Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-01
THURSDAY. JANUARY 1. 1891.
HAPPY NEW YEAR-AND wHYq

The new year opens on Los Angeles
with every promise OF twelvemonth OF
unprecedented prosperity. We have
NO reference to any hectic booms-to any
pyrotechnic movements in the real es-
tate market. All the conditions exist
here in remarkable degree for growth
and progress in all lines. We have all
the resources of most growing cities,
and many that no other city has. Los
Angeles and Southern California are un-
der no necessity of begging the question.
No phase OF prosperity and development
is closed to her, and that fact can be
demonstrated.
Geographically, she has whole conti-
nent behind her. From San Pedro or
Santa Monica to Galveston is the Short
est line from tide water to tidewater on
the American continent within the linn
its of the United States. 1t is scarcely
more than half the distance between
San Francisco and New York, via the
Central and Southern Pacific rail-
ways. The vast back country
of Los Angeles is certain to
fill up with an enterprising and
go-ahead population during the next de-
cade. This region is particularly rich in
minerals, and in variety of the base and
precious metals no equal extent OF terri
tory on the globe surpasses it. This
will naturally, in the not distant future,
make Los Angeles great smelling and
manufacturing center. The only thing
that has prevented our already becom-
ing one is the fact that fuel has hitherto
been quite high. AS we are practically
on the seaboard, this difficulty will not
exist long. The cheap Goals OF Alaska
will soon be laid down here at reason
able cost. In addition. the extension Of
the Phoebe branch of the Union Pacific
will soon reach Los Angeles, giving us
another transcontinental railroad and
assuring us the cheap and excellent coal
of southwestern Utah. In order to make
assurance doubly sure. the extensive de-
posits of petroleum in Los Angeles,
Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
guarantee when they shall be exploited,
an abundance of natural gas, which
has no superior as a fuel. Experts
from Pittsburg and other centers OF
natural gas have had no hesitation in
saying that this is as good country for
gas as any on the continent. Any one
who chooses to drive out Temple street
to the Cahuenga will find frequent evil
dences OF the presence of this valuable
fuel.
Not only is the geographical position
of Los Angeles such as to insure her
greatness, but her railway advantages
are incomparably ahead OF any other
point on the Pacific coast. We enjoy
the facilities of the Central Pacific rail
way as fully as San Francisco, and we
can ship by that route, via Lathrop and
Sacramento, utterly without regard to
the Bay City. That makes one trans
continental route that is as fully ours as
hers. Then we have the Sunset route
to New Orleans, with line of steamers
connecting with New York. That is
distinctively our own transcontinental
line. Then we have the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe, which
means also the facilities of the
Atlantic and Pacific and st. Louis and
San Francisco railways, as the Sunset
route involves all the advantages of
connection with the Texas Pacific rail-
way. To crown transcontinental rail
way situation absolutely withouta a rival,
we have an interior road connecting us
with San Francisco, coast road which
will soon be built to the Bay City, and
local railways that fairly gridiron the
country in every direction. Let anyone
study up the map of the local railways
of the county OF Los Angeles, and he
will be fairly amazed at the complexity
and extent OF our local railway system,
to which the Southern California road
has lately added its splendid Belt line.
Not only have we a perfect trans
continental and local railway system.
but we have an admirable cable
one as well. In this respect Los
Angeles is not surpassed by over half
q dozen cities in the United States.
We owe this great impro vement to Chi
cago capital. The capacity of our power
houses is only third or fourth in the
United States. On the top of this we
have the Belt Electric roads, which are
lust about to be laid down on the most
improved methods in vogue. When
this system shall be completed, no city in
the world will surpass Los Angeles for
local transit, and few will even approach
her.
A fine stretch Of seacoast, with the
harbor OF San Pedro, and number OF
good roadsteads that can readily be con-
yerted into serviceable harbors, make
the advantages of Los Angeles with re-
srect to commerce Of the snperlative or
der. tt
Under such circumstances, why should
not the denizens Of the richest valley in