The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-03-21
MONTANAN WRITES
ABOUT CALIFORNIA
MRS. BYRON e. COONEY DIES.
CRIBES CONDITIONS IN
LOS ANGELES
Says There Are 1900 Former Resi-
dents of Montana in Southern Met
ropolis; Most People Talk of Leav-
ing.

Montana American, writes that
there are 1900 former Montan-
ans in Los Angeles, city of wonder
full growth of the south, and that
many with whom she talked are
thinking of moving to some other
field of endeavor. She says in
part:
Los Angeles will always boom
along certain lines, but it is not an
ideal place for the man who seeks
manual labor as a means OF l1yel1-
hood. There is much building in
progress, it is true, and artisans and
craftsmen seem to be all working.
Skilled labor has had and is still hav-
ing it's inning at good wages. The
wealthy are still crowding the higher
priced hotels and l waited two days
before getting located at the Biltmore
many people who are not wealthy
also stay at the best hotels.
Soldiers of Fortune
There is another side to the pic
ture. Thousands of men are broke
and ask you for a dime to eat on.
Thousands are paying a dime day
for the privilege of parking and
camping at the public parks. You
have heard of bread-lines and soup
kitchens, but there is a free gas
line in Los Angeles. The hopeful
tourist who started out with little
money and great hopes is there and
the free gas line has been estab-
lished to give him enough gas and
oil to get on his way. They also
give free air--Los Angeles will al
ways "give you the air" if you are
broke. I don't know how much gas
they stake one to, but probably
enough to get you away from Los
Angeles.
Most people I talked to were just
about to leave. They are heading
north. They talk of San Francisco,
Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Taco
ma and Seattle, and even Spokane.
They seem to be especially tired of
high rents and faded opportunities.
The rush northward as summer ap-
proaches will be historic and the
exodus will be good thing for the
city.
Lack of housing facilities has sent
rents skyward; anxiety to complete
ldSL udS Vi CdIC0 AiS IL d5OO
and bonuses for those engaged in the
building trades; the desire of peo-
pie who came there with money, to
acquire rooming houses, sent the
values ascending and the real estate |
agent enjoyed his heydey. In Los
Angeles alone many Butte people |
bought rooming houses-that is, |
they took over the leases and bought |
the furniture. Among those from
Butte so engaged is Ed. Cleary, Dan
Mack, Will Magill, Jr., Jim Lynch,
Weatherwax, John K.
O'Rourke, Jimmie Mccarthy, Will
liam Fisher, Mrs. Frank Walker,
Phil Levy Ca cafe), Jack Strobel,
Denny Egan, Joe O'Meara and doubt
less many others.
Quick Turns
The celebrity with which not only
rooming houses we're turned" but
city lots, homes, business sites and
operating business enterprises led up
to an era of speculation somewhat re-
sembling a stock market furry. New
Corners with cash would buy one day
and sell day or two later, taking a
profit of thousand or more. 1t led
to margin deals, where an option
was enough to trade on. 1t passed
he stage Of investment and became
highly pecu1ative-finally danger
)usly so. Real estate men from all
over the United States were there.
they are there yet, at every vacant
space; they bally-hoo; they thrust
printed matter into your hand; they
lrive you to their additions, and in
many hotels they clutter your mail
With pamphlets. But business along
hese lines has passed its peak, al
hough a Monday Examiner had SO
columns of classified" real estate
Ultimately values be-
anne very much ''anticipated' and
ONE purchasers were left holding
ouldn't turn and were forced to let
% at loss. Often the original
wners bought back their property
nd made a profit. This condition
lnally slowed up the game.
Street Scenes
The city is still feverish, as is any
ongested community. 1t is torn up;
luch of it is being torn down. Build
lg operations crowd out into the
treets and make traffic jams. Traf-
&c officers bid motorists to hurry in
own, and arrest them for speeding
] the suburbs The sidewalks seethe
18th pedestrians elbowing, crowd
lg, jostling, it seems, rather aim
,ssly In the streets jitney from
iaho, with the dust of the road up
n it, plumbers along, ignoring traf-
C rules, misses fire and stops the
recession. Confusion comes from
multiplicity of strangers, to whom
metropolitan traffic is new and be-
ildering. There are many, many
rangers who came to the Pueblo
the City of the Angels -with one
ing and one dollar, and are dismay-
/; you can see it written on their
ICES. There are others who come
it'll white collar and a ten-dollar
ii, and have a chronic objection to
langing either one. These are the
lrface signs. Meanwhile, on hun
ed golf links the more favored, who
1ow where they go from here, are
ljoying life in superlative degree.
n miles of beaches thousands are
ling in thQ sim soaking the a1uciuo