Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-13
WHAT SHE THINKS OF US.
Mrs. Bent Wilson's Ideas About
Los Angeles.
She Describes the City's Growth and
Its Prospects.
No Sign of n Collapsed Boom, But Evil
dences of q Healthy, Vigorous
Growth-The Wealth of Flow
ers-Her Impressions.

ers-Her Impressions.
MRS. Bent Wilson of Lafayette, Ind, who
was with the National Editorial association on
their visit to- this state last May has written an
account of the trip which fills brochure OF
76 pages. We copy from IL her eloquent and
poetic description of Los Angeles]
We have reached Los Angeles, the
"City of Angels" the metropolis of
Southern California and che second city
in size in the state. 1t is an important
railroad center, the two great transcon-
tinental railroad systems, the Santa Fe
and Southern Pacific, make Los Angeles
their joint terminal point for Southern
California travel. 1t is city of marvel
Gus energy and enterprise, and deserves
the popularity which makes it the most
desirable residence city in Southern
California. There are evidences every
where, not of collapsed boom as some
had imagined, but of healthy, vigorous
growth; it is growing and it will grow
more. The climate is almost perfection,
the surroundings enchanting, the pro-
ducts rich and manifold, in fact an ideal
place of residence.
Los Angeles has 1S banks, containing
| $12,000,000 in deposits, six parks. splen-
did electric lights, four distinct systems
OF water supply and costly public build
ipgs. Its business part is substantially
built, block after block of magnificent
buildings, costing from 500, 900 to $780,
600 each, two handsome opera houses
seating 1400 and 1000 respectively. The
school buildings ano churches of Los
| Angeles are splendid structures. Indeed,
the Californians pride themselves on
their magnificent school buildings and
churches. The city has splendid
streets, one hundred miles of graded
and paved streets, while it's street rail-
wav are exceptionally fine, consisting OF
one hundred miles of track, OF which
25 per cent. are cable and more
than 35 per cent electric. 1t has
many elegant and costly residences,
private palaces surrounded with flower
gardens of exquisite beauty.
The town was founded by twelve
Spanish soldiers, who named it The
town of the Queen of the Angels" The
original pueblo grant was made in 1881.
In 1880 it was still sleepy semi
Mexican town of IL 900 people whose
houses were mostly adobe. We visited
the quaint old Sonoratown and the old
Plaza Mission church. When the Santa
Fe line was extended westward Los
Angeles received All impetus, which
with its varied natural attractions has
made it beautiful modern city of co.
600 people, representing nearly every
nation of the world. 1t dates back but
a few years for it's rapid growth and is
cosmopolitan in every way, public spir-
tied aud full OF energy and enterprise
Centrally located as Los Angeles is, in
Southern California, its commercial in
terests extend into New Mexico, Arizona
and into Old Mexico. The lines of the
Santa Fe connect it with various seaside
resorts. 1t abounds in historic land
marks and is rich in cafion retreats
and hooks of interest. 1t lies
in the San Gabriel valley, which is 40
by 10 miles in area along the base of the
Sierra Madre mountains. The magnifi-
cent scenery of the serras, and; the
wonderfully equable climate have made
! Los Angeles prominent among the win
ter resorts of the world. 1t is the social
center of the tourist region, and accom-
modates its guests in magnificent hotels
and picturesque villas. Here thousands
yearly seek health, comfort and an ideal
life in this sunny land where rich flow
ers and fruits fill the gardens in mid
winter, from whose fragrant depths
the wild snow storms may be seen whirl-
ing and shimmering on the peaks OF the
sierras.
We we're guests OF Hotel Westminster
while there and the entertainment was
first class in every particular. Reach.
ing Los Angeles at O'Clock p. M we
were that evening received at the cham
ber of commerce where a magnificent
flower festival and public reception were
rendered US. During the evening fine
collation. was served. Here the city OF
Santa Barbara had sent us a princely
citizens of Santa Barbara had been very
desirous of entertaining US, but the com
mittee OF arrangements had been unable
to comply with their request. While
Los Angeles itself is city of flowers
still, as if to overwhelm us with fra
GRANGE and loveliness. their committee
sent to Santa Barbara for $50 worth oil
flowers. A telegram answered: "You
haven't wealth en- ough to buy our flow
ers, but we gladly send you carload with
our compliments to the eastern
editors" That is Californian hos
pitality. Just think of it, 1000 magnifi
cent boquets and 30 trays inlaid with
fine MOSES and filed with exquisite
cut flowers. Roses rare, LamaTque, La
France, cloth-of-gold and cloth of-ophir
here tray Of exquisite callas, there the
sweet faces OF innocent pansies, brilliant
carnations, sweet peas, fuchsias, pop
pies, verbenas, honeysuckles, geran.
iums, date blossoms and heliotrope II
it any wonder we regretted exceedingly
that we were unable to meet such peo
pie and see their wondrous gardens?
All of these in addition to the magnif
cent floral display made by Los Angeles
1t was festival of flowers worth goinl
across the continent to see. At the en-
trance to the building were beautifu
fan palms, and great jars filled with hun
drede OF Gala lillas, the stairways were
wound with garlands of flowers, while the
reception room was banked with flow
ers. Magnificent floral designs of every
color appearing here and there with the
elaborate display of fruits, mammoth
vegetables and cereals. This elaborate
display was made merry with music and
whole.souled cordiality. The fruits ant
nuts, they raise fine almonds and wal
nuts there, were thoroughly sampled
and were declared to be unequaled. II
was as fine an exhibit as we saw in the
state and one of which Los Angeles may
well be proud, for country that can
produce what we saw there howeth
with fruit and honey.
The next morning we were taken fol
drive over the city, it's limits embrac
inu Or ruuaro miles Of territory. aOnse