The herald., 1894-01-22
WILL BECOME WORLD FAMOUS.
The Brilliant Future Before
the Elysian Park.
Its Rugged Beauty Fast Being
Brought Under Control.
No Park In tho World for which
Nature Has Done so Much.
1t win soon Become
the Fashion.

1t is well, is it not ? for the people OF
q city to know, as they 60 along, what
they have to be proud of and admire.
The people OF Los Angeles are no
doubt not bit binder than the people
of other cities.
They do not look along their noses
down upon the ground more than people
in other parts of the world.
Insensibly Los Angelefios have inn
bibed keener appreciation of the beau
tifu! than people less favored by nature.
Yet 80 true it is that it takes deal of
reiteration to beat into the heads of the
average men that they are surrounded
by anything particularly unique in the
way of scenery that even the Los Ange-
lea man is dull and muddy-mettled
when you ask him about Elysian park.
He mas been so accustomed to hearing
it spoken about az barren tract of 800
acres, with no water, that he gives
grunt and let's it go at that.
A hazy idea prevails among 80 per
cent of the citizens to the north of the
city and way out of the range OF even
the suburbs there is a region OF hills
and hollcws which some crazy people
called park commissioners, controlled
by the state and not the city or county,
have with exaggerated nomenclature
facetiously termed Elyaian.
They have taken such little interest
in the matter of parks, except to ride
out to Westlake park and enjoy itH
limited acreage but excellent beauty
that the big tract is truly q terra in
cocnita to them and will remain 30 until
the fashion is set.
These people will feel very happy in
few years to take considerable trouble
to point with exceeding pride to park
that has become world-fsmous.
1t will not be long before the people
OF the city will realize that, instead OF
beieng far away, Elyeian park is at the
end OF Buena Vista street, where q
handsome boulevard ushers one into
region OF enhancing beauty.
The truth is that instead OF being
many years hence, the day OF Elysian
park has already begun.
It is not by any means a barren park.
Silently, but faithfully. with few dol
lara, and in spite of public apathy, the
commissioners and superintendent LIE
Grand have been digging and planting
for seven years.
With consummate attention to pre-
serving the most delightful bits of
scenic effects, the boulevard winds up
hill and down dale; skirts magnificent
ridges, and winds into and out of forests
OF eucalyptus, ceders, cypress and many
other varieties OF trees, the prolific
growth of few years.
Instead OF barren, the soil is wonder
fully fertile, even in ths big hills. and
down in the valleys will grow almost
anything.
Even without water, the park could
not help being unique and famous. But
with water, and it is bound to come, it
will not only attract the eyes of the in
telligent tourists but those OF our own
citizena.
1t is customary to speak OF Elysian
park rs containing come 500 acres of
land, but such is its bold departure from
f1atness that there are fully 1000 acres to
be covered with the verdure and beauty
of this semi-tropic land.
There are miles of roadway already
constructed; there are millions OF trees
already six and seven years old, and the
hillsides are covered with thousands of
tender trees and plants, which will grow
and blossom in wondrous loneliness in O
few short month";.
There is room Tor noble play grounds
for children, basins where big lakes of
sparkling water can be penned up with
a trifling expenditure. Waterfalls of
exceeding beauty, viatas, quiet stretches
of wood covered roads, tennis courts,
picnic grounds and trysting places ars
obtsinable in bewildering profusion in
this magnifcently located park.
1t overlooks Los Angeles on one side
with the ocean clearly visible at San
Pedro and Santa Monica, and San Fer
nando valley on the other.
There are glimpsea OF scenery from
its hill tops and around through the
curves of the boulevards that would in.
spire the pens Of artists of worldwide
celebrity.
There is scarcely anywhere in the
whole 500 acres of ground for which
nature has done 30 much and man needs
to do so little to produce scenic effects
that will satisfy the soul OF the most ex-
acting.
Those who affect to belittle this park
are those who have not visited it.
1t is the highest point in the imme-
diate vicinity of Los Angeles. From it
on all sides stretch the most superb
landscapes that can be imagined. The
city Itself l5 unr0lleu as q scroll TO the
south and west of its hill tops. To the
north it comes to precipitous range of
hills, which look out over the San Fer
nando valley as it stretches far as the
eye can reach.
Mountains and valleys, the fair plains
that stretch to the ocean, all come with
in the range OF vision, and never GER
tainly was big city park so favored az
Elysian park as far as scenery OF all
kinds is concerned.
In the planting of the trees care has
been taken not to obstruct the views of
the surrounding country obtainabls at
nearly'every turn of the winding roads.
The general impression of the vistor
is wonder at the rugged beauty of the
tract. 1t must be admitted that it has
not vet secured the delicate beauty of
cultivation. There are yet no lawns
and fancy flower beds. yet the founda-
ton has been wisely and we'll laid. and
as more OF our citizens become familiar
with this magnificent park they will in
sist on an adequate fund to put these
finishing touches upon it.
Even now, it has been learned, the
visitors who drive through Elysian park
is increasing slowly but surely. Even