Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-11
SLOWING UP.
The Exodus to San Fernando
Rapidly Diminishing.
A Herald" Reporters Trip
Up the Road Above TropicO.
Two Lawyers Have Cooling Effect
on the Squatters.
The verdugo Man Returns With His
The verdugo Man Returns With His
ArdOr Diminished = Many Squat
ters Still the Ground-Mr.
Groves Office Not Crowded.

The headquarters of the company
formed for the purpose of taking pos
session of part of the Lankershim
ranch did not present such an animated
spectacle yesterday. There were few
men about, and Mr.. Grove himself was
absent good part of the day.
A HERALD reporter took trip up the
San Fernando road to place few
miles above Tropico, but the procession
that had been moving in the same di-
rection the day before was no longer
visible. On the contrary, the old fellow
from Verdugo, who had been seen going
out there the previous day, was encoun-
tered on the return trip. On being
hailed he stopped and in reply to a
question, he squinted up his left eye,
cleared his throat and remarked:
"Wal, yes, Pm goin' back home. l
could have taken up claim, l 'spose :,
but I'd had to live on it for five years,
and then 1 wouldn't a had bit O.
paper to show for it, and the
best CLAIMS were all taken up
out there anyway. l might a-stayed if
l could a-had one o-them claims on level
ground. There's right smart lot O.
people there, though, and they look as
If they meant to stay. Nobody is in
terferin' with the folks, but somehow
they amt feeiin' SO brisk today as they
were Yesterday. There was two fellows
around the place when L came away
10 lya, oh w
ever they stopped and talked to fellow
he always looked as if he'd heard his
mother was dead, or somethin', when
they was gone. No, don't know who
they were or what they said. Well,
good bye to you."
The reporter proceeded further up the
road, and presently encountered the two
gentlemen sin plug hats and black
coats" according to the old granger's
story. They were driving pair of fine
looking bays attached to a neat buggy.
The horses becoming frightened at the
reporters bicycle compelled both parties
to stop, and the reporter had an oppor-
tunity to talk with the elder of the
two men. Both of them we're strangers
to the reporter and politely declined to
give their names, stating that they had
no possible connection with the affair,
as they were comparative strangers in
this part OF the country, and having
heard of the stampede to the new claims
had stopped there out of curiosity on
| their way down. "We are attorneys"
said the elder man, "and we are we'll ac-
| quainted with the state laws relative to
land claims, consequently, when we saw
| a lot of people deluding themselves into
the belief that they had struck some
thing rich, we thought the sooner they
were undeceived the better it would be
for them. We freely told the people who
seemed the most intelligent, that they
had not the ghost of a show, but, OF
course, they took our action as an un-
warrantable interference, and declared
their intention of staying. When they
are finally undeceiyed, however, the
shock will not be so great as it would be
if we had not prepared them for it in
measure"
"You see" said the younger man {,
'.the case is just this: If the land is
government land, which is certainly i'm
probable; when the case comes up in
the courts it is liable to be thrown out
at once unless the government takes a
hand in it. There was a case few
years ago where lawyer named W. d.
Gould discovered that some government
land had been unlawfully annexed to
the Rosecrans ranch, and a company
was formed to take possession. In the
courts the Judge took the ground that
the fact OF the Rosecrans theft did not
justify the seizure of the land by other
parties. The fact that a man had a
stolen horse in his possession would not
justify any other man except the owner
&c 1o -,
the case of the land, the proper parties
to move would be the representatives oi
the government, and if they failed to
act no one else could. The case would
be the same here as at the Rosecrans
allowing that the land really is govern
ment land, which is not yet proven"
"Were there many people on the
ground" asked the reporter.
"Yes, the level ground was pretty well
taken up" was the reply, land if am
not mistaken there have been TWO
grocery stores started there. No, oul
names need not be mixed up in the mnt
ter. We are from the north and are
down here looking after some property
in this county owned by San Francisco
people. We don't care to have oul
names mentioned by the papers. Good
day." and the two disinterested attor
neys drove off toward Los Angeles.
Several other parties were encountered
driving into town, and gave similar re
ports as to the number OF people on tn,
! grounds. The enthusiasm of the settler
seems to have cooled somewhat, and ;
slight feeling of uneasiness has taken it,
place, which the visit of the two un
known parties mentioned has don,
much to encourage, on portion OF th'
territory at any rate.
Today it will be in order for the It'd
to turn, and for Mr.. Grove to have his
hands full in explaining matters to th,
hundreds of people who have paid hin
$15 each and who will now begin t,
wonder what they got for their money