Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-06
ROADS AND BOULEVARDS,
A Well Timed Suggestion From AN
Eastern Man.

A Well Timed Suggestion From AN
Eastern Man.
From letter written by IN Eastern
gentleman, who has been an extensive
traveller in both hemispheres, addressed
to prominent real estate dealer in this
city, the HERALD is allowed to copy the
following:
Favored as Los Angeles is in many
respects by the lavish hand of nature,
still you must not expect to create first
class city without artificial assistance to
mold the many natural advantages into
one grand effort at perfection. There are
many suggestions that could be made on
this subject, but as space forbids
any lengthy discussion l will only
mention some defects that even
the most superficial traveller cannot help
but notice. You have no parks to speak
of and not single drive in city or county
that deserves the name. Where is there
single thorougbfare where lover of
horses could speed his trotter, or where
ladies and children could enjoy an after
noon drive with perfect comfort. Does
not the villainous rail in your streets
and the festive chuck hole in your pres
ent roads destroy much of the pleasure
there is in driving? Are they not a
standing menace to both vehicle
and occupant? Is it not about
time for you people to wake up
to the fact that you will need something
else than climate to make city? You
have more than the allotted share of ia
vorable conditions to make Los Angeles
the acme of perfected beauty if enter.
prise, energy, money and brains were
employed in the proper direction to ac-
complish it, and just as long AZ you re-
main dormant on this vital question of
establishment, just so long will you be
left behind in the race and struggle for
supremacy.
1t is not necessary here to mention or
enumerate the many cities that have
made their drives famous throughout the
acquainted "U d wit with ' those e00 facts. we,.
but l simply ask the question, Why do
you not construct one? The question
of boulevard has often been discussed
and suggested by both press and Coun-
Gil, but nothing has come OF it 80 far.
There seems to be hitch somewhere.
During my stay in Los Angeles l care
fully looked up all data bearing on this
subject, and l have, like many others,
very decided opinion of what should be
done. A cursory glance at the topog-
raphy of your city will convince
any intelligent person that there
is but one direction where plans
for a boulevard could be brought to
a successful issue at very little expense
compared with other locations, and that
is westward toward the sea. You have
already several fine avenues partly con-
,structed for some little distance, pointing
in the same direction that might be
made to fulfill the conditions necessary.
such as Adams, Jefferson and Pico streets,
but the most feasible, economical and in
my opinion the most practical route is
and will be the Washington street route.
which at very little outlay and expense
could be made the finest boulevard in
the winter states.
But little grading and leveling will
be required on this route and by slight
DETECTION it could be made to pass by
the Soldiers Home, and from there on
tangent to Santa Monica.
Finish boulevard like the one pro-
pose, 100 feet wide, level for distance
of Is miles, macadamize it, plant trees
along it's route, spare neither time nor
money to make it perfect and you will
have standing and lasting advertise
ment a Thousand times worth more than
all your finely colored pamphlets or de-
scriptive catalogues"