Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-14
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
work ON the Tapis for the Hm-
mediate Future.

News items being little scarce yes
terday up to a late hour, the city map is
spread before the readers Of the HERALD
this moraing and marks made thereon Of
the lines Of improvement either now un-
der way or sson to be taken up.
There are several SO familiar to the
minds Of the people that they may be
passed over here. Such are the jail
which the county is about to erect on
the Court House hill, between New
High and Fort streets. This will spend
$50, 600 right on the spot, and the work
will be under way In short time. The
grading is done, the adopted. and
bids will be advertised for soon. The
Supervisors hope to have the work done
by July, so as to let Mr.. Phillips have
possession OF his lot at that time.
There is also the City Hall. for which
the bonds have been voted andfor which
the ground has been secured. These
bonds will probably soon be sold. 1t is
now many months since they were au.
thorized by popular vote. and
only the City Council could tell
why there is 30 long a delay
in selling them and putting up the
buildings. 1t was pleaded at the time
by the advocates OF the bonds that the
interest on them would be SO much less
than the rents the city is paying that
there was great economy to the tax
payers. II this be true it Is strange
that this matter is not pushed ahead
and this economy made fact. which Is
always so much better than promise.
But probably there will soon be move
ment in this direction.
For the improvement OF the water
system outside of the district under the
care Of the City Water Company, there
are also ponds voted. These are bound
up witHbbose for the City Hall and will
be sold With those. There will be S220,
600 to spnd In these two items and in
the improvement OF the sewerage aystem.
A third piece Of old news in this line
is the paving OF the streets in the busi-
ness center. Five years ago there was
hardly bit OF smooth. substantial side
walk in the city. Now Main street from
the Pico House out to Second street has
good sidewalks and these will soon be
extended as far as Tenth. Indeed, out
az far as Sixth street some enter
prisiug property holders, as the
Kerckhoffs and others. have laid
cement sidewalks. and by the end of
the year such walks should be laid GER
tainly to the residence Of Mr.. o. w.
Childs, II not all the way to Washington
street, as this great thoroughfare is an
almost unbroken line Of handsome dwell
linqs along that entire distance on both
sides of the street. The owners of the
famous Childs' tract, below Main street
out as far as Eleventh and Twelfth,
set an example worth following in the
fine streets, and sidewalks they are pre-
pairing to lay in front of every one of the
200 lots in that tract, Spring street was
in the same deplorable plight until with
in recent period. Now there are good
sidewalks out almost to Third street,
and the good work should be pushed
along with vigor until, from junction to
junction, there shall be good walk in
front Of each of the charming homes
along the whole line.
Los Angeles street, too, has made .
good beginning and work should not
stop nor even slack on that fine thor
ouahfare. When ii Is opened through
to Alameda. as it will be soon, there
will no doubt be an acceleration In this
business ON Los Angeles street.
Temple street has good sidewalks on
both sides out to the electric light mast,
at the Bunker Hill avenue crossing. Fort
street is another Of the fine residence
highways where good work is doing 10
this line. There should be miles OF
cement sidewalks laid in the central
portion Of the city before December
3lst, 1886. 1t is hard to Indicate just
what will be done. but much should bs
done. and no doubt good deal will be
done. To leave the center Of the city,
say one Of the hotels some crisp morn
ing or evening along at this season OF
the year and walk out Main or Spring
street to the junction and in on the
other On smooth sidewalks would be de-
lightful. II the streets were aligned
with nice trees this charm would be
much enhanced.
THE FUTURE
There Is good deal Of the retrospect.
tive 10 the above. To cast the horo-
scope OF the future is always pleasanter
than digging among the dusty rubbish
OF the past One OF the first things to
note Is Improvement Of the streets TO
which reference was made above. This
subject is now under lively agitation.
The HERALD has always bsen foremost
in . wholehearted advocacy OF all pub
lie improvements. II has always favored
good streets and roads. 1t is welded to
no particular plan for the improvement
Of the streets, bat will keep open eyes
on every plan proposed to advocate that
which shall appear the best. 1t Is hard
Iy probabls that the year shall pass and
not see some great forward move.
ment made to redeem the lead
ing streets Of the city from their
deplorable present condition whenever
q shower Of rain falls. The central
property has been paying large rents on
lis cost price for the past four years.
Property owners are not likely ever to
be better able to pay for improving tie
thoroughfares than they are to-day. II
will greatly enhance the value Of prop
erty wherever good streets are made.
Buyers will be sure to flock TO stores
accessible without traversing muddy and
rough streets. The owns re- will see this
point and the year will certainly witness
good beginning Of giving the city such
streets as her present size and future
promise demand.
In the way of new streets, Los An
geles will soon be opened through to
Alameda; Bath, or Main as IL is now
called. will also soon be cut through to
Alameda and carried on in behind
Naud's warehouse TO q junction with
Chavez, and thence along this last
named street to the Los Angeles river.
which 1t Is proposed to bridge at thst
point so as TO reach East Los Angeles
by good, hard, level street. away from
the noise and danger Of the cars.
Another street soon to be opened, as
reported in the HERALD previously, is
Second From Main street to the river,
aud crossing the stream, the thorough
fare will ran on to the eastern
limits Of the city.
There will be much done in
all quarters Of the city in
grading new streets the coming
Spring and Summer. Temple street
and Union avenue will be pushed at
once. Hill street, from Temple to
Second, is to be put in travelling order
soon. First street Is becoming too i'm
portant to let the mole bill at Hill street
stop 1t. There is now petition pending
before the Council to establish the grade
out as far as Canal street II this is
done, there is sure to be an effort to
make Charity street passable from Court
House street to First. Now, that the
contest for narrowing Buena Vista
street is at an end. that fine thorough
fare is pretty certain to be opened from
Temple street 10 Bellevue avenue. II
this were done, there could be made Of
this one Of the finest streets in the city.
It goes out from Temple street directly
opposite 10 where the new Court House
is to stand on its fine site, crosses Fort
hill at an elevation that gives one OF the
best views in the city. Below the bill
In "Sonora Town" II is one Of the best
residence streets in the pueblo. II i