The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-14

California-and OF Southern California
more particularly Los Angeles, and of
Los Angeles county, San Gabriel valley.
If the power Of the ancient sybil or He
brew seer should fall upon some modern
prophet and he might stand on some
green hill far away, he would see the
peoples of this great valley as the sands
of the seashore or the stars of heaven for
multitude. cities and villages. temples and
palaces, throbbing industries and fruit
fu farming. Yes, and not IN distant flu
ture. with years of heavy burden and
weary waiting, but in near future. a
future which already stands at the door
and KNOCKS, if it be that we can hear it.
Now to come to more practical and
everyday things. One thing does seem
so strange to the writer, and that is the
utter lack of&ndependence which people
show III .naking choice of home. or OF
place where to build one. Most cities
after passing the first stages, develop a
so-called fashionable section, in which
natural adaptiveness holds almost no
place, and the wholly artificial induce
ment Chat OF being thought to be swell
by being in swell section) seems to rule
almost completely. Now there is such
thing as being entirely above such con.
siderations, and choosing for a home
place where, at the same cost, one can
have space, beautiful natural as we'll as
artificial surroundings, home in the
lLiost OF charming grounds (rather than
home on 50-toot LOTT where, above all,
one can OBTAIN the sine qua non of home
privacy.
Now, turning to the San Gabriel valley
and Alhamb bra, a person of moderate
means NAV have home in the center of
an acre of ground, abundantly watered.
with every Kind of tree and flower and
vine that will gov, for the same cost of
one small lot IN the socalled fashionable
section of Los Angeles.
On the other hand some of the most de-
slrablu people of all cities have their
homes out OF the city proper, but within
easy reach OF it. Boston. New York,
Philadelphia, all have their beautiful
country homes, and there the people who
so live are invariably of the great world,
so that it seems like paying a great price
that to the knowing ones signifies moth
ing.
All that Alhambra and parts of the San
Gabriel valley needs to become just
such a suburb as Los Angeles might
we'll be proud of, are the electric lines
connecting them with the city. Property
would advance with rapid strides, humid
reds of families would make their homes
there, while their business Offices would be
in the city.
AS III Is, evafy train from this section
is daily crowded, on all sides are COM
plants of the inadeq uaoy of transporta-
ton, and a line to Alhambra would
empty the trains Just as the line to Pasa
dena has done. We know that the great
factor of the Southern Pacific COM
pany would have to be taken into con-
sideration. factor that must be consid-
cred in every walk in life in every avuca-
tion, in every hope and aspiration, factor
which clouds the prosperity. and eenins
of the state, under which this fair land
has lain, as beneath the shadow OF some
great cormorant with outspread wing
but among all the things that this cor
poration has accomplished one thing it
has not done. and that is to free itself
from smoke and uinders. Instead Of the
fresh. clean. exhilarating ride which an
electric car offers, and when alighting
feeling freshened and invigorated, one Ell.
tiers a stuffy, close box anu gives up ones
health and comfort upon the altar b
dirt, dust, smoke and oinder.
There is no one thing or enterprise to
which the people of this section ohculd |
respond moro quickly and generously |
than to any movement of this kind in |
their direction. And no greater mistake
could be made by the electric companies
than to overlook this most promising ter. !
rtory. r. H. =.