Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-16
PORT ORANGE
HAS WONDROUS
POSSIBILITIES
Will Provide Good
Harbor
Company of Capitalists Organized to
Build Townsite--Government
VIII Be Asked for an
Appropriation

Standing on the cliffs friging New
port bay, which doubtless Balboa as
cended centuries ago. Los Angeles and
Santa Ana officials and capitalists yes
terday afternoon looked down in amaze
ment and admiration on the new harbor
of Southern California-Port Orange.
Below stretched Newport bay, land
locked, protected from winds and
mighty in it's possibilities; beyond on
the sandspit extending into the ocean
were the beach cities, Newport and
Balboa Beach, with surrounding settle
ments.
Back overland toward Santa Ana, old
derricks less than three miles away
made easy the fuel problem.
Still farther back were the immense
celery beds around Smeltzer the vast
granary known as San Joaquin ranch,
being cut up into barley and bean acre
age and small farms, and the thriving
agricultural country penetrated by the
Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific
roads.
At Los Angeles Door
All this within forty miles south and
east of Los Angeles, with Catalina is
land plainly in sight, is the reality that
has inspired capitalists to organize a
company to push townsite PROPOSE
tion, arouse enthusiasm OF the nearby
cities in getting government appro-
priation and in providing a new harbor
for the inland empire which embraces
such cities as Redlands, Riverside, Co.
roma, San ernardino, San Jacinto,
Santa Ana and others tributary to the
coast.
Years ago, long before the Panama
canal was contemplated, the govern
ment had a survey made of this harbor.
It's experts said then and say now that
the only drawback to government aid
was that there was not enough popu-
lation dependent on the harbor to justi-
fy an appropriation. Conditions are
changed now, as chambers of commerce
and merchants associations have
stated.
Officials Praise Harbor
AS Mayor Harper remarked yester-
day:
1--WE need every harbor we can get
especially the free bays and inlets which
the transportation corporations do not
control Port Orange seems to be the
key to such a harbor, delightfully."- STU
ated for residential purposes and ad-
vantageously located for anchorage for
steamers and wharves for loadlng ana
unloading freight
1--WE are right in hoping that the gov
ernment will aid this project and that
we will not neglect this opportunity for
Los Angeles to add to it's commercial
possibilities
President Niles Pease of the city
council added:
whether now is the right time to
push this harbor may be questioned by
some but. with San Pedro tied up as 1t
is far-sighted men are justified in keep
ing an eye open on possible anchorages
fa,- tho floats Of the future.
'.I would like to see the Santa Fe IN
terested to the extent of running direct
to tidewater at this roint, always pro-
viding, of course, that the people nave
free access to and use of the ocean
front in such inland harbors as that OF
Newport bay"
Toasts and Facts
The party of officials left the city hall
Yesterday at noon in charge of Mark
German by special car, and in quick
time sped to Balboa Beach, where at
the Balboa hotel banquet, under the
direction of Proprietor A. P. Wheelock,
was enjoyed.
Mayor Harper proposed to President
Roosevelt, which was drunk standing,
and as course after course was brought
in toasts were proposed-Anthony
Schwamm to Mayor Harper, 1.-THE Next
Governor; Nathan Cole, jr.. to Bal
boa. "who discovered the Pacific and
founded this town." and Horace Fine
to port Orange. the future great"
Engineer Drew H. Dunn of New
York stated by invitation that after
making 3200 soundings and on the basis
of contracts made at San Pedro harbor
he estimated that at an expense of
s675, 900 Newport bay could be dredged.
$500 feet of jetties built, outer channel
could be dredged and the sand spit re-
vetted.
Cost Less Than Million
Here are the figures:
CHANNEL CLIMATES A