The herald., 1896-01-26
HUNTED DOWN
A Reminiscence of the Los An-
geles Boom
BY RALPH e. HOYT


ragged few years ago have been re
lated, bat the following experiences o
a certain Chicago tenderfoot hav'
never yet been made public. Some O.
the statements made below may seen
ike exaggerations, but l pledge thu
reader my word for it that nothing il
this sketch is one-hundredth part a.
much exaggerated as were the prevail
ing prices of dirt in and around Lo!
Angeles during the memorable boon
of which now write reminiscently.
The Los Angeles boom was marve
OF sensationalism, with variety of ep
lsodes that developed about every
phase of human character ever known
up to that time, and several other
phases that had seldom if ever before
been brought out in such bold relief
The boom doomed necessarily, day and
night, Sundays included, and threat.
ened to boom on forever, or until
everybody bad become either mil
lonalre or pauper. The town
swarmed with real estate agents. They
were about as numerous and active as
lies around an open sugar barrel.
Many of them were small-fry dealers.
with offices under their hats. Their
curbstone oratory WAS heard daily
above the din of street traffic and the
roar of CALIFORNIA; GLORIOUS climate"
They owned no real estate themselves,
but claimed to be authorized agents
for nearly every piece of property in
! the market. Every one of them would
lie in wait for tenderfeet constantly,
| and after having caught a victim he
was very apt to keep on lying. He pro-
fessed to have "bargains' to offer by
which his customers could easily make
small fortunes in week, and large
ones in month.
Among the members of an excursion
party from the east which arrived in
Los Angeles in May, 1886, was DR.. Z. f.
Snow of Chicago. He had long con-
templated visiting California for the
benefit Of his health and to see the
wonderful country. He felt sure he
would like it, and he took with him
several thousand dollars in cash, think
ing that if there WAS good opening
for another physician in Los Angeles
he might decide to locate there and en-
gage in his profession.
Arriving in the "City of the Angels"
the good doctor took room at prom
inent place in the business part of
town and began to look around. He
was charmed with the new and novel
surroundings, and he soon began to
feel as if he had struck it rich. His
hopes for a professional opening, how
ever, were somewhat dampened one
morning when in walking one block on
Spring street he discovered thirty
three doctors signs attached to the
various doors and windows on either
side of that thoroughfare. This led
him to enter drug store and examine
city directory. There he found the
names of one hundred and sixty-five
doctors. He staggered back to his
room, locked the door, and proceeded
to divest himself of the idea of open
'"1ffed = fnsS Ge2E dsB in lea e,pggaalss..
marked to his landlord that he had
few thousand dollars which he might
possibly invest in real estate, were the
opportunities for big profits very fiat
teripg. This hint was sufficient to set
the ball rolling. The landlord him
self, though retired physician, WAS a
real estate agent in disguise. He con-
trolled real estate just out of town,
which he determined his guest should
buy; and SO the two men walked out
and rode out together, looking over
the ground and discussing prices. But
the figures mentioned by the landlord
seemed very high to the Chicago doc
tor and he failed to "bite," just then.
a few days later the news leaked out
that Chicago tenderfoot with money
in his belt was looking at real estate,
and was domiciled at certain room
ing house on Spring street. From that
hour until the doctors final exit from
the city there was no cessation to his
troubles. He was besieged, day and
night, by a horde of hungry agents,
each one determined to point out the
road to fortune. They called on him
before breakfast and after breakfast
by daylight, gaslight. moonlight, elec-
trio light, starlight, and even in total
darkness. They rode him out and
walked him out. They waylaid him on
Sundays as he was going to and from
church. They held up before his
minds eye the most dazzling visions
of wealth acquired within a marvel
ously brief period by means of real es-
tate deals engineered by them. Each
agent could do little better by him
than any other one, while all declared
that their chief motive was a desire
to be of service to the inquiring
Chicago man, as they were anxious to
see him start right. A single encour-
aging word, casual injury, or even an
unguarded wink, on the part of the
doctor, was sufficient to set dirt
dealer wild with hope, and it usually
led to a ride or walk to some piece of
ground with "for sale" shingle on it..
One morning the doctor was unusually
| late in rising, having been kept up till
past midnight by real estate fiend
who visited him with roll of flaming
handbills and seven yards of maps
which he desired to explain. When
the doctor reached the sidewalk he
| found nineteen real estate brokers
awaiting his appearance, each one hav-
ing some kind of a vehicle. Every
one wanted to take the doctor out
and show him "big bargain" The
unfortunate man was in a dilemma.
He could not ride with one of the
fiends without running a risk of be-
ing mobbed by the others. So he
wisely pleaded illness and retired to
his room.
One night he managed to slip away
unobserved and attend theater. The
play was The Gilded Age, with John Il.
Raymond in the role of Colonel Null
berry Sellers. After witnessing how
| lla -, r;o,,o lor;IJ;oDf Hponoio1 ca hon, ou