davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Increase in Commerce

But. gentlemen, there Is another
proposition, and almost as large one
Within seventy miles of Dead Man s
island, which marks the gateway OF
the inner harbor of San Pedro, lies
what In shipping parlance is called the
Great Circle route between the Pacific
port of the Panama canal and the
great Oriental ports of Yokohama
and Shanghai and Kobe and Hong
kong and, in fact, all of those great
gateways Of Oriental commerce to
and from which the commerce of $780,
900 900 people . comes. (Applause.)
Within seventy miles! Every vessel
that comes through that canal that
great highway of world commerce
from Europe to go to those Oriental
ports--and they will be numberless
and countless when it Is completed,
because 1t is the nearest-willf come
within seventy miles of your harbor
and 100 miles from San Pedro Cap
plause.). ~
THAT means that the great lines of
passenger steamers, which are just as
sure to ply that route as that the sun
shines, when the canal is completed
which are always as anxious to make
ports of call as railroad is to make
stations of call along its line-will find
it to their interest to call at your har-
Dor, which will make divergence, run
ming upon the hypotenuse instead of
the straight angle, of a little over a
hundred miles out of their route. They
will call at your harbor for the purpose
Of landing what freight comes directly
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Rates and Distance

1.-THE first thing that interests US in
considering the matter of this harbor,
and 1t can only oe considered in connec-
ton with the Panama canal, is the
effect upon rates and upon distance
The effect upon rates may be judged by
this; Mr.. Jevne told me the other day
that he imported goods from Antwerp
around the Horn to San Pedro, think
some 1900 miles, for about the same
amount, or possibly little less, than II
would cost him to ship the same goods
from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Think of it, gentlemen! Four hundred
and eighty-five miles against 1900!
That is what water transportation
mef IS.
81 was talking to another large ship
per the other day, and I said to him:
HOW long does 1t take you to get your
goods from New York here? had ref
erence to the more important and finer
character of goods, like costly drugs
and chemicals, and dry goods--fast
freight. He said: From thirteen to
seventeen days now, when the roads
are not congested; from six weeks to
two or three months last year and year
before, when they were congested.'
"'How long does 1t take you to get
them through the Tehuantepec route 2
That involves taking them down the
Atlantic coast to the Tehuantepec rail-
road, unloading them, loading them on
to the Tehuantepec railroad, carrying
them to the Pacific coast there re-
loading them and shipping them up
here. twenty-five days. he said.
IT said What is the difference In
rateT
the Tehuantepec route
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
What Willard Said

swell, gentlemen. l had become en-
listed in that fight, and things had
been very hot for two or three weeks
here after that election had been
called, and I could just see our whole
structure crImbling about our ears II
that telegram got out. Senator White
was deservedly very popular with the
people, and if thai telegram had got
out it would have sealed the fate Of the
free harbor for this city forever. After
I read it sank down in the chair and
said TO Mr.. Willard. That settles it.
We talked it over in broken sentences,
none of US feeling very happy. Dan
Freeman occasionally would say a
word, or Willard or l. It was gener-
ally agreed that if we made the mes
sage public 1t would settle the vote of
the chamber against our proposition,
probably. Finally Willard looked up
at us and he held the dispatch over
the little fire that was burning in the
CRATE and dropped 1t in, and said,
We'll, guess we didn't get it, Gap
plause) I suppose that there are not
three people within the sound Of my
voice today who know how near the
cause of free harbor for a free people
came to being wrecked upon that &C.
casion.
However, the vote was taken and
resulted in nearly three to one in favor
of San Pedro. The matter was still
delayed and still delayed and still de-
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
The Walker Board

"Now. that is the kind of thing we
had to fight. The Walker board was
appointed: and you are familiar with
the history of that That poard
consisted of four or i've iuen,
four of them very prohineht
men, and one of them propapiy tne
greatest harbor engineer at that time
living In America in civil life, George
Morrison. member of the New YORK
harbor board; a great, big, fat, good
humored gentleman. He is dead now
Cod rest his soul!-I shall always
love his memory for his action on that
commission. -,
"I was with them. of course by invi-
tation, representing our road, Wnen
they went down on our side OF the
harbor. The first intination got as
to how they might go-outslde OF the
fact that l always was confident OF
the right of our cause-was thls'
was standing within earshot OF the lit
Vie eroun when they were looking over
things down on the breakwater at Ter
minal. and saw Morrison turn
around and sweep his hand toward the
inner harhor, and he said: Gentle
men. we can't neglect that in consld-
ering this matter. That is determln-
alive. That settles the matter OF
-caurse, it wasn't intended that l
should hear it, and for long Time
no living soul knew that l had heard
it. unless it was my wife.
Another trip we made down to the
harbor. 1 had become quite well ac-
quainted with the ola gentleman by
that time. He asked us one morning
to take them down on a special. It
was their last trip or our side. We
did so. We stopped where the San
Gabriel river comes out and walked
along the side. Morrison said; Glib
bon, step this way moment; I want
to ask you something We walked
down the sand a few PAGES and he
turned around, and pointed to Dead
Mans island, and he said: DO you
know who owns that island?' I said
The United States government He
said Are you sure l said Yes
well he said, If I-were in your place
I would be very sure of that, because
it might be a matter of great import
ance to your company some of these
days I felt pretty comfortable about
that.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
New York's Expenditure

