Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-09
FINE GENTLEMEN
HAVE BEEN MAYORS
Some of the Famous PersonageS Who Have Served
Los Angeles as Chief Executive Officer of
This Beautiful CITY
Written for The Herald by Colonel Joseph D. Lynch
This Beautiful City

The people of the United states have
been electing mayors on large scale
lately and Chicago and st. Louis sug-
gest that Los Angeles has also hal
notable experiences in that line.
The first mayor Of Los Angeles under
the American regime was stephen G.
Foster, who died three or four years
ago considerably beyond four score. lie
was frequently seen on our streets anl
his bowed figure attracted a good deal
of attention. lie disappeared from
active participation in public affairs
years and years ago with the single
exception that every now and then lie
would figure i'm the newspapers III
articles giving "reminiscences of early
days and furnishing correct data or
matters which at the time occupied
public attention. He was a highly edu.
Gated man. remarkably well Informed
on all matters that harked back to
Spanish laws and customs and well
equipped in all lines. His contributions
to the press constituted the best word
on the topics discussed and the news"
papers were always glad to hear from
him. In his later days he made his
habitat in Sonoratown and his familiars
were almost exclusively amongst tie
native Californians with whom he had
associations as the first American al.
calde
In treating of our mayors l do not
propose to observe any exact chrome
logical order. Many of them were men
of mark and some of them are still
living.
| The next American of note to fill the
mayors chair was Judge Nichols, who
died of recent years-another octo-
geharian and California pioneer of a
robust type. He was blessed with a
! family of most interesting ensemble.
He built the first elegant mansion of
the American style on Figueroa street,
near Sixth. His daughter Florida was
for years one of the most famous bellies
of Southern California and possessed !.
voice which cultivated people pro
nounced of the prima donna order if
she had cared to contest for operate
distinction. She married John d. Carr.
son of the famous illionaira
and pioneer Jesse d. Carr, and by his
death of recent date she and her hus
band have come into possession ofmany
can Of the old type and his children and
descendants are numerous. He would
be grouped with the late Senator B. d.
Wilson as the genuine pioneer stock of
Los Angeles and California.
Mayor J. r. Tobernian was one of the
distinctive mayors of Los Angeles sone-
where in the sixties. He is still one of
our best known citizens and still takes
hand in active business. is rich and
highly respected Mayor Toberman was
at one time agent OF Wells, Fargo &
Co.'S express. Forty years or so ago he
was known as one of the three men in
Los Angeles, at that time a frontier
community who had the courage to
wear a silk hat. He has always been a
man of punctilious manners, elegant in
his personal appointments, good
dresser and today does not look twenty
years as old as his career shows he
must be.
DR.. McDougall was one of our notable
mayors of those times. He was gen.
tleman of distinction. He came here
from Santa Cruz, which county and dis
trict he had represented in the senate
of California and he stood high in the
estimation of the best people of the
state.
A Notable Mayor
In the early seventies Prudent Beaudry
was mayor of Los Angeles. He was one
of those Canadians of French extrac-
ton who seem to succeed everywhere
they go. There were eight brothers Of
these Beaudrys, and ! am told by those
who know the family that they all got
rich. His eldest brother was president
of the leading bank of Montreal. He
was a multi millionaire and enjoyed the
sobriuuet of Hog" Beaudry, which /
presume was bestowed upon him on
account of his "nearness," to employ
the Scotch phrase. knew the mayors
brother Victor. who made a fortune in
partnership with Beshaw in the Inde-
pendence mines in Inyo county. He
was a most attractive gentleman with
a markedly French individuality,
The other brothers believe never came
to California.
|
NATURALLY
!. j. !. sssa