The herald., 1893-12-11
ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM.

There is no city more in need OF places
of public amusement than Los Angeles,
and strange to say. there is no town of
equal population go destitute of them.
Places of diversion and amusement are
specially needed hers for the reason
that this is place of fresort for strangers.
Thousands upon thousands of people
come here for health or pleasure, or both,
and to them the comfort and happiness
OF such amusements are Indispensable.
Sojourning in any place without diver
sion becomes irksome, and from such
place people will be apt to hasten away.
They aoon get tired Of town where
there are no places of public amuae-
ment. Sitting around hotel lobby
may be endured by stranger for day
or two, perhaps for week, provided
the man is accustomed to it, but he
soon begins to long for places of enter
tainment, museum, a gallery of the
fine arts, library, anything to break
up the annui which a sojourner in a
strange place is always sure to experience
when there is little to divert his atten-
tion from the routine of hotel life.
We have something of public library
here, but nothing to brag of, and even
that is hid away in the garret of the
city hall. There is no library building,
however small, in ali the city; no mu-
scum, public or private; no gallery of
the fine arts, and yet Los Angeles can
boast goodly number of really meri-
torious artists but there is no place to
exhibit their works, and artists are pretty
generally restricted in means, if not
poverty-stricken. His means of max
ing known his talents is in Los Angeles
restricted to his narrow studio, or to the
window of some retail shop. Wealth
and genius seldom go hand in hand.
Genius depends upon wealth for full
fruition, and there ought to be public
spirit enough in this city OF resort to
establish an art gallery of the first
order.
1t is said that in the time of Rome's
greatest glory the statues in that city
equaled in number the number of the
living inhabitants. 1t may be remarked
that not single statue graces any part
Of Los Angeles. Her parks and streets
and public places are as destitute of
such adornment as any desert. Private
dwellings in this city are by no means
destitute of works of art, but the ground
of 90 Ysl~s-A 40 .i>-L-AL- ->.~Li;- --+ -; =
neglected. No thought is given to the
good which places of art and amuHe-
ment will confer upon the people.
There are also collections of curios, and
objects for the development of science,
in private houses here, but none ac-
cessible to the public. The aggrega-
ton of but portion OF these private
collections in some public hall would be
of very great benefit to the people OF
Los Angeles, as we'll as to the strangers
within our gates. These are matters OF
such transcendent Importance that our
public functionaries, if they were only
public servants, as officers formerly
were, would be expected to give them
ample attention. In the matter OF es-
tablishing public museum in Los An
geles much precious time is running to
waste. The fact ia Southern California
is especially rich in articles OF historic,
scientific and archaeological value. This
fact has been demonstrated in our ef-
forts to promote the great Columbi
exposition. We found ourselves in pos
seseion of more objects OF curioaity and
scientific interest than any body dreamed
of. This rich field is now being worked
and other and more entsrprising locali
ties like Chicago, San Francisco, Wash
| ington and the capitals of Europe ere
gathering our harvest in this line, while
we are vacantly looking on.
Tine hope is that something may occu
without much further delay to awaker
public spirit in this place. AT presen
and in the past there has been mos
conspicuous lack of it.
Our citizens are not lacking in indi
viduai enterprise, but in public enter
prise, which ia equally important for tn
individual. There is very great want
On this subject we ought to take les
son from Chicago.