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

",That ought to be done within six
years. We ought to have thirty-five
feet depth in that harbor within that
time. The main work ought all to be
done at the time the canal is opened.
What is necessary TO do to accomplish
that? In the first place, gentlemen. 1t is
case where eternal vigilance Is the
price of success. (Cheers)
"Some years ago. think 1t was In
'96, IL my memory serves me right, or
95, the Terminal railroad, on account
of the unpopularity of the Southern
Pacific, was doing almost all the pas
senger business from San Pedro to Los
Angeles They would ferry themselves
over the bay In little ferry that the
Terminal was running from the San
Pedro side to our wharf at Terminal
Island and would come up here or go
back by our train. The Southern Pa
cific thought they would stop that. This
ferryboat had to go through under
their wharf. So they said they would
through any longer. thought would
take little time to see by what author
ity the Southern Pacific was there.
found this situation. This is right from
the records. The Southern Pacific was
occupying about 3425 feet there In
wharves at that time. That, under
stand. gentlemen, is not including the
EOint WHdIF6S WHICH lHty ndtt
recently built found that they were
occupying those wharves under fran
chises. every one of them from the
board of supervisors of Los Angeles
county; that the first of those fran
chises had been granted to Bixby, Nc
Donald and Hays in 1872 for twenty
years, covering AIS to $50 feet of 'front.'
age, had been assigned to the Southern
Pacific and had expired In 1892.
found that there were three other fran
chises which had been granted In 1881
by the board OF supervisors before San
Pedro was incorporated, and each one
of those for twenty years, and that
those would expire In 1901. found
further that while those franchises
were In existence and This wharf was
there and being occupied and operated
by the Southern Pacific company, under
the authority of a franchise which they
had obtained from the board OF SUI
pervisors of Los Angeles and which
carried with 1t an acknowledgment OF
the fact that 1t was public property
and the space occupied by the
wharf was public property and
that certain parties had gone to the
state officials and had made tideland
entries upon the navigable waters OF
San Pedro's inner harbor, along a wei
defined bank, covering water that never
ran out by the reflux of the tide, but, on
the contrary. when the tide was out
was six or eight feet deep: and that
those wharves at that time were stand
ing on alleged tideland entries which
had been made and decided to the
Southern Pacific company. = Think OF
1t! I undertake as "a lawyer to say
that there isn't rap of title today
owned by that company for one foot OF
| that 3400 and odd feet of wharf front.
age they have In front of your city
and property that is worth $1,000 front
foot If 1t is worth a cent today. Gap
plause.)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
PROMPT ACTION
IS IMPERATIVE
SPEAKER STlRS HEARERS TO
ENTHUSIASM
HISTORY OF SAN PEDRO PORT
TOLD BY E. GI8BoN
unendinq Fight VIII BE Carried On
Against Interests That Seek
to Steal the Publ!c's
Rights

