The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-18

s. E. Riser in the Chicago Record-Heraid. NN UT here in Los Angeles there is V/ Chicago man who has the right
 to style himself Duke of Beau mont. He isn't doing this, because he is modest man and, withal a good re- publican. The gentleman is c. B. Eyer, member of Chicago law firm and resident of Evanston. About 20 years ago land company bought large territory 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. with the intention of building a new metropolis land affording opportunities for many peo- pie to become the possessors of ranches A town was laid out, trees were planted along the broad streets, a big hotel was erected, water pipes were laid a number of houses were built and sold, and then the land company, owing. perhaps, to a shortage of ready money, went out of business. Since then the town of Beau mont, as the place was called, has been dormant. The trees have kept on grow ing and the Southern Pacific Railroad company has established the headouar- ters of a freight division there, but other wise Beaumont has not been doing any thing to make itself conspicuous. few months ago Mr. Eyer, who was out here looking after the interests of some of his clients, heard that the San Francisco bank which held Beaumont among its assets was ready to dispose of the place, and he decided to become It's owner Thus it happens that Chicago man is lord of demesne which would make a state al- most as big as Rhode Island
 Beaumont lies between two ranges of mountains that approach each other in the shape of a V, leaving a narrow gap through which the Southern Pacific passes out to the desert. On one side is Mount San Jacinto, more than 1000 feet high, and on the other is Mount San Bernar- dino, only few hundred feet lower The undulating valley, in the center Of which the town, with it's rows of beauti- full pepper and eucalyptus trees reposes, spreads out to the west, and is about 2500 feet above the sea level. The climate Is said to be very beneficial to people who suffer from asthmatic and catarrhal troubles, and while 1t is too cold for oranges, men who are supposed to know about such things say that 1t Is splendldly adapted to the raising of pears, apples, ap- ricots, plums, prunes and other deciduous fruits. Here and there in the valley may be found old vineyards which were plant ed by the early Spanish missionaries, and several Chicagoians who wandered in among the vines few Sundays ago have reason to believe that those old mission aries knew what good grapes were when they planted them.
 Down through the valley runs a beauti- full. clear mountain stream, and far away on the foothills are well titled ranches, with their patches of green sts nding out in fine relief against the somber back ground afforded by the mountains Ro- mances have been written around adven- turers who have become the possessors of far-ofr islands of the seas and set themselves up as kings. but the possessor of Beaumont disclaims any intention of going into the king business. There is a capital ready made for him If he cared to assume royal rank. and the big hotel which was a part of his purchase might be utilized as palace if he wished to get into the Almanach de Gotha, thus making himself the peer of the Duke of Schaumburg- -Lippe and King Peter of Servia He insists. however. that he would rather be able to make the Evans ton golf course in St strokes than be ad- dressed as sire by people who were born as free and equal as possible. hence it IS perhaps but fair to assume that his pur- pose in becoming the lord of a princi-