The herald., 1896-09-27

cessful not so with electric lights. Los
Angeles claims the distinction of being
the first city in the world to adopt cleo
tricity for street Illuminating purposes.
AS early as 1882 system of mast electric
lights was adopted for street lighting
and has been continued in use. 1t is one
of the best lighted cities found any
where. Besides its several electric
plants 1t Is also well supplied with gas
and water, but unfortunately all the
lighting and domestic water plants are
controlled by Private ownership. The
city fathers however, have been nego-
tiating for the purchase of the water
supply now controlled by private cor
poration, and the subject of the city do
ing its own lighting has also been
broached.
1t must not be inferred from the fore
going that the city is devoid of a water
supply of its own. The most valuable
of all its possessions is it's riparian
rights emitting it to all the water in the
Los Angeles river above a certain point,
except such quantity as may be divert
ed for use by actual settlers on lands ad-
joining. The city has an extensive sys-
tenn of canals or zanjas and derives con-
siderable revenue from the sale of water
to irrigators. The water system and ri
parian rights owned by the city in fee
simple arc valued at $7,500,000.
The most remarkable thing as empha-
sizing the growth of Los Angeles in the
last decade is the size, number and
character of it's new buildings. Where
as ten years ago there were scarcely a
dozen buildings three stories high or
over, worthy to be designated as busi-
ness blocks, there are now scores of
stately four, five and six-story struc-
lures, some of which would do credit to
Chicago. Among the more notable ones
are the Bradbury, Stimson, Bullard, Van
Nuys. Wilcox, Byrne, Currier and Stow
ell blocks costing from $100, 900 to $780,
900, and having all the modern conven-
iences. A score of others scarcely less
handsome and costly could be enumer-
ated and the list would still be far from
complete. Ten years ago there were only
few buildings of size and Importance
south of First street and the business
center was near the plaza. Now stately
blocks line Los Angeles. Main, Spring
and Broadway as far as Seventh street,
and the business center is at Second and
Spring streets and still moving south
ward. Broadway which was until a
few years ago a residence street, is now
one of the principle business thorough
fares. e"fA7e
Nor has building been confined to the
business part of town alone. Los An
geles is essentially a city of homes, and
thousands of domiciles have been erect
ed all over the forty odd square miles of
territory which the town embraces.
These vary from the humble working
| mans cottage to the palace of the mil
lionaire. The aggregate cost of all the
buildings erected since 1890 is about $15,-
100000. The building boom reached its
climax in 1895, but despite the prevailing
hard times and the political uncertainty
there has been no decrease I'm the num-
Der of building permits issued thus far
this year.
The erection Of eleven new school
houses and enlargement of nine old ones
during the current year is another indi-
cation of the rapid growth Of the city.
These are elegant buildings of from
eight to twelve rooms. The city now
has fifty-four common school houses,
with accommodations for about 10000
pupils. 1t has besides an excellent high
school and one of the largest and best
state normal schools in the common
wealth. There are also many private
schools and colleges There are few
places that afford better educational IA
cilities.
Half Of what has been accomplished
since the memorable boom of 1861
waxed and waned has not been told
Suffice 1t to say that in ten years Los
Angeles has been transformed into a
metropolitan city of at least 100000 in
habitants, with every modern conven-
ience and Improvement, and is still pro-
crossing at rate in excess of any other
municipality of equal size in the world
With this record, who can say what q
quarter of q century will bring forth?