1l,74 horses, 6,04O
hogs, 4,570 bee hives. The lands are
divided into four grades, the first be-
in~ a aecoccad of Ok nonfc RI Q1 ON onra
embracing grazing, swamp, alkali,
mountain and rock land and river bed.
The second class, assessed at So to SIS
an acre, embraces fine grazing and
poor grain land. The third class, val
ued at $40 to SIS, includes medium
and good grain or farm land; while in
the fourth grade, valued at $50 to $50,
is embraced irrigable, moist, vineyard
and orchard land. Total number of
acres assessed in the county, LII, 696.
GEOGRAPHY AND PRODUCTIONS.
The real advantages of Los Angeles
City and it's climatic conditions may
be the better comprehended from
brief geographical sketch of the coun-
ty and valley. Los Angeles county is
bounded on the North by Kern coun-
ty, the line running due East and
West and about 20 miles in length.
On the East is bounded by San Ber-
nardino county, the line running
nearly North and South and little
over hundred miles in length. On
the Southwest it is bounded by the
Pacific ocean, with coast line of
nearly 100 miles. On the West lies
Ventura county, the line runaing
Northeasterly 10 miles and then
Northwesterly 45 miles. The larger
portion of the county is therefore a
parellelogram, being about 20 miles
from East to West, and go miles from
North to South, leaving triangle in
the Southeast portion, the Northern
line of which equals 20 mics and the
Eastern 40 miles. The county there
fore contains about 5000 square mics,
or 3, 10000 acres. That portion of the
county lying North of the Sierra
Madre Mountains is known as the
Mojave Valley or Desert. These
mountains traverse the county in an
Easterly and Westerly direction and
nearly centrally. The Northern slopes,