Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-26
CALLS IT BUSIEST
CITY IN THE UNION
MANUFACTURER FROM EAST
SAYS THIS OF LOS ANGELES
Time May Come, He Predicts, When
state Will Be SO ThickIy Popu-
lated That Division viii
Be Necessary

Progress i'm Southern California at
present is so enormous that in the
course of ten years believe the ques-
ton of a division of the state into
two states will be enthusiastically
under agitation.
Today Los Angeles is the busiest
city in the United states. There is a
boom here now that has never before
been equalled and cannot be surpassed.
Los Angeles is forging to the front
in leaps and bounds and the population
is increasing so rapidly that in the
course of four or five years you Will
have passed the 100000 mark"
These are the statements of A. ID.
Hermance, a leading manufactures of
Williamsport, Pa, who has BEEN reg
ular visitor to California for the past
ten years and who was In this section
of the United States thirty years ago.
He is at present at the Alexandria
hotel, accompanied by his wife and
niece, Miss Jane l.. Green.
During the last ten years the growth
of Los Angeles has been nothing short
of remarkable" said Mr.. Hermance,
last night. within the last year the
change that has taken place here has
clearly demonstrated that this city is
destined to be one of the largest cities
in the Union.
"Progressiveness in Southern Califor-
MIA and principally by the business men
of Los Angeles is of a nature and cali
Der all it's own. The residents in this
city seem to be in class by them
selves. To no city in the country can
anyone point and say that the enter
prise of the business and political fig
ureheads is on par with that of Los
Angeles.
Lauds Owens River Project
"The most striking example of this
is the owens river scheme. The daring
and the risk of the men who formu-
lated the idea have never before been
equalled. The men of New York city,
on account of lack of backbone, are
compelling the residents of that metrop-
oils to submit to the drinking of i'm
pure water. There they have Lake
George, from which they could bring
pure, fresh mountain stream water into
the city, but they lack the nerve to
carry out such a project or even make
the venture.
1.-THE bringing of water into Los An
geles from Owens river means an eX-
penditure of more than $40, 100000. That
means a per capita tax of about 1923.
1t means the going into debt by the
citizens of Los Angeles. But the city
such debt. 1t should be left to the
future generations to pay.
Los Angeles is spreading out today
so rapidly that the time when it will
include all of the sInaller surrounding
towns is not far distant. The advisa-
bility of all of the other towns join
ing Los Angeles is doubly important
to them through the owens river pro-
ject.
Three Cities to Be Considered
"In my opinion the contention for
pre-eminence on the Pacific coast will
lie between three cities: San Fran
cisco, which at the present time holds
it; Seattle, which is also growing up,
and Los Angeles, which is rapidly ap-
preaching the time when it will hold
pre-eminence.
News that James j. Hill is negoti-
ating for the opening of a road be-
entertained with the greatest enthus-
iasm by the residents of Los Angeles
and San Pedro, and more so when he
has promised to open an oriental steam
ship line from this port
Los Angeles should encourage Mr..
Hill. He has long ago demonstrated
that he is a successful man and that
nothing he takes hold of will fail. When
men of his wealth and experience ap-
parently see great future for Los An
geles and are willing to risk millions
of dollars in project, there is almost
no excuse for skepticism on the part Of
the citizens of community"