Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-09
TEMPLE STREET,
Shall it be Widened or
Shall it NOt9
A FEW SHORT INTERVIEWS.
What Property Holders Think oil
it-A Difficult Under
taking.

1t is pretty generally known that there
il project on foot TO widen Temple
street from ten to twenty feet all alone
from Spring or Fort street to the city
limits. The street is scant sixty fee
wide as 1t is. 1t is the only artery il
and out OF the city for the Cahuengi
country without making detour away
out as far as Seventh street, A public
meeting was held few nights since. ant
the project defeated by a small majority
of the property represented. As there
is great deal Of interest felt in the mat
ter, q HERALD reporter interviewed
some OF those interested, and he proposes
to give the results.
As the owners of the Downey Bloch
and of the Allen Block, corners of Spring
and Temple and Main and Temple, are
not In the city, real estate agent, one
of the Oldest in the city and one OF un
doubted good Judgment, as well as one
who knows pretty Wen tne
view the interested parties wouio
take OF the matter was found and ths
problem submitted to him, he studied
the question over and said the Downey
block property Ia worth at least $1,000
foot on Main street and $500 on New
High street; the Allen property is very
similar in value. Then there Is The
buildings on them. Above that is thu
new LAWYERS building now going up
and which will be finished under exist
inc contracts and occupied long before
any movement can be made to change
the street. The property owners from
Main 10 Fort all think the street wide
enough for their uses. 1t is those who
live above Fort who seem to want II
widened. Then the right of way must
be purchased in some way from Main to
Fort. Governor Downey will want
$50, 600 to $4,000. The Allen estate
will want as much. 1t will take $50, 600
to get to Fort street. That is all know
about the matter. You know there is
q project to start from Fort and widen
west of that crossing.
Mr.. J. W. Gillette was found at his
office, but was rather averse to state his
views. The reporter. under misappre-
hension, said: "Have you no opinion on
so important matterf"
"Oh, yes, have, said Mr.. G.. THAT
is the reason do not want to say any
thing. l have very pronounced views
on the subject"
BY little change OF base the reporter
got Mr.. Gillette to talk little on the
subject near his heart. He is in favor
of the change under certain conditions.
One is that the work start at. Main
street. Another is that the twenty feet
be taken off the north side of Temple
street, and that the people to be bene-
flied, that is those beyond the crown Of
the street at Bunker Hill, pay all the
expenses. He thinks unless the widen
ing IL made all the way down to Main
the benefit will be small. He docs not
"believe in vsricose VEINS" He thinks
people on the lower end Of Temple will
not reap much benefit from the wider
thoroughfare, and he does not think
they should be made pay for others
good, nor give away their land and i'm
provements for nothing. The sidewalks
are laid, fences built, houses set with
reference to the street and all these ex-
penses should be met by those who own
property at the other end of the street.
Mr.. w. s. Maxwell was found on
Spring street on his way from the post
office and asked to give his views. He
thinks the widening Of the street would
be an excellent thing for the city. The
$50, 1000 required to get to Spring street
he says should be no obstacle. 1t is q
l. \ % ka
appointed to assess and appraise
the property. All that in the GEN.
ter Of the city should help pay for
the widening of the street. To
open Bath street Main street was as
sessed as far south as First, and Spring
street from Temple to First. To open
Los Angeles street assessments were
levied as far south as Second. So in
this case all the central property will
have to bear this expense as it reaps
part OF the benefit. The Lanfranco es-
tate will gladly pay its part of the
money. II do not feel very sangaine
that it can be done. But l am sure the
street ought to be widened and that all
the property along it will be made more
valuable"
Mr.. f. A. Gibson was the next vic.
tim. He is in favor of the scheme. He
thinks the best plan is to cut a
triangle off Downey Block, starting at
nothing at New High and running out
to twenty feet at Main. This is to
avoid cutting the Allen Block, which
would be injured il ten feet were taken
from it as it is narrow lot. At New
High he proposes to left-oblique and cut
the full 20 feet off the south side Of
Temple street, 80 as to avoid the big
Lawyers block, which would cost too
much to tear down. Then it would be
cheaper to take the 20 feet all the way
along off one side of the street, and
thereby avoid tearing up two sidewalks
and cutters, and the moving back Of
two series of houses and fences. 1t
would be cheaper TO follow the south
side of the street, as there is less grad.
ing and cutting to do. Mr.. Gibson
called attention to the street as il is.
There are 90 feet in the street. From
each side 8 feet 20 to sidewalks. Then
there are the cutters. The cable road
passes down the street little south of
the center. There is right in
the franchise to lay double
track. The street is graded up
to very high corner in the centre, and
when the centre track Is laid two vehi.
cles cannot pass on the same side of the
tracks. Moreover, very careful driving
will be necessary on so narrow street,
and where the driveway is so Siding,
He called attention to San Francisco,
when Montgomery was the best business
property in the city until 1t grew to be
a large place, and until Kearney was
widened and Market graded. Then all
the best business left Montgomery and
went on-the wide streets. Property on
Kearney or Market is much more vaiua.
BILE than on Montgomery. II Los An
Qeles reaches q population Of 100, 00(
to $50, 900 souls tho narrow streets
will not suffice for the business. They
will be forsaken for more commodioui
streets. 1t is absurd to say that prop
erty on q street Of narrow dimensions il
% valuable as on one so or 100 feet
wide.
Mr.. g. p. Nolan thought the opening
of the street could not possibly affect tb.
value Of his property corner Of Fort and
Temple. He said: "My price has beer
on 1t for some time past. / win TAX,
what it was offered for 1t before the cable
road was talked Of. They say that 1t ha
increased the value of property. | do moi
see that it has. II anyone thinks so, lei
him buy my lot and get all the benefit
He can then get the street widened ans
get the benefit Of that great scheme"
The HERALD will take occasion to Sc,
others of those interested and get thei
sentiments, so that the citizens ma,
know what prospects there are of &C
complaining this big undertaking.