Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01

ries but the calculations of our shrewd.
est business m Ell, whose judgment is
verified by the experience of the past.
OUR RAILROADS.
Los Angeles is emphatically the
Railroad center Of Southern Califor-
mia. There are now lis miles of track
in the county. The main lire of the
Southern Pacific North to San Fer
nando 25 miles, and East to Spadra
So miles; the branch road to Anaheim
% miles, and the Wilmington branch
extending to the Seaboard Il miles.
The Los Angeles and Independence
Railroad from Santa Monica to Los
Angeles l6 miles, is now completed
and in running order. Between San
Francisco and Los Angeles, there us a
continuous line of road with the ex-
ception of gap of 100 miles between
CaIieEte and San Fernando. AT these
two points the mountain has to be
pierced with tunnels which causes the
delay. An immense force is at work
at both points and the iron bands will
be Joined the coming Summer. The
engineering difficulties to be overcome
in these tunnels were as great or even
greater than those experienced in car
rying the Central Pacific over the ST.
erras. AT the Eastern end, the San
Gorgonio Pass, distant So miles, was
reached short time since, and the
road is now stretching rapidly over the
vast desert beyonds towards the Arizo-
ma line, and 1t is expected the Colorado
will be reached this Summer. 1t was
proposed to extend the Los Angeles
and Independence road out through
the Cajon Pass to the mining regions
of Southern Utah, and ultimately
make q connection with the Union
Pacific at Ogden. Such road would
bring an immense trade to our doors.
No work has been done beyond Los
Angeles, however, and the further op-
erations of the Company await the fu-
ture for development. The Anaheim
branch of the Southern Pacific is be-
ing extended 10 miles beyond that
point to the valley East of the Santa
Ana River; and it is contemplated,
we believe, to ultimately extend it to
San Diego. Our progress in railroad
building indeed ought to satisfy the
most grasping. While railway con-
struction has entirely ceased in other
parts of the United States, the COM
panies being unable to obtain money,
this section is the scene of activity.
Thousands of men are working every
day, drilling through the solid rock
inch by inch, or gliding rapidly over
the plain. Coming down to the sea
We find the
OCEAN TRANSPORTATION
facilities of Los Angeles are excellent,
and it is in this direction we shall al
ways have to look for the movement
of the bulk of our freight, as the dis.
tance from San Pedro to San Francis
co by sea is only 400 miles, while it is
500 by the land route. From Santa
Monica the distance is only $50 miles,
so that swift steamers can make the
trip in nearly the same time it will re.
quire by rail. The large fleet of steam
ers owned by Messrs. Goodall, Nelson
and Perkins, now running in this
trade are safe and comfortable, and
handle with ease the large coast trade
between San Diego and San Francisco.
The Panama steamers going North
now touch monthly at Santa Monica
affording facilities for bringing out
freight from the East by that route.
hShips seek the merchandise, so that
there will always be sufficient supply
| 4 ocean tonnage to meet the demand.
A GOOD HARBOR
is absolutely necessary to the welfare
Of los Angeles, and that she will
have despite the disappointments o
the past. The work Of dredging OF
the bafat San Pedro has been attend
ed with such success thus far, that We
are warranted in anticipating Il reali
zation of the expectations of the able
engineers who conceived the presen,
pan of operations. The ridge Of stiff
cay mixed with boulder has been cut
away through three -fourths its width
and the channel is now deepened from
10 to Il feet at high tide. Some 1,0O(
feet remain to be cut, and when thi:
is completed, the channel will affOrC
ingress and egress for vessels drawing
III to Is feet. The harbor of Santa
Monicais very well protected, affords
a safe anchorage for vessels during
most seasons of the year, and is very
capacious. Ii the interests Of our
commerce should demand it, an artifi.
cial harbor could probably be construc
ted at that peint, and at a comparative
ly small cost. There is no doubt bul
that the harbU question will settle it.
self. What Nablre has denied the inge.
nuity of man viii furnish, and we shall
! not be retarded ii the least. All the
other elements ola great commercial
point are centerei here, and this il
one that money and energy can anC
will supply.
COMMERCE OF LIS ANGELES.
The present business of Los Angelo.
is mainly confined to the hannling O
domestic products and supplying tn,
surrounding country with merchan
disc, farming implements and build
ing material. The mining trade j.
yet in its infancy, though the supple,
furnished now through the leans ar,