Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-04
r.. Lo. angeles Centenary.

8Q0O0Y InOr0Anks
rae Les angeles Centenary.
Five years ago the centenary of
American Independence was cele-
brAted with great pomp in Los An
Rsles. The edemonstration of which
our people acquitted themselves
would have been a credit to city
Of fifty thousand people. We are
now called upon to supplement
one great effort with another
commemorative of a local event
and We have no doubt whatever
but that the duty will be intelli-
gently and even brilliantly dis
charged. Ten years ago Los Ange-
les was q village. A hundred
years ago the region which is now
includsd in the pueblo was jun.
gle. The advances since have
been magical; but, we are conf
dent, they will be more than ex-
cseded In the coming years.
Los Angeles. both city and coun-
~. has been, until lately, a very
Ill updsrstood region. Perhaps the
misoonception has existed as much
amongst her own people as abroad.
Az . matter Of fact, the region up
on which the San Gorgonio Pass
looks down. as straight as die, is
the most promising section upon
the American continent. The
growth of city and county already
seems marvellous, but the truth is
that the era of development has
bat just begun. Whatever there
II in scriptural or classic story
which tells OF the prodigal and
charming favors of old Mother
Earth has its reproduction in a belt
Of territory which hugs the thirty
afth parallel of north latitude,
on the Pacific Coast, and
clasps hands with the thirty
second, and which is known
~ Los Angeles county. Every
winning and historical form Of
vegetation-the corn, wine and oil
Of the Hebrew narrative, supple-
mented with q thousand refine
ments and extensions of fora
have their perfect development in
this county. We can truly say of
eur three million acres that they
are the south of France and Italy,
with the ability to yield three tons
Of grapes where those countries, in
the choicest hooks of the Mediter-
raneap, yield one. There is, be.
sides, the happy stimulus Of effort
In our situation. 1t is the neces-
sity Of having to do good, solid
work which has made the
sterile New England States all
that they are. In Southern
California-less so in Los Angeles
than elsewhere in this section--the
natural rainfall has, as to pre-
ssribed regions, to be made good
by Irrigation. Los Angeles county
can support q population of one
hundred thousand souls without
much need of developing her latent
water resources. But, as this
county is certainly destined, in
the neer fut1re, to have popula.
tion of from three hundred thous-
and 70 a million people, the onus is
upon Us to be up and doing. We
shall certainly respond to this in
junction of nature and civilization,
and the result will be one of the
most energetic and enterprising
populations on the American con-
tinent.
Los Angeles is one of the Oldest
Of the old towns of Alta California,
and for years and years it was the
center of fashion and government.
On such an occasion as this, q
short resume Of certain features of
its history Is permissible. From
its settlement onward, for more
than fifty years, Its population was
greater than that of any other of
the towns Of this State. The first
census Of which there is any record
was taken In 1886, and the sum to-
tal Of the inhabitants of the city |
and county over which the author
tiles Of the city exercised jurisdic-
tlon-a country which included the
whole Of the present county Of Los
Angeles, except San Juan Capis.
trano, which at that time was at.
oaohed to the district Of San Diego
WAS two thousand, two hundred
and twenty.eight. or this number
I've hundred and fifty-three were
domssticated Indians. This census
shows that forty-six of the resi-
dents Of Los Angeles we're foreign.
Dys, and Of these twenty-three were
cissssd as Americans. At the first
~ election, which was held on
-ae Let of April, 1850, three hum
1red and seventy.seven votes were
bast. From that to within small
grnotion Of seven thousand votes,
IhoWs the advances which have
been made in this city during the
past thirty-one years.
or oourss Los Angeles, in COM
non with all other old towns In
Ualifornia, was Roman Catholic.