Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-21
Growth of the City.

In spite of the "bursted boom," as the
papers of the Northern Citrus belt delight
to designate the lull in outside land
speculations in this section, the city Of
Los Angeles continues to increase in
population and in solid prosperity.
Never before in her history has there
been such marked activity in improve
ments within the boundaries of the
Pueblo. The number OF houses in the
course of erection is something that
astonishes everybody. In the busl-
ness portion of the city brick and
stone buildings and blocks are going
up in every direction. The cost OF some
of these buildings will reach the hand
some figure Of a quarter OF a million dol
lars. Less pretentious structures are
distressingly numerous to the wayfarers,
who are impeded by them in their travel
at almost every block. Business houses
are steadily extending on the principal
streets, and are widening out into streets
which year or SO ago were devoted to
residences. So rapid is the march OF this
character of improvement that the value
of property anywhere within reach
of the possible lines which business
may take in the future has advanced to
phenomenal figures. And when we take
into consideration the marvellous exten-
sion OF the business area in every direc-
ton in the last four years, is it unreason-
able in the owners of moderately central
property to look forward to the time, not
far distant, when they can turn their
residence houses into stores and receive
the great difference between business
and tenement rents for them?
We have now not far from popula-
ton of one hundred thousand in this
city. The last school census gave us
30 900 children of school age. Multiply
this by three, the very lowest factor ever
used by statisticians to determine the
aggregate of population in community
and we would have $1,000 inhabitants
in Los Angeles. But three and one-half
would perhaps be the correct factor, and
that would give us total population OF
1O1 500. At any rate it will not fall far
below one hundred thousand. In 1880
the United States census gave us
population of between eleven
and twelve thousand. We
would be no more aston
ished if the census of 1890 should give us
a population of 10000, than we are at
the increase in less than eight years from
something over eleven thousand to nearly
one hundred thousand. Nor have we
any doubt that the present number OF
our people will be doubled in five years
from now. A population Of 200, 900 would
mean the spread of the business portion
of our city in every direction in
which it is possible for it to
60 to twice the extent it now
covers. This would mean that Main and
Spring and Fort streets, as far as they
reach, and all the cross streets as far as
Washington shall be devoted in great
part to business.
Whilst the building boom is greater
now than ever it was before in substan-
tial business structures, there never was
time when so many and so fine rest
dence buildings were under way at one
time in this city. Everywhere and in all
directions outside Of the business district
may be seen beautiful class OF residence
houses going up.
These facts show that our city is not
only prosperous, but that our people have
the utmost confidence in its future rapid
growth.