Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-12
MONDAY. SEPTEMBER IL. 1899.
A .CaBERY CHAT CONCERNING THE
OUTLOOK.

There are few places in the United
States which have ever shown the vital
ity of Los Angeles during critical or
deals. The collapse of such real estate
boom as that OF lSS6-'S7 would have left
almost any other region practically
stranded. Here it was only signalized
by few failures, and no bank or lead
ing business house went down. Instead
OF being followed by paralysis, the
"bursting'' OF that speculative bubble
really resulted ia an increase OF produc-
tion that was the leading marvel OF even
prolific California. The acreage that
has been set out in the deciduous and
citrus ir,.its and in vineyard since that
sensational episode is something posi-
lively surprising, and this ia character
istic OF the southern. end OF the state
generally. Genuine development, on a
permanent and expensive scale. may be
said to have only begun in earnest with
the disappearance of that wildly specu-
lative epoch.
Coming down to the present date, it
is astonishing the ease with which this
section bore the disasters which fol-
lowed in the wake of the north winds
that destroyed much of last years
orange crop, and damaged that which
was saved. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that the counties of Los Angeles and
San Bernardino lost million dollars
through this cause. To aggravate the
situation there was only partial crop
of the cereals. Notwithstanding all
these drawbacks both of these counties
come to the front with every evidence
of substantial prosperity. Improve
mente, involving the expenditure of
millions of dollars, are being pushed
forward on all hands, and the very
genius of progress is abroad in the land.
That the city of Los Angeles itself
contains capitalists who believe in her
future is shown by the facts that, on the
corner OF Broadway and Third streets, q
magnificent business block, that will
cost $3.50, 900, is in process of construc-
tion, that another block of similar
description, to cost as large sum, is
under way on the corner Of Spring and
Third streets, and that numerous other
edifces, business and residence, are 60
ing up in all quarters of the city. The
hame enterprising Chicagoan who is
putting up the mammoth six-story
block on the corner of Spring and Third
is building residence on Figueroa
street which, with the stables, will cost
$l50,000. Never at any period of our
history has there been more activity in
substantial improvements than prevails
now. The country is advancing even
more rapidly than the city, and the in
terror cities, such as Pasadena, are max
ing surprising headway.
1t is generally admitted, up in San
Francisco, lately, that Los Angeles is
the best town on the coast, aud COM
mercial drummers from the east pro-
nounce the Angelic City one of the half
dozen most prosperous places in the
United States. This is great admission
to come from San Francisco. which has
dearly valued the privilege, in past
years, of sneering at everything that
related to the old "cow counties" But
the phenomenal advances and unassail-
able solidity Of this section have at last
done their perfect work. A few saga
cious capitalists and bankers of the
Golden Gate have, at all times, recog-
nized the promise of Los Angeles, city
and county. AS against the general
disposition to belittle this section such
splendid examples as that of the German
Savings bank of San Francisco, which
has loaned millions ON Los Angeles
property, chine out like beacon light
in beclouded night.
1t is pleasing to be able to note that
the indications for large and fine citrus
crop are exceedingly promising all over
Southern California. OF course, no one
can say what the coming season will be.
The weather clerk and Omniscience
alone know that. But, as matter of
inquiry and observation, we know that
the present encouraging state of the
orange crop has never been surpassed at
this season Of the year in the past. Dis
NAL weather yisitations are rarely dealt
out to Los Angeles consecutivelv. The
rainfall during the last seasoI-the word
year can not be used in this connection,
because the rainy season in California
embraces the last three months of one
year and the first three months of the
next-was deficient in quantity. Or,
perhaps, it would be better to cav
that it was not advantage
ously distributed to the farmers
needs. Notwithstanding the limited
supply, it looked at one time as if we
were about to have the finest crops of
the cereals ever gathered in Los Angeles
county, and we should have had them if
rain had not been delayed one week at
a critical stage of the crops. In one of
this kind of years, everything comes
amiss. We had the north winds, the
partial drouth, and several days of
simeon blasting weather at one fell