Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-04-02

A Pacific Coast Trip.
(Yron iseser wriltss BY Marshsll wssks 70 .
friend IN South PasssJ
SEATTLE, VASE, Mar. Q. 1907.
Los Angeles, (Our Lady, the Queen Of
the Augels) the Mecca Of ell tourists, 10
the chief city of Southern California and
the commercial metropolis OF the south
western corner Of the United States. It
nov. has . population Of PAS, 200. The
rapid growth Of tho city 10 realized BY
looking st the census Of 1880. The city
then had . population Of only 900.
There are three leading features that
have contributed to such growth. These
arc climste, soil and location. The
main advantage Of climate 10 In It,
lack of great variation between summer
and winter, the difference between the
monthly means OF temperature In Janu-
airy and July being only Is degrees. The
street railroad system 10 very complete,
the total mileage being over ESQ miles.
There are suburban lines from Los
Angeles. to Santa Monica, Redondo,
Long Beach, Newport, Pasadena, Alta
dens, San Pedro, Alhambra, San Gabriel,
Monrovis, Whittier, Glendale and Santa
Ana, giving tho tourist opportunity to
visit groves OF oranges, lemons, English
waln1ts, olives, dates, figs or prunes.
II ID one Of the best lighted cities In the
Union. Many Of the lamps are on high
masts. Broadway and Spring Streets
are lighted by clusters Of electric lights
on handsome iron electroliers.
The Chamber OF Commerce Is one OF
tn most interesting places to visit. 1t
is large building given to promoting
the interests of the state. One large
hall 10 filed with samples of all kinds OF
fruits, fresh and dried vegetables, grain,
minerals, English walnuts (which are
raised here In great quantities), oranges,
lemons, pears, peaches and grapes. In
large hall adjoining stereopticon
lectures are given twice each day, Illus.
trating and explaining different parts OF
the state.
There are dozen parks in the city
filled with tropical trees and shrubbery.
The city Is building up very fast, as there
were buildings erected In 1905 to the
value of $18, 100000. Many fine hotels
and department stores are now In course
OF erection.
Los Angeles possesses the advantages
of four transcontinental lines Of railroad
over which is shipped most of the crude
oil from the oil wells In and about the
CITY, At the present time there are
about 1876 car loads of oranges day
being shipped.
The seaport of Los Angeles is San
Pedro, distant about eighteen miles. 1t
ia here the government is to build three
million dollar break-water. We went by
boat from here to San Francisco, taking
1875 hours.
San Francisco is a sad sight. The
ruins of the terrible disaster are to be
seen on every side over an area as large
a. the city Of Portland. The fire swept
everything before 1t, leaving only a few
crumbling walls and chimneys. The
streets have been cleared 80 that teams
can 20 through, but the sidewalks have
not been repaired, and in most places
you have to walk in the street. There
are only few of the car lines running In
this part of the city.
Buildings are being built as fast a.
iron, brick and timber can be secured
Many temporary buildings have beer
built In all parts Of the business district
The small houses built in the public
parks from the funds sent for the relief
of the refugees are slowly being vacated
They are about Is by 20 feet, painted
green and arranged in rows with street!
between, there being 300 or 400 in esct
place. With few exceptions the PEG
pie are supporting themselves and mos
OF them are paying the city rent fol
their houses.
, We sailed from San Francisco Sunday
March 3rd, at IL O'Clock, passed through
, the Golden Gate at noon. We passed
{ Cape Flattery at noon Wednesday, anG
entered the straits of Juan-de-Fuca
which divides Vancouver Island and thu
United States. They are 10 miles wide
and about 80 long. The shores on both
sides are covered with thick woods.
Reached Victoria, B. c., at 8 p. NJ
We stopped here two hours; spent thu
time in seeing what we could OF thu
city, which contains some nice hotel
, and railroad stations. The government
buildings here are some Of the finest II
Canada. We stopped q short time al
Port Townsend, reaching Seattle q
about o'clock in the morning. Seattle
occupies unique position, being situat
ed upon the shortest route of travel ant
! transportation between the Eastern
J States and the countries of the Orien
; and Alaska, at the point whore thu
trsuscontinental railroads from thu
East, the South, and the Middle West
meet the ships Of the world in the larg'
and growing commerce of the Pacific
Ocean. This fact gives her natural ad
vantages possessed by no other city II
the world.
Located upon an arm of Puget Sount
which forms an extensive water harbo
perfectly protected from storm ant
accessible to the largest vessels afoat o.
all times and all stages of the tide
Seattle has become the American port o.
number of the principal steamship
lines of the Pacific, and also the home
, port of very large feet OF coast-wis'
steamers which are operated In the trade
with Alaska.
The climate Is very nice here now, ant
am told that they have no extremes Of
heat or cold. Only two seasons ART
spoken of, summer and winter. Tit
summers are cool or moderately warm
and the winters are mild and with al
most no snow except on the mountains
There are many fine Office buildings
hotels and department stores. A new
post Office is now being built. Ths
streets are wide and we'll paved, mostly
with brick. It Is without doubt the
fastest growing city to-day In the United
States, the population increasing al
the rate of five thousand month.
We went out to the University grounds
to-day and watched them pull stumps
on the ground where the Alaska Expo
sition Of 1909 is to be held. It is mostly
covered with heavy timber now.