Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-05
OUR MAIL POUCH.
Tho Benefits of Boonls.

|
| To the Editor Of The Dispatch;
Your issue of to-day contains some items
concerning southern California. from a Mr..
| Lowther, which, while to some extent correct,
are in the main misleading and convey an i'm
preston to the reader entirely at variance with
| the facts. l have resided in California for
| about five years, in and near Los Angeles.
| That city is a fair type of Southern California,
| for its sole support may be considered as de-
| pending on the surrounding country, and con-
sequently rejecting the condition OF that re-
| gion. Mr.. Lowther will hardly deny that there
| are at least four times the number of inhabit-
ants in Los Angeles to-day that there were at
that time, neither will he deny that the wealth
of the city has enormously increased In pro-
portion. Then it was a semi-Mexican town OF
1900 to 20 900 inhabitants, with absolutely no
modern improvements. To-day we have 10 600
to $4,000 Inhabitants, electric lighting, cable
and electric roads, well-payed streets, with an
expensive sewerage under way; public build
ings, and what is of more Importance,
good credit. Our streets are lined with fine
business blocks, Many of them, it is true, in
the more remote parts of the city empty, but
most of them built since the boom subsidized,
with building continually going on. Our banks
and business concerns are no mean indicators
of the state of the public pulse.
Perhaps Mr.. Lowther will say how many of
the former have suspended or the latter col
III. y
capitalists TO build business blocks and sink
millions in cable and electric plants in city
that Is destined TO remain inert for SO long
period as he gentleman suggests. There are
many in Los Angeles who believe that the
capitalists have thought 1t to their advantage
to maintain the depression of the last two
years, SO that many of the mortgages entailed
by the abnormal condition of things, having
matured, and the parties being unable to meet
their Indebtedness foreclosure ensues ana
thus the property passes into their hands at
nominal figure. 1t is all very well to denounce
booms, and there IS no sane man but peileYes
that over-speculation Is disastrous TO some
people, but want to know what Los Angeles
or Southern California would have been to-
day without the boom, and if it is not TACT
that all Western cities and many Eastern are
built up by such means, and in far less
time than they could be otherwiseF.
during our boom that in all probability
would never have seen the place but for the
boom. If anyone is suffering from its effects it
is Southern Californians. and yet vote of Its
inhabitants to-day would go nine-tenths for an
other like it, the remaining tenth being a few
capitalists and men with conscientious scru-
PIES Many towns were plotted out in the coun-
try and much land sold that has resulted in loss
to the buyers. Many are now loaded with prop
erty that is unremunerative, but is IL not the
case in all business? Is it not an essential part
Of our present politico-economic systemf
Since the suppression of the white scale
which hurt Southern California worse than
any boom she has had or is likely to get-thou-
sands of acres of orange groves have been
planted. besides figs, olives, grapes. etc., and
much of this has been done by Eastern capital.
do not assume for a moment that business
there is not dull and has been for some time
past but we want to be presented in fair
light The question is, What were we before
the boom, what are we after the boom? The
future is entirely with ourselves. The going out
of one boom can no more affect the rapid prog
ress of Southern California than the decline of
natural gas supply can affect the progress of
Pittsburg. There are three elements of progress
sive strength in both places that makes it i'm
possible for anything more than temporary de-
preston. E. L. WOOD.
PITTSBURG, June 8.