do you know, gentlemen. that the
city of New York has spent millions
of dollars In buying back her water
frontage from private individuals, SO
that she could control her own harbor?
DO you realize that, IL those tideland
claims are confirmed there will be all
most no water frontage in that great
harbor, that great twenty-three and a
half miles, that will be free for the
people? That that great water 'front.'
age will be controlled by private In
terests? Do you understand that2 You
have two things ahead OF you. First,
you must bring these actions at a con-
siderable expense; you will have to get
the best attorneys, because the best
will be. employed against you. The
fight must be made. In addition to
that, when that Is done, you must put
that harbor in the possession of pub
lie body large enough and rich enough
to place bulkheads along those wharf
frontages. that will cost, so the United
81 ,000, 900. Now, gentlemen, that Is no
child's play, 1t is stake worthy to
be played for by the great community
that Is interested in 1t. (Applause-)
If that harbor was under the control
of the people, and the city of Los An
geles today included all of the popula-'
ton along there, we would have very
nearly 100000 or 100000 people; over
100000 probably. In two or three
years we would have more than 100000,
the way the city Is growing, and we
would have taxing power and money
raising power to do this and live up
to the opportunity. And, gentlemen.
you must do 1t. (Applause.) Those
things don't come to men without the
expenditure of money and without the
expenditure of time and intelligence
and patriotism as well.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Stephen Whites Telegram

at want to tell you a little, ana l
tbioL a very dramatic, incident con-
corning that vote which was taken Wy
that chamber of commerce., an ilciuFh ~
which l do not believe Is known 10 q
dozen people at the present time anu
srhich I No,1ld not mention now, were
If not that the time has gone SO Iar
by that no harm can be done; Inc
dav before the date set for the elecueil
was particularly gloomy ana HAsei
able. with a drizzling rain falling colo
and wretched. About z O'CLOCK TIC
day l had a telephone message IRON
Mr.. Willard asking me to come owe!
Az his Office at once. His office al
that time was above the Mott marker
on Main street, if you may remeihpel,
where the chamber OF commerce nSu
its rooms. l went there and touho MI
Willard. the secretary, and Dan free-
man. the president of the cnamper %
commerce, sitting over a httie gray
fire in a small private room PACK VI
Wizards office When l walked III
Willard handed me an ordinary west
ernI Union telegram and said, -'Glppon
read that mr.
III was from the Hon. stephen M
White who made the magnlnceH'
fight and won, in favor of san Feuro
(applause); who had been elected 70
congress- lust long enough to see the
tremendous power which the Southern
Pacific at that time exercised in Wash
'ington, and who, no doubt, felt tha'
his d1ltv 10 his constituents here re-
ouired him TO lay before them exactly
the situation. The telegram said:
ION account of the advantage when
the influence of the Southern PACING
would give in obtaining an appropria-
ton for building a harbor 1t might be
advisable for the chamber of commerce
to decide in favor Of Santa Monica,
or words to that effect.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Room for Big Ships

1.-THE New York harbor commission
has had to make plans time and again
for deepening the harbor, until now
the commissioners find depth of forty
feet necessary to accommodate the 90
foot draft of the Lusitania and the
Mauretania. This commerce is going to
be carried in huge leviathans, and II we
are going to accommodate that COM
merce we must have a harbor large
enough in its area for taking care OF
that commerce and for the management
and maneuvering of vessels. and it's en-
frances and its exits must be adequate.
at may be interesting for you TO
know what the government has done
for you already in that respect. There
has been appropriated for the outer
harbor so far a total OF $780, 600,
which will probably, be completely ex-
pended within the next year or eight
cen months, when the project is COM
pleted. There has been appropriated
in all so far for the inner harbor
$1,61S,0OO. And, gentlemen. understand
that when that appropriation was
started a place at he entrance was
eighteen inches deep and now there
is a place where there are miles or
wharfage accommodating vessels
drawing twenty-five feet. lApplauseo
Surely. such magnificent return Tor
the expenditure of $1,600,000 was never
before known. (Applause) I ask Capt.
Fries, who is present, If, In the history
of the United States engineering corps.
so large a result for so little money
has ever before been obtained? lCapt.
Fries: iNeyer.'] (Applause)
"We have a great and growing COM
MERGE, for which this will be the
METROPOLIS
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Bulkheading

