Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-03
LONG WHARF TO
BE MADE RESORT
TROLLEY SYSTEM OVER OLD
STEAM TRACKS
WHARF, HOTEL AND CANYON
IMPROVEMENTS
Frank Lawton Has Control Of New
Project and July VIII Be
Red Letter
Day
Special to The Herald.

VENICE, June 2.--Cars of the Los
Angeles-Pacifc railway will be run
ming direct from the Hill street station,
Los Angeles, into Santa Monica cam
yon June 20. The canyon will be
opened to the public as a great pleas
ure resort June 30, and on the Fourth
the city to the outer end, few feet
more than a mile from shore, of the
Long wharf, Port Los Angeles.
This statement was made to corre-
spondent of The Herald tonight by.
Frank Lawton upon the return home
of the well known hotel and amuse-
ment man. The deal was closed in
Los Angeles today, and Mr. Lawton
becomes the lessee of the canyon and
will have full charge for the railroad
company of the Long wharf project.
A large force of men will be put i'm
mediately to work planting poles, rum
ming trolley wire and readjusting rails
and switches of the old Southern Pa
citic line, which has been transferred
to the Los Angeles-Pacific. The COM
pany is most anxious to get the full
benefit of the beach business during
the hot weather now at hand. Build
ings in the canyon and on the wharf
will be rushed to completion. An army
of men Will be put to work within the
next few days.
improvements Cost $4,000
On the wharf alone, it was agreed to-
day, $4,000 shall be spent in improve
ments during the few ensuing weeks
The structure now on the outer end
of the pier is convertible, and 1t will
be soon metamorphosed into a sixty
room hotel. 1t is expected that a ho-
tel mile from land will be a great at
traction, especially for parties Wishing
to stay over Saturday night and gel
the benefit of early morning fishing
There is no place on the coast that
surpasses Port Los Angeles for the ex-
cellence of the fishing. Launches will
be kept there and boating parties will
be invited from all other points. There
is sure anchorage and safe moorings
because the big wharf is under the les
of Port Dune.
There are tracks already on the
wharf, two double tracks all the way
down and five at the end, so that the
facilities for handling cars out there
will be excellent as soon as the poles
and trolley wires are set and strung
There will be a row of cluster incan-
descent lights, like those on Broadway,
all the way out the wharf, one row
on each side.
1t is coincidence that Frank Law
ton was the first lessee of this place
when 1t was popular resort seventeen
years ago. There was no Ocean Park
then. Yet he has seen 5000 people on
the wharf at time on Sundays. He
expects history to repeat itself, "and
then some," because after June 20
there will be direct half hourly car
service from Los Angeles and the fare
will be 30 cents for the round trip,
with scent fare from Venice and
Ocean Park.
Work In Canvon
The first work will be done In the
canyon, ON which money will be spent
unstintedly in order to make 1t the
finest camping and picnic ground on
the whole coast. The work of beauti-
flying will begin within two days. A
pavilion modelled after the big one at
Playa del Rey will be built. containing
a ball room 100 by SO feet in dimension.
Another attraction will be rustic tav-
ern. with broad verandas, built of logs.
120 by rs feet in size, and this will be
an auxiliary club house for Jonathan
ties and others such. 1t will be the
Mecca for automobile parties.
The tone of the whole place will be
high. There will not be a saloon in the
canyon, which will be made inviting
for family gatherings. Among the sew
eral other buildings to be rushed to
completion will be surf bath house,
with $50 rooms In 1t, at the mouth of the
canyon. Electric linemen will begin
work in a few days, wiring all the oak
trees for half a mile. The whole place
will be most brilliantly lighted, regard
less of cost. There will be swings
everywhere. rockers and one big merry
go-round. In a short time the water
which a long time ago was diverted
from the canyon will be restored to 1t.
For camping parties the resort will be
made superb. There will be a tent city
under the live oaks.
Bricklayers before the week is out
will be in the canyon building barbe-
cue pits, little and big ones. and after
June 20 there will be a barbecue feast,
with Mexican beans and roast pota-
toes, every day from noon until 7
o'clock in the evening. There will be
Mexican coks, Mexican walters and p
Mexican cooks, Mexican walters and
tables under the trees old Mexican
cooks will serve their own hot tamales.
Mr.. Lawton reserves all the canyon
features and the surf bath house for
his own. personal attention, as lessee.
No concessions will be sold there. The
whole, as here outlined, is the outcome
of today's agreement made in the
offices of the Los Angeles-Pacific rail-
way. 1t is the aim to have this resort
different from any other in Southern
California.