The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-27
He Has Experienced No
Change of Heart
SANTA MONICA PREDESTINED
EVEN AS 1T WAS FORTY MONTHS
AGO
An Instructive Interview Reproduced
From The Herald Files of
March 10, 1894

Some sanguine people express the hope
that Secretary Alger may now see fit to
advertise for bids on the San Pedro har-
Dor Improvement without waiting for
more definite instructions. If Secretary
Alger entertains the same views as ex-
pressed in the Herald's interview with
him published March TO- 1896, and repro
those sanguine people will be disap-
pointed.
Herald, March 10, 1894
Mature has given this place 70 per
cent of all the natural requirements of
harbor," said Governor Russell A. AL
ger of Michigan yesterday as he stood
on the big wharf at Santa Monica land
think the best thing man or the govern
ment can do is to furnish the little that
is wanting to make it the perfect harbor
it should be-"
1.-THE governor is right" said Senator
Philetus Sawyer of Michigan, only 1
should put natures work at rs per cent
of the requirements of a good harbor."
'"The only trouble" continued the SEN
ator, "about getting government appro-
priations for the work at Santa Monica
has been the division on the point that
has existed among your representatives
and the fact that the board of engineers
recommended San Pedro. Now, the en-
gineerS are a very honorable, high
minded set of men, who seldom make
mistakes, but there is a great power
which keeps these men from changing
their minds about things and that is the
fear of being called inconsistent. A level
headed man, however, if he is shown to
have been wrong is generally ready to
admit it,. OF course the fAct that the
first recommendation was made for San
Pedro goes a great way toward prevent
ing an overruling on subsequent recon-
mendations of the first
81 have been in the house and senate
member of the committee on commerce
for sixteen years and have studied the
harbor question a great deal. Senator
Jones used to sing the praises of Santa
Monica with great power and persist
ency. and 1 now see that he never said
too much in favor of the place.
"I'll tell you another thing that most
favorably impressed me in favor, of
Santa Monica, even before 1 saw it," con-
tinued the senator, land that is the fact
that Mr.. Huntington, who has at his
command the best engineering talent in
the country and who is one of the most
astute financiers, decided to make the
tremendous investments he has at Santa
Monica. after beforehand spending so
much money at San Pedro. He must
know what he is about in abandoning
what he has done a San Pedro.
"He is perfectly fair about the matter.
TJiS nffar bpf0res fesp IN m ~ he,
day that any other railway could have
the same facilities at Santa Monica as
the Southern Pacific was business-like
HE also offered to put 100000 in the
hands of the engineers to spend if the
government would appropriate the same
amount for preliminary work There are
plenty Of presidents for such action.
'But there is one thing sure. You
people must be united, before you can
get anything for the harbor. The COM
mittee may be thoroughly satisfied that
one place is the best, when along comes
aanumber of petitions and protests, say
ing some other place is the one the peo-
pie want improved, and that results in
the committees throwing the whole
thing OUT
Eyes" said General Alger, you want
the harbor now, and want it badly. AT.
ter you get one you will find there will
be plenty of money to build a second
but by lighting you will find yourselves
without any. Now 1 found Santa Mon
lea has 70 per cent if all the features of a
harbor given it by nature. The senator
raised me five per cent, and 7 guess to
keep it right I will have to raise him
two or three. You have here that long
point, making it practically land locked,
and you have here also the finest wharf
Lever saw or heard Of To make an ar
tificial harbor you need first a wharf for
doing the commercial business and sec
ond a breakwater to protect it. At Santa
Monica the first is provided in a splendid
manner, and you ought to have the sec
ond.
when I was numbering in the early
days 1 had a foreman who was a first
rate man, but he would get ratified occa-
sionally. One day when I was at the
camp he was sent for something and
started to run up the path where the
road forked. ] was in my cutter and
drove after him, just as at breakneck
speed he reached the fork.
What road are you going to take
John?' asked
"He stopped. scratched his head, and
said: I'll be blamed if I know
That's about the way you people
here seem to be on the harbor questin
and if you want one you will have tc
make up your minds once and for al
and be united on the subject.
II have not the slightest interest in
the matter outside very warm feeling
I have for Southern California but ]
cannot see a single obstacle in the way
of creating a perfect harbor at Santa
Monica. and see any number of advan-
tages it has. To my mind it is perfectly
practicable
Senator Sawyer was asked about the
political situation, and said he though:
the Republicans were sure to make a
clean sweep at the next election
GAS to candidates. he said, ''at pres
ent Mckinley is far in. the lead, but
whether he will stay there or not time
only will tell. Mr.. Harrison 1 do not
think has much of a show, though I was
before one of his warmest supporters
but Mckinley appears to overshadow
everybody
General Alger remarked on the COM
paratively easy conditions that prevail
in California. "Why, in Michigan" he
said. 1--WE have to provide for thousands