Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-03-26
A Leading Jo4rnalist's Impress-
ions Of Los Angeles.

ions OF Los Angeles:
Mr.. ]. ]. Owen, of the San Jose
Mercury, who was among the vIsi-
tors of the Press Association last
week sent the following interest.
ing letter to his paper under date
of March 18th: :.
The Los Angeles people, general.
ly, think that they have been neg.
lected In the distribution of State
institutions. And indeed they
have. There is nothing to be
gained to the State in massiDg in
sane persons and State prisoners at
one or two points. In the former,
especially, 1t requires o certain
number Of physicians, nurses and
wardens to given number OF pa
tients. Hence 1t is quite as econ
omical to care for them In small
bodies as in large, and much bet
ter for the patients. Instead of a
million-dollar Insane Asylum at
Napa, 1t would have been much
wiser to have constructed four
asylums at a quarter of million
each, and have scattered them
over the State. This would work
. great saving In expense in the
transportation of patients. The
came IL also true of State prisons.
With the exercise of o little SCUM d
Judgment In the matters by our
Legislature we sOuld hear no moro
of the State of Southern California.
Now that Los Angeles has secured
an appropriation of $4,000 for u
Normal School, the people of this
region will probably be better sat.
isfied to tarry with US awhile
longer.
OVERRIDING THE BUSINESS.
To ride through the vast citrus
orchards OF this country one can
hardly avoid the conclusion that
the business Of citrus culture Is be.
ing greatly overdone, or oranges
especially it does not seem possible
that a profitable market can be
found for the thousands of bushels
Of oranges now hanging In golden
beauty upon the trees of this coun-
ty alone. It is q fruit that cannot
be canned or picked or preserved
like other fruits, with any profit.
Its glory is In Its native freshness.
It has the advantage of other fruits
in remaining ripe and uninjured
upon the trees for long time. But
even with q market extending
through two or three months, 1t
still cannot enter the field Of COM
petition with q fruit that can be
preserved for years, and has all
lands and all seasons for its market.
believe there is more profit, and
will be for many years to come, In
the culture Of the apricot, grape,
prune, fig and other preservable
fruits than there will be In the or
ange. Still, there is o charm about
orange culture that belongs to no
other fruit. 1t is the queen fruit ol
tho world in beauty and excellence.
The pure white of its blossoms and
the exquisite aroma they shed up.
on the air, the perennial green OF
Its foliage and the golden eplendor
of its marv elous frultage, all com.
bine to make it the "boss" gem in
Pomona's matchless crown.
LOS ANGELES AND SURROUNDINGS.
Los Angeles contains more of the
native element, and shows more of
the old Mexican style of architect.
ure, than any other city in the
State. Hence the old settled por.
tion Of the city, with its long lines
of 0ne-story 0d0bes, now crumbling
into decay, presents a somewhat
dilapidated appearance. But the
old is giving place to the new, like
everything else IN art or civiliza-
tion. The city is located in the
center of vast extent of valley
and plain, separated by ranges of
hills-embracing q country greater
in extent than that of Santa Clara
valley, and as fertile as the plains
of Eden. Yesterday, in company
with Col. Ayers, took in the i'm.
mediate country to the south, In.
cluding the Agricultural Park, and
the grounds of the new Methodist
University; also visited some Of the
large orange groves in the vicinity.
To-day Mr.. K. F. Spence kindly
offered to convey me to remoter re-
gions, and show me something of
the wonderful resources of the
country. Our former and present
townsmen, Messrs. Bryerly and
Ward, accompanied US, and wo
gave up the day to rural pleasures.
The weather made ample atone.
ments for all the bad spell of the
past week, in a cloudless sky, q soft
and balmy atmosphere, and o gen.
eral condition of Out.of-doors agree
ableness. We rode out some ten
miles through the San Gabriel val.
ley to the Villa, q romantic public
resort and hoetelry, ovrlooking
thousands of acres OF as beautiful
and fertile a plain as the sun ever
shone upon, with grand back.
ground Of ragged-edged mountains
the Sierra Madre-with the
snow-capped San Bernardino
mountains in the distance. Here
are vineyards of q haIf.century's
growth, and vast groves OF orange,
lemon, lime, pomegranate, walnut
and olive trees. One of the newer
vineyards of this valley contains
over three hundred acres of vines,
The whole country is like a garden,
and nearly all of it threaded with
irrigating bitches. The view from
the Villa is grandly beautiful. I'll
there is more lovely spot on earth
l have never seen 1t. Far away to |
the northward, through o depres.
sion in the bills, ,9 may Sg1, BE- and and be- be.
yOnd. the dim peaks OF Santa Cat.
alma Island; while dotted with |
green And gold, the foreground of |
the picture stands out in striking
color. We returned by way of the |
Pasadena country, which is really |
but part of the same grand valley, |
but is little higher plateau. Here |
we had an opportunity to witness