Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-09-09
THE BEGINNING OF COLONIES.
How they Look Dust and Desc
lation Transfigured willmore
City and the American Colony
in Formative Condition.


lation TransHgured Willmore
City and the American Colony
in Formative Condition.
To person who has watched the
progress of the country for decade, the
present appearance Of this section is full
Of promise and cheer. A stranger might
visit settlement in its formative condi-
tcn and not be able to cast the future
Of its chrysalis life. He might see here
and there remnant of furrow and a
strip Of land where the dust was excep-
toslly deep and exasperatihg, with a
few dried weeds along the border rolling
at will by the force of the wind, with
here and there an open ditch that had
to be leaped or circumscribed, while
all around, the brown herbage, without
a hint OF verdure or life, seemed to mark
the spot as a tomb for all vegetation. A
few short years ago and such scene
was presented at Santa Ana, Orange,
Tustin, Riverside, Lugonia, Cotton,
Hermosa. Etiwanda and Pasadena. A
few scattered cottages here and there,
without ornament of tree or flower, or
anything that makes rural life dear or
desirable, with dust beginning every
thing that should be spotless and clean;
such we have seen all these settlements
in their beginning with months
Of apparently unrequited toll, and
the grasshopper a burden, while the
gopher destroyed by night and the squir-
rel wasted by day. But all these ele-
ments became transiigured in a few short
months by intelligent labor and constant
attention. In the place of the dusty
path the broad graded highway has been
made and packed into firmness under the
blessing Of the winter rains, and the
sides thereof have been planted with
evergreen shrubs and trees. After the
lapse Of another twelvemonth the beau
tiful hedgerow borders the highway, the
shade-tree calls forth spontaneous
blessing from the wayfarer, the rose and
the honeysuckIe have transformed the
rude cottage porch into bower of
beauty; the song of birds, the glee of
children, the rising church and its hand
maid, the school house, show tina. the
victory over adverse elements has been
won, and prosperity and happiness have
taken the place of discomfort and p. iva
ton.
To any one who has watched these
colonies in their first year of struggle,
and has seen them blossom inte beauty
and perpetual fruitagc, the result seems
as much OF a miracle as the giving Of
spirit to child. If thereis one picture
more desolate than another it is the be-
ginning of colony, on a dry and dusty
plain, with a water supply miles
away, and no semblanee OF life except
the indomitable spirit of the settler, and
the perpetual attempts of insect, beast
and bird, to drive him away. At such
times croakers prophesy failure and dis
aster, but well managed colonies necer
fail 1t has been our privilege to wit
ness the growth OF several OF these colo
nois, all OF which were started in the
self same way. and over all the croaker
groaned and would have killed them if
he could; but a generous soil raised up
the crops, and matchless climate gave
strength and health to the settler that
enabled him to overcome all obstacles,
and in few short months to sit down
under his own vine and zig tree.
A recent visit to the American Colony
and Willmore City brings all these forci-
Bile features wildly to mind. A year
ago survey was commenced of this
fine body Of land on the ocean front of
the great Cerritos Rancho, and town
plat laid out on the bluff, while in the
rear. extending back from south to
north, about 1900 acres of land were
laid out in ten, twenty or forty-acre lots
for farming purposes. Three fine artes-
ian wells have been sunk in cienega
above the tract, and flow into a common
reservoir, from which subterranean
pipe conducts the water across the east
and upper side, down to brick and con-
crete reservoir, which supplies the set
Element of Willmore City on the ocean
bluff, with an abundance of soft water.
Along the line of this pipe is a tract of
the finest agricultural land to be found
in the State, that can be easily made to
produce two crops in a year. This is
being sold off at about S55 to $50 per
acre to actual settlers. 1t is only few
months since this land has beensupplied
with water, and in that time twenty
three parcels of it have been sold and
put under cultivation and now show
large and lucrative crops. In another
year it is probable that the most of this
matchless body of land will be put under
cultivation and yield rewarding crops of
} corn. alfalfa, vegetables and small fruits,
while orchards and vineyards will be
planted for a permahcncy This fine
tract will have for its social and COM
mercial center Willmore City, that has
been laid out on the beautiful Cerritos
bluffs, which arc about twenty feet in
hight, and afford grand view of the
broad Pacific ocean, the harbor of San
Pedro and Wilmington, the islands Of
Santa Catalina and San Clemente, and
stand also as a sentinel over the finest
beach on the Pacific ocean. stretching
for twenty miles at the base of the
bluffs. displaying a marine view Of rare
excellence and beauty, where the deep
voiced music of the ocean is grand and
perpetual, and the foam. crested waves.
in their constant variety of scene, pre-
sent panorama always old and always
new, and never wearisome to the senses.
The gently sloping beach is considered
the best on the coast and far superior
to Long Branch or Cape May. Willmore
City, which is being superintended by
Mr.. w. e. Willmore, is laid out on the
bluff, with broad, straight streets aud
avenues at right angles to each other.
About 400 city lots have been sold
already. and will be improved when the
winter rains arrive. A dozen houses. a
small hotel and store have been
erected, while about forty tents have
been occupied along the bluffs by visitors
who have come here to enjoy the
delicious climate Of sweet Araby the
blest:
"Whero falls not hail nor any snow,
And ever winds blow softly"