Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20

In every large city the process of
construction and destruction is con-
stantly going on. The act Of evolu-
tion is slow one, but to those who
have the patience to watch and wait
the results Of both processes are Sig
nificant The constructive ability is
found chiefly in the man; the destruc-
tive power is chiefly elemental.
From time immenorial the cities of
the globe have had their watchers on
the hills; those who from their points
of vantage could command a view of
the changes taking place in the cities
and towns at their feet. These look
ers-on at the strife and turmoil seeth-
ing in the plains or gradually creep
Ing upward to their calm retreats are
the real historians of a city's growth.
Jerusalem the ancient city of days,
doubtless had its watchers of the tre-
mendous events which shook the
world, who sequestered on their hid
den hllltops among vine and olive
leaves saw, understood and recorded,
the scenes which have since become
historic. Sandaled feet have climbed
the hill where the temple of the Ephes-
ians lay concealed that human prob
lens might be solved and hurt souls
healed, and doubtless the barren desert
of Sodom and Gomorrah held some few
watchers on a convenient mound from
whence the flight of Lot and his wife
was noted. Rome, the city built on
seven hills, had sentinels stationed on
every summit whose business 1t was
to search out the events transpiring
among Roman multitudes, and in mod
ern times the great city Of London
has had its growth, destruction and
reconstruction watched with intense
anxiety by the few who had chosen
to dwell in the attitudes of the hills.
A singular fact in connection with
the recent disaster in San Francisco
was that the dwellers on the heights
escaped without loss of property or in
jury of body. In time of disaster the
high places are the safe places. AMI
mails know this and instinct leads to
the steep hill trails. Whether 1t be
that mountains. are considered synon-
ymous with safety from earthuakes,
whirlwinds or calamity, the fact re-
mains that in all ages people have
fled to the mountain tops to escape
threatened disaster. In time of
famine, food or war it is these quiet
dwelers on the heights who in their
lofty attitude seem to breathe higher
and clearer mental atmosphere, who,
watching the passing show, penetrate
deeply the workings of the great har-
monious plan.
Los Angeles has such hill, and it's
silent historian in the person of an
old lady who has dwelt for twenty
years on the summit of one of the
hills overlooking the plains of the
city. Unique among the monuments
of progressive and overmastering
age, her little cottage stands on it's
hilltop sequestered among the shrubs
and trees of the brown -grassed hill
side just as it did when Los Angeles
was but a. handful of adobe houses
clustered together on a smiling plain
below. For twenty years she has
watched the city expand and spread
till the advancing figure of progress
which she has watched turn in her
direction with dread, tells her that the
moving finger" has writ that the
cottage must go. The city plans a
splendid park on the site of her home,
a tunnel is to be followed through the
hill which has been her refuge for a
quarter of a century, and she must
submit to the crushing necessity of
the edict. The hill will be leveled in
some places, her peaceful rose-cov-
cred cottage doomed to destruction,
the wild flowers of the hillside will
be trodden underfoot by the advance
ing needs of the army of commercial
ism, and from her eyrie where she has
watched the City of the Angels grow
from pulling infant to a superb
strength, she is to watch also the de-
struction of all that she holds most
dear.
But this little cottage has history.
Twenty years ago it was destined to
be the home of Mrs. Shepherd, who
saw the advantages of the command
ing and lovely site, and, on the verge
of taking possession, was stayed by
the death of her little daughter, a
child of nine years. The plans were
abandoned, the cottage closed and left
to the ravages of time. Mrs. Shepherd
left the place altogether but some
years afterward, trying to rent 1t,
found to her surprise that the place
had acquired the reputation of being