Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-03-05

Editor Democrat:-It is now 27
years the 25th Of last December,
since | left the little village Of I'm
ionville 1t was cold winter day
with about six inches Of snow OH the
ground; and you may know l had
many dreams OF sunny California on
my mind; I walked TO Relief from
fathers farm now owned by Mr.
stegner on little Meigs creek.
| had read many books such as
the life of Washington, Jefferson,
Daniel Webster, Calhoun, Lewis
Kossuth, John Adams. John Quincy
Adams, Andrew Jackson, Horace
! Greeley, Henry Clay, Abraham Lin
coin, and maGy others, and l could
hardly wait ill | was 2l to start out
for myself | had many talks with
my father; he wanted me TO stay
home and run the farm. | said to
him what chance have I got
here" He said: I'VE can make
plenty Of money with cattle and
hogs" Well, | took the train at
Relief and came as far west as !
could ! passed through GAINESVILLE,
Columbus, Marion Chicago, Kansas
City. Pueblo, Col, Albuquerque, y.
Nj; snow all the way till I arrived at
a little town on the Colorado river
BY the name of Needles; it is on the
border Of New Mexico and Califor
MIA There is where my dream came
true; crossing the Colorado river |
saw the first green trees; they We're
the ola snappy willow. Imagine how
it seemed to me to see tropical trees,
after travelling 5000 miles through
the SNOW. The next morning we ar
rived at San Bernardino, just 50
miles from Los Angeles; from San
Bernardino to Pasadena, we rode
through the most beautiful orange
groves ia all the world.
When / came TO Los Angeles it
was a small town OF about 5000
people, now | think it is about the
most beautiful city in the world; it
has passed the million mark and for
three years it has been the third
city in building. New York is first,
CHICAGO second. and Los Angeles
third in building. In 1922 our
building amounted to $t2O,000,000;
1928 ii was $500 900, 600, and in
1924 it was $50, ,000,0 900. Our
bank cIearings are around $30,000,-
000 q day, SO you can see that this
has grown to be some city. Around
Los Angeles are some Of the most
beautiful small towns that you
would want to see. Long Beach
when came here was only three
houses; now it has a population of
100. 600 Venice was never dreamed
of when l came, and it is 10000
population now; Pasadena was TO-
900 when | came, and now it is 80,-
900 population. San Pedro, our har-
Dor, is the pride Of the Pacific coast;
it has a population of $4,000, and
San Pedro imports more lumber
than any harbor in the world, be-
sides she exports more oil than any
port in the world. Last year San
Pedro did more business than all
the balance of the harbors on the
Pacific coast and eleven times as
much as San Francisco. You per-
haps have all heard of Hollywood; it
is a beautiful city of about 100, 900,
including the greater number of all
the moving picture people in the
world.
You perhaps have heard of Cata-
lima; it is one of the most beautiful
islands in the world; it is owned by
William Wrigley of Chicago, is sit
uated about 80 miles out in the
ocean, and is the Coney island of Los
Angeles The state of California
and the state of New York are run
ming neck and neck in the amount of
automobiles; at present they are