Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-03
WILL ]. DAVIS ON new TRAIN
Manager Of Illinois Thsat.r Give, Impr,s.
sion Gained frsm Los Angeles Limited.
NEW SERVICE WINNER WITH PUBLIC


VIII j. Davis, manager of the Illinois
theater of Chicago, who was one of the
guests on the initial trip OF the Los An
geles Limited train. writes this letter. Civ
ing his Impressions
The new passenger train service between
Chicago and Los Angeles recently insti-
tuted by the Chicago & Northwestern the
Union Pacific and the San Pedro, Los An
geles & Salt Lake railroads, and known
as the Los Angeles Limited, viii achieve
immediate popularity with pleasure and
health-seeking travel from all parts Of the
east that are, by reason OF location sure
to send passenger traffic by way of Chi
csgo to California
The service includes nine special trains,
built expressly and exclusively for this
traffic. They consist of baggage, tourist.
dining and Pullman sleeping cars only.
there being no day coaches used In the
service. These trains are equipped with
every modern convenience for railway
travel. They are electric lighted. steam
heated, vestibuled. and. so far as human
ingenuity can provide, dustproof. And
this Is no small item in contemplating Cal
ifornia travel. Tho route, except over the
new Salt Lake road, as it was originally
built, is well known to passenger travel.
and the splendid physical condition OF the
Northwestern and Union Pacific railways
are too wen known to call for comment.
The wonder OF the route lies i'm the fact
that the new road recently completed by
senator Clark and his associates, and
known as the Salt Lake Route, extending
from salt Lake to San Pedro harbor some
twenty-seven miles below Los Angeles,
and on the Pacific coast. compares favor
ably in physical condition with that of the
other roads in the combine When one has
Travelled over this road and sees for himself
the difficulties that had to be overcome
he must of a necessity wonder at
the perfection OF the roadbed and
the modern character OF the sta
lions along the route. new and
hitherto untraversed mountain country is
spread before him by this enterprise. The
route passes several mining camps that are
sufficiently close to the road to enable the
passenger to know of the wonderful en-
terprise of the pioneers who have delved
into these remote mountains for a reward
and which in many instances along this
route has been achieved. Notable of these
camps il the Tintic. we'll known min
ing spot to those who keep in touch with
such enterprises. The Salt Lake route runs
for considerable distance through the
celebrated Death Valley. than which there
is no more dreaded barrier in all the west
ern wilds. Stretches of sand apparently
limitless. greet the eye for a goodly por-
ton of the third day Of the route. and al
most Immediately the train plunges into
the valley which leads to the streams that
form the Los Angeles river.
Town Of Las Vegas.
After leaving Salt Lake, the first town
of considerable Importance is Las Vegas
In the southwestern part OF Nevada This
is town NJ that character known as mush-
room growth that has sprung up entirely
since the building of this road II is
shipping point for a number of rich mines
IN It's vicinity, and Of consequence a point
OF importance. Next comes San Der.
nardino. This young city is practically
the first Introduction Of the Messenger 10
the wealth of southern California. From,
this place to Los Angeles Il is a continual
succession Of beautiful towns, the most
notable of which is Riverside Prosperous
ranch homes, enormous orchards of the
orange. the almond, English walnut and
other indigenous fruits. together with vast
grape neIds and OF tracts devoted to the
perry family stretch away on either side.
The wonder of southern California. how
ever is Los Angeles. il. indeed, it is not
the stranger the wherefore for Los Angeles
Is not easily understood
The wonder of southern California
however is Los Angeles. II. indeed.
IL IL not the wonder of the Amerl-
can continent To the stranger the where
fore Tor Los Angeles Is not easily under
stood IT does not appear to be necessary
oy reason of the mining or agricultural
Importance of southern California. So. nm
less II be the tourist and the more or less
wealthy citizens of the United States nj
large. who have sought this delightful val
ley as home, either permanently mr. for
the winter months. it is difficult to under
stand why Los Angeles has achieved sucb
Importance In so brief a space of time
The writer remembers It little less than
thlrty years ago, when the population WAS
largely Spanish and German The native
american element was in a marked mi
""''S' lhere was not a building in the
cry at that time more than three stories
In height while almost the entire town
was built In the Spanish and Mexican stvIe
Today Los Angeles has no peer I'm the
character OF it's business buildings IN tho
size and magnincenee of its hotels, I'm its
wide and perfectly paved and lighted
streets; in fact, in the latter instance Il
may be said that II is the best lighted
city III America. No city in America has a
street car service that can approach the
system inaugurated in Los Angeles and ad-
lacent towns and villages as installed and
managed by Mr.. Il. r. Huntington. nephew
uf the late Pacific railway maRnate
Coils r. Huntington. The system covers
more than 40 miles Of trackare ana
In the evening. when business men and
their employees who live i'm the surrounding
towns are homeward bound the crowded
condition OF the streets would indicate n
city of a million inhabitants rather than
one OF less than quarter OF million.
First of These Trains.
The nrst train OF this Los Angeles Linz
tied service left Chicago on the night ~
December Il and two carloads of specially
invited newspaper and other guests of the
principal eastern cities constituted a nor
.