Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-24
Parks, Boulevards aud Prices Of
Property.

On the original plat of the town the mar
ket square was marked public square,"
and with the exception of Cemetery or
Shelley Park, which was afterwards set
aside for cemetery purposes, seems to
have fully satisfied all the ideas or aspira-
tions which the original founders of this
town had in relation to park system.
The only way in which this city can
acquire parks is to get come legislation on
the subject. The sooner that is done the
better. We are already city of lost
opportunities in this regard, and soon
will be on the "might-have-been" list
altogether. Omaha, st. Paul, Minneap-
oils and Denver are doing us up in this
line every day. 1t is not SO very long
ago that Bud. Evans, one of the Evans
heirs, offered the fine grove known as
the old fair grounds-nog Dundee place
to the city for park purposes for $400
per acre. The Dundee investment Com
pany, an aggregation OF long headed
Scotchmen, paid $5 ,00O per acre for it a
few wears afterwards, and now it is worth
5000 per foot, little matter of $50 900
per acre for the bare ground, and it is
covered with buildings at that. Itwould
take 81 900, 900 now to buy that tract of
ground with its improvements, which a
dozen short years ago could have been
purchased for $40, 900.
It is the same way with the old Gillis
farm, or rather that part of il which the
bows used to call "Wild Cat HILL" This
ground was 30 picturesque that every
body said it should be reserved for a
public park. 1t was offered to the city
for that purpose for $3.50 per acre. 1t is
now worth as much as Dundee Place,
and where the farm fronts on the South
west boulevard the ground is held at $500
per foot. So much for opportunities
already lost.
Now there are three things in this ex-
cerpt to set people to thinking.
mprimis-Here is loud complaint
from our contemporary in the city OF
many hills as to the sad lack of parks to
be deplored within her gates. In the
same article the beauty Of Cleveland and
her parks is expatiated on at great
length. Then the status of ST. Paul,
Minneapolis and Denver in this respect
is referred to, much to the discredit Of
the town of "lost opportunities" as the
Ners calls its own city. Changing the
names, the same discreditable com.
ments might be made with regard tc
our Angelic city. Indeed, some carping
critic OF hostile animus might be par
doned were he TO say that the term An.
gelic was a misnomer as applied to US.
The site of Los Angeles, set on her lovely
hills, is Angelic. The sunny skies and
balmy airs that smile and breathe upon
her are Angelic. But we seem to be en-
tirely too well pleased with what nature
has done on our behalf, and to be toe
little disposed to supplement her grand
efforts by few finishing touches of our
own. To be sure, We are much better
OF than Kansas City III this Iesp5ct-we
have grounds for parks, Sc. aside for that
purpose, and we have two very
prettily ornamented public squares
But all we have is much be.
low what the exigences of our case
require. Something should he done, ant
done soon, to improve the Elysian Park
the East Los Angeles Park and the West
Lake Park.
Then another feature Of this Kansas
City business tnat must set people tc
think is the advance scored in a dozer
years in the value OF certain lands. Here
is a parcel pressed upon the city at $4O(
per acre, sold few years after to enter
prising private parties for 5000 per
acre, and now worth 5000 per foot, OF
$4,000 acre. The whole tract could
have been purchased for $4,000, ant
now it is worth $4,000,000. Remem
ber this is for property which
hall a score Of years before was
on the very outskirts OF the town. 1
was used as farm. 1t is now within
the populous portion of the city ant
worth 5000 foot. Now, right here to
day there are weakened, faint.heartet
people, blind and doubling Thomases
who hesitate to pay 5000 foot for prop
erty within three blocks of the new Bry
SON Bonebrake block, on the corner O
Spring and Second streets. To be sure
there is momentary depression, a dull
ness, difficulty about selling anythip,
J at present. But is that to last
Well, not long. Things do no
move now by cycles, by centuries
by generations. AS matter of fact il
this western land things do not wait tt
move by years. We have to bring Gu
} calculations to the close range of months
if we are to be within call of the times
There is no telling the day when all thi
! hesitancy, all these doubts will pas
away. Let but one or two great enter
prises be begun, or let but few new peo
pie who have their eyes open, step int
the arena and begin to buy few piece
of property, and We shall set
} all the timid, too-wise people
who hang croaking around tn,
streets, literally falling over eacl
other again trying to see who will biz
the highest for anything put up. Their,
are few such people here now, and the,
are picking up no small number of bar
gains in quiet way. Their number viii
increase and then the people who pait
900 for lots in paper towns" on SOM
bleak hillside fifty miles from any place
and who to-day are afraid to pay 5000
foot for really central property, will en-
danger their limbs to emphasize thei
foolishness in some wild scheme of til,
new boom.