Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-31
The Hill,Countrv.

From the Plaza to Seventh street,
the only arterial thoroughfare that
east and west is Temple street. That
avenue extending from the junction OF
Spring ard Main to the western
limit OF the municipality would fur
nish a fine highway from the latter
point, and from the Cahuenga Pass,
for that matter, to all the population
bordering to it, were it not for the
cable road and other tramway COM
panies which have rights of-way
thereon. If this great arterial street
were widened, as it should be, to, say
one hundred feet, there would ther
be room for the tracks, for drive
way and for ample sidewalks. An
effort to widen, made some months
ago, fell through because of lack Of
foresight on the part of few property
holders.
From Temple to Seventh there is
no good street running west from
Spring and Main. Second street is the
only attempt yet made to provide a
thoroughfare into the hill country
along the western section of the
Pueblo; and this is made up Of
several very heavy grades. 1t is,
moreover, used by a cable road whose
tracks at some near day must be
doubled, and then the roadway will
be found to be very narrow. All per-
sons dwelling in the section referred
to between Temple and Second, must,
as things are now, make their way to
one of the streets just named
every time they wish tc
reach the city center. Those whose
residences lie south of Second street
to Seventh are compelled to make a
great circuit in, coming to the business
center, and inrreturning home. Third
street is past all improvement west Of
Hill. Fourth will be difficult of ex-
tension beyond the crest OF the hill at
Hope street. Eifth;and Sixth streets
are culs de sec, the one west of Grand
avenue at the Normal School, the
other west OF Pearl at the car stables.
In view of the facts here set forth it
must appear plain to all eyes, that we
Hhall have to do allin, our power to inn
prove whatever streets there are
penetrating the hill section of the city
For, albeit some of these streets can
not be made passable in their entire
length, yet portions OF all Of them can
be converted into excellent roadways.
Ii the passable portion of each street
were improved, the traveller would
then have some choice OF route. He
might zig.zag from one block to
another, and thus avoid some of the
heaviest grades. Take, for example,
the division lying between Temple
and Second streets. If the inter
mediate avenues were made as pass
able as they might be. the comfort
and convenience Of the hill folk would
be greatly increased. Court street,
from the crest, where Hill street
crosses, could be converted into
very good avenue. But there is fill
to make where this street crosses
Bunker Hill avenue, and where it
crosses Hope street, one block west
Of the former point, the grade
is in dispute. Now, the fill
ought to be made, so that improve
ments desired by the property holders
there might be carried forward, and
the Commissioners should be able to
reach fair decision concerning the
Hope street crossing. We're this mat
fer settled Court street could be grad
"a westerly, and made a good
fhoroughfare. By it the dwellers in
= large area could drive almost to the
center Of the city without coming
in contact with the cable cars,
whore passage way is not over
ample for crowded street. Again,
there il First street, which
Ihq1ld b opened westerly from Hill