St. Landry democrat., 1892-05-28
Editorial Correspondence
Los ANGELES, May Is, 1892.


y have, to great extent, become wei
known to a majority Of the intellgel
e people of the United States. Yet, VIII
vague impression do these descril
tons convey OF the wonderful reality
1t IS no wonder that our people at hon
regard the description of California an
: It's products given by returned trave
ers as " fish Stories" And yet the ha
has not been told
Yesterday after visiting San Dieg
and the great Coronado hotel, we arriv
ed from Redlands and Riverside in Lc
Angeles, the wonderful city of til
Southwest, the second city of the Stat
> and the commercial metropolis q
Southern California, city which ha
grown with the rapidity of Jonah
gourd, and is still growing. In 1880 Lo
Angeles was a sleepy, semiMexica
pucblo of 1l,0O0 people, Its housse
were mostly of ddobc, or sun-drie'
brick, its streets were unpaved, and fey
even graded, its Chief commerce wa
confined to wool and hides. Even il
1883 there had been little Improvement
But shortly thereafter the Santa F,
railroad reached Los Angeles, in com
petition with the Southern Pacific, peo
pie began to awaken to the wonderful
resources of this section and a marvel
Gus transformation commenced.
The population of Los Angeles, h,
the census of 1890, was over 10000
There are IN the city, in round figures
W miles OF graded and graveied streets
~ miles OF paved streets, and so miles
OF cement sidewalks. Most of the street
paving is of asplaltum. An internal
sewer system, for which S374,OOO was
voted in 1890, is about completed. The
value of buildings erected within the
past ten years-and mainly within the
past tive is no less than S29,00O,0OO, in
Guiding a S500,00O courthouse, a $780,
4Q city ball. and a number of handsome
tour, fve and six-story blocks, costing
from 100000 to 100000 each.
There are four distinct systems of
water supply. For nearly ten years the
city. has been lighted entirely by cleo
trlclty, there being $50 electric lamps Oh
hlgl masfs, with an aggregate candle
power OF 200. Seen by night, from
one OF the bills which align the business
sections on the west, these lamps give
! the city a fairy like appearance. The
two handsome theatres seat 14OO and
1000 respectively. A large pavilion,
where fairs, fruit shows and meetings
are held, seats 1000. The assessed val
ne OF city property has risen from So
100000 in 1882 to S47 100000 in 1899.
The schools of Los Angeles are Sec
0nd to none in the United States.
There are about 80 church orsaniza-
tions. The public library, located in
the City Hall, contains 10000 volumes
There is plenty of money here. The
IS banks contain over 10000, 900 in de-
posits. having increased during the iasii
five years 100 per cent
Los Angeles is favorably situated for
commerce, as we'll as for pleasant resi-
dencc. It is il fertile valley, eouidis-
tant from ocean and mountains, being
only 20 miles from the port of San Pc
dro, with the choicest climate of q sec
ton where all the climate is good.
lhe chief exports from Los Angeles
are oranges, wheat. barley, potatoes
and vegetables, beans, canned goods,
fresh and dried fruit, raisns, nuts, wine
and brandy and wool. The exports, by
one OF the two transcontinental lines
the Southern Pacific-for 1891 were
about $1,000 tons and the imports $4,000
tons. Eleyen lines OF railroad center
lines, the Southern Pacific and Santa
Fe, thus giving this place a great ad
vantage over San Francisco, which has
only one transcODtinental line.
In no phase of development has Los
Angeles made more remarkable pro-
gress than in the construction of stcct
railroads, the present system being
probably superior to that of any city Of
equal population in the United states.
FIVE years ago there were two short
cable roads, each mile and a quarter
long, and four horse car lines, with an
aggregate length of 164 miles. Today
there are nearly 100 miles of street rail-
road track, of which 25 per cent are
cable and moro than 90 per cent. cleo
trig.
After all however, the chief charm of
Los Angeles, is the rare beauty of the
grounds in which are situated the taste
full homes in its citizens. Other cities
can show grander business blocks and
more imposing municipal improve
ments, but when it comes to gardens,
those OF Los Angeles are dreams of
beauty and are, in one word, nagnifi-
cent. The mildness of the climate here
trees to flourish in the open air ali
through the winter. Hence, you may
see at Christmas~-as you see now
hedges Of Gala lilies, geranium bushes |
ten feet and more in hight, and hello |
trope covering the whole side of a
house, while the jasmine, tuberose and |
orange make the air heavy with their !
delicious perfume. Giant bananas wave |
their graceful leaves in the gentle |
breeze and lipen their fruit, the fan
and date palms grow to mammoth pro-
portions and roses of a thousand varie-
ties run riot. The city limits embrace
36 square miles of territory, so that
there is plenty of room, and the major.
ity of the residences stand in spacious
grounds, lot so or $50 feet being the
smallest that is considered suitable for
a residence. Many have from one to
five acres of grounds, all in high state
Of cultivation, with well-kept, verdant
lawns. Along the sides of the streets
shade trees are also rule, the favo,itc
varieties being the graceful pepper
which grows to immense size-eucalyp-
tus and greviIla. One OF tho most
beautiful homes of that of Judge Silent,
where the party was entertained with
an al trCscO lunch.
After a cursory view of Los Angeles,
it is not surprising that people who
come here in winter from the frozen
East and Northwest fall in love with
he place, and that many of them return
lere to reside. 1t would be difficult to
imagine city that approaches nearer
10 an ideal place of residence. Nature
ias done her share and art has complet-
I'D what little was lacking. Here the
AIDED man of wealth can rest from the
pursuit of the Almighty Dollar, and the
Door man can sit under his vine aud fig
Ice, surrounded by fragrant blossoms.
We must, however, close this letter, or
you will think that have caught the
: California fever"
From here we go TO Fresno, in The
San Joaquin valley, the headquarters of