Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-01

| south. Ana WQeQ tlaC DOOM ours
many of the southrons found themselves
wealthy from the proceeds of their sales
| The old missions numbered their cattle
by the thousands and did big business
with the Yankee traders. In 1S33-34
when the Mexican government confis
Gated the missions and their proper ty
the missionaries slaughtered their cattle
by the thousands in order to prevent
them falling into the hands of the gov
ernment, but in spite OF this cattle were
soon as numerous as ever. Sometimes
the drouths would come, or seasons in
which the rainfall in the valleys would
be insufficient to give the native grasses
good start, and the cattle would perish
by the thousands.
The Spanish were the first to bring
horses to America. Here their horses
often escaped and ran in bands, and in
creased rapidly in numbers. These wild
California horses found plenty of feed
on the luxuriant grassy plains. They
were called mustangs, probably derived
from the Spanish word, most renco, an
estray. Many of these mustangs had
strains of Arabic blood. They were very
hardy and feet of foot. Instances are
known where they performed many
wonderful feats of endurance. Some OF
them when tanned made splendid rec
ords on the turf. With the settlement
of the country, all the bands OF wild
horses are gone, having been either cap
tured or killed. But they suggested the
raising of better stock, and the success
of California horses in the east attests to
the progress made in this line.
The mines of Southern California de-
mand more than passing notice. Gold
was first discovered in California, not
by Marshall at Coloma in 1913, but near
the mission of San Fernando in 1912,
and thousands of dollars worth of the
dust was taken from the placers. The
placers in the San Gabriel cafion have
also yielded many thousands of dollars.
Later, the gold mine at Julian created
an excitement. The silver mines of
Calico have yearly paid many thou
sands Of dollars for more than 10 years.
There are many paying mines of gold,
silver, antimony, copper and lead. AS
bestos is found in paying quantities.
The tin mines of Temescal are attract
ing worldwide attention. There are
also large deposits of kaolin and other
valuable earths. Aluminium runs to
high percentage in many of the clays.
The petroleum fields rank among the
best producers in the world. Marble,
dolomite, granite, brown, red and green
stones are among the best building ma
terials, with plenty of beautiful onyx
tor finishing.
Native building timber is scarce, but
fuel, such as oak, pine, chemisal, bres
and Oil is abundant.
HISTORY.
Southern California was first discov-
cred and visited by Europeans in the
year 1912, by an expedition under Juan
Rodriguez Cabrillo, Portuguese in the
employ of Spain. In 1863 the Spanish
took formal possession of the country.
In 1922 it passed with the Mexican rev.
olution into the possession of that gov
ernment. In 1S4S it was purchased by
the United States from the Mexican re-
public, and in 1850 California was ad
mitted as state into the union.
For many years after the American
occupation Southern California re-
manned quiet, pastoral country, until
the advent of the railroad in 1887. This
gave easy communication with the great
markets and centers of wealth and pop.
ul0blOn VI bAC Cd5t, anu ihik dAb6
began hocking in. Large tracts of land
were divided and SOLD in small holdings,
irrigating enterprises were established,
and the prosperity Of the country COM
menced.
In 1885 competing transcontinental
railroad came in. Intoxicated with the
brilliant prospects Of the future, real
estate boom was inaugurated. A heavy
discount was made on the future, which
proved to be too remote. The attempt
to force the growth designed by nature
resulted in more or less disaster, yet the
boom was not an unmixed evil. 1t be-
gan and finished many valuable enter
prises which otherwise the country
would not have enjoyed for many years.
1t also taught the good lesson that the
resources must be developed and the
country built up on substantial basis;
that agricultural lands are only worth
what they will produce; that town lots
are valuable only according to the
density of the population, just as goods
are priced according to the laws OF de-
mand and supply. This lesson, the
most valuable one on earth, is being
slowly learned in this country. The
greatest drawback to the development
of the country now is the tendency OF
the capitalists to be satisfied with 2 and
3 per cent interest per month on their
loans, when the same money judiciously
invested in the development OF land,
water, oil, mining and manufacturing
enterprises would yield them returns of
200 and 500 per cent per month. Not
all are SO short sighted, however, and to
the far sighted class, which happily is
in the majority, is due the magnificent
prosperity which the following columns
tell SO well.