n My when Francis ]. Heney adj
dressed the City club has there
" been so large an attendance as
there was yesterday at the weekly
luncheon when Thomas E. Gibbon de-
Iiyered an address ON "The San Pedro
Harbor."
The unusual attendance, the undis-
tracted attention and the applause re-
sponsiye to the speakers strongest
sentences disclosed the intense inter-
est that is taken in the snb1ect OF
free harbor. Many stood VINO coulu
not obtain seats and during the Pc
,iod in which MIR. Gibbon told the
sto,.v- of san Pedro. it's struggles in the
mast and its promise for the future, a
story that magnified with such accel-
Grafton as it neared the present ana
approached the future, tremendous en-
thusiasm was awakened. 1t was one OF
the most notable meetings or the
many notable ones the club has had.
Meyer Lissner presided ana ihtro-
duced Mr.. Gibbon with q preface tnat
reminded the guests that before the
dreams of a Greater Los Angeles
could be realized good men must De
sent TO the general assembly to pro-
vide the way and that, even IN tne
realization, faithful public ofnclals
were indispensable. He alluded 10 the
value of the work of Captain amos
A. Fries, and proposed rising vote o.
thanks to him, which was given WIN
alacrity. Captain Fries was piss tais,
MIR. Lissner also alluded affectlonately
10 the memory of stephen M. White'
amidst applause, and declared that MT.
Gibbon was the able and worthy sue
cessor of White in the battle Tor a
free harbor. The meeting endeo oy
adopting strong resolutions proposed
by Frank G. Tyrrell pledg1ng an UNI
ending fight for a free harbor.
MT. Gibbon spoke of his interest IN
+ha free harbor as one of the heart
and made comparison of the lmpor-
lance of Calais as a harDor Tor tne
british and it's CALLING significance as
q feature of subsection by the french'
Its surrender was to Queen Mary sig
nal of defeat that she said must pe
written on her heart, but MI Glppol
declared San Pedro must never ne
signal of defeat.
Reviews Its History
In introducing the more modern
nhases of his subject, he told OF the
aarIy uses of the harbor by the Span
ish. the enlargement of its commerce
and its final selection by the Southern
Pacific over Santa Monica and the
suhseauent reVersion of the railroad u
santa Monica because there was
chance for a free harbor at San PEDRO
In this he discussed the Hood cnai-
ienge of the holding ground Oh the
harbor, thing never before ques-
toned. and only questioned to empar-
rass the free harbor scheme wIliI9 es u. -,
railroad attempted to forti1y ltsei1 al
Santa Monica.
In this he related story. known only
+o dozen men. and which has been
kent secret for many years, but which
Illustrated on what a slender thread
hung the fate of the harbor when the
famous chamber of commerce ELECTION
was held in 1886.
Mr.. Gibbon said;
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
The Charmer's Voice

"New. of course, If our friends who
are In immediate control of this har-
Dor there permit themselves to listen
to the voice of the charmer-and /
want to tell you, gentlemen, that he
will be charming you. there Is no
doubt about that--they will make you
a proposition like this-and the city Of
San Pedro. I suppose, has already had
those propositions made--I know they
have in some instances. and am sure
they will be made to the city of Will
mington: If you gentlemen will stand
in on this thing for US we will do this
for you. and we will do that for you,
and we will make the city of San
Pedro
II am sure the city of San Pedro has
had this proposition. and l suppose
you will have the same in the city Of
Wilmington. tell you, gentlemen, Y
you want to sell the most magnificent
birthright any city of the world has
ever had for mess of pottage you
may do 1t. but pretty soon your mess
of pottage will be gone.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Effect of Canal

What do you suppose that will mean
when the Panama canal Is completedf
/ inquired of some gentlemen who are
experts on that subject, and they told
me that our goods should be delivered
by the same vessels from here to New
York and from New York here in sew
enteen days at the outside, and vessels
can be built which will narrow that
margin by two or three days at least:
The Panama canal will be completed
within six years, and probably a year
less nov that it is being properly man.
aged-(applause)-now that the ex-
pensive railroad presidents that have
heretofore had charge of Il have been
retired and it has been put in the
hands of the United States board OF
engineers-(applause) When that ca
nal is completed we will receive through
it the commerce which should legiti-
nately come to San Pedro, as quickly
as or more quickly than we would get
II. on an average, by the transconti-
mental lines of railroad that now exist Isl
and at from 20 to 25 per cent OF the
cost that we now pay. And that means
another thing.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Demand Free Harbor

