Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-11

gality and profit, oransrs. limeA olivss
and raislna. But the trouble with manv
who como from the east is the expects
tion OF sudden wealth. That cannot BE-
secured, even In California, without toll
and trouble, but with toll and trouble
health and wealth can be won in this
country quicker than In any state In the
Union. This q my impression, after
careful observation and protfactcd In
quiry.
When you como to California you hear
wonderful stories Of fortunes made In
day by lucky land spectators. They
are not fairy tales. Millions have been
accumulated BY eastern enterprise and
thrift. While at the beautiful hotel,
Hotel del Coronado, the other night was
told the story Of that peninsula. II lies,
you know, just opposite San Diego. and
Is low desert tract Of perhaps five miles
in length. A and B came to this vicinity
full Of bounce and hustle. They bought
the peninsula for 100000. They then
staked IL out, planned the grandest hotel
In the world. the loveliest drives. the
most comfortable improvements. And
while they were loudly proclaiming what
they were going to do, they sold part Of
their purchase, plot BY plot, until three
million dollars worth was disposed Of,
and they had plenty left
hear Of c, who came to Los Angeles
and with little money bought fine
piece of land. He sold one lot, which
paid for all his property. Then he
bought and sold other land, and within
two years was q bloated millionaire. !
find these statements and many others
Of the kind to be gospel truth. But
whilc they will tell you how well A, B
and G made out, they make no mention
of how d, E and F got along. l know
them and can give you their experiences.
d, for instance, was New York man
In business. Things were easy with him,
but he caught the California fever, and,
picking up stakes, no journeyed to Los
Angeles 1t was before the boom. He
bought land, held 1t awhile and sold it at
a very trifling profit. He returned to the
east and while at home heard that the
man to whom he had sold had soldagain
at profit of 100000. So back he
rushed. This time he brought his wife,
and together they purchased plot near
Pasadena for $1,000 and put up house
costing S3,00O That was the extent Of
DIS pile. He might have sold soon after
for SO. 900, but he wasn't going to repeat
the mistake of his first venture. so he
held on. The boom came and went, and
today he cannot sell at any price. There
is no business at Pasadena. It is a charm
ing place, but like summer resort;
therefore d and his wife are almost
stranded. They sent to an acquaintance,
Frank Loring, Boston man who lives
at Santa Barbara, and wanted to borrow
81 800 on the property to pay taxes, as
sessments, etc. He consulted the bank
about it, and they reported that improve
ments counted for nothing; they valued
the land only at what II would bring at
farm prices; 81 500 was too large loan
by half. Today d is driving an ice cart
in Los Angeles, and his wife has job
running the mail wagon from Monrovia
to settlement among the foothills. Dur
ing chilly mornings she appears in a
handsome sealskin dolman, relic Of
past greatness. The people think she is
eccentric. But she isn't; Dand his wife
are simply working hard to get enough
to go back east.
Then there is E and F, Of Santa Bar
bara When the railroad was near
ing that exquisitive little place T. and F
felt the effects of the boom caused by
that circumstance. Just how the rail
road would help Santa Barbara no one
stopped to consider. Enough that land
was going up. E and F didn't have
much money. They were merely indus
trious New York clerks; but between
them they had 81 400 in cash which they
wanted to increase, and they listened to
the voice Of the siren in the person
Of real estate agent. He showed
them two lots for 500 each
"worth double the money" True they
were on the side of steep hill, but the
persuasive agent showed them how the
value was greatly increased by that
fact Excavations already done!" he
exclaimed. splendid cellar in the rear
actually made" So they bought. and
owing to that natural cellar, which they
banked on, they held the lots at 1900
each, and asked the agent to sell them.
But he counseled going to another agent,
as it wouldn't look well to have him
selling and reselling, etc., etc. They
did so. and, taking agent Nc. 9 to tho
lots, descanted on the fine cellar"
"Fine be -" exploded the real es-
tate man, who was of the earth earthly,
"those lots amt worth $3.50 each" And
they are not.
So you see all is not gold that glitters
even here Still, California is a really
wonderful state. 1t has a marvellous
climate, and there is good fortune in
store for those ready to tickle it's mag
niticent soil. FREDERICK w. WHITE.