Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-04-20

Something About The CITY,
We have given somo attention OF late
days to tho population Of the city of Los
Angeles, not so much from the point OF
view Of statistics, for reliable data is not
nttainable, as for the way what used to
bo our waste places have filed up. There
arc plenty of comparatively new Ango-
leiios who can remember when Mr..
Beaudry's Bellevue Terrace Tract had not
single house upon its ample oxpin9e.
Now there is a city upon it, and within
short radius of II, which is as large in
population as the whole Of Los Angeles
was ten years ago. Ten years ago, when
tho writer first saw East Los Angeles,
there was but single house upon its
site, and that was occupied by Mr..
Hancock NJ. Johnston. West Los An
geles had not then even been heard OF,
the Agricultural Park having just been
laid out in what was supposed to be u
distant suburb. Now the western, like
the eastern part OF Los Angeles, is thick
ly built up, Boyle and Brooklyn Heights
were then simply notable for the ab-
senco Of habitations. The homestead
of Mr.. WIN. II. Workman was, ten years
ago, about the only building to be
seen south and east of the present
County Hospital, which, had not then
been SO much as thought of. As for the
hills, and that portion Of the city now
known az the Park View tract, there was
not 80 much as single dwelling back OF
the residences OF the Messrs. kurtz and
Phillippi.
How bravely all this is now changed ?
Not only that, but small cities have
sprung up on the Morris Vineyard
and the Elijah II. Workman aud other
places, south of Main street. Take it
for oil in all, we think the claim Of a
present population of thirty thousand
for the city of Los Angeles is a very
modest one. This is an advance OF
three hundred per cent. in the popula-
tion Of our city since the census of 1880
was taken, or an increase quite equal in
ratio to that of Kansas City during the
decade which intervened between 1850
and 1870, viz, seven hundred per cent.
for ten years, or seventy per cent. per
annum.
That this remarkable ratio of increase
is now being maintained we do not
doubt, nor cah any one who knows the
past, and who is interested in the future
of Los Angeles. Tho pleasant thing
about it all is that We are not only
acquiring popula ion at this remark.
able rate but it is OF very
superior and even eclectic descrip-
tion. As natural result tho
improvements, in the shape of home
steads and business edific,s, which are
now being erected. are of very crafty
ing character Perhaps in no respect is
this fact more gratifyingly apparent
than. on the hills, in the dwellings, and
on Main, Spring and Los Angeles streets,
in the business editces. Dwellings Of
the Eastlake order of architecture are
already s,udding all the streets leading
from the original Bellevue Terrace
Tract westward, while Los Angeles
street has positively been transformed.
The enterprise OF the Messrs. |. w.
Hellman, W. J. Brodrick and Others, in
giving Los Angeles a new and extended
system OF street railways, has brought
into the market an immense amount Of
new property which is highly eligible for
residence. As result, the western por.
ton of the city is certain to improve
very rapidly. The exceedingly low
price of lots in the Park View tract,
with the probability that a line of street
cars willshortly extend out Temple street,
will undoubtedly 'boom. in a modest
way, the hill lands The universally
felt need Of substantial bridges over
the Los Angeles river "a belief in
their absolute necessity that will Sc
cure these accommodations 49, will also
result in imparting an unmistakable i'm.
petus to East Los Angeles, Brooklyn and
Boyle Heights.
As to the business portion of the city
the developments are remarkably
healthy in the neighborhood of tn,
Southern Pacific depot, and on Main
and Spring streets. The prism of bust
ness has unquestionably extended tC
Third street ON both tho last.namet
thoroughiares, and residence property
will slowly but surely be cngrossed fol
purposes of traffic not only tc
Third but down that street southward tC
Los Angeles and northward to For
streets. As TO Los Angeles street itself
what with the remarkable improve
ments which have already taken plac,
.here, and the absolute certainty of til,
speedy obliteration of Chinatown AM
"Nigger" Alley, its future coull no
well be more brilliant.
Over all the sections Of the cit,
sketched by US, in this hasty review, tn
remarkable enhaneements in the valu
of property which were features of tn
past two years are sure to be exceede,
in the immediate future. We may ad,
that Sonoratown also, at last, show
signs of sharing in the general progres
of a city which is just beginning to ex
perieuce the first pulsations OF ney