Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25

| Sometimes we were forced to let our
wagons down by ropes, using the pine
| trees to accomplish it. We were In
deed glad to at last reach Hangtown,
now Placerville, as the season was get
ting late and we were afraid of heavy
SHOWS in the mountains. such as had
caused the hardships of the Donner
party.
! Placervllle was in state Of general
excavation. The placer mining had al
most uprooted the place.
The destination of our family being
! Los Angeles, we continued our jour-
ney to Sacramento, camped in the will
lows of the American river, and few
days later proceeded to Stockton, where
we sold our outfit and went by boat
to San Francisco. In San Francisco
we stopped at the Tehama house San
some street bounded the water front In
those days. as it was but a small town,
and Kearnev and Montgomery streets
were the chief business streets.
THE ARRIVAL AT SAN PEDRO
We rested a few days before leaving
for the south on the steamship Goliah
bound for San Pe1ro. and we arrived
at San Pedro on October II, 1854, just
six months after leaving Boonville
Small boats brought us ashore at San
Pedro, as there was no wharf. A team
from my uncle's .unch at the Puente
met us at San Pedro, and we remained
for a time with him.
At this period, Northern California
was devoted entirely to mining inter-
ests, and the cattle and live stock to
supply the northern market came en-
tirely from Southern California. My
father engaged in the business of sup
plying cattle to this market, and while
on one of these trips, he was accident
ally killed in Stanislaus county in 1855.
Thus, at the age Of fifteen, | sought
work in a printing office in Los An
geles, where in the employ of Butts
and Wheeler. | was compositor, re-
porter and general printers devil on
the Southern Californian, a semi
weekly publication of that time.
LOS ANGELES FIFTY-TOUR YEARS AGO
Los Angeles, fifry-four years ago,
was a little Spanish town with a popu-
lation of about 2500 and with rather a
picturesque appearance as the houses
were adobe. L was at once favorably
impressed by the little place. Among
the inhabitants there were about 300
English speaking oeople, the remainder
being native Californians and some In
dians. The majority spoke the Spanish
language. The population generally
was Of an intelligent and good class.
lie fllSllSll speaking were,
for the most part, engaged in mercan-
tile pursuits and the native Californians
were mostly engaged in the cultivation
of vineyards, orchards and in stock
raising, etc
Between Downey avenue and Wash
ington street, on both sides of the river, ,
there existed, in the fertile valley,
series Of vineyards and orchards which
extended as far west as Los Angeles
street and as far east as the bluff
which marks Boyle Heights.
The residence section of the town /
proper extended southerly from the |
Elysian park hills to what is now First |
street, and from Los Angeles street |
westerly to New High street. Some |
residences were scattered along Main |
and Spring streets south of First to .
Sixth, but beyond was a barren plain
considered entirely too distant for any
purpose except ran.'hing.
The business district extended from
the Plaza to First street along Main
and Los Angeles streets. The busi-
ness center was at Commercial street
All kinds of merchandising were car
ried on. Cargoes of goods came by
ship around the Horn from New York,
but most of the dealing was by way of
San Francisco, with which latter place
The only communication was steam
ar every two weeks. Among the
steamers engaged in this traffic were