Before the harbor can be used to
the utmost advantage there must be
lot of bulkheading done and that
must be done by the private interests,
not the United States government.
Bulkheading is going to cost million
dollars; and gentlemen of Wilmington
and San Pedro, If your hHrbor is to
be developed that million dollars must
be put up by your cities or by the mu-
nicipality that controls that harbor
(applause), or It must be put UP by
your turning your harbor front over to
the railroad companies and letting
them put 1t up. Now. which would you
rather have?
"Some viii say, 'Forty-seven miles!
What use have we for a forty-seyen
mile harbor?' I will tell you, gentle
men. 1t is not that you only have
use for the harbor frontage and wharf
frontage at which. vessels will be lying
all the time. That is only a part of a
harbor. But what you want is har-
Dor there with wharf frontage enough
to locate manufactures on that wharf
frontage, SO that the vessels that
bring to and take from those great
factories their products and their raw
material can lie up there when they
want to load and unload, although the
frontage may be vacant when not be-
ing so used. That is what 1t takes te
make great manufacturing center
and that is what you insult have. IL vol
realize that picture that I tried to
draw for you a little while ago, of fac
tories to manufacture goods for tbs
Oriental trade. (Applause.)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
A Fake Petition

"Whilc that fight was going on an
other thing transpired, of which want
TO tell YOU, on the principle that we
sometimes must Judge the future by the
mast: One afternoon had telephone
message from Gen. Otis, asking me 10
come to his office at once. Went up
there and I found sitting In the once
a young fellow. The general said: 'Mr.
Gibbon, l would like you to have
talk with this young man. / think he
has something very surprising TO tel
u.s. He told us he had been employed
nv A. man who was securing petltlons
in favor of Santa Monica, to be tele-
graphed to washington lemployeu py
the Southern Pacific, by the way. ne
was to go out and get names signed
at so cents name to that petition ana
he had taken this petition-and he said
others had done the same thing-ano
hadi gone down to some dirty saloon on
First street and sat down at taple
and taken a city directory ana paio
man 20 cents for copying twenty names
in one handwriting and another man ~
cents for copying ten names-out OF .iie
directory, mind you! He said names
obtained thus were effixed to the peti--
| tion. and he and two others who had
| been working at 1t with him mad pre-
pared, and there had been teiegfapneu
! to Washington, petition slgneu IN tnat
way with the names OF owe. ouV VI Us
citizens. of Los Angeles. Think or IT,
gentlemen! We took the affidavits OF
those men to th.t fact, and they were
afterward published in the Los Angeles les
| naners. That this was done vas not
denied. OF course 1t was denied tnat
those behind the petition had intended
| it to be done, but 1t was done, and II
was not denied that the man VINO We. Was
| in charge of getting up that peullon
received his pay from the Southern IA
| cific railroad. .ha.
II wired to Washington and had t tna'
netition and all of its signatures tele-
i,,.a rhnd hack that night at the ex-
5ense of some 500 or $3.50, ! think y
Was; and they came back. ana INC, one N O. O.
them was the signature OF Coz; n; W
! otis. who was fighting for ne narpor;
when | took that up the next DAY anu
showed it to the colonel I assure YOU
that if his remarks had appeared IN MI
nar,er the next morning 1t would have
been cast out of the United States mail
! daughter and applause.)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Extravagant Claims

why, you might just as well say a
man could make a tideland entry to
the middle of the Atlantic ocean or go
out between San Pedro and Catalina
and make a tideland entry and file 1t
and have title to that water. Right In
the navigable water OF. the estuary,
where the refiux OF the tide never made
ably at the very lowest stage. they had
put a tideland entry on frontage
which they had originally occupied
under a franchise OF the board Of SUI
peryisors OF Los Angeles county; and
that Is the title they have today; and
II the city trustees Of the city of San
Pedro are strong enough and deter
mined enough. they can undoubtedly,
by appropriate public action, recover
all the water frontage there. (Great
applause.) And yet when this guess
tion of the ferry was IN. the board Of
supervisors went to the Southern Pa
cific and stood before them. fgura-
lively speaking, with their hats In
their hands and said. Won't you give
us a landing of forty feet tor our
ferry in front of our town. Those are
the facts. gentlemen. There ls the
record furnished me by the Title In
surance and Trust company, and that
Ia pretty good evidence, II the records
are true. lApplause.) q.
I'm 1893, / think 1t was, the Los An
geles Terminal Railway company
leased some land to two corporations,
the Southern California Lumber COM
pany and the Crescent Coal company,
believe 1t was called then. since
called the Crescent Wharf and Ware
house company, with the idea that
those companies would make q yard
for handling their business and would
obtain franchises for whafves In front
OF them. We were very anxious to
have the wharves built, because the
road had almost no commefce and we
expected to get a great business from
them When the wharf franchises were
granted there very promptly came q
notice to the gentlemen who were pro-
noting these companies ana these
wharves. saying, We notice that you
have a wharf franchise granted TO you
by the board of supervisors Of Los An
geles county. We serve notice upon
you that your wharf frauchise covers
a tideland claim fled under the state
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