There came up, however, before, In
1896, an incident to which ought
particularly to refer. In washington
the matter had assumed this phase:
After refusing to appropriate IN favor
of the place recommended oy the
Craighill board the house committee
on rivers and harbors had put an APP
propriation of SS,O00,00O for Santa
Monica and four hundred and odd
thousand dollars for digging out the
inner harbor at san Pedro into the
rivers and harbors bill; and that bill
was going to be sent to the senate,
when such row was raised about 1t
that the appropriation was stricken
out. But before that occurred, gentle-
men, a matter transpired which should
be written on imperishable brass and
placed where our children and our
children's children can see 1t. as the
proudest chapter in the history of Los
Angeles.
I'm 1896 the city had not recovered
from the '93 depression. Men had not
as much employment or as great wages
as we would have liked them to have
had. The expenditure of $3s000,oO0 In
this community for one harhor and
s40O 900 for another harbor would have
been much greater boon for the little
CITY of that time than to the great
metropolis of the present time. "A tele-
gram came to the people or TINS CITY
through it's char Der of commerce say
ing: The chairman of the house COM
mittee on rivers and harbors says that
if Los Angeles will accept it can have
three millions of dollars for Santa
Monica and $450,00O fol-, San Pedro,
Upon this the people held mass meet
ings that choked the streets down here
at the court house and sent back
resolution: We demand free harpoi
for a free people or no harDor at ALL
(Great applause.)
IT tell you it makes a man proud
to live in a community with that sort
of moral fiber. (Applause,)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Miles of Slips

Gentlemen, you must keep those
basins Ever since Captain Fries made
his map. some time ago, there have
been suggestions of changes and
changes, although 1t was map that
challenged everybody's admiration for
the perfection of the scheme as soon
as It was exhibited; until now. the last
proposition submitted by private inter-
ests was, to narrow the east basin.
the turning basin, by some four to
five hundred feet, l think; IL am
wrong I wish Captain Fries would
correct me; I see him in the audience
possibly nearer six hundred. Now,
from that east basin, If the harbor
ever reaches it's development, will ra-
diate great miles of slips into which
vessels will be taken, and that east ba-
sin is going to be the maneuvering
ground for all the big vessels which
go into those slips. If you close that
basin, it simply means you will re-
strict the circulation in that harbor.
Just as in mans heart the flow Of
blood is restricted when he ties a
string around an artery, so 1t will be
with the entrance to that basin.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Must Get Busy

I'VE have allowed these matters to go
on too far already, and If we are going
to have that harbor ready, as the gate
way of the great commerce that Is sure
to come here, If we are prepared for 1t.
we must get busy and settle these tide
land questions. (Applause.) We have
plenty of time to do 1t. We haven't any
time to waste. And, furthermore. gen.
tlemen, 1t Is going to take all the force
of all the people of Los Angeles county
to do It, and 1t is going to take every
bit of influence and all the money that
can be gotten up by all those people
to do 1t. Why. the litigation in testing
those titles will probably cost $4,000 to
$4,000; and yet 1t ought to be done.
because no people in the world would
have secured such public heritage as
these people will secure IL they get
those tideiands all in their possession
at that price.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Harbor Area

@Gsntlernen, here is the area Of the
harbor that we will have there II you
are true TO yourselves and insist on
having your ( harbor developed as ~
ought to be, as an instrumentality OF
the peoples commerce and not an al
junct of private corporation. lac
wharf frontage of the outer harbor or
deep water harbor win be about seven
miles, as at present designed. ana tnat
can be doubled. The wharf frontage
of the channel leading up to the turn
ing basin or the inner harbor and IN
Guiding the east basin, as at present
designed, will be IL u miles. and that
can be doubled. ',(Now these are OF
fetal figures, If you please, gentlemen)
The wharf frontage of the west pastn.
as al present designed. and IL that
basin is improved as at present de-
signed, will be five miles, and that Is
susceptible of being doubled, making a
harbor with wharf frontage to do
the business of three fifths of the
southwestern slope of the Pacific coast
with 23M miles of available wharf
frontage, which is capable OF being
doubled and made AZ miles, by not
very great additional expenditure.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Government Not Liable

