Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-24
the proplr's HIGHWAY.
An Offer to Build Road for Cent
Will the City Accept tho Offer
Importance of the Road.

The articles Of the HERALD in favor Of
a grand Boulevard along the west bank
Of the river, from Downey Avenue to
Vernon, seems to strike popular chord
in the breast OF the people. Such q
highway, while affording secure pro-
lection to millions of property from tho
inroads Of freshet, would make a
grand artery for business for the people
who now have no thoroughfare that Is
not occupied by steam cars or street
railway. The distance which this road
would extend through the finest fruit
bearing tract in the country, is about
i've miles, when it would connect with
lateral roads from San Antonio and
Green Meadows. besides the direct bust.
ness that would attach to the line from
Vernon, Florence and Compton. The
river bed needs conhning in q narrower
channel. to prevent the formation Of
sandbars in the middle Of the stream,
and to give the current greater velocity
1t now has too much room, and abuses
its liberty by piling up beds Of sand in
the middle Of the stream, that forces the
water to leave the old track and find
new channels in the orchards aud vine-
yards that are far below the level Of the
river.
A large amount of earth is now being
tax en- from the hills to open the way for
streets and to grade for the location Of
houses All this could be placed on the
west bank of the river to cover the sand
that needs to be taken out Of the bed of
the river. It will be an easy matter to
pile up bed Of sand three or four feet
high on the side of the river, and then
it should be covered with this hill
gravel and clay in order to make fine
roadbed. Before the rains the channel
should be extended from Also street to
the covered bridge to keep the current
in the center of the river bed.
The necessity Of such road must be
evident to all our business men, but
there does not seem to be any spontane-
Gus movement towards the construction
of the same. Some individuals have
offered to build portions Of this road,
but have not laid their plans before the
City Co1noil. SO that the matter still re
mains in abeyance, while the necessity
of the road increases every day.
Bat new proposition is now offered
to the city government. A responsible
cltiseu, and engineer. will enter into
bonds to build fine roadway from tn,
East Los Angeles bridge TO Vernon ant
keep i. in repair for fifty years, for th'
privilege OF charging one cent each fol
every team that travels over the road
during that time. In this case the city
would get four miles Of lovely turn
pike, shaded and bordered with treei
and kept in good order, free of all ex
pense, for fifty years, on land that i
now useless and valueless, and beside
they would get great strong permanen
levee that would be worth millions t
the property Of the people of the city
The land that might be overhowed il
/ lower than the river. and is now worth
with improvements, from $1,000 10 S200t
per acre. Should the river get loos'
and flow down towards the Agriculture
Park it would easily ruin a thousand
acres Of orchards, gardens and vine
yards, that would be worth 81, 900, 900
These are plain, cold blooded facts, anc
| must be met and considered by the people
and the City Council II the city, under
the New Constitution, can legally grant
franchise for making and preserving such
highway, it can be built very shortly,
and would at once become the mosi
travelled street in the city. Farmers
and others could well afford to pay one
cent for the privilege of hauling theil
! produce over such road, and, nc
doubt, would be glad to do it. Tn,
road would be free from angles, railway
tracks and cars, and would be of grea
value to the farmers and fruit-growerl
Of the city and suburbs. The Downe,
/ City travel would come into town tina
way, and avoid the steep hills on the
east side OF the river. In this case the
| contractor takes all the risks and lht
| city gets a road and level one. vii
| the proposition be accepted.