Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-04
Large Yearly Expenditure at
Los Angeles.
IS WE'LL DISTRIBUTED
FULLY 100000 VISITORS TO THE
CITY EVERY WINTER.
Remarkable Growth of the Place-Es-
adjustment of Manufacturing Due
to Discovery of Cheap Fuel.
Ply WILLIAM f. CURTIS.


According to the statements of the rail-
way passenger agents, tourists from the
east spend about $25, OOO 900 down in this
corner of the country every year and ev-
e-ybody gets a little of 1t. They have to
be fed and lodged and taken around, and
they waste a certain proportion of their
funds foolishly on trifies; that the money
they bring in is pretty well distributed. Not
less than 250OC0 strangers visit Los An
geles every winter and spend more or less
time here and In the surrounding towns.
One hundred and fifty thousand come in
over the Southern Pacific and one hundred
thousand over the Santa Fe. and the Clark
road from Salt Lake is beginning to con-
tribute to the number. Thus the tourist
business is the basis OF the prosperity of
Los Angeles and indirectly the railroads
responsible.
The city began to be something in 1885,
The Santa Fe railroad having been COM
pleted during the previous year, there was
a great desire on the part of restless peo-
pie. particularly in the central states from
they had read about. The late w. F.
White. for many years general passenger
agent of the Santa Fe road, genius
at advertising. and he made the scenic
wonders. the fruits and flowers and the
climate OF southern California known In ev-
cry household. The Southern Pacific
reached Ell Paso the next year and gave
Los Angeles direct line to New Orleans
and Galveston, which was also well ad-
vertised. The city had a great boom. Town
lots were plotted over area sufficient
for five millions of people. Almost every
acre OF ranch land within a radius of fifty
miles was cut up into additions and put
on the market. Fortunes were made by
clever spectators and that advertised the
town also and attracted thousands of
others. The boom broke in 1888. Prices
mt To fnn nt11 ,In 80
people were ruined but the flow of tourists
kept things going and hotels. merchants.
grocers and marketmen retained their pros
perity. Town lots that had sold for thou
sands of dollars dropped to hundreds and
could not be disposed of at any price, but
this tremendous falling off was confined to
the speculative district. 1t is a significant
fact that property in the business section
of the city has retained it's value and stead
lily advanced during the dull periods This
Is largely due to the never-failing flow Of
tourists
Then came nursery boom. Everybody
raised young orange trees TO sell. There
was great demand for orange lands. Or
chards sprang up where town sits had
been. In 1880 the population of Los Angeles
was $500 by the federal census and 1t
has continued to grow. Things began to
pick UP In 1893, when the panic swept over
the country. Los Angeles endured 1t very
well. there being only few small failures.
Only one bank went under and thai was
unimportant. For the next four years bust
ness was dull because the tourist trade
practically stopped. People In the east
were SO poor that they could not afford TO
travel for pleasure and the population of
this part of California devoted its energies
to the cultivation of oranges. They raised
so much fruit that prices went down.
Everybody shared the depression.
Discovery of Cheap Fuel.
Just at that time. fortunately IN the
midst of the financial depression OF 1893,
cheap fuel was discovered in the form of
crude petroleum, which lessened the cost
Of industry at least GO per cent, attracted
considerable manufacturing, and prevented
the sending out of money for fuel. which,
up to that time had been imported from
Australia, Wales, British Columbia and
New Mexico.
Confidence was restored; manufacturing
enterprises were stimulated. Before oil was
discovered the country was purely agrieul-
tural; now II has many small factories that
pay big dividends All kinds OF things are
made here from clay, brass iron and wood;
builders hardware, chandeliers, construc-
tion iron and many novelties in iron, steel,
copper brass and other metals are made.
Large numbers of patents are issued to
Los Angeles people every year for novel
ties that are manufactured here. The fac
tories are not large; most of them employ
from three to fifty men. Fine furniture is
speciality, also. and nearly all the shops
have artistic wood carvers from Switzer-
made houses are shipped to ranches and
mining regions. One OF the newest enter
prises Is the manufacture of splints arti-
hcial limbs and other surgical appliances
from the wood of the yucca palm, which is
very light and tough and is found In great
quantities in the desert. Several institutions
are making patent pumps and windmil.s
Tor desert irrigation, ornamental terra Gotta,
cement, asphalt and all kinds of articles of
clay New York firm has recently es-
tablished factory for the manufacture OF
felt from Arizona and California wool:
piano hammers are shipped from here by
the carload and felt insoles being dis
tributed all over the world. new bridge
is being erected over the river in the mid
die OF the city and bears signboards an
nouncing 1t to be the first steel bridge
ever erected by local workmen.
This manufacturing Is all due to cheap
fuel, to the discovery OF petroleum in the
neighbOrhood of the city. That was the
cause OF the second boom. which began IN
1895 and continues until the present day
Growth of the City.
The official census of 1900 gave Los An
geies a population OF 10000. The people
and the newspapers protested and claimed
all the way from 10000 TO $4,000. They
finally secured a second count and lost
1900 the actual total being 102.247. They
now claim 10000 and that Is reasonable.
because the growth of the city has been
rapid and steady ever since 1900 No town
ton more rapidly. and Los Angeles last
year was third OF all the cities In the
amount of money expended for new build
ings. II was surpassed only by New York
and Chicago, and l am assured that botn
the total and the average this year will
pass even that record. In other words,
more churches. banks, school houses bust
ness blocks. residences, factories and other
buildings are being erected here than In
any other place in the United States ex-
cept the two cities l have named.
The city IS gaining In other respects also.
The census of 1900 showed 1870 manufac-
turing establishments, where there are now
200, 1900 artisans were then employed
where there are now more than 220Oo, and
an output valued at 81 .29T .537. while that
of 1905 is estimated at S35, 000, coo.
The restored prosperity OF the country
after the election of President Mckinley
affected Los Angeles and the surrounding
towns more than any other section, be-
cause II again permitted people TO travel
and gave them money to spend for luxu-
ries and pleasures. IL permitted thousands
or merchants, bankers. manufacturers and
professional men to retire from active
business and buy and build homes In this
climate; 1t enlarged and stimulated the
fruit market and made better prices. Los
Angeles was Just beginning to feel the ben
efit OF this improved condition throughout
the nation when the settlement of the es-
l..