Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-03-02
A New Railroad Route.

a rallfOaQ from the new southern
Pacific railroad depot at Los Angeles,
can be run over good route to Point
Dune or Dumas cove, which is the best
harbor between San Francisco and San
Diego. (See the United States Coast
Surveys recommendation to place a
Lighthouse on Point Dume.) The
line of railroad commencing at the
new depot, starting out through the
depression Northwest of the Protestant
cemetery, (Which the Independence
and Los Angeles Railroad Engineer
tried to select running through the
continuous depressions in the hills
West of the City of Los Angeles and
entering the valley South of Cahuenga
and pursuing from the beginning q
due Westerly course over level coun-
try of fine agricultural land, well wat
cred comprehending the Ranches of
La Brea, La Villa, Rodea de Los
Aguas, Buenos Ayres, San Vicente,
and crossing at the head of old Santa
Monica caiion where it can be crossed
without difficulty by culyert-a dis
tance of about l3 miles from the de-
pot-thence running the same West
erly line, at the head of the caiions,
along the coast range of the Santa
Monica mesa lands, until it reaches
the beach at the valley of Topanga on
the Pacific Ocean, being the Westerly
boundary line of the Rancho of Santa
Monica, thus the deep cai1ons on the
mesa lands of the Santa Monica
Rancho, that open deep and wide on
the beach, can be avoided-Ard II
Westerly line maintained all tI,c way
to Topanga valley. Thence along the
beach over unsurveyed public lands
for three nl.les-and thence over the
Rancho Topanga Malibu, little South
of West-following the trend Of the
Pacific Ocean-locating the bed of the
railroad in the bank that lines the
beach at an angle of 450 to Point Dune
cove throwing the dirt, which consists
of soil and rotten sand stone, easy to
move, down hill in an inclined plane =
all the way-with few culverts to
cross the mouths of the deep ravines.
The free right of way can be obtain ed
all the way except over San Vicente
and Santa Monica, perhaps. The Iona
from the beginning of Topanga Mali
bu is narrow strip Of land running
along the ocean very near to Santa
Clara valley in Ventura county. like
that of Santa Barb ara, only more mar
row, sheltered on the North and
Northwest by steep, rocky and brushy
hills of the Coast Range that protect
it from all the harsh winds from the
North and Northwest, which makes
it the most salubrious climate on the
Pacific slope. There never has been
any frost seen there. The tomato
vine blooms there Winter and Sum-
mer; wheat has no malady; all the
tropical plants of the tropics can be
grown there. Heat and cold are
never so intense as al Los Angeles.
1t abounds with streams of fine water
and abundance of wood for fuel-fine
clam fishing, and bathing grounds all
along the beach. 1t should become
the grand picturesque sanitarium of
the world, the Winter residences of
the wealthy and support an industri-
Gus and thriving population. Lime,
gypsum, asphaltum and coal could be
found on the ground. The soil is rich,
fertile and well watered. The only
entrance is along the beach. The
principal distractions are in front of
Topanga. Compared with bleak San
ia Monica, that is exposed to all the
winds of the compass, and frosts, at
that. The winds are harsh and high
at Santa Monica all the Winter and
Summer, with wild beach and an
unsafe landing, while the climate be-
yond, under the shelter of the Coast
Range is all that could be desired,
with the paramount advantage of a
safe harbor, at the cove OF Point
Dune, which is about twenty
miles beyond Santa Monica wharf.
A rail road from Point Dune cove to
the new depot of the Southern Pacific
railroad at Los Angeles would give it
the same advantages as to time that
Santa Monica has over San Pedro at
present, with better harbor and a
safe landing at all seasons. 1t could
place the American traveller, who has
no time to wait, in Los Angeles before
the steamer on which he came could
get to the wharf at Santa Monica. If
it were found expedient this same
railroad could be extended along the
coast through Ventura and Santa Bar.
bara counties, which are projecting q
coast railroad already.
About eight O'clock last evening o
farm wagon drove through Main
street with what was few hours ear