Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-02-15
LOS ANGELES. CAL.
George Upham Lewis Describes the
City and Sketches lts History.

George Upham Lewis Descrines th'
City and Sketches Its History.
Los Angeles-City OF Angels-wa
founded by soldiers from San Gabriel il
lI7sl. In 1890, the fetal population We
I14l. The census OF 1850 gave the city
population Of 11.311, and twenty year
later it had increased to 102,470. Presen
population, 20l, 900,
II has an area OF "A square miles, more
than 80 miles Of paved thoroughfares
more than 400 miles Of gravel and maead-
sm streets and an equal number OF cement
and asphalt sidewalks on public high
ways. sixty-three school buildings are
required to accommodate the more than
80, 400 children Of school age. Besides this
there are seven additional sites on which
they are soon to build.
Besides the common and high schools.
there is the Polytechnic High school,
which, when finished and completely
equipped, will cost about 100000 Then
there is st. Vincent's college Roman
Catholic. Other large institutions are the
| University OF Southern California, the
| Wood bury Business college and the State
| Normal school. The present school prop
erty is appraised at s2,3s7,0 900.
No less than 1853 churches furnish places
| for religious worship. The public library
contains 10000 volumes, and a large and
well-equipped reading room.
The streets are straight and cross each
other at right angles. They are shaded by
pepper trees and the stately palm, and are
/ bordered by shrubs and flowers The
houses are largely OF the cottage type, and
many OF them one story. They are set
back from the street so as to give nice
front yard for flowers and shrubs.
With the business part of the city have
little acquaintance, it being thought an
unsafe place for clumsy octogenerian,
where trolley cars and automobiles are
constantly passing.
gather from the daily papers that near
the city limits there is race track where
all kinds OF gambling are allowed. Ii also
appears that III the county of Los Angeles
there is a board of supervisors consisting
OF five men to watch over the interests OF
the county. At the present time there is
strong effort being brought to bear upon
the board for an ordinance TO suppress
gambling, which, il is claimed, is clearly
within their power. A petition has been
presented to the board, signed by 1900
voters, backed by the board of education,
city council, chambr OF commerce,
churches and clubs of all sorts and sizes.
and every decent man in the county. But
thus far a majority Of the board have de-
layed action, "the solid three claiming
that they are not satisfied that any harm
is being done, and demanding time for in
vestigation, Notwithstanding ii has been
shown that the city is being flooded by
gamblers and toughs, drawn here by the
race track concern.
Let us now visit the city market, where
we can see pitiful sight any week day OF
horde of stability dressed women and
children porting over the refuse barrels.
into which are dumped the partly decayed
vegetables aud fruits which the market
men pick out in going over their stock.
The people are for the most part Mexicans
and the poorer class OF Italians, who find
il hard to procure the wherewithal to sat
isfy the cravings of hunger, and would
find il still harder If il was not for the
privilege OF dipping into the barrels and
taking theretrom a half-rotten potato,
damaged cabbage, a half-rotten apple, or
any partly deeayed fruit or vegetable they
may come across in this reeking mass OF
filth.
But we viii not follow this farther; 1t is
too painfully disgusting. We have seen
enough to satisfy us there are poverty and
degradation even in the Golden State. We
Will now visit a place where we can see
more pleasant zig hts. We will board a
trolley car, for il is too far to walk. Here
we are, and as we descend from the car
our eye is caught by the sign, "lgorotes
We pay the ten-eent fare and enter the
grounds OF the Chute company, a popular
place Of resort that is open every DAY in
Inv year IlEEt We etN llOuHs AtEtThs UkHFH.
leopards, panthers, hyenas, zebras and
other beasts, and birds too numerous to
But what is that building of open work |
timbers with steep incline ending In a |
large pool OF water Wait a moment. |
There Down comes boat with a dozen |
men and women in il. IL strikes the Nat |
er with splash and bounds into the air /
and again hits the water some twenty feet |
away, and is skiltully brought up by the
side OF the pool by the steersman, and its |
load disembarks. That is called "shoot- /
ing the chute Want to try 1t MOI
Well, perhaps you would rather be 1
drawn up that incline IN car to the top /
Of a structure forty feet or more high, /
covering an acre of ground. On reaching \
The top, your car is released from the trHc-
ton and begins to descend. Around and |
around you 90, down one incline up an
other, until you are at last landed on terra
frma.
Or perhaps you would rather try the cir
,ular swing. IL so, get into one Of those /
seats and be whirled around at an iDcreas-
ing speed until you are forced out at an
acute angle. No?
Then we will go and see what the Young
man who piloted me around facetiously
called "two-legged brown baren Here
we see the meaning II the sign we saw on
"lgorote "a native OF the Phil
ppine islands, clad in the regulation gar
nent OF his tribe, viz, a cloth wound
lround his Ions aud one end dropping in
front halfway to his knees. lie Is mus
,ular, we'll built man and displaying his
ability by vigorously beating a
.omtom.
] reserve description of the aristocratic
part of the town for my next.
GEO. UPHAM LEWIS.
Couphs and colda dawn ~ ~. 49,. |