Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-11
Los ANGELES STREET.
eet superintenA Aent Kuhrts
starts Its Opening.

On Monday last the Board Of Pub-
lie Works recon mmended that the
Street Superintendent be instructed
to remove the distractions to the free
passage of the public on Los Angeles
street. from Arcadia street to Alameda
street. The City Council unanimous
" adopted this recommendation and
instructed Street Superintendent j.
Kuhrts to commence work on the
cbstructions Immediately. In accord.
ance with the instructions, early yes
terday morning Mr.. Kuhrts and
his men and wagons appeared
on the borders of Chinatown,
which had not yet awakened
from its slumber. Some time
ago, when the agreement to vacate
the property had been signed by all
the property-owners through the ef:
forts of City Attorney Daily, the Chi
nese occupants of the buildings were
no.ified to move, TO vacate the build
ings. They did not believe that the
street would be opened, and they paid
no attention to tho notification. When
Mr.. Kuhrts and his men appeared on
the scene there was no sign OF life
about Chinatown, and the almond
eyed residents of that quarter
siept in peaceful ignorance Of
the fact that the roofs OF
their dwellings were about to
be torn from over their heads.
Superintendent Kuhrts, however,
acted with his usual promtitude, and
knocking at the doors told the China
men that they would have to move.
Then there was a pariey.. The
Chinese asked for few more days to
get some place to move into, but Mr..
Kuhrts told them they had been
given more time than was necessary,
and refused to grant their request
He had been ordered to open up Los
Angeles street, and he was going to
obey orders. A ladder was then
obtained and the men as
cended to the roofs OF the
adobe building facing Los Angeles
street, on the corner Of Niger alley.
At the first blow of the pick there was
q hustle inside, and in few minutes
the street was filled with Chinamen
carrying their beds and bedding, fur
nit,re and baggage across the street
into the stores and to other portions of
Chinatown. The work was delayed
long enough to allow every article be-
longing to the inhabitants to be re-
moved. and then it was prosecuted
with vigor. by noon the roof of the
adobe building on the corner was
off and q portion of the walls thrown
down, and by nightfall there were sew
eTal buildings unroofed and vacated by
the inhab,tants, All day long the
streets surrounding were occupied by
citizens and Chinese, who watched the
work OF demolition progress with great
interest. After the Cinnamon had re-
moved their personal effects they
waited until the wooden portion of the
building had been torn apart, and then
they carefu ly picked up the planks,
shingles, rafters, doors, windows and
3oors and carried them away.
When questioned as to how they
liked the move the Cinnamon said
that they did not fancy it at all. They
had several reasons, one of which was
that they did not like to see
thirteen OF their stores disappear
when they had no others to replace
them. Then on the site where tue
last fire occurred they had commenced
to rebuild with brick, aud the money
expended would be loss. After the
first petition for a delay, however,
they made no objection, but devoted
their energies to the task of removing
their belongings, and an examination
of the ground will convince any one
that they did not permit even so much
as nail to remain behind. To-day
the work OF demolition will proceed,
and it is probable that by the first OF
next week teams will be able to pass
over ground which has been occupied
by buildings for over half century.