Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-14
WILL BOOM PRICE
OF REAL ESTATE
HARTMAN DEAL PROMISES
PROSPERITY
Abbot Kinney Refuses to Either Deny
or Affirm That He Has Sold
Venice to Railroad
Mapnate
tCOntInued from page one,

(ContInued from Page one.l
sister city, has a successful Chau-
tauqua.
Some projects in Venice have halted
for the reason that Mr.. Kinney felt he
did not fathom the public's wishes cor
rectly. He paused to learn what shape
his future plans would take.
Coast Breathing Spot
Under the new regime, If IL gains
control, Venice will be Coney Island
and more. 1t will be the breathing spot
OF the Pacific coast, the outlet for east
ern enthusiasm, sort of national safe
ty valve. The great shows of the world
will in time doubtless be held there.
Control of Venice Is valuable to Har-
riman as the new ambitious head of
the Los Angeles-Pacific and Interur-
ban systems, because it is the source
and destination of most of the travel
on these lines. With Ocean Park and
Santa Monica, popular and growing re-
Sorts as neighbors, Venice is the Mecca
for thousands every day, and when the
new rapid transit (seventy miles an
hour) is in working order the Hartman
trains can handle 100000 passengers as
easily as they handle 10000 now.
More Cars, Too
How largely this travel will be aug
mented with the innovation which will
be introduced by Hartman may be
guessed from the fact that 100 of the
newest type cars have been ordered in
st. Louis. These cars will be here in
May. These cars, which are two feet
longer than the big ones of the Pacific
Electric company are equipped with
four rs horsepower motors each, and
have the multiple unit control. This
means that one motorman can operate
as many as seven cars and that long
trains will be operated on busy days.
The brakes will be straight air and
automatic.
Mr.. Hartman fosters advanced ideas.
He believes in keeping up with the
times in railroading as in everything
else. He was the first to admit the
possibility of the electrifcation of
steam roads and it was he who first
employed the single gasoline car on
short distance runs
Venice appealed to him as only the
nucleus of great amusement city. Its
Midway seemed too small. Long ago
he set his agents to work and before
long control of the amusement side
shows changed hands. 1t was given
out that officials of the Los Angeles
pany and taken hold. They have made
many improvements since.
Canals, Hotels, Etc
The Venice canals were dredged for
miles and covered with bridges of con-
crete. The ocean water was turned
into them and gondolas floated on the
water with as much quiet dignity as
they do in ancient Venice. But the
system of canals does not reach back
far enough for the new dominating
spirit. They viii be extended in all
directions.
The splendid hotel projected on the
ocean front will be finished at once. It's
massive concrete piers have been eye
sores for months. All this is changed
now. Abundant capital and spirit calls
for quick completion of the hostelry.
The Venice PIERS dotted with ba-
zaars, will be made even more attrac-
tive, and other features besides the ship
hotel will be added to make people look
up and talk.
Architects and landscape gardeners
will add those touches to the scenery
which capital can insure and Venice
will in time be the photographed
city in the world.
Powerful Backing
Until yesterday the plans of the
steam and electric railway magnate
had been closely guarded. 1t was gem
orally known that Mr.. Hartman con-
templated the expenditure of millions
in modernizing the system in which he
has become dominant, but the most
hopeful guesses fell short of the reality.
They did not figure on Venice; they
did not figure on the consolidation of
power interests as well as trolley roads,
as is hinted now.
No one knows the extent of Harri-
mans fortune. 1t may be $5, 100000 or
$500,000,000. He will not discuss his
business affairs; he will not talk for
publication. Morgan deals or Hill deals
or Gould deals leak out in Wall street.
A Hartman deal never does. The first
anyone knows of it is when it has be-
come an accomplished fact. For this
reason he is one of the most dreaded
of the great financiers.