Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-05-14
A ssoare Position.

city anu county nave Deen In Wnat
may fairly be called almost conn.,
atose condition. Four years ago a
great movement was witnessed
here. 1t was suddenly discovered
that, in a superficial area which
embraces upwards Of three mil
lions two hundred thousand acres,
were included at least eight hum
dred thousand acres of the finest
garden lands on the footstool. 1t
was supposed, prior to that time,
that there were few scattered
orange groves and vineyards in this
county, and that countless herds
OF cattle and horses and fiocks of
sheep depastured our rich, sponta-
neous grasses. We were looked
upon principally as "cow" coun-
ty, although our oranges and
grapes and occasional invoices OF
wines compelled recognition.
Four years ago the true facts
about Los Angeles county came to
be generally known; and, as we
have said, the old, non-progressive,
sleepy characteristics Of this town
and county disappeared as if by
magic. The revolution was thorough
and complete. Every form of trans
portation was taxed to bring people
here. The accommodations of our
hotels were insufficient for the
thronging thousands. People
slept in the dining cabins of the
steamers and on beds made up in
the parlors.of the hotels. The ut
most energies of our builders were
taxed to put up houses fast enough
for the enormous immigration.
The vote of Los Angeles county
&oubied in three years. Such
BEAUTIFUL and prosperous settle.
ments as the Indiana Colony,
Westminster. Santa Ana, and a
dozen others, sprang up, as though
in response to the wave of a magi-
cian's wand. This process went
on for two years. 1t was a too
rapid and over stimulated growth.
The county really needed a breath
ing space, and it may be doubte d
whether the disasters which super
vened were unmixed evils.
The suspension of the Temple &
Workman Bank, the smallpox
and the drouth of last year, came
in quick succession to give us the
needed pause. Had the old style
of thing continued, values would
have been expanded to impractica-
BILE figures, and we should all have
lost our heads.
As the case stands to-day, we
have encountered our drawbacks
and are now Independent of them.
Lightning is said never to strike
twice in the same place, and the
smallpox and the drouth will be
years in troubling us again. A
drouth in seven years is the usual
allotment of Los Angeles county
BY the time the next dry season
comes round we shall be independ-
ent of the rainfall through the per-
fection to which we shall have
brought our system Of irrigation.
Smallpox visits Los Angeles once
in ten or eleven years; and, long
, before the recurrence of the period
of its regular visitation we shall
have so modified our sanitary con-
ditions and vaccination will have
become so universal that we shall
be able to bid defiance to the
courge.
Los Angeles is specially attract
i've to Intelligent investors because
our probation of two years has de.
pressed the value OF real estate to
such degree that money put in
land now is certain to increase
handsomely. 1t is the same with
city property.
In addition to encountering the
positive drawbacks which we have
enumerated, we have also had to
adjust ourselves to the changed
conditions of trade and travel
brought about by the opening of
railway communication between
Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Our case has not proved to be an
exception to the rule that the first
effects of completed railways do not
realize the sanguine expectations
of the people affected. San Fran.
cisco went through that experience
before us. We are already nearly
through the ordeal, and we may
reasonably hope for beneficial eff.
fects from the extension of rail.
way system which Families
through the length and breadth of
Los Angeles county to New York
and all the Eastern interior cities,
ON the one hand, and to Yuma on
ths other.
Tho city and county of Los An
geles are certain to benefit largely
by the extension of railway COM
lnunication through Arizona and
New Mexico to the Rio Grande,
and thence by the Denver and Rio
Grande and the Texas Pacific Rail-
ways to the Mississippi valley and
the East. Whoever builds the road,
there will be q connection betWee en-