Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-01-28


full Letter.
Mr.. ]. w. Hughes, young limb
or the law from Ohio, who is now
in San Diego, spent some weeks IN
Los Angeles towards the close of
the last and the beginning OF the
present year. We quote at length
his letter to the Colum bus Daily
Evening Dispatch, embodyipg, as
it does, the views on Los Angeles
and Los Angeles county of keen
observer from abroad:
"Pueblo de Los AngsIes"-the
city Of the angels! So THE city was
appropriately nam ed by the Mexi-
cans when settled by them a CEN
tury ago, from the excellence Of
the climate and the beauty of the
surroundings. During brief stay
here we have been putting in the
time quietly, yet pleasantly, in
seeing the sights and feasting on
the bslmy sunshine. California
life is, of course, go different from
that OF Ohio that it is full Of inter-
est to the Buckeye. Los Angeles
is the metropolis of the southern
part of the State; indeed, it is the
only city of much Importance, for
the next town in rsnk-San Diego
- claims but 1000 lnha bitants, l
think, while Los Angeles was
quoted in the last census report at
1000, and now claims $4,000.
Probably one half Of the popula.
tion are Americans. the other half
being made up of Mexicans and
Chinese. The Mexicans originally
built up most of the city with their
characteristic adobe, or mud,
houses; but they are seen now only
in the suburbs, while elsewhere
they have been supplanted by
stone, brick aud frame structures,
which compare favorabIy with
those of Eastern towns.
The business streets present
many blocks of fine architecture,
and elegant and com modious
stores filled with staple goods and
now adorned with the msst at
tractivs articles for the holidays.
To me, however, the fine resi-.
dences constitute the main attrac-
ton, for though In the East we are
accustomed to the fine business
block and store, yet we do not see
such beautiful premises-save in
exceptional cases. True, the
houses in the East are more valua-
BILE, but, as rule, less pains are
taken to keep them attractive.
Here the large, handsome resi-
dences, with bay windows and
verandas, are always covered with
fresh light paint, while the outside
shutters are coated with light
green. In pleasing contrast with
the white house is the large and at
tractive lawn and garden. During
the whole round of seasons the
grass 10 green and the flowers give
forth their beauty and fragrance.
The city also abounds with cot
tages. 1t is quite common for
capitalist to have whole blocks
uniformly built up with the cosiest
and neatest cottages the mind
could we'll conceive. They also
have large lawns and gardens,
which are we'll trimmed and
watered. In the gardens we find
the lily and the rose in full bloom,
and beside them grow the dark.
leaved evergreen orange trees and
the lighter.ieaved lemon and lime,
all laden with fruit. The yards
are enclosed with cedar b edges and
the sidewalks are shaded with pep.
per trees.
We must not be deluded, how
ever, by the impression that these
places are cheap and may be had
by everyone because they are plen-
tifuI. Not 80, for labor is very
high here and most OF the build
ing material must be brought from
a distance. Hence these cottages,
as we'll as buildings in general, are
much more expensive here than in
the East. Indeed, the prices OF
residences and lands are especially
high now, aud there Is great
boom in real estate circles. But as
California ia the land of dreughts
and as there has been but little
rain so far this season, the people
are beginning to shake tleir heads
and say that If the winter rains do
not come soon, the forced sales
which must follow drought will
greatly reduce the price of prop
erty. The boom referred to IL due
to the fact that recently there has
been a greater influx Of immi.
grants and visitors than for many
years past. The i'm migrant come es
because Of the report that the
farmer and fruit grower here soon
attain great wealth from the teem.
ing crops. The invalid comes be-
cause the report has gone forth
that he who breathes the dry,
warm, but bracing air takes q new
lease on life. He comes first as q
visitor "tO try the climate,n and
then, in multitudes of eases, to
make his home here. With these
two classes the hotels are filed,
while very many families rent
rooms aud take in boarders, and
the city abounds in eating houses.
Many go right to housekeeping,
but there is such o rush that it 10
hard to find an empty house. The
real estate mea say they are gen.
orally bargained for before the
fou udati0ns are laid.
The prices of living and mer.
chandise are higher than in the
East; the prices OF articles manu-
factured here being especially
high, for the reason previously as.
sig gued-that most Of the material
must be imported, and mechanics
wages are high. An additional
hindrance to the manufacturing
Interests lies in the fact that wood
and coal are scarce and expensive.
This makes ons drawback to the
proeparitv OF this and the other