Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-28
Extend Bed Northward
VIII Spend a Million

VIII 0pcHQ d NiiitOt
Then came another document asking
for a formal lease of the river bed,
STIMULATING conditions, including
rental.
Mr.. Bells petition for lease opens
with these resolutions:
Whereas, 1t is undoubtedly the sense
of a large proportion of the citizens
and taxpayers of the city OF Los Ange-
les that the whole width of the official
bed of the Los Angeles river should be
improved and if practicable utilized for
railroad and other purposes If 1t can
be done without great risk or damage
to the city from floods and overflow
of water incident thereto, which has
occurred several times in the past, and
Whereas, Your petitioner has plan
to utilize the whole width OF the OF
fetal bed of the Los Angeles river,
whereby all the railroads that may de-
sire to enter the city of Los Angeles
during the next five years can be ac-
commodated with better terminal facil-
tiles, at less cost to each than they
could secure them for, separately,
otherwise.
Therefore. Your petitioner, a citizen
of the United States and resident of
Los Angeles for nearly 20 years, re-
spectfully requests and petitions your
honorable body to lease to him for
period of twenty years the official bed
OF lIe LUIS AIlSSl6S IlNSls dS II III" -
or may be hereafter. for railroad and
other purposes; provided the lessee, his
successors or assigns shall agree to i'm
prove the official bed of the Los An
geles river in the sum of $1,0O0,000 law
full money of the United States within
five years. and shall pay the stipulated
rental annually, and shall agree that
all standard gauge railroads shall have
the right to use the tracks laid thereon
or therein on equal terms for a like
service, as per the ordinance hereto
attached, and your petitioner will ever
pray, etc.
Having stated his purpose, he asks
for certain privileges, opening with
these:
1.-The said lessee shall have the right
to deepen the official bed of the Los
Angeles river where, and to the extent
deemed necessary, and shall have the
right to erect thereon a wooden or other
structure of plates and girders upon
either piles, piers, or both. upon a level
with the present right of way of the
standard gauge railroads now using
the banks of said official bed of the
Los Angeles river and of laying there
upon standard gauge railroad tracks OF
iron and STEEL with all necessary side
tracks, switches, turnouts, Us etc. ano
also telegraph and telephone wires fol
the operation of a union terminal rail-
road and other purposes; and shall
have the right to erect thereon build
ings to be used as passenger anC
freight depots and for other purposes
And here is what Mr.. Bell promises
to do in return:
'The lessee shall expend in improv-
ing the official bed of the Los Angeles
river the sum of $4,000 within none
year from the date this lease goes into
effect; 100000 within two years; $780,
900 within three years. $500,OOO within
fours years and s1,000,0O0 within five
years
To Pay $25oo Annually
"The lessee shall pay annually into
the city treasury Of the city of Los
Angeles $25OO for the first five
the second five years; $500 annually
for the third five years and $1,000
annually for the fourth five years.
1.-The lessee shall have for his owl
use and benefit all the material suit
able for making concrete now in tn,
official bed Of the Los Angeles river
or which may accumulate therein (no
required by the city Of Los Angeles
for retaining walls on each side o
said river) for use in the construction
of concrete piers and other improve
ments."
Without discussion the council re
ferred the question to the committe
of the whole, which will meet Saturda,
morning, May 8.
'It is neither Gould, Hartman no
Huntington behind me in my appli
cation for a lease of the river bed,
said Mr.. Bell when discussing tn
matter last night. "If Gould, Harri
man or Huntington want to pay 70
the privilege OF using a terminal rail
road in the river bed they will hav
the privilege. 1t is my intention,
granted the lease / ask for, to forr
a company which will be purely
local concern and every citizen Of Lo
Angeles will be given the privilege 0
subscribing for the stock Of this com
pany and sharing in the dividend:
A city the size of Los Angeles is sadl
in need of a terminal railroad and tn
transcontinental lines will gladly pa
good prices for the privilege of usin
sucn a road"
Mr.. Bell has been a resident of Lo
Angeles and San Francisco for tn
last twenty years. During that tim
he has been engaged In real estate an
mining brokerage. He is now opening
new offices at 1920 Central building