Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-28
WHY TOURISTS CONE HERE

wher some six months ago, an
earthquake, followed by three days Of
fire, put San Francisco almost off the
map. together with much Of its inn
mediate vicinity, no part Of the United
States was more notorious in its mis-
representations, Its exaggerations,
about all of California and especially
about Los Angeles and its vicinity,
than was the eastern gulf coast, un-
less it was Denver The press, tho
railroads and the public generally
throughout that region descanted
learnedly about the fearful damage to
California; about the danger from
frequent and disastrous 'quakes; about
the peril in which tourists were placed,
and solemnly warned all who would
flee from the wintry blasts to keep
away from doomed and racked Cali
fornia and come to Florida, the only
safe place on the globe.
OF course, these malicious self-seek-
ers utterly failed to show that the
part of California shaken had not been
so visited before in many years; that
1t was not the summer resort at all;
that Southern California, whence the
tourists come by the 100000 every year
didn't even get quiver and never
did; that 1t only knew of the quake
through regular news service and that
it's attractions for winter visitors were
not changed an iota by the San Fran
cisco cataclysm. No; none of this was
mentioned. Because the earth shiv-
cred 500 miles away from the Cali
fornia winter paradise they had fits
of virtuous apprehension for the many
who find here surcease from wintry
woes-and begged these people to turn
their paths toward Che masmatic
swamps, mosquito everglades and yell
low fever regions of Cuba and the gulf
coast.
But "God moves in a mysterious way
his wonders to perform" The yawr
Of the southeast coast came too late
to help it's trade last winter, so it has
been reiterating its lies ever since,
anticipating Il harvest this winter.
But lo No sooner does the chill strike
the east and the first SHOWS and bliz-
yards visit it-far earlier than usual,
too-than terrific hurricanes and ty-
phoons sweep the whole gulf coast re-
gion. Trees are torn up, boats are
wrecked, towns are swept away, mil
lions Of dollars damage is done and,
worst of all, thousands of lives are
claimed. The whole coast from Gal
weston to Hatteras is torn and terri
fled and more persons are killed than
were destroyed in all the earthquakes
in California's history! And every day
brings in fresh reports of damages;
every day shows new records of the
dead.
Florida had mendaciously sought to
make capital for itself out of San
Francisco's misfortunes by attributing
the quake to Los Angeles, 500 miles
away. 1t sought to harm Los Angeles
tourist trade by specious and false
arguments on the undesirability of an
earthquake" region as a winter re-
sort, knowing full we'll that no quake
occurred here. 1t tried to perpetrate
a swindle ON the winter-fleeing pop
ulace to it's own profit-and what hap
pened? The worst storm in its his
tory devastates its coast just at the
opening of the winter rush and de-
spoils it even of it's legitimate share
of the travelling hosts
"The mills of the gods grind slow
ly,' they say, "but they grind exceed
ing fine" Florida and it's prevaricat-
ing vicinity seem to have been caught
between the upper and the lower mill
stones and it bids fair to be ground
into powder with all it's pretentious
claims.
And meanwhile Southern California,
the real paradise, goes serenely on.
Here are no earthquakes, no typhoons,
no swamps, no cyclones; no miasma,
no mosquitoes; no lightnings and tenn
pests, no yellow fever and pestilence;
no tropic hurricanes; no gales. All is
serene beautiful, sunshiny and happy.
Her hands are extended, full of glo-
rious gifts, for all who may wish to
seek here freedom from Floridan woes
and wretchedhess or blizzards and
frosts of the north. Serene, glorious,
perfect undisturbed, she has room and
welcome for all-and more are coming
this year than ever before in history.
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