And yet. gentlemen. 1t is attempted
to be said that the government Of the
United States win lay itself liable to
damages by laying out harbor lines
that happen to go upon some tideland
entriesi Don't you believe 1t for q
minute. and / don't believe that the
secretary of war is going to believe 1t,
because the judge advocate general,
who Is his legal adviser, says 1t isn't
true. Now,-the Is the situation.
Now. gentlemen, I will tell you what
I think should be done and done very
quickly. The matter has already gone
on too long. We have permitted this
thing to drift years longer than we
should have done. Years ago I went
before the board of directors of the
chamber Of commerce with these mat
ters. and years ago told the trustees
Of San Pedro that when the year 1901
passed over they would have restored
to them by the lapse of time over 5000
feet of their water front, If they cared
to assert title to it.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
YCLUB PLEDGES ITSELF TO FIGHT FOR FREE HARBOR

of California At once ], as the at
torney OF the road commenced to in
vestigate tideland claims. and l got q
certificate OF title, or a chain of title,
which I think cost $4,000 or $4,000 to
make. extending away back as far as
they went, and / went into the matter
very thoroughly and convinced myself
that those tideland claims were not
worth the paper they were written on,
II they were properly attacked, and I,
further convinced myself that they
couldn't enforce them. And said to
my people. The quicker we get those
tideland claims out of the way, the
better. You Just say to those people
that IL they think they have claim
upon which they can stand. to go into
court: that we were going ahead to
drive the piles and build the wharves.'
And they never went into court and
the wharves are standing there today
and have stood there for fifteen years,
(Applause.) And there has never been
any EFFORT made to enforce those tides
land titles.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

1--WE will consider the Importance,
now. of that harbor with reference to
Los Angeles, in connection with the
land transportation lines, which, or
course is the other factor In the nam
ding of commerce. DO you know that
your city today is nearer Salt Lake
City than San Francisco is, by exist ST.
ing lines of Enthusiastically nearer
in miles, and when it comes to the
consideration of traftic grades; 1T It as is
very much nearer? Do you realize tne
fact, gentlemen, that outside. OF the
area above Fresno, and we will say as
far beyond the Sierra Nevadas as
Reno, New, Los Angeles today is
nearer by land transportation lines TO
the southwestern territory west OF III
Paso Texas, and up beyond Salt Lake
City. than San Francisco or any other
port? Think of that! Think OF the
commerce that will come from all tnat
territory to some Pacific harbor to take
ship and be transported at low water
rates around to the Atlantic coast ana
the commerce that viii flow from the
Atlantic coast to our coast to some
port on our coast, to be distributed
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
CLUB PLEDGES ITS SUPPORT

After Mr. Gibbon his address Frank G. Tyrre
moved the adoption the following resolution which carried
with cheers by unanimous rising vote:
hereas representatives of the Southern Pacific
pany have declared their opposition the de-
veopment the free habor San Pedro along the lines laid
down by engineers and continuing their sell
opposition the enterprise and to the communities and ind
viduas who advocate it,
Now therefore, Resolved by the City Club of Los An
gees heartily approve the plans the said inner and outer
harbor known the original Fries plan;
SecondThat Indignantly resent the action and the att
Pacific company and its allies altogether
inimica the public interests.
"Thd-That express unbounded confidence in Capt
A. Fries his associates charge of this work and
them of loyal support and enthusiastic cooperation
"FourThat hereby declare determination to work
for free harbor San Pedro aordng every
be facility and convenience for the shipping of the world until
it is accomplished fact.
"And that of thanks be given to the who
has jumped down the throat of the octopus and amped its
insdeS."
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Commercial Metropolis

IF you want to live up 70 your OPP
portunities, gentlemen Of San Pedro
and Wilmington and Long Beacn ana
Los Angeles, there Is no reason In the
world why, before the hands of time
have marked the running Of another
decade you should not have clustering
around that harbor the greatest COM
merce known to the Pacific coast.
which will continue TO be the greatest;
ana we will have the greatest COM
mercial and manufacturing metropolis
OF the Pacific coast and 1t win continue
as long as history runs Its course. I
thank YOU" cloud and prolonged
cheering).
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Cost Comparatively Small

what is 1t going to cost in addition
to what has been expended. to do that?
1t is going to cost, In order to put 20
feet in front of all that 2Sh miles,
probably $2.450,000 more than has been
appropriated-a bagatelle. when you
consider what 1t means to the COM
merce of this country: but an appro-
priation, nevertheless. which is not
going to be won by individual rivalries
and by taking narrow view of this
another but which can be won and will
be won If you will put that harbor I'M
der the Jurisdiction of a great city. of
which you will be a part, which long
before the Panama canal Is completed
will be a city of between half mil
lion and a million people and will
speak with the voice of such an ag-
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
What the Harbor Means

