Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-10
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES.

The Los Angeles HERALD is away Oft
when it says
Our esteemed contemporary, the Tribune, is
not noted for its accuracy in the topography OF
Southern California. Thus, in one of its
luminous editorials of yesterday on the sources
of lumber and fuel supplies for this region, 1t
says: 'In the six southern counties there is
comparatively little milling timber outside OF
San Bernardino and San Diego" Taken by 1t
SELF this is of those ca cdthedrd declarations
that look impressive at first sight; but little
further down its force, to those who know what
counties compose Southern California, is
greatly impaired by the statement that '.lmnedl-
ately on the north, in Kern, Iulare, Marlposa
and 1nyo counties, are vast bodies OF tmper,
and which will in time be made valuable" 1t
would probably puzzle the pundit OF the 1rt-
bune to make out the six southern counties
without including Kern in them. and II he mad
condescended to make his six counties eight,
Tulare and Inyo might very well be added
The six southern counties may be grouped as
San Diego. Orange, San Bernardino, Los Ange-
les, Ventura and Kern There is no comblna-
ton which would leave Kern out of the list as
it joins Los Angeles Immediately to the north
Typographical accuracy may not make TIMBER
grow, but it can at least locate some of the
growing timber in the six southern counties,
What is the matter with Santa Bar
bara as one OF the six southern coun-
ties? Surely if Los Angeles can claim
to be one, Santa Barbara can, for our
extreme northern line is nearly on an
exact parallel with the northern line of
Los Angeles county, and our county is
as much south of Kern as is Los An
geles. The HERALD man ought to get
new map, and learn that Ventura and
Santa Barbara counties lie west of Los
Angeles, not north of it. Santa Bar
bara Press.
We are perfectly aware OF the fact
that Santa Barbara county lies west of
Los Angeles, and we suggest to our con-
temporary that it would do well to ex-
anime an accurate map before it
makes the northern lines of Santa
Barbara and of Los Angeles
on the same parallel. In con-
sidering the remarks of the HERALD the
fact must be borne in mind that the
Tribune was trying to throw the timber
belt of Kern county out OF the six south
ern counties, while, as a matter OF fact,
Kern adjoins us immediately on the
north. The geographical distribution of
Southern California could not certainly
leave Kern out. In the legislative ap-
portionment it is joined with Ventura
in a legislative district. 1t is the next
county to the north of Los Angeles, and
the esteemed Tribune was classifying
counties to the north of us; and,
in its ridiculous classification, it
included Mariposa county, with an alb
surd ignoring OF the geography of South
ern California.
The creation OF the county of Orange
has delivered the old six southern coun-
ties to the limbo of things lost upon
earth. Our Santa Barbara contemporary
must bear the fact in mind that in the
squib commented upon by it we were
dismantling the Tribune'S geography,
and not giving our own conception OF
Southern California. Never for moment,
in such an allotment, would we consent
to part with our charming and incom-
parable neighbor, breathing all lowell
ness, in name and nature, Santa Bar
bara. In the extract quoted we simply
made an attempt to hold on to such
timber as fell to our lot. But we would
let every log go rather than surrender
our hold on that perfume-breathing spot
in which the Press is published. South
ern California, according to the HERALD's
geography, includes San Diego, San Ber-
nardino, Orange, Kern, Ventura, Santa
Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, and,
we would fain add, Fresno county.
These are the counties that will some
day form the sub-tropical state of South
California; and, amongst them all,
Santa Barbara, if not the first, is so dis
tinctively lovely and unique that she
need be at no concern as to her status.
The old term of the six counties has
been disorganized by the formation of
Orange county, and it never had any
special appropriateness.