Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-04-20
WHY LOS ANGELES LANDS SELL.
The Reason for High Prices of Mesa
Land-Its Location and Advan-
tages.

tages.
Our contemporary Of the Santa Bar
bara Press states that land in Los An
geles county in its wild state sells from
500 to 5000 per acre. This is calcu-
lated to mislead the public very greatly.
1t is quite true that land that has not
been cultivated has been sold at such
prices. but ii was only and because the
land had been selected for its special ft-
ness and location, had been surveyed
into small lots with about one-tenth Of
the tract given away for roads. In adj
dition, mountain springs had been cap
tured in caions, and lassoed with gold
and silver ratas and carried in indie
structible pipes to the highest point of
each ten acre.lot, costing from 5000
to $4,000 in fumes, dams, pipes and
labor. After this outlay and the con-
struction Of hotel, a railway switch,
a school-house, and in one case Uni
versity, it is no wonder that people of
small means, who cannot spend $50, 900
in water developments, will come and
buy ten acres of such land at $3.50 an
acre with permanent water right that
costs them nothing, railway beside
them, a school. house and postoffice at
their convenience, and an electric light
although the rich soil, Of hundred fleets
in thickness, had not been before stirred
by the pillow.
1t is most noticeable that people write
with freedom on subjects about which
they have no Information. This is phe-
nomenally developed in the case of
writers about the lands in Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties. The
large tracts of land with mountain
springs have been purchased from 81 per
acre all the way up 10 $40 per acre, and
in some instances extra springs Of water
have been purchased for 5000 apiece
up to $40, 900. to carry on to these large
tracts, with large tracts Of waste land
that can neither be..cultivated nor irri-
gated. This enormous outlay requires
some return. Men do not lay fifty miles
OF pipe and fiume, and keep them in re-
pair for nothing. Hence the advance in
price Of the cream Of the tract to cover
the cost of the waste land and the water
system, and the roads and other i'm
provements. All these high priced
lands are situated in a grand location,
with the beautiful mountains behind
them and a railway, telegraph and tele-
phone before them, supplied with soft,
pure water, sheltered from cold northers
and famed by the sea breeze.
Can our neighbor wonder that these
fine lands with their matchless fruits and
wines, so well known and easily Access
sible, command such high prices? But
our contemporary does not tell all the
truth about this matter. The sales of
land are at Wholesale and retail in Los
Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
At the moment Of writing We call to
mind various sales of various sizes, one
of sc, 900 acres at 81 per acre; one Of
5000 at 50 per acre; $4,000 at $3.50;
1000 at IS; 1900 at So, so; 10000 at s.;
1000 at IS; 1000 at $40; 1000 at $50
per acre. These sales were what might |
be almost called "wild land," by our
neighbor, although large portion had
been cultivated to grain, but the water
supply had not been brought to the |
land, the prices varying according to the
nearness to market towns.
OF these s'wild land" tracts part was
brush land, part oak orchard and the rest
smooth mesa. They have been retailed
off with water supplied, from s25 to $500
per acre in tracts of 200 acres down to
% acres, the greater portion selling from
$40 to 500, or at an average of about
s75 per acre for the past two years.
The average for 1853 will range higher
by about 33s per cent for retail lots, on
account of lower rates of freighis and
fares, better prices for farm produce,
great wineries for all grapes, at full |
prices, with greatly increased number
of buyers and lower rates Of interest.
Owing to the excellence Of the climate q
large number OF persons OF wealth who
are in feeble health will pay strong
prices for these choice little pieces of
land that are so advantageously situated
for comfort, beauty and pleasure. While
the lands of Santa Barbara are good,
the reason they do not cell at
Los Angeles prices is because they are
not prepared in small parcels for sale
and lack the other advantages that we
have indicated. Our citizens have pre-
pared places for all who come, and have
all sorts of lands and places for their en-.
tertainment, and are now reaping re-
ward for their pains and expense. Our
neighbor, we trust, can see reason for
high prices now, and for higher still in
the future.
Steamer PASSENGERS