Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-15
A BouNrzous PROSPECT.

When we had wind storm a short
t:me ago in Los Angeles and San Bernar-
dino counties there was q great deal of
complaint. The fact is that we have been
spoiled hereabouts, of late. We have
been so used to grnmbling that the ex-
ceptional good fortune which has char |
acterized this section for years has
passed without either gratitude or recog-
milton. In the season of 1867 we had
. severe drouth in this county. The
total rainfall for the Los Angeles valley
proper was only S5 inches. The ranges
were then overstocked with sheep,
cattle and horses; and, as conse-
quence, there was great destruction of
animals and failure of crops. Since
then we have not had single year of
drouth. 1t is true that we suffered from
vine pest and from the scalebug, but
our own culpable negligence was respon-
sible for both. A mere trifle of energy
and outlay in the shape of fertilizers
would have saved us from both.
But notwithstanding these visitations
the crops were steadily abundant.
To console us for these drawbacks
during this period the Southern Pacific
railway was completed from San Fran
cisco to Los Angeles, the Sunset route
was built from Los Angeles to New
Orleans and the Santa Fe was COM
pleted from Deming in New Mexico to
this city. Innumerable local railways
we're built, perfectly gridironing the
country, and making Los Angeles the
distinctive railway center Of the Pacific
coast, far distancing San Francisco,
Portland or any other point, in the
scope, complexity and completeness
of our local and transcontinental
railway ramifcations. The Terminal
people have come in and given us the
promise of still another transcontinental
railway, while bLilding useful local
branches, which will serve as transcon-
! tinental termini. The Santa Fe have
built to the ocean and to San Diego, and
have given us it's unrivaled kite-shaped
track. To add to all this railway devel-
opment we have enjoyed the advantages
of superb systems of street railways,
embracing cable and electric roads.
Eastern people have come in
and spent fifty or sixty millions
of dollars amongst us, and they
do not seem to regret their investments.
1t would require a long and fatiguing
inventory to enumerate the signal bene-
fits which have accrued to this section
while many of our people have been en-
gagged in the congenial occupation Of
croaking. Fortunately for the country
the croakers have croaked themselves
poor and hoarse, while the sanguine
and energetic people have gone steadily
forward, and have become either rich or
prosperous. No summary so gratifying
in progress, in such brief period, could
be recorded in any other portion of the
world, and yet still some of our people
are not happy.
This record, 80 auspiciously begun,
bids fair to be continued or surpassed.
The whole southern country is filling
up with people of high order of intel
ligence, and many of them with abun-
dant means. Development is going on
on every hand. There is not valley or
mesa tributary to Los Angeles that is
not making magical progress. The An
gelic city has actually arrived at metro
politan status, with no hyperbole in the
claim. A whole continent lies behind
her, rich in resources of all kinds, and
in the precious and base metals, beyond
the suggestions of the most ardent i'm
agination. Our merchants are in the
swim, and will be compelled to put on
jobbing airs. Smelling works and man
ufactories are imminent in the near fu-
ture. Our harbor facilities are being
improved and increased, and COM
merce to which the whole Pacific ocean.
with the completed Nicaragua canal
will be contributors, lies before US in
the near future.
To add to this roseate outlook the
crop prospects were never better than
this season. The whole stretch OF
Southern California-or at least of that
portion which the writer has been over
never looked more encouraging. The
section referred to includes Los An
geles, Orange and San Bernardino coun-
ties, and portion of the northeastern
portion of San Diego county. The
grain is lush and abundant,
the prospects for the deciduous
fruits were never better, and the
farmer and orchardist is rightfully
indulging in high hopes of golden re-
turns. The man who can put on glum
face in this glorious land ought to HE
him to monastery or-to sheol. He
should not be allowed to disturb the en-
joyment of our eastern visitors, or to
blast q thrice happy land with his
malign scowl. If blue mass, with citrate
of magnesia, fails to cure him of his
atrabilious trend Of temperament. he
ought to be taken out to the Salton sea
and anchored there at its deepest point.