Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-19
A WALL FROM OUR BACK COUNTRY" !"

Francisco papers.
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WALL FROM OUR BACK COUNTRY
Amongst the other regions naturally
tributary to the present metropolis OF
Southern California, which is perhaps
the future metropolis of the Pacific
coast-it is scarcely necessary to say
that we mean Los Angeles-are San
Diego and her beautiful harbor: The
HERALD has never attempted to under
value either of these propositions. We
are glad to have them near US, and shall
chronicle their advances with pride, and
with that degree of.cordiality which re-
suits from neighborly feeling and the
certainty that their growth will result
in the advancement of Los Angeles and
all Southern California.
1t is true that San Diego has harbor
whose beauty almost rivals that OF the
Bay of Naples. 1t fulfills all the condi-
tions of that ''irridescent dream" which
Bob Ingersoll applied to purity in poll
tics. But dreamland and the prosaic
nineteenth century are really strangers.
They scarcely speak as they pass by.
Quite forty years ago people loeat-
ed lots in Oldtown and Middle
town in the confident belief that
q great city was soon to spring
up on the borders of that ex-
quisite bay. Many of these devout
believers have paid taxes on their lots
in Middletown from 1850 to this year OF
grace, 1891. In Middletown the records
of San Diego county will show the name
of nearly every distinguished officer
who afterwards served either in the fed
eral or confederate armies as purchasers
of lots. They were inspired with the
faith that afterwards energized the indie
fatigable A. E. Horton, the creator of
Newtown-the present San Diego-and
the Kimball Brothers, the energetic
founders of National City. They
passed by Los Angeles, which they did
not deem worthy of any attention, to
concentrate their investments on
beautiful bay, which possesses the de-
lightful climate which characterizes
Southern California from Point Concep-
cion southwark.
And yet, to the surprise OF these gen.
tlemen, Los Angeles has forged steadily
forward to the position of the second
city on the Pacific coast. According to
Mr.. Robert P. Porter's census, one has
to 90 as far east as Denver to encounter
city ss populous or as wealthy as the
city of Los Angeles. There are to-day
in the six square miles which comprise
Los Angeles as many handsome resi-
dences as are to be found in the great
and orllent Golden Gate.
OF course, there must be cause or
causes for such state of things. For
tunately we have not got to 60 far for
solution of the problem.
When Colonel Thomas A. Scott was
in the heyday of his power, and had
concentrated all his splendid executive
abilities on pushing the Texas Pacific
railway to completion. he came out to
Southern California and looked over the
situation for himself. He was accom-
panied by Senator John Sherman, Gov
ernor Throckmorton of Texas, Colonel
John w. Forney, and many other distin-
guished gentlemen. He spent some
time both in Los Angeles and San Diego,
and he and his companions were dined
and wined in both cities. He put sew
eral parties of engineers in the field.
One of them, under the charge of Mr..
Reno, surveyed route to Yuma by the
San Gorgonio pass. Another, under the
direction of Colonel Joseph U. Crawford,
ran the lines of the direct route over the
formidable range of mountains which
were traversed by the old stage
route. Still another party traced
line through Warmers pass. When all
the surveys were in, Colonel Scott an
nounced his preference for the San Cor
gonio route, and founded his decision on
the fact that it was commercially the
shortest.
Here was undoubtedly an unbiased
judgment. San Diego had given him
everything he asked in the way of lands
and depot sites. Los Angeles had given
him nothing. On the contrary. it had
just carried a subsidy in favor OF his
great rivals, the magnates OF the South
ern and Central Pacific roads. Every
personal feeling was, therefore, in favor
of his deciding in favor of San Diego.
OF course the decision in favor of the
San Gorgonio route meant Los Angeles,
as that charming valley, rather than
pase. debouches directly into this val
ley, as do, by their physical confgura-
tion, all the highly productive regions OF
Southern California. Railways take
cognizance of natural physical difficult
ties, expenses, construction and opera
tion, and they also have regard to the
amount of business which can be trans
acted at given point. These consider
ations, together with the entire feasi-