Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-18
ChiIdS Property Goes
to the Railway
Magnate
Will Build the Largest
Trolley Terminal
in World
It Is Believed Huntington May Join In
Gigantic Project and Move the
Pacific Electric Station
to the New Site

The city block known as the Childs
property, bounded by Eleventh,
Twelfth, Main and Hill streets, owned
by H. e. Huntington, has been trans
ferred to e. H. Hartman. The deal
was made yesterday.
It is understood on the best authority
that this block will be the site of an
Hartman lines now operated under
the name of the Los Angeles-Pacific
railroad. 1t is intimated, though not
confirmed, that the Huntington lines
now using the building of that name
at Sixth and Main, will also terminate
in the new station. The Huntington
building is now too cramped to ac-
commodate them.
This purchase and it's consequences,
it is declared, terminate the possibility
of the building of the proposed sub
way from Fourth and Hill streets to
the west city limits. If subway is
constructed at all 1t will be along
another route, but a subway for the
next few years is problematical, It is
asserted. The cost of one is so great
and the opposition encountered by
Hartman from the city and certain
property owners, together with the
difficulties in getting long term
franchise have led to the present
course. Another factor is the trouble
in which Hartman has become in
volved through government interfer-
ence with his control of the Union
10 roi dc
The rapid growth of the business
center toward the south is another
reason why the subway terminating at
Fourth and Hill has not especially
appealed Of late to so farsighted a
man as Hartman. This site would
leave his cars away down town two
or three years from now-even before
the gigantic and costly project could
be completed. On the contrary, Elev-
enth and Main is still beyond the pres
ent limits Of the new business district,
though the retail trade is rapidly NOV
ing toward 1t.
Will Be Center of City
Within five years. it is figured, that
will be the real center of the city.
Present growth substantiates this
view, without any increase; when the
normal percentage of increase from
easily downtown.
Huntington bought the Childs prop
erty some time back, but never said
what he would do with it. Hartman
and Huntington are closely identified
in their railroad projects; Hartman
owns so per cent of the Pacific Electric
and Interurban roads and is reported
to have acquired a similar interest in
secret of the city lines Of late. He
Do AfR 80 /
road and thus has the final voice in
all trolley interests in Southern Cali
fornia. An enormous station is a
necessity now for these various roads;
1t will become imperative within the
next two years. The Huntington build
ing, now the finest terminal trolley
building in the United States. is out
grown already. And new lines are
building all the time. Obviously, much
more extensive terminals are the one
question of the hour.
Not a thing has been done on the
proposed subway for months The os-
tensible reason is that the city will
not grant an easement under the Olive
street school house, just south of
Fourth street, beneath which only ten
feet deep the road would have passed.
The Flower street crossing is also an
other hitch; the bores through North
Hill are nelu up oSteHSlply because ol
the franchises. No one believes that
Hartman would have gone so far as
Is reputed and have left these little
loose ends to defeat his plan had he
not had an, object therein; he is not
that sort of man. The reason the sub
ways have been practically abandoned
is because Mr.. Hartman has other
and more farsighted plans. The pur-
chase of the Childs property confirms
this and dlscloses them.