warm friend In the past of the South
ern Pacific. and, in fact. at that time
had a son, I believe, in the employ of
1t. He wrote dissenting report; and
his principal. and l think the only,
reason for presenting his report in
favor of Tanta Monica harbor, or the
port of Los Angeles rather, was stated
by him about as follows: The name,
Port of Los Angeles, COMFORTS more
with the name of the city for whose
benefit this harbor is to be construct
ed thanSdoes the name San Pedro; and
the proposed harbor at the Port OF Los
Angeles is surrounded by scenes of
grandeur and of beauty which will no
doubt make 1t very celebrated all over
the world when the harbor is built
there Gaughter).
"And, gentlemen, that was the end
of the fight. When that board re-
ported we got our harbor-except for
the distractions of Gen. Alger for a
year or so. But we got 1t finally. 1t
is being built and it will probably be
completed within a year or so, Capt.
Fries tells me. (Applause).
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Capt, Fries. .'one hundred and sixty.
Thoughtful Generosity

Mr.. Gibbon: Zone hundred and sixty
nve or 40 feet. And yet we were told
the other day that this company was
willing In every way to cherish the Inn
provement of San Pedro harbor and
advance It; and as part OF Its
willingness II would. without being
compelled by the government. put up a
bridge with forty or fifty feet spani
and we were assured by the gentleman
who said. that. that. these plans had
been made after a great deal OF very
profound thought, by men who We're
learned In the science of transportation
and had given 1t the best intelligence
at their command; and he capped the
climax by saying, Why, gentlemen, the
through the 500 canal He never had
thought that that commerce Is all car
RED on lake vessels, where there isn't
a harbor over twenty or twenty~one
feet maximum depth, and therefore
vessels are small and he proposed %
compare that with q harbor which Will
receive the commerce. coming Through
the Panama canal, over the greatest
oceans of the world, in the leviathans of
the deepk He says, Why. the 500 canal
has a gate of q certain width; tnere-
fore We ought to have that herei "a
voice: "Absurdi") y
"Now. gentlemen, that shows either
one of two things. It shows. that some
interests either are not willing to give
fair play to the ifarbor or that they
simply are careless In the consideration
which they give the matter. ~
what are you going to do to realize
the picture that I have been attempt
ing with as much force as I have to
draw for you of a great instrumen-
tally and convenience of the commerce
that will make this city the greatest
metropolis upon the Pacific coast and
one of the greatest in the world IL we
go about II right.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
S. P. Drawbridge

There was O. proposition at the
hearing day before yesterday, submit
ted on the part of the representatives
of the Southern Pacific company, to
put in drawbridge of, the gentleman
said, forty feet And when ! referred
to it as forty feet, he jumped on me
and said I misrepresented him. He
said, why, here is a printed PROPOSE
ton which we filed which says we will
make it forty or fifty Well. we will
give them the benefit Of that extra
ten feet. (Laughter.) Now, gentle
men, do you know what that means
It means that an opening or a little
cut fifty feet wide, that might be big
enough for pig to pass through. is to
be made into basin in which can be
obtained, and will be obtained IL the
present plans of the government engi-
neers are carried out, five miles of
wharfage, which can be doubled as fast
as factories and Industrial ware
house buildings are placed there which
require additional wharf frontage.
That is. to be entered by gateway
of forty or fifty feet.
Gentlemen, I am afraid am i'm
posing on you. (Cries of go on!")
sit is a case of out of the fullness of
the heart the mouth speaketh, when /
am talking about San Pedro harbor.
Nov, gentlemen, the Salt Lake rail-
road, when it was compelled to put a
bridge oyer the San Gabriel river to
make an entrance to the harbor that is
being dredged for Long Beach-a har-
Dor that can never be as large as the
west basin--was compelled to put up a
bridge of 1870 feet span. Today Jim
Hills road, which is building a bridge
over the Willamette believe it isis
compelled to put in two 200-foot spans
to provide for the commerce that goes
up that river. And up almost at the
head of commerce there, away up near
Portland, 1 think the span there is re-
quried to be something like 17Q feet. Am
I right, Captain Fries?"