Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-25

means, and laying it on his certain win
ner. But he doesn't do anything of the
kind. Neither does he sport what little
money he has in his pocket, when. you
come to find out. He only wanted just
SO much of the bonanza. a very small
portion. How kind of him am al
ways doubtful about those straight tips
and dead sure things.
Lucky Baldwin, l notice, is ready to
reap the benefit of the first rush of the
coming boom. It is pretty well known
that this distinguished gentleman owns
one of the biggest ranches in the world
in the San Gabriel valley, near Pasadena,
only a few miles from this city. 1t
contains $4,000 acres of what 10
said to be as good land as any in Cali
fornia for the raising of oranges or lem
ons, peaches, prunes, olives, figs, april
cots, English walnuts and all that class
of fruits, for which there is always
ready market. / don't know how much
Mr.. Baldwin paid for that ranch, but it
is evident he aims at selling it out for
between five and ten million dollars.
He has issued an advertisement in
which he proposes to subdivide the
ranch into tracts OF from 10 to 10000
acres, and the price he will ask will be
from $3.50 to 5000 per acre. Then, to
make it as smooth and easy as possible
for purchasers who have not unlimited
ready cash at command, he is willing to
accept payment in 20 per cent.
cash, and the balance in six years,
the supposition being that during those
six years the purchaser would be real
izing about $500 net profit per acre, Of
course, the fact that Mr.. Baldwin is
willing to sell out at good price does
not by any means prove that he looks
upon ranching in Southern California as
Improbable. On the contrary, if he
should find ready sale for the subdi-
visions of his ranch he would, in all
likelihood, invest the money in another
large slice of Southern California. in
order to sell it again at good profit
after improving and subsidividing it.
Healthy climate and fertile soil, to be
brief, are the two main attractions
which the Southern Californian is offer
ing to all the rest of the world, bar
China. To anyone who has lived even
few DAYS under the Southern California
sky and has had an opportunity to view
the fruit trees growing on any OF the
ranches hereabouts, there can be no
doubt of the reality OF both.
At every move you make, different
climate meets you, for you cannot 90
from one place to another in Southern
California without materially changing
your relationship to the mountains and
the sea. But everywhere the sky is
clear, the air is dry and pure, the tenn
perature is mild and agreeable, the sun
shines every day, and the rain comes
only when you want it. II an invalid
can't find his proper climate somewhere
in Southern California, he will have diff
ficulty in finding it elsewhere. This city
lies only two or three hundred feet
above sea level, but the Sierra Madre
mountains lie just outside our doors,
and within an hour or two by rail you
can, if you choose, be thousands of feet
skywards, just as high as you please.
There is at present project on loot and
in the hands OF practical men, looking
to the building of a railroad up to the
summit OF Mount Wilson, one of the
highest peaks in the Sierra Madre
range, and to the erection there OF an
observatory which, for altitude, equip
ment and everything else, will overtop
the great Lick observatory on Mount
Hamilton, which recently had such
narrow escape from destruction by fire.
ing we have the Arrowhead hot
springs with mud bath and all the
proper appurtenances within easy reach
The boomers say that the waters at Ar
rowhead are almost identical with those
at the famous Carlsbad springs in Eu-
rope.
/ cannot vouch for the accuracy OF
what | give on hearsay. When [ have
had more opportunities OF making per-
sonal Investigations, | may venture to
express an independent opinion. In the
meantime have no hesitation in ex-
pressing the opinion that Southern Cal
ifornia has a great future before her.
cannot help believing that the coming
boom will be a great and substantial
success. A town that within TWO or
three years after the explosion oi
a boom to which it al
most owed it's very existence,
can recover credit, pluck and second
wind, and start up another boom more
vigorous than the first, has life in it and
is bound to go forward. l never knew
local nor a territorial shibboleth that
had the power to unite the community
on one great business endeavor as the
words Southern California seem to unite
the people of these six counties. Such
earnestness, unity and determination
cannot fail to achieve great results, es-
pecally as the parties concerned are
willing to spend their money in their
enterprise, and as they have at least
good prima facie case to handle.
Los Angeles is going to be great
town. In some respects 1t is quite
notable already. 1t contains within its
borders more square miles than most of
the big cities of this country, or any
other. With population about one
thirtieth the size it has just about the
same extent of superficial area that the
city of New York has. Before Chicago
annexed the outlying states, Los An
geles was exactly co-extensive with
| Chicago. The city boundaries are SO
widespread, that when | started out in
a street car to explore them, it took me
two days-about half an hour day-to
90 from one side to the other. The
street car service is very good, both
electric and cable systems. But
then it is quite well-known that in
street railroads Southern California
has always led the world. Beyond the
| dozen blocks or SO of closely built solid
brick and stone buildings which consti-
tute the business part OF the town,
these cars run with safety at the rate oil
twenty miles an hour they are as rule
so far out of humanity's reach. At va
rious points along the routes OF these
railroads the passenger might get out,
and, standing amidst wide expanse OF