Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-26
MONDAY, AUGUST ae, 1859.
Traducing our section.


One A. A. Atkins pays his respects to
Los Angeles in two-column letter OF
detraction in the Utica New York; Sat
urdag Glote. We do not know who
Atkins is, or whether he is reality or
only a name. He is, however, not con-
fined to any narrow limits when he
enters the realm of fiction, but is as
boundless as the continent and as un-
scrupulous as an Apache. His letter is
written with the intention of repelling
emigration to Southern California, and
he very ingeniously endeavors to COM
pass this purpose by mortising a
little truth here and there with
q great amount of insidious and dam
aging Misrepresentation. He cites ex-
cessively high rents with great cost OF
living, as we'll as exorbitant prices for
land, as reasons why eastern people
should not think ofcoming here, although
he admits that we have beautiful and
attractive country and fine climate.
No one can truthfully assert that rents
are high here now. A few years ago,
during the great rush, rents were very
high, because there were not sufficient
houses to meet the demand. But since
then buildings have been erected in
great numbers, and as the demand is no
greater than the supply, those conditions
are now reversed and rents are very rea-
sonable here. When houses that cost from
three to five thousand dollars can be
rented for $25 month, no one can
truthfully say that rents are high. As
to the cost of living, we doubt whether
the markets of Utica can furnish any
single article of food cheaper than it can
be had here, and we know that in the
way of vegetables for the table they are
cheaper here than in any city east of the
Rockies.
Now let us see about the claim he puts
forth as to the eKorbitant price of our
lands. He says that "choice orange
bearing land is held at from $500 to $3.50
per acre, according to the location" "
Whoever knows anything about
the profits on orange culture,
would consider these figures very
low, especially if he implies land having
trees already upon it. Let US present a
little object lesson to this rash fault
finder. Mr.. Cooper has nine hundred
orange trees on his place in this valley.
For years he has realized between four
aud five thousand dollars for each crop.
There are about ten acres in his place.
Twenty-Five per cent. OF the gross pro.
ceeds would more than pay for all the
expenses of his orchard. Here, then, is
a net return of 5000 per acre year from
his place. Is land that is capable of
producing such returns dear at $3.50 per
acre? Is there land anywhere around
Utica that pays any such return?
But the general objection he makes to
our lands as high priced, outside OF those
suited to orange growing, will not hold
good in the face of the facts. Good grain
land can be had in San Fernando Valley
for from $50 to $75 per acre, Alfalfa
land that will produce six crops Of hay
year, the best dairy land in the world,
can be bought in the vicinity of Comp
ton for from 500 upward per acre. There
are lands and lands in Los Angeles
county, and they can be bought all the
way from few dollars an acre to $500.
If Atkins expects to get something for
nothing here, he will find that the peo-
pie of Los Angeles are not different from
the people of Utica, and will have to go
farther. The owners of lands here
know their value-that value is regu-
lated by the character and the capacity
Of their production, and when they sell
them they expect to get their worth.
But our Utican is not satisfied with
disparaging the material attractions of
our section; he claims that as health
resort it would be to draw it very mild
to say that it is entirely overrated. He
emphasizes his charge by saying that it
is suicidal for persons suffering from pull
monary diseases to come to Southern
California "for soon," says this learned
Theban, "they will find that their
case will assume an aggravated form
and their lives be materially shortened.
This is in the face of positive facts. There
are hundreds of people, now we'll and
strong, who came here broken down and
on the rapid road to death with con-
sumption. 1t is true that many who
come here after the disease has made
such inroads upon their constitutions
that they are beyond help, die.
They would have died anywhere,
even in Utica. That, however, is not
the fault of our climate, it is the fault of
their tardiness in seeking it. One fact
is we'll established. If the condition of
patient is such that he can recover
from disease at all, he will recover more
quickly and more certainly in our pure,
mild and sanitive climate than he will
elsewhere. This fact is recognized by all