Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-01
LAND NTARMS OF RARLY L@S ANGELES
1Ntd Describes the Beginnings of This City

| and with a go-aheadftiveness ale
together out of the common.
He has for years past held
and now holds high position in the
engineering department of the Penn
sy1vanis railroad. That was thirty
years ago and today there are a great
many admirers of this hustling genius
around Los Angeles and in Southern
California. He did his work so quickly
that within a year the Santa Monica
branch Of the Los Angeles & Independ-
ence railway was completed, the wharf
was built and doing business and the
beach at Santa Monica was one Of the
liveliest places on the American con-
tinent. The city by the Sea had been
plated and advertised, and one bright
summer day Hon. Tom Fitch stepped
off the steamer on to the wharf and
played auctioneer at n sale of lots
which beat all previous records in Cali
fornia And Santa Monica began to
grow with the rapidity of a Jonah's
gourd. In those days in that magical
boom town you could scarcely look at
man without being invited to partake
of a cold bird with it's accompanying
small bottle. French Louis, the chef de
cuisine par excellence of Southern Cali
fornia, moved his pots and pans from
the Downey block and set up res-
taurant in the city by the Sea.
Then the Bank Failed
But anon change came over the
81. A.l. N1,an or,
of California failed. Other banks fol-
lowed suit. The drought and the small
pox impended over Los Angeles. Soon
hereabouts dollar began to look about
as big as a cartwheel. Even the royal
hearted Nevada senator began to feel
the pinch of the hard times. The South
ern Pacific railway always had an APP
probation of the Santa Monica branch
of the Los Angeles & Independence
railway. AS the story goes, they coli
lected $225,000 of the notes of the miner
statesman, with the intimation that II
it were inconvenent for him to pay
"muy pronto" they would accept his
railway. Jones very chivalrously told
the people of Los Angeles that they
could have the road if they wanted 1t,
but If they did not want it he had
another purchaser who did. He did
this Notwithstanding our people had
not treated him generously in the way
of patronizing his enterprise. Follow
ing upon no action on the part OF
Angelenos, the road became the pres
ent Santa Monica branch of the South
ar,, Uacifc railway
Col. r. s. Baker, who was associated
with John p. Jones in the ownership
of the two ranches and in the lots
which comprised the City by the Sea,
did not embark in the railway or wharf
projects. He was for years a distin-
guished citizen of Southern California.
He was for years partner of Gen.
Edward F. Beale in sheep farming on
the TETON rancho He was gentleman
of many excellent qualities, rich and
liberal. He was at all times the dis
penser of an elegant hospitality and as
a nimrod and devotee of Izaak Walton
he was known all over the state of Cali
fornia. In the very heart of the gloom
engendered by the drought of 1S76-77 he
built the Baker block, even today one
of the most magnificent edifices in Los
Angeles, and when it was erected with
out a peer. He was actuated in its
erection at that inauspicious time large
Nv by a desire to show his confidence in
the future of this city. His estimable
widow, lady Of many virtues. Is still
living and is one of the heaviest tax
payers Of Southern California.