The herald., 1895-04-13
SATURDAY, APRIL I3. 1905
GREATER LOS ANGELES

UkEA Ek lOS ANuGLEo
While we are discussing the proposition
to increase the city limits by taking in
the suburban settlements of kosedale,
Pico Heights, the University and ad-
iacent places, we might go step farther
and consider now the creation of an i'm
perial city and county OF Los Angeles
having conterminous territory. Our pc
culiarities of soil and climate make it
possible to crowd population very closely
here on lands, so that families may re-
side in the county, getting living from
out of the soil, and still live so near to
neighbors that they can have all the con-
veniences OF city life.
Beginning at the northwest corner of
the Rancho San Pasqual, near Las CAST
tas, extending straight east twenty miles,
we touch the San Gabriel canyon; follow
ing the river to the sea just below Ala
mitos, then northwest along the coast
taking in Long Beach, San Pedro, Re
dondo and Santa Monica. to the south
western corner of the Boca de Santa Mon
ica, then northeasterly along the Ca
huenga foothills. taking in Rancho Los
Feliz and Glendale to the point of begin
ming. In this boundary we have a strip
Of country some twenty by twenty .fvei
. miles in extent. roughly estimated at 500
square miles, and having within its lin
its soil and climate which for fertility
and attractiveness are probably une-
qualed on the globe.
Such a city organization would give us
a population of fully $4,000, taxable
property of nearly double what we now
possess in the city limits, and enable us
to dispense with nearly one-half our
present force of officials. The saving in
the salaries of officers alone would furn-
ish the funds necessary to construct
irst-class driveway from Pasadena to
santa Monica. along the coast to Long
Beach, northwest through Downey and
III Monte to Duarte, and thence west to
Pasadena. This consolidation would give
the city control of great. watershed in
the Sierra Madre ountains, enable it to
construct storage reservoirs to save the
now wasting winter waters OF the San
Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers, and to
institute some sensible plan for the dis
tributon of water within it's limits for
irrigation and domestic use.
The great ranches of thousands of acres
now lying practically unused between Los
Angeles and the sea, under the gentle
stimulus of city taxes. would soon be cut
up into small tracts and sold to home
builders, thus at once materially increas.
ing our population and adding to our
taxable property.
OF the tie territory remaining in tie pres
ent Los Angeles county limits two new
counties can be created, thus adding two
new gems to the crown of Southern Cali
fornia. On the north. taking in the great
Rancho San Fernando, the Providencia
country and the famous Antelope valley,
can be crelted San Fernando county, rich
in grain, alfalfa and cattle, already we'll
settled and much of it highly cult
vated it would take on the vigor of new
life by the creation of county seat
within its limits. This would result in
giving publicity to it's many charms, and
the lands which now lie dormant, be-
cause not advertised. would soon be sold
and cultivated. East OF the San Gabriel
river, taking in Pomona, Ontario, Cuca-
monga and the great Chino ranch. the
county of San Antonio can be formed,
and it would be the peer of any in this
great state for wealth of soil, abundance
OF water supply and saubrity of climate
1t is now all a rich and populous country,
thickly settled with the best class of peo-
pie, producing thousands of carloads of
fruit annually. and it could be relied on
to keep step in the grand procession of
California progress.