Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-09
THE NEW LOS ANGELES AND
PACIFIC RAILWAY.

On the 23d of February the new Los
Angeles and Pacific Railway was form
ally opened for business, and thus far it
has fulfilled the expectations of its pro-
jectors. We have reserved notes con-
cerning it until it should get fairly under
way. Yesterday representative of the
HERALD went down to Santa Monica on
the l :05 p. NJ. train of the Southern
Pacific, taking the train at the CONNER
cial street depot, and returned by the
20 P. NJ. train on the new route.
The present Santa Monica terminus of
the Los Angeles and Pacific, formerly the
Los Angeles County Railway, is in front
of the old Santa Monica hotel, re-
Gently burned down. We under
stand that it is proposed to ex-
tend the road along the face of the
bluff to the Santa Monica caflon. The
rails have been recently laid and tied and,
quite naturally, the ballasting is as yet
somewhat imperfect. As a result the
cars do not run IS smoothly as they other
wise would. This. of course, will shortly
be remedied by thoroughly ballasting the
road bed.
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
Shortly after leaving Santa Monica one
passes by the Soldiers Home. 1t is To-
Gated on lovely eminence which com.
mands perfect view of the valley and
ocean. Three hundred acres of very fer
tile soil was donated to the Government
for the site of this grand national work
Two of the twelve barracks, which it is
contemplated to erect, are already up.
They are goodly ediices, and seem to be
ready tor occupancy. A kitchen, doubt
less temporary building, has been ad-
ded to the Home, which looks quite like
getting down to work. Governor TwicheIs
tasteful mansion is also completed.
At first it was intended to supply the
Home with water from a number of sur
face wells; but this source being in
adequate, recourse was had to the
Vaudeville cailon, some six miles from
the Home, and thence is derived an
abundant supply of pure mountain
water. 1t is the intention of the govern
ment officials to beautify the grounds in
grand style with palms, pepper and eu-
calyptus trees, and the thousand and
one arboral and floral treasures which
are either indigenous to, or adapted to the
soil and climate of Southern California
A good beginning has already been made,
and as trees will attain more height and
girth here in ten years than in forty
years in the East, and as camelias, tube
roses and heliotropes bloom here in the
open air at all seasons of the year, phe-
nomenal progress is assured. We were
told that frost is never known on the
Soldiers Home tract.
SUNSET - woLFsKnL's = THE eAHUENGA
VALLEY.
The next place of interest passed was
Sunset, an ambitious townsite which is
very neatly staked off. The several
avenues are at the usual symmetrical
right angles. and a slightly hotel has al
ready been erected. Undoubtedly some
day there will be houses where now only
very eligible building lots stand. We
we're then swung past the elegant man
sion and prolific acres of ex-State Senator
John Wolfskill, whose home surmounts
a knoll from which very commanding
view of valley and ocean may be OBJ
tanned. Johns lines have fallen in pleas
ant places, and in transferring his Lares
and Penates from the Rincon del Diablo
ranch, in San Diego county, to the Cahu-
enga valley he has made very judicious
change. Mr.. Wolfskill is large stock
holder in the Los Angeles and Pacific
Railway.
At this point splendid view of the
whole Cahuenga valley is obtained, and
the prospect is highly picturesque and
inspiriting. To the east is the line of
hills forming the Cahuenga range, and
still further to the east old Don Antonio
raises his snow-capped head, with the
hills back of Los Angeles in the i'm
mediate foreground. 1t is an ex-
quisite region, and the landscape els
enlivened by thousands of grazing
cattle and horses. Towards the foot
hills a succession of carefully cultivated
farms, gardens, and vineyards is un-
rolled. Frost never touches this region,
and, all through the winter, green peae,
fresh tomatoes and strawberries are
raised for the dinner table of the people
OF Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver
and Kansas City. Undoubtedly the
building OF the new road will give a
great impetus to development all
through this prolific section. The very
capable and polite conductor of the train
on which we rode, MIR. j. N. Henry, in
formed US that from fifty to two hundred
and fifty boxes of fresh tomatoes are
daily shipped into Los Angeles over this
road, to be consumed here and to be sent
lsewhere, principally to San Francisco
and the other cities named. The profits
OF this business are said to be quite
large, as high as S. 900 and $6 900 a year
having been made on comparatively
small patches of ground.
The next place OF note is the maenifi-
cent ranch OF Hammel & Denker. This
property, the Rodeo de las Aguas, COM
prlses 4, 900 acres of the very finest land
in the State of California. 1t stretches
OIL to the foothills, where the home
ranch may be seen cleaning through the
trees; The celebrated dairy, where the
best butter on the Coast is made. is eitu.
ated in the valley. The dairy COWS are
OF the finest imported stock. The
Messrs. Hammel d Denker have laid ont
the townsite of Morocco on q verv COM
prehensive plan, and doubtless it will be
heard OF to advantage in the immediate
future.
A WIND THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES HILLS.
Ex- United States Senator Coles place
was soon reached and passed and Pros
pect Park, the training grounds of the
Los Angeles Athletic Club, came into
view. Shortly thereafter the road enters
the hills back of Los Angeles, and winds
In and around until it stops at the
Sisters Hospital, its present terminus in
this city.
No Angelefo should deny himself the