Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-27

Los ANGELES, Cal, Jan I. 1e4--In
coming from Ian Frsocsooo over the
8 .ushern Pacific railroad, the gateway
"a tots ssctio Of Caiiforuis, Ne passed
through sbe san F.ruaodo Tunnel. szid
to be tie lonQe-t buS one n the United
States. Emerging from the tunnel. Ne
then soou enter the San Fernando val
ley. and a. we pass along Own the
grade We pass the old N ssion Of ssn
Fern 4ndo. the former home and hsad'
quarters Of Andres Poo, tGe G-ns raj o
simo Of Los Mejscanos IN 1876. Who. IN
the Mexican war at the head of . ON all
army. confronted Gen. Fremont on tbs
slope OF Ell GabiiAn, only 10 be put "a
An ipgiorious fight Def re the veterans
under the Pathfinder, wuo came like q
whiriwind To tits place and planted his
cannon upon ILL overlooking the
town, not over 100 yards from where
nov write. II is worthy of note 70 men.
ton that tao of the cannon brought
into this valley by Gen. Fremont are
nov 10 be seen at the Court house do
ing silent sentiuei work. They shov
plainly the effects OF time and russ. hss'
ing bcen buried for years, AID are 10
terestinQ relics OF those days when eui
government had that little brush With
Mexico, and, having whipped her into
subsection, took . slice Of her domain
of which this section 10 . part The Ole
Mexican general above 1hent,0ned walks
the streets Of Los Angeles almost daily
and his vhitened locks and totterins
steps tell the tale Of hasseninR time thai
soon will cut his form low.
Leaving the old mission rancho. We
soon reach the Los Angeles river and
aee ali around vineyards, groves and
Edou.iookiuQ homes. Visitors usually
are taken by surprise on their hrss AZ
rival in the city. With all that ha'
been heard and read concerning thu
place, II il difficult for sne mind u
grasp she realities Of tho surroundings
Of LOa AnQeIes-the Queen OF tbs
Angels, ~ the name implies. C0tnins
in the winter season, the surprise anc
admiration are the more noted. Ih<
beauty and freshness Of spring Anc
sumuer meet the eye everywhere, anc
one il not long 10 finding out that he ],
in Q thriving, busting city. beyonc
whot be expected. The inquiry soor
arises in the mind OF she writer, VIA
In II that supports and gives socn pro.
perity to the place Just here We VA
take glance at the early settlement o
the country. A. early as l534 Fernando
COrtez, Of spain, undertook 70 Chris
tianize the Indians who held dominion
over the peninsula Of California, bu
the undertaking was Aoondone<
and no other effort was made
20 settle the country until l76S
when an expedition by water and Ou'
by land was sent out from the City Of
Mexico under she auspices Of the Fran
ciscan Order of the Roman Catholic
Church. The Government OF New
Spain aided in the work, 20 that In III
three missions were established within
the territory Of what 10 now Los AnRe-
les County. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats
and hogs we're brought In from Old
Mexico, and soon the missions we're II
q hourishing condition, thousands oil
the Indians were converted to Chris.
tianily, aud in time there was mixed
race Of people here. Vineyards were
set out, orchards planted and farm
crops cultivated ; however, the princi-
pal industry Was that Of stock raising
AM thus matters continued until, IN
1876, California was annexed to the
United States, when the American peO
pic Of Anglo saxon origin began to mil
in with ths former residents. In 1872
December the 9Th, the day Of the yearly
feast of the Roman Catholic Church IN
oommemoration of the conception oil
the Virgin Mary, an earthquake 60
CURED NJ the hour of holy mass, the
building fell and crushed ~ death uany
of the worsh,ppers.
What IL now the Los Angeles river
VAS unknown a. river until great
doOd In 1872 cut channel to the ocean
Before this the waters spread over the
piains in various directions, settling II
low places and Disappearing. At thai
date, where now are dry lands, Lakes
aud swamps we're common, and con
siderable forest Of ti0ber Was growing
in the valley. which mostly disappeared
after the cham ., of the river was opeb!
I'd and the land tnus drained.
The town Of Los Angeles Was laid oui
August 18th, 17sl, and was first settled
by twelve families. former soldiers Of
the Spanish government. The town
finally became the seat Of government
Of the peninsula. and occasionally civil
wars caused much oomDotiOn among
the people. Az stated before, during
the Mexican war Colonel J. G. Fremont
held Possession of tito town. Later,
however. be left It, aud again the Next
cams took possession, and resisted the
approach Of Commodore Stockton and
General ksarney. Quite . battle was
fought on the plain near the city, which
ended In the Tepulse Ut the 4exicans,
and Stockton and Kearney took posses
sion. I.0a Angeles has always, since Its
hrst settlement, been the principal
town in Southern California. aad at the
time of the Mexican war, contained
about loo inhab,taats.
In l66O the country began TO settle up
with people from the States, and An i'm
pstus was given to aer cultural pursuits.
The outlet for traflio and travel vas via
water, from the bay on the coast, some
twenty miles south, to San Francisco.
The old spanish part Of the town was
Of .ow buildings constructed
Of sun dried brick. Quite . number Of
thsse buildings yet remain, but are
gradually disappearing before a much
better class OF buiidings In 1852 the
first kiln Of burnt brick Was made. and
some tine buildings Pot up the follow
ing year. The prosperity Of the city
has been continued up TO the present
date. However, during the var Of the
rebellion kind Of reign Of terror pre-
vailed, which caused, moro or less, =
stagnation Of busineaa. There being
people here from various sections Of the
Union. ~ one might suppose, bitter
animositiss we're cnRsndered and many