Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-01
SOLDIERS HOME.
1t is to- be Built at Santa
Monica.
OUR CLIMATE WINS AGAIN.
Six Hundred Acres Of Fine Land
10 Be Laid Out in
Gardens.

The news that Los Angeles get
the Soldiers Home, when re
ceived here by Mr.. Germain, Presi
dent of the Board of Trade. create,
great interest, as it accentuates OIL
claim to Il superior climate in not
whose sonorous sounds will not sool
die out. A committee OF gentlemen
from the Atlantic States, of confessed
ability, OF character far above sus
picion, perfectly unbiased in mind
came to perform sacred duty, thai
Of selecting home for the old vet
Grams of the war. The heroes are nov
growing old. They bear in theil
bones ills begotten of years of expos
ure to all sorts OF weather, weaknesse!
arising from scant commons, ant
maladies superinduced by gunshor
wounds and sabre strokes. Their
comfort was the object in view, anc
no consideration could swerve the
Judgment of the committee from that
point.
The gentlemen saw the whole
State. They were shown the most
eclectic spots in all the counties.
Sites by running brooks were offered.
Locations amid outrageous woods
were pointed out. Broad acres OF
land were tendcred. Largess Of cash
to erect the building was laid at the
feet of the committee. Napa spread
her choicest before the visitors.
Santa Clara tempted them with her
best orchards. Monterey took them
to look at her bold ocean shores
frowning with sombre woodlands.
The committee arrived in Los An
geles surrounded by unfortunate cir
cumstances. IT was raining, the day
was overcast. But they visited such
sites as we had to offer. The angels
OF fine weather came down and ban
ished the clouds from the brow
OF their own fair city. One spot
named was by the seashore near
Santa Monica. This the Eastern Wis
itors inspected. The blue waves OF
the bay rolled lazily in and broke at
their feet, saying, give to us the de-
clining days OF your heroes and we
will soothe them with our music. We
will bring life-giving breezes laden
with the ozone OF 10000 miles of the
expanses of Pacific seas. We will
bathe their war-scarred limbs in our
tepid depths all days in the year,
whether it be in bleak December or
in roseate June. And the winds came
in from the league-long rollers of the
Pacific, and sang with the waves their
plea to be allowed to fan the laurel
CROW ned brows OF the soldiers, with
their cooling wings. The sunbeams
smiled on the December landscape in
a light as golden as in summers most
genial day, and begged to have the
veterans to bless during u few declin-
ing years. with their brightness and
warmth.
So the pleadings OF all these minis
ters OF comfort and OF life prevailed as
they should, and on the brow of the
mesa overlooking the beautiful bay OF
Santa Monica the Soldiers Home is
to raise its graceful towers. Here
Senator John 2. Jones and Colonel r..
s. Baker have set apart 800 acres of
land. To this is to be added a plenti-
ful supply OF pure water from the
mountains, and then the grounds are
to be laid out, improved and planted
with such wealth of verdure and Of
bloom as flourish in this emitropic
cline. The offer is a princely one.
The selection could not have been
surpassed this side of heaven. The
choice is q strong endorsement OF all
shat ever has been said of Los Ange-
les as the most perfect climate on the
face of the earth. 1t is the best place
Tor the Scared, grey heroes to pass
slowly down their last declining days.
1t is the best for ally invalids OF all
sorts and classes to come to.
THE SUCCESSFUL OFFER.
To The Honorable Board of Managers
of the National Home for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers:
C;.NrLEmEN--The undersigned re-
spectfully offer the site hereinafter
described for branch home Tor dis
abled volunteer soldiers, to wit: Six
hundred acres of land in one body, tc
be selected out of the Rancho Sar
Jose de Buenos Ayres and San Vicente
Santa Monica, without cost to the
government, said site to be selected
by Won anywhere along the line divid
ing said ranchos, in equal portions on
each side thereof, the whole forming
one compact body. That portion neal
the foothills on said line and running
I'D to the base OF the mountains would
command most magnificent view o
the mountains, valley, city OF Los
Angeles and the ocean, and could moi
we'll be surpassed for beauty OF loca
ton in the State of California.
The land is rich sand loan. heins
composed of decomposed granite ant
vegetable mold, and makes the warm
est and richest soil possible, capable
of producing not only all the varieties
of fruits and vegetables peculiar to thu
semi -tropic region, but is susceptible
of being beautified and ornamentet
with flowers, grass and trees equal t.
any spot in the country.
A site can be selected along the lin
indicated, nearly all of which is read
for the plow, no stones or brush t
be cleaned up, portion already be
ing under cultivation.
Drainage is excellent and sewerag
can be made as nearly perfect as i
anv location that would be named.
The distance from the city OF Lc
Angeles is about fourteen miles in
wes terly direction, and from the Ps
cific Ocean at Santa Monica abol
four miles distant and nearly on a d
rect line between the two points.
The Los Angeles County Railroad
-rhieh is now graded nearly tn
whole distance from Los Angeles
Santa Monica, will run through tt
tract offered, and station will be Il
Gated to accommodate the hom
This road also offers in connectio
with this proposal to carry all office