Now, gentlemen, that brings us to
the present aspect of the subjects:
What San Pedro harbor means to
Southern California and the SOUTH
west.
"This must be viewed in connection
with it's effect upon national and world
commerce, as national and world COM
merce affects our own community. In
the first place. gentlemen, it is not nee
essary for me to say to you that we
get of necessity a large portion of
what we import from the east and from
Europe by rail, and we send a large
portion of what we produce to the mar
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

major portion. ll.ore than half OF the
Pacific slope. of the southwest, whish
is tributary to this city by the rail-
roads. is practically divided with no
other harbor than this. Because we
have the nearest and the best The
government is now working Oh go
foot project there to get 80 feet In that
harbor; and 1t has been reported py
the government engineers, that 1T IS
simply q question of dredging to get
a depth of 49, 45 or so feet; SIMPLY
question of dredging and building
jetties. (Applause.)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

from Europe and taking what business
they can get there for the Orient. That
freight being an incident, and their pas
senger traffic being one of the principal
parts of their business, when they stop
there to land their European freight
they will be prepared to fill the void
that that landed freight leaves with
freight for the Orient cheaper than 1t
can be carried from any other port in
the United States. (Applause.)
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Dissenting Report

81 went to Washington and was
there at the time the report was pre-
scented, and through the friendly feel
ing of the secretary I believe got the
first copy that was put out at thu
time it was made public. / read the
reasons that four of the men had adj
vanced; and there was one of the gen.
tlemen, who after his appointment had
been discovered to have been very
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
Great Commerce

Now what arrangements shall we
make to Accommodate this great COM
merce? 1t should be remembered that
while the commerce of the northern
part of the Pacific slope is divided be-
tween three ports, Seattle, Tacoma
and Portland. the commerce Of the
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
CHARGES AGAINST LAWYER
ARE DISMISSED BY JUDGE

Charlges Of passing worthless checks,
fled against Attorney Stephen Sullivan
some time ago. were dismissed yester-
day when the case was called in Police
Austin's court. 1t was said there were
not SUFFICIENT grounds on which to hold
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

layed. until finally the discussion be-
came so hot here that everybody was
enlisted on one side or the other. but
most of the people in favor OF san
Pedro.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

over this area, which, by virtue OF
the land transportation lines, is today
tributary to your city, and we some-
what begin to realize what the signifi-
canoe of this harbor Is going to be.
Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21

kets east by rail, where we find prac-
tically all our markets.
Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1908-01-09
NO Use ron oeMsaALs.
Farmer HAD hirsd Colonel and Nau


Farmer HAD 6teoo Cobonol ana ~
Experience.
Some years ago q traveller In tie
Western States stopped to converDo
with farmer who had q large mum.
Der Of men at work In his hay fields.
Most of these men are old col.
diers," said the farmer.
Indeed! Are any Of them Oh.
cers?"
Two Of 'em. One OF EN- was pri-
vate, and that fellow beyond was I
corporal. but the man beyond him W.
. major, and that man away over q
the corner was colonel!"
Indeed! And are they all good
menu"
well" said the farmer. the private
Il first-class man, and the corporal'G
pretty good, too"
But what about the major, and the
colonel?"
The majors only $780," replied
the farmer with some hesitation.
but the colonel?'
We'll, Sit, amt a-goin to ray Z
word against no man who has been {
colonel In the American army, but m
made up my mind to one thing IialMa
agoing to hire any brigadier gsaes
ais"