Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-12-22
vANDALs SPARE THAT HILL.
That is what a Resfdent Says to
the Council About Fort Hill.

tne COUNCIL hWOWb Olb
EDITORS HRRALD-Will you kindly
afford a place in your columns for an
earnest protest from an ardent admirer
Of the natural beauties and surroundings
of our lovely city against the efforts now
being made by the City Council to de-
stroy our most beautiful landmark
grand, historic old Fort Hill, that most
commanding point, of easy access-to
which our residents have go long been
accustomed to take their friends and
visiting strangers, from which to- point
out the glorious surroundings OF our city.
In making this protest I give voice to
the many hearts that earnestly endorse
the Mayors recent veto of the City
Councils proposed action. This hill is q
commanding vantage point, for which
our rich eastern sister cities would gladly
give MANY millions could they trans
plant it to their homes. Yet incredible
as it seems it has actually bsen proposed
to virtually destroy and cut it down. No
wonder that our Mayor in horror
vetoes such a vsndal scheme,
for if it should be carried out, the mass
of our citizens would exclaim against
such barbarous destruction of their old
historic hill, the site Of the oldest and
perhaps only fort in California, built by
the American army, in their conquest Of
the country. Should this thing be al
lowed, when too late. all would deplore
its useless sacrifice. So the heart of
every real lover of our beautiful city
joins with the Mayor in his protest and
pleads for the preservation Of our grand
and only historic monument. As the
Mayor wisely suggests the construction
of tunnel through the hill would
answer every demand of traffic and cost
very much less than the destructive
scheme of the Council, and thus leave
our loved land mark unharmed. Here
also we would offer suggestion, by
which it's preservation would be bless
ing and a Joy forever to our citizens. Let
the plateau on its summit be converted
into small but lovely city park. That
portion bounded by Fort, CASTELAR, and
Rock streets and the bluff is owned by the
city, with the exception o.. Mrs. Banning g
lots and two lots fronting on Rock street.
I hear that these lots can be bought.
Let the city purchase them, and with
she money which would be saved BY
adopting the tunnel plan, as suggested
by the Mayor, the city could on this plat
lay out lovely little park, which would
prove joy forever to our citizens and
give us lovely beauty spot to which we
could with pride take our visitors to show
them the variety and beauty of our semi
tropic shrubbery, and also point out the
surrounding beauties and grand possibil-
tiles Of our favored city; also let the
hill's historic fame forever live in the
name of the Old Fort park. Surely
every thinking heart will endorse this
project in preference to the proposed
vandal destruction of the hill. Its ruin
once effected can never be repaired.
Heed this protest and our children's 3
children will bless us for preserving this
historic site as Old Fort park-a small,
but lovely breathing spot, above the
crowd and rush OF our busy business
mart. So, with most anxious hearts we
urge our earnest plea-not "Woodman
spare that tree"-but vandals spare that
hill. PLEADA.