The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-09-22

on ledseO ground, ana Wnen n. w.
Hellman, who is conservative and
keen sighted, and who has waited
thirty years to assure himself of the
absolute certainty of Los Angeles
metropolitan destiny, finally erects
an eight story fireproof office and
bank building at a cost of almost
81 900, 200, and where a corporation of
shrewd business financiers and good
business men will pay 100000 for a
bit of ground and erect a SKY
scraper' of twelve stories, elegantly
finished, and when a man like J. b.
Laukershine is building a nine story
hotel, that will rival any thing on
the Pacific Coast, and when Henry
E. Huntington whose capital and
brains is big enough to enable him to
operate in the biggest financial cen
tiers of the country, abandons New
York and San Francisco to invest
$50, 100000 in net work of street
railways that radiate from Los An
geles and connect with it many of the
towns and beaches of Southern Cali
fornia. All this means great deal
for the prosperity and future develop
ment of the city and country around.
The beach resorts have grown won
derfullv in the past few years. Long
Beach which had but few houses
seven years ago, when we were here,
to day has population of about 5000.
At Ocean Park where few years ago
were nothing but sand dunes and
the land worth perhaps 500 per acre
have been leveled down and laid out
into town lots and to day it is a pros
porous and picturesque town where
corner lot has been sold recently at
$500 per front foot. Towns are
springing up along the beach at
many places.
The government is building one of
the largest harbors and breakwaters
at San Pedro in the United States,
and when completed, will mean much
in financial and business way to this
city. The pier will be oyer one mile
long.
The Salt Lake railroad is nearing
completion, and when completed it
will open to traffic and development,
rich and fertile region which has been
dormant owing to lack of transporta-
ton facilities, and will cut off 200
miles from the distance to the East.
The real estate fraternity are pre-
pairing for great activities as result
OF this enterprise. Only a few months
ago corner lot on corner Ninth and
Broadway went begging at $500 a
front foot and today, it will bring
$3.50 foot. Not long since lot on
Spring street sold for $500 per front
foot, and the same week the lot ad
vanced in price $4,000.
The cost of living here is perhaps a
little higher than it is in the East,
but may err in our Judgment. Or
binary labor is paid from $1.75 to
50 % per day.
We were told when we left for the
Pacific Coast, that we would never
see any lightning nor hear its thun-
der. That assertion has been exDlod-
ed. Aug. 18th, we saw flashes of
lightning and heard number of
loud reports of thunder, and we en-
joyed a delightful Maryland shower,
which continued for several hours;
since then we have had an additional
nice rain. These rains are somewhat
of surprise and unusual at this sea-
son of the year as are many other
things in California.
Well, Mr.. Editor, my letter is be-
coming lengthy and | must ring off.
Please change our address from 1924
to 3005 Vermont avenue. We expect
to move across the street very soon,
and enjoy eating fruit under Que own
vine and figtree. We have figs,
oranges, lemon, peaches, ETC., on
our ranch of 90X150 feet; we raised a
tomato vine that measured 6 feet in
height and Is feet in circumference
at the top and produced . bushels of
tomatoes, and this is not California
story either b ut is the genuine article.
With best wishes and kindest re-
CARDS, Yours truly,
A. F SPEICHER.
p. S.-Rooseyelt is sure of Califor.
MAS vote.
COmDaratiyply new cook stove