Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-27
LONG BEACH PROGRESSING.
A Beautiful Place and It's Sur.
roundings.
A Driveway Which Contains Many
Attractive Points.
An Ample Water supply-A Building
Boom in tine Town-The Will
lows-Splendid Hunt
ing-Notes..

OF the town of Long Beach too much
cannot be said in praise. The place is
better fitted by nature for favorite
watering place in summer and healthy
resort in winter than any other town in
Southern California. 1t is in fact per-
feet. Sheltered from all storms in
winter and famed daily by the fresh
sea breeze, it is indeed seaside para
dice.
Within the last year the place has ad-
vanced many strides to the front, and
the increase of land sales and the invest
nent of outside capital shows plainly
that the people elsewhere appreciate
Long Beach and regard it as eafe place
to invest their money. Outside of the
town are scattered everywhere ranches
OF lO acres or more, and from these
the market OF the town is supplied
with all the delicacies of the seasons.
There are thousands and thousands of
acres of land outside of Long Beach
which are yet to be cultivated and
which are rich in all respects. Another
feature of this land is that water goes
with it. On Cerritos hill an enormous
reservoir, with capacity OF 10000 900
gallons, will be finished within month
and water in perfect abundance can
then be had. The artesian wells around
Long Beach are enormous in their flows
and water can be found short distance
from the surface at almost any point.
Negotiations are now going on for
lO,0OO acres between set of outside
capitalists and the Alamitos Land COM
pany. The gentlemen state that they
are thinking Of organizing beet sugar
factory, as the soil about Long Beach is
better suited for the cultivation of the
sugar beet than any other place they
have seen.
In the town building boom seems to
have struck it. The number of build
ipgs that have been erected within the
last year has been marvellous. They are
perfectly adapted for summer visitorsor
for winter habitues. The rents are low,
and everyone, whether with large or a
small family, can be accommodated
In drlveways Long Beach ia as de-
lightfully supplied as can be desired.
The town is nicely laid out. and sprink-
ling carts are run over the streets DUR
ing the day, so that all dust is COM
| pletely settled. While there are
! goodly number of pleasant streets to
drive about, the people seek longer and
more romantic drives, and in this respect
Long Beach can supply them.
The most popular driveway running
out of Long Beach is the one out
to the Willows, around to the Cerritos
! ranch house and thence along Atlantic
avenue to Long Beach. The entire ride
ID about 10 miles, and describes half
circle, going out of Long Beach on the
west and coming in on the east, the
favorite way generally being to start on
Atlantic avenue and come home by the
Willows.
The Willows are situated about two
miles northwest of Long Beach, and in
tract of waving trees, being six miles
long and four wide. Part OF this tract
is cultivated, but the most part of it ia
filled with underground. The drive
through the Willows is the pleasantest
ride offered to people in the summer.
For miles one rides through shady
roadways which now and then are inter
rupted by picturesque ranch house
rearing its roof amidst the trees.
Suddenly the old Cerritos ranch house
appears upon the crest of hill over
looking the river, and forms as quaint
scene and as perfect model as would
enrapture either poet or painter.
By gradual windings the old house is
reached, and this fast decaying relic of
the good old days of Spanish rule is
viewed with all it's points of interest.
The house is built in the old style of
architecture, in rectangular form, the
center being large courtway flanked
by the four rows of adobe walls. Nu-
merous out-houaes, stables, ETC., are
scattered out from the main house. The
rancho may be called the relay post Of
lovers, being just midway on the drive
to Long Beach. L0ve-making seems to
be indigenous to the soil at this old
place. The air itself is ladened with
love sonnets, and nightly young people
come here to make love.
From the ranch house runs clear
road four miles into Long Beach. Its
proper name is Atlantic avenue,
and it is about the prettiest
driveway near Long Beach. Gently
winding up and down hills for several
miles it finally straightens out and runs
directly to the town. For the last two
miles there are trees, both pepper and
EUCALYPTUS, on each side of the road,
making it a cool and shady driveway
during the warmest days OF summer.
Towards TIE east Of Long Beach is sit
uated the Alamitos ranch house, an
other relic of a ast.departing age.
Another pleasant drive is from Long
Beach to Point Firman, the lighthouse,
distance of about IL miles. The ride
ia along the beach for several miles,
then inland by way OF W ilmington.
Still another ride is over the county
road that runs north Of Long Beach.
The hunting to be found around long
Beach is the best in this part OF the
country. A quarter of mile from the
town jackrabbits and meadowlarks are
as thick as hops. while a few miles
away duck and geese are in sufficient
proiusion to be able to supply the mar
ket of Los Angeles.
The best fishing to be desired will be
had from the new wharf after it is COM
ple,ed. At Alamitos bay the fish are
found in profusion, and oysters have
been planted there also, and within a
short time will yield in satisfactory
quantities. Nearly every day last sum-
mer the seine was hauled in on the
beach in front OF Long Beach ard the
yield Of fish was always in large num-
bers; and significant fact was the abb
sence of stingerays, the enemy OF
bathers.