Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-05

reduced rates over any other method.
As luck would have it, the Panamint
mines did not fulfill expectations, though
at that time the Osrro Cordo mines 10
Inyo county were yielding immense guam
titles of mixed lead and silver bullion,
which were freighted to Los Angeles by
Nadeau's mules and afterwards shipped
from San Pedro to San Francisco.
If Jones' railway had been carried out
as he projected it, it would undoubtedly
have given great impetus to the devel-
opment of the mines of that section.
Panamint, however, ''petered" out, and
in few years the grade of ores at the
Cerro Gordo mines had fallen to such
low bullion average that itno longer paid
the Messrs. Beaudry and Belshaw to ex-
tract them.
THE Los ANGELES & INDEPENDENCE
RAILWAY.
However, that was later develop.
ment, and the building of the Los An
geles & Independence Railway proceede d
quite merrily. There was at that time in
Los Angeles young and popular
engineer named Joseph U. Crawford,
who rejoiced in the prefix of Colonel" :"
probably given him by his friends and
admirers in recognition of his dash and
genial ways. "Joe," as his numerous
friends delighted to call him, had been,
we believe, a subaltern officer in the
Union army during the war, although
almost too young to have figured extern
sively in that contest. He had been sent
out to San Diego by Col. Tom Scott in
1872 to act as chief of one of the survey
ing parties to locate practicable line for
the Texas Pacific Railway. The writer
first met him there. The panic of 1873
nearly wrecked Scott, wholly wrecked
the Texas Pacific and left Crawford with
ont job. He therefore hied him to Los
Angeles in search of fortune and fame,
made Senator Jones's acquaintance, ana
impressed that genial millionaire with
the idea that he had got the right man to
build his road. Crawford was a man of
energy and intelligence; and if the Sem
ator ever wavered in his own mind as to
the desirability Of going on with his pro-
lject, the ever ready eloquence of Col.
Joseph U. doubtless contributed to steady
him.
Grading parties were at once placed on
the road between Los Angeles and Santa
Monica, and work was begun on the tun-
mel which was to pierce the Cajon Pass.
Jones had representative after his own
heart, or temperament, at least. No ex-
pense was spared and, in remarkably
short space OF time, the road between the
"City by the Sea-" as it was dubbed by
Hon. Tom Fitch, and the City of the An
gels, was graded, the rails laid and tied,
Everything equipped for business. and a
wharf built out to deep water.
THE sILvER-ToNGUED APPEARED.
| n,ifa nh haf
opened to Los Angeles, however, a-town-
site was laid out at Santa Monica under
the supervision of Hon. Tom Fitch, and
an auction sale OF lots was extensively
advertised to be held sometime early in
in July, 1875. The writer was on the
steamer which brought the esilver-tongued
orator from San Francisco to the spick,
Ispsn and new Santa Monica wharf. On
of the instantaneous growth of the charm
vanized an Egyptian mummy into life
Iof the grave to buy lot or
two. He predicted that Santa
Monica would have three thousand in
habitants before the lapse of twelve
month. The scribe, though having
great faith in the place, wagered suit
of clothes with the enthusiastic town.
maker that it wouldn't. The Hon. j. de
Barth Shorb, who was present, also tried
to get in bet on the same terms, but
the silver-tongued drew the line at one
wager. He might Just as we'll have
made it two, for that suit is still in the
tailor shop, although the three thousand
failed 10 materialize.
| he sale waG q rOl1ninu ona Monu of
our most prominent citizens saw that
there was everything at Santa Monica to
make beautiful and prosperous seaside
resort. The figures realized were large
then, but they would be looked upon as
very small now. Those who bought at
this auction, and who have kept their
purchases through all the mutations of
the town, have realized very hand
some interest on their investment, al
though there were years in which Santa
Monica lots almost went a-begging.
There were gay times in Santa Monica
in those days-far gayer than there have
ever been known in Los Angeles county
since. Not even in the height of the
late boom was there any approach to the
lavishness of personal expenditures that
characterized the first days of this
delightful seaside resort. The Hon.
Tom Fitch built himself pretty cottage
there, and lived in it with his wife and
family for some years. His eloquent
pen and tongue were untiring in con-
tributing to the boom. The old Santa
Monica Hotel-the one burned down the
other day-witnessed many gay and
festive scene. One could scarcely look
at an acquaintance without being in
vited to help drink bottle of extra dry
Mumm or Roederer. Excursions and
tournaments were the order of the dav,
especially on Sunday, when thousands
would go down to the beach. Colonel
Crawford was great believer in
printers ink, and he made that
department of the road pay splendidly.
DE knew how to throw out sprat
to catch whale, and he had the art of
advertising down to fine point. For g
time it almost looked as if Fitch's pre-
diction would be fulfilled, so rapid was
the growth of the place. Cottages, hotels
and stores sprang up as if by magic.
A woEFUL CHANGE.
But soon change came over the spirit
OF the dreams, not only of the people of
Santa Monica and Los Angeles, but of
Californians generally. The bank of Cal
ltornia failed in San Francisco, followed
by the failure of the Bank of Temple &
Workman in Los Angeles. Money be-
came tight. Panamint mines failed to
show good results, and Senator Jones did