Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-20
The First.Street Cut.

The First.Street Gut.
EDTToRs HaRALD-In the peoples col
ann, in your issue OF the 10th inst, L
notice an article headed "First Street or
Sixth Street, Which," in which the
writer claims that it is necessary to cut
town the streets running west over the
hills, to grade of one foot in twenty-five
feet, to make it easy and convenient Tor
the Thousand people who, he says, are
living west OF Pearl street and north OF
Second street, to enter the business por-
ton of the city. This act would seem
very harmless on the face OF 1t, and
while sympathize with the sutferers OF
the West End, l cannot help looking
into the matter a little closer, when L
readily see that such thing could not
b. lone without doing great injustice to
a great number Of people, and also de-
stroying the value OF that portion Of the
hill property to be cut down. There is
already an easy grade street in existence,
as one can readily observe by examining
the city map. That district above re-
ferred lowest of Pearl and north of
Second street-can very easily be
reached by Bellevue auenue, which
has an easy grade, comes within
q hundred feet of Temple street,
one block west of Figueroa, tapping the
section referred to. OF course, Bellevue
avenue does not enter the heart of the
now business center as Temple and First
streets do; but it cannot be denied that
it enters the center of the city, and near
where the street car system centers, and
from which point one can connect and
go to all quarters of the city easier than
from any other point. Now, If the as
sertion of the west-ender holds good--if
trade will seek him-then we want him
to come down Bellevue avenue, and
thereby prevent trade from going to
Seventh street con gallop," as he
says. We have, from the Plaza to First
street, as everyone knows, net only good,
broad streets, but good business blocks,
and all the level ground required for
business OF every kind without cutting
down the hills for that purpose, as some
seem to think necessary. 1t would
seem that these westenders did
not, at one time, deem it such a
great hardship to do little climbing.
otherwise they would have settled in the
valley, where such task would have
been avoided, for they could not have
expected that these hills so desirable and
ornamental to our city would be de-
stroyed for their especial benefit. That
they should complain Of one foot in
eleven, and even better than that, as we
know can be procured, and which is as
good, if not better, than what they have
at their west end, is not surprising.
While l am not in favor Of an individ-
ual standing in the way Of an improve
ment by which great many would be
benefited, do claim that individuals
have rights that must be respected. If a
necessity existed which could not be re-
lieved without sacrificing the hills, l
then would say, down with the hills.
But here the district described has
streets, with easy traffic grade, leading
to both ends of the now business
portion of the city, not two
blocks at either end from the
very heart of the business portion.
Where, then, comes in the great neces-
sity to destroy that for which Chicago
and other Eastern cities would gladly
pay millions to possess? While [ ac-
knowledge that settlements like the one
in question, have an influence in estab
fishing trade centers, there are other fac
tors much more potent in establishing
the place OF traffic.
Taking into consideration a portion of
Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles,
with its large population directly tribu-
tary to the northern end of the business
portion of the city, the question presses
itself upon me, is it not the Mongolian
race, more than any other influence,
which has destroyed trade at that end of
the town and prevented it's growth north
ward? Is it not time that this objec-
tionable element, which is eating like a
cancer into what was once the best and
most valuable part OF our city, should be
removed, and that beautiful spot-the
Plaza-which has been kept up at great
expense to the tax-payers for the benefit
and pleasure of this degraded race, be
once more handed over to civilization.
CITIZEN.