The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-19

world, aud how they all manage tC
make a living is one of the mysteries
| have been unable to solve as yet
For example, there are said to be
l03 insurance agents alone, and as
for real estate men, they are beyond
counting.
ROOMS AND BOARD.
Another feature which strikes the
Eastern eye is the large number Of
lodging houses and restaurants. AL
most every house In the city, from
the richest to the poorest, bears the
SIGN Furnished Rooms to Rent.
Elegant mansions and humble
"adobes" are alike open to the East
ern consumptive or tourist provided,
always, he has the money to pay in
advance. Prices range from So to
$50 per month for furnished rooms.
according to locality, style and ac-
commodations. Good rooms may be
had for $l2 per month. Almost all
transients, and large percentage of
the resident population eat at res.
taurants, of which there are large
number, The andard price is %
cents per meal, but OF course il
is higher in the more fashionable
ones. Some also furnish wine with
dinners at the popular price of %
cents. Boarding houses are few and
far between. For town of its size
Los Angeles is we'll provided with
hotels, there being no less than fl
teen large hostelries 10 full opera
ton, and they are crowded during
the winter months on account Of
large numbers Of excursionists from
the East, whole carloads of whom
arrive almost daily.
The street car system OF Los An
geles is very ccmnlete, and a person
can 90 all over the city and be
brought back to the center, at the
corner of Main and Spring streets,
without walking a step. There are
two cable lines by which easy access
is had to what is known as the
Hills" which are being rapidly
built up with elegant residences.
The horses here are very fine, and
the contrast between these splendid
animals and Mr.. BarrettS little
mules is painful, One line runs
over to East Los Angeles, a distance
Of probably three and half
miles, and several others are
as long, il not longer. The
fare IS only 5 cents. An cleo
tric railway is now almost completed
and by the time this letter reaches
you, will probably be in operation,
which will open up a large amount OF
property for residence purposes and
increase values along the line. Be
sides these, the San Gabriel Valley
and the Santa Monica roads run
trains four or five times day, giving
easy access to number of beautiful
suburban resorts, the principal ones
being Santa Monica, San Gabriel
and Pasadena. There are also nu-
merous livery stables, and prices are
very reasonable, nice double team
costing from IS to Sc per day and
single buggies from 81 80 to 81 80,
according to style. SO you see that
the Los Angelese are determined
that visitors shall have no excuse
for not seeing what they claim is the
most beautiful spot on terra tirma
WATER WORKS.
Water, as you know, is the lite of
a country, We have very little
rain in Southern California. The
rainy season generally begins in No
vember and continues until Febru-
airy. 1t does not rain continually,
but when it does rain the water
comes down in solid sheets .Fortu-
nately it rains mostly atnight. After
the rainy season is over there is no
more rain, except very rarely a slight
shower, which causes almost as great
a sensation as frost would in August
in Memphis. Water is, Of course,
needed for irrigation, ard this is sup
piled by the city and private COM
panies, The city supply for irrigating
purposes is conveyed through open
bitches called 8angas pronounced
sankey's, and are under the super
vision of an official known as the
Zanjero. The lower part Of the city
is supplied with drinking water by
the City Water Company, the source
of supply being Los Angeles river.
The hill portion is supplied by the
Beaudry Company, its source Of sup
ply being spring in the mountain.
Ii is by far the best water to be had.
Water, in fact, is piped almost every
where away from the rivers and
streams, and cuts the principal figure
in the value of land.
THE ELECTRIC LlGuT SYSTEM.
The city is lighted by electricity,
there being something over 100
masts, each 200 feet high, placed on
prominent elevations about the city.
The effect at night is simply beauti-
full, The lights can be seen at a
great distance, in act, it is the first
sign visitor has that they are APP
prOaching the city. They look like
a number of moons clustered in the
heavens. In the city il is as light at
night as in day, and the scene from
many Of the higher elevations is one
of SURPRISING beauty. The peculiar
light foreshortens the perspective,
which makes the mountains appear
very close, and form an admirable
background for the picture, which
more resembles painted scene than
a real live, sure enough progressive
American city. | have never been
to Italy nor TO Switzerland, but |
cannot imagine a more beautiful
sight than Los Angeles after night
fall, with its beautiful flowers, green
foliage and palm trees. While there
are comparatively few elegant brick
or stone residences, there are any
number of costly wooden structures,
some Of them said to cost $780,
600. | cannot say that | admire
the style Of architecture, it is peou-
liar to Los Angeles. "Ginger bread"
decoration is all the rage, and the
more seuseless points, angles and
gables, that can be put on a house,
the better pleased is the owner.
Many Of the houses are beautifully
situated on high hills, and under the
electric light. remind one of the olden