Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-23
THE WORK OF PROGRESS = REDONDo
BEACH.

Few of the people OF Los Angeles are
aware of the great things that have been
under way at Redondo Beach for some
time past. They understood, in gen
eral way, that fine hotel was in process
1, of construction there, and that it would
be shortly opened. They also knew that
the Redondo Beach Company had con-
structed wharf to deep water, and that
considerable business was being done
through it's agency. But very few of our
people know that the hotel is already
receiving guests, that it is a marvel of
architectural beauty, and that often as
much as three hundred tons of freight a
day are landed over the Redondo wharf.
The formal opening of the hotel will
take place on the 1st and 2nd of May,
the event being spread over two days in
order to insure the comfort of those who
shall participate in the event. This will
avoid everything like a crush, and ena-
BILE visitors to inspect the hotel and its
appointments at their ease.
The Redondo Beach Company have,
as the public is aware, built railway
of their own, whose present terminus is
at this end of Agricultural Park. 1t
will be carried on to a junction with the
cable cars, on Jefferson street. At the
start some six trains will be run daily,
and this number will be increased as
occasion may require. This. in connec-
ton with the trains run by the Santa Fe
road, will give unusual facilities for
reaching the beach.
The growth of business at the Re
dondo wharf is something quite out OF
the common. Frequently as much as
three hundred tons a day are handled
at that point; and, where expedition is
desired, freight is often delivered in
Los Angeles within two hours after the
arrival of the steamer. The merchants
of this city were little distrustful of
the new road at first, but they have
gained confidence as they have seen the
results. As against San Pedro, this is
great saving of time. As against San
Diego, with the long rail trans-shipment
to interior points and to Los Angeles,
Redondo offers splendid advantages.
1t is not easy to eXaggerate the inn
portance of Redondo, or of the enter
prise which has been inaugurated there
by the Messrs. Ainsworth and Thomp-
son. There is well grounded belief
that this favored point will be ultimately
the terminus of great transcontinental
railway. There is nothing strained in
such an expectation. Vessels lie there
with as much security as in the Bay of
San Francisco. Monday night steamer
discharged freight at the wharf, and
yesterday the writer witnessed the ar
rival of another steamer, and the pro-
cess of discharging freight was as salts
factory as it could have been at
the wharves of the Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company at San Francisco. The
trend of the country and the outlying
islands guarantee placid waters at Re-
dondo at nearly all seasons of the year,
and at the time of greatest agitation of
the ocean there it is questionable if the
disturbance is as great as in the harbOr
of San Francisco itself at equivalent
seasons. When the fact is borne in
mind that from tidewater at Redondo
Beach to tidewater on the Atlantic is
the shortest distance on that portion OF
the American continent which is under
the dominion of the American flag, the
Importance Of the place from trans
continental point of view will be appre
ciated.
One of the attractive peculiarities of
the coast in Los Angeles county is the
luxuriance of vegetation down to the
very water line. The spontaneous
grasses of the country mantle to the
waters edge. This admits of beautify
ing the townsite in an incredibly short
space Of time. The Redondo company
have been wise enough to engage perhaps
the best gardener in California to beau
tify their grounds, which will be orna-
mental on a superb scale. Amongst the
other things that will enter into this
programme will be forty thousand rose
trees. Other flowers and shrubs will
be set out with equal profusion. The
conformation of the ground is such as to
admit OF unusually gratifying results IN
the line OF floral and arboral ornamental
ton. When the town shall have reached
an age of four or five years it will be
sight to see.
We think we strain nothing when we
instance the carrying out OF such
project as an evidence that the spirit of
progress is abroad in Los Angeles. The
Messrs. Ainsworth and Thompson have
been the apostles of development in
Oregon and Washington. All their
plans have been signalized by con-
spicuous success, enriching themselves
and benefting the countries with which
they have identified themselves. They
purchased their interests at Redondo
Beach in the very darkest hour Of the