Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-01
A GOLDEN YEAR PAST AND ANOTHER IN
EXPECTANCY.

| A UOLUHN IEAh FASl ANO Ai-
EXPECTANCY.
The year which has just closed in Los
Angeles county may in truth be called
golden one, although there were some
drawbacks, including the loss of por-
ton of the citrus crop, and come short
age in the cereals, on account OF def
cient rainfall, However, it was in no
sense a year of drouth. We have not
had what could be called dry year
since the season of 1897, and the
rainfall reported for the current season
is already nearly as great aH for the
whole of last season, with the
months of January, February, March
April and May to hear from,
and these months generally give us
from twice to thrice the precipitation
registered before January 1st. The out
look from all points could not well be
better. The citrus crops are abundant
and of specially fine quality, while an
immense area will be sown to the
cereals. The Southern Pacific Railway
company is building an immense wharf at
the old Santa Monica caflon, and board
OF engineers OF the United States army
have reported in favor of the creation OF q
deep-sea harbor at San Pedro. Their
report has been followed up by the in
PRODUCTION, by Hon. @. n FELTON,, in the
senate of the United States, of a bill
appropriating three million dollars for
the work under the continuous appropri-
ation act, with clause designating
| $3.50, 900 for the current year. I'm
provements of substantial and most
gratifying character have been un-
dertaken and completed in both
city and county. A smelter and
Cudahy packing house are amongst the
latest industries for which franchises
have been granted. Everything indi-
Gates that the coming year will be one
Of marked activity and prosperity.
Railway extensions of great magnitude
are in contemplation. and the end of
this year of grace will see some of them
completed. The contrast in business
hereabouts. as compared with this time
last year, was we'll exemplifed by the
fact that last weeks clearances exceed
those of the same week in 1891 by 122 2
per cent-probably the greatest increase
in ratio OF any city in the United States.
The building and loan societies in the
city of Los Angeles show assets OF
81 ,008, ,90335, with membership of
3749. On the 1st of July Southern Cal
ifornia had " banks, with net cash
capital of $6,4s9. .99377. The popula-
tion Of the county of Los Angeles was
101. .454 in 1890, of which the city had
slightly more than one-half. The area
OF the county is 4142 squire miles. The
city has street railway system Of 9S
miles, ali of which, with the exception
of 10 miles OF the old horse car plant, is
either cable or electric road. The elec-
trio power house has capacity to run
200 miles of track with ordinary equip
ment.
The many railways which center in
Los Angeles have done a large and prof
liable business. The shipments of the
Santa Fe for the past year comprised
los, ,S39, 900 pounds. and those of the
Southern Pacific 103,303, 307 pounds,
making total for both roads OF 1O6, ,121
tons. much of which was shipped to
Chicago and other eastern cities.
A promising and growing indus-
try is the raising OF English wal
nuts. From Rivera alone last year
thasa v,xts ,uara abinnad IN tho ral,,a n
S1O6,000. They were sent mainly to
Chicago, and commanded most remu-
nerative prices.
The interests of education and religion
have been noblv cared for in both city
and county. The city library has
1889 volumes on its shelves and circu-
lated 233, 1863 volumes. Los Angeles has
maintained its oid-time reputation for
salubrity. During the past year the
death rate was only 1878 per Thousand
inhabitants and there were 999 births.
The climate ia especially favorable to
| the little ones. In 1891 there were
| 4,O24 children in the city and county
between and IL years, and these had
grown to $3.50 in 1892. In the city
proper the number had swollen from
II ,084 in 1891 to ii $3.50 in 1892.
| 1t would bs hard to write of the pres
ent and future OF Los Angeles without
indulgiDg 10 what would look like hyper
bole. But it is not in any sense. The
feat would be impossible to man Of the
most ardent imagination. The growth
of Southern California is simply mag