Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-05

years ago, some officers OF the Grand
Lodge oil o. O. +. visited Los Angeles
from the East, coming here from San
Francisco by steamer, what a furore
the event occasioned. 1t was consid-
cred something amazing that a party
should come directly here all the way
from the Atlantic on a mere excur-
sion. IL was regarded as next thing
10 tour around the world; and even
one OF Cooks excursions round the
world is not regarded as anything re-
markabe these days. When that
Odd Fellows excursion came here
the whole town was shaken with ex-
element. A grand reception was
rendered them in the old Bella Union
Hotel, then the popular hostclry
OF the place. They we're enter
tanned al great banquet at which
luscious mountain trout, caught and
brought from the cool and limpid
waters Of the Upper San Gabriel, by
party expressly sent out for the
purpose, were made to do duty in
lieu Of the toothsome bivalves Of the
Chesapeake. This excursion marked
an era in the history Of Los Angeles.
But now how changedl Excursions
OF the most prominent men OF the
world arrive and depart every few
days from all directions, east, north
and south, and nothing is thought OF
IL. Our city is to-day nearer to the
Mississippi Valley, and even the
Atlantic Coast, measured by the
practical standard of time and cost
of travel to and from this point, than
il was twelve years ago to San Fran
cisco. The numerous lines Of railway
converging at Los Angeles, with the
cheapened and quickened transporta-
tion-have made Kansas City, Chi
cago, Boston and New York our next
door neighbors. The man from Ari-
zona was formerly regarded as a
stranger from strange land. That
Territory 10 now simply part OF our
immediate back country. within easy
access to the business OF our mer-
chants and producers The railroads
have worked this enchantment. And
ow, the elements of time and dis
tance have not only been 80 magic
ally shortened, but the only remain
ing obstacle in the way of unimpeded
travel, the cost, is being removed to
a remarkable extent. II cannot be
expected, Of course, that the present
"cut" rates OF freights and fares will
last permanently, but we have the
word OF high railroad officials, backed
by the reason Of the proposition, that
such rates will never again be AZ
high AZ heretofore. In fact, the
| tendency has been toward reduc-
ton Of rates for long time,
and now that the matter has been
forced by competition to the present
low scale, and il has been demon
strated to what extent railroad busi-
ness can be stimulated by reduced
rates, there need be little fear that
even the rates prevailing at the time
the "cut" was inaugurated will ever
be restored. The benefit of these
augmented inducements to the travel
ing world are not alone % be meas
ured by mere financial eonsidera-
tons. The civiizing and educational
advantage of constant throng of the
better classes of people from all
lands, visiting our city, cannot be
over-estimated Such association will
naturally tend TO break up all mar
rowness Of ideas among our people,
destroy provincialism and keep Los
Angeles abreast OF the progress and
enlightenment of the age. This city
Is no longer frontier town, nor can
it be said, in any sense, to be far
away from the great centres of popu-
lation and civilization. Henceforth
il will be an integral member Of the
great confraternity of highly civilized
communities, and cannot fail to rep
resent all that is greatest and best in
human life.