The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-10
The Angel City as a Business
Center
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
The Pueblo's Transformation Into a
Metropolis
Eras Of 7agicai Development The City
Just or the Threshold of Its
Great Prosperity.
Los ANGELES, Feb. 8.

Los ANGELES, Feb. 9.
While The Herald is undergoing a transfer
nation geographically and otherwise-start-
ing in, as it were, on new epoch in it's long
and useful career-the time seems to be OPP
perfume for resume not only OF its own pro-
gress and achievements, but for a general re-
view of the commercial interests of the city in
which it is published, and but for the growth
and prosperity of which, successful newspaper
enterprise would be impossible. 1t is for this
reason that the following Renaissance is at
tempted:
without delving for statistics in dry and
musty tones even the casual observer must
be impressed with the rapid growth of Los An
geles as a commercial center and it requires
no inspired seer to predict the progress it will
make within the next decade or score of
years.
THE EARLY DAYS.
Going back to the days OF the pueblo, before
the advent of railroads and Yankee enterprise
and push, Los Angeles already had reputa-
ton in the commercial world for the export of
certain commodities That the era of
wine, wool and hides which were exported in
large quantities by means of sailing vessels
which made long and perilous voyages round
the Horn. bringing manufactured articles from
the Atlantic states and Europe and exchang-
ing them for the products OF this coast, which,
as already stated, were limited to about three
staples.
Then came the gold excitement OF Northern
California, resulting in the establishment of
the great city of San Francisco and interior
towns. This opened market for Southern
California cereals, and soon vast stretches OF
mesa were turned up by the pillow and Los An
geles added wheat and barley to her exports
Steamer navigation improved the transporta-
ton facilities and gradually the trade OF Los
Angeles expanded.
ADVENT OF RAILR DADS.
Then came the railroad-the Southern Pacific
OF Kentucky-and with it a greatly increased
eastern population and new i.ssnstries. Los
Angeles became distributing point for large
section of country in the southwest but Still
the population was sparse and the develop
mcnt OF the city and surrounding country
comparatively slow.
1t not till the advent of the Santa Fe
railroad in 1884 that the real. progress of this
section began Then followed the boom-the
ever-memorable real estate boom OF 'S7, the
ike Of which was never seen before and which
perhaps will never be seen again. Population,
under the influence OF the boom, doubled,
tripled, quadruplei Business grew with pop
ulaton, but for a while production ceased and
every form Of investment ran in the direction
OF real estate The vast quantities of goods
that were needed for consumption by the pop
ulaton were imported Provisions lumber,
all sorts OF manufactured goods and even fruits
and vegetables came by train loads, shiploads.
Importers OF these commodities, of course,
made money and business was good. But
when the real estate boom burst, the large
number OF people who were engaged in specu-
lation found themselves without occupa
tion. The stream OF money that poured in
from all parts of the world for investment in
real estate ceased and as imports of necessities
of life continued, the balance of trade was
against us.
TURNING OF THE TIDE
Momentarily the pinch OF hard ii mes was
felt and things looked desperate. But a coun-
try so rich in natural resources and occup pied
by 20 progressive people could not long suffer
depression. With remarkable exhibition Of
the power of recuperatiou, Southern California
set about to show that she could and would be
selfsupporting. renaissance OF agriculture
and horticulture set in and continued until
the present, when the chief source of wealth
of the community is found in the products Of
the 1arm ana the orcnuru InOuSanQS OF car
loads of citrus, green and dried fruits and veg
etabes are now exported where formerly few
carloads found market outside OF Cal fornia.
The fruit industry is great source of wea tn,
and to it Los Angeles owes much of her pros
perity.
There are. of course, many commodities, such
Is lumber, hardware, lress goods and various
manufactured products that Los Angeles m ust
continue to import, but the manufacturing in
II n .Sk. . :.
and each year makes Southern California less
dependent on the east for articles that enter
into local consumption.
A NATURAL TRADE CENTER.
II must not be fC.gotten that Lo> Angeles Is
the natural trade center and distributing point
for a vast section of country, embracing the
entire southwest with no competitors nearer
than San Francisco, 500 miles away on the
north, and Denver, 1900 miles on the east. As
this immense territory fills with population
and it is filling gradually-the wholesale trade
ofLos Angeles increases
Great as the growth OF the city as a CONNER
ciai center has b.en in the past decade, 1t can
be safely said that it is r1t on the threshold of
its prosperity. San Francisco's merchant
princes recognize this in establishing branch
hou es here. In some instances these branches
are, or will be. as large as the main establish
ments In fact, there are contingencies which
"
center as San Francisco. Following are
THE THINGS NEEDFUI.
The construction OF a deep-sea harbor at San
: Pedro large enough to accommodate all ocean
going vessels and open to all railroads that
may seek terminal accommodate
The compile ton of the Nicaragua canal I'M
der American Government control
direct rail route from. Los Angeles to Salt
LakYIty.
competing line of railway from Los An
giles northward through the San joaquin
valley
Opening of the Southern Pacifcs new coast
line from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
The ultimate completion of every one of
these projects is but question OF time Asone
after the other of them becomes a reality, COM
nsrcial Los Angeles will bound forward with
giant strides and when all accomplished
facts San Francisco, the toll-taker by the sea,
will have to look sharp to her laurels as the
metropolis OF the Pacific coast
A BRIGHT OUTLOOK.
At no time in the history of the city was the
business outlook better than at present; this
in spite of the financial stringency that op-.
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