Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-31
HERALD reporter :

AAhRhbO AOpSAeO
"HERALD's" ACCOUNT. |
As char ce would have
it, but one single large
vessel was in sight from
the bluff, the Santa Ro-
ga, which lay at anchorl
in deep water outsideI
the channel. Senator
Frye, who, as he is
Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Com
merce, ia one of thel
most influential men in
that body and the one |
VINO would be mostl
likely to influence leg
islation for or against
appropriations for theI
harbor, stepped forward
to the edge of the bluff |
where General Briefly
WAS holuing open the
map, and began to ask
some questions.
Where are all your
ships?" said he. II was
given to understand
that there was some
thing Of a harbor here
as 1t is, and that o great
deal of traffic was car
ried on through here,
although under unfa-
vorable conditions"
"At this season of the
year, answered Gen.
eral Briefly, "the con-
ditions are especially
unfavorable. and as no
work, either dredging
or anything else, has
been done for somt
time, they have beeI
growing steadily worse.
Never in all my expert
ence since San Pedro
has been a harbor have
l seen it so bare of yes.
sells as it is today"
Several others OF
those present corrOb.
GRATED this statement.
Major Jones said that
there were plenty of fig
ures which could be
easily supplied, and
which would show very
plainly that an i'm.
mense amount OF traffic
had passed through this
harbor in the last two
or three years.
"Well, let me look at
this map" said the Sen
ator, and General Bri
erly spread it out before
him. The 9th ers formed
= group around, Sena-
tor Stanford standing to
the left of Frye, and
Mr.Curtis, of the South
ern Pacific, directly be-
hind. "Rattlesnake isl
and aud Dead Mans
island" read the Maine
statesman aloud. what
namesl 1t is enough to
rcare an ordinary sea-
faring man to death to
come into such 6
place. "
at that is all the
trouble with the plan,
said Senator Stanford,
"just let us have the
needed appropriations
and we will change the
names to anything that
you like"
General Briefly then
explained what 1t was
proposed the Govern.
ment should do. The
Maine Senator asked a
few questions. suca as
were necessary to in.
sure his perfect under
standing of the plan.
The Senator he's a plain,
blunt way of expressing
himself, and does not
hesitate to speak out
what he thinks. In the
course of the year q
number of different
members of the Senate
and the House of Rem
resentatives have Wis
tied the harbor, and, as
a rule, they have in
dulged in pleasant gen.
eralties, evidently de
sirous Of not saying any
thing which should of.
fend the people of this
section. 1t is very diff
ferent with Mr.. Frye.
WELL" he said, "as
near as l can make ont,
you propose to ask the
Government to create q
harbor for yo1 almos;
ont of the woole cloth.
The Lord has not gwen
you much to start with
that is certain"
''In defaultof a friend
in Providence" said
Secretary Higgins, I'VE
call upon Congress. "
"WheIe L. the money
to come from for this
stupendous undertak-
ing?" asked the Sena
tor.
"Out of that surplus
which needs to be re-
duced," said General
Briefly.
"How much will it
cost, do you estimator"
-Four or five millisns
OF dollars," was the an
swer.
Are you sure that
your whole country is
worth that much?" ask.
I'd the Senator in a
tone OF voice which left
his hearers Q little in
doubt rs to whether he
was joking or not.
As the HERALD !
day, it gives it greaI
that Senator Frye's
jocular, and We are
cept his own interpr'
was only, however,
had interposed with