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s£oo gtogeU* CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER. FRIDAY, JAN. 1, 1875. No "Herald" To-Morrow. To-morrow being New Year's Day and a legal holiday, no Herald will be issued on Saturday morning. A Happy New Year. The year 1874 has just died. The Old Baron sinks into the tomb of his ancestors, and the eldest born comes into possession of the property. May he prove himself the worthy son of a worthy father; may he extend a gen erous hand to the poor and needy; may he smooth the rugged path of the weak and weary wayfarer, and cheer him on his toilsome journey; may he lead the young and innocent forward in the ways of wisdom and virtue; may he gladden the heart of the old and brighten the road to the Pearly City; may he drive want and sorrow and pain aud suffering from without his broad domain, and in their stead may there reign peace and plenty and con tentment and happiness, even unto the hour when he, too, shall rest iv tue tuiiiu oi iris i.uhm.-. The New Year Herald. The Daily Herald of this morning contains eight pages of solid reading matter. Its articlesare all statistical, historical and descriptive of business localities and towns in Los Angeles county. We have endeavored to em body the facts relative to everything. No place or branch of industry has been intentionally omitted, and if there are any of either one or the other not represented in these pages, the omission is due to oversight or in ability to obtain the facts. We have aimed to make this number of the Herald the largest and most com plete newspaper ever issued in South ern California. As a medium of in formation to people in the East rela ative io Los Augeles county, the New Year Herald is hy far the most de sirable to be obtained. The Weekly Herald. The Weekly Herald this week will be a valuable paper for presenta tion or to send to a friend East. It will contain more facts relative to Los Angdes county than ever before crowded into the pages of any one paper published in Southern Califor nia. Its articles have been carefully compiled from facts furnished by well informed citizens and may be relied on as correct. Los Angeles Newspapers. Iv proportion to its population, no city in the State publishes a greater number of newspapers. With a pop ulation of 14,000, she supports three dailies, each of which issue a weekly, one semi-weekly and one weekly paper. The dailies are published in English, the semi-weekly in Spanish and the weekly in German. The Daily and Weekly Herald are the leading papers of Southern California, and have a circulation largely in ex cess of any of their cotemporaries. In addition to those already enumerated, there are also one weekly advertising sheet and two monthly publications, each of which has a large circulation. Climatic. The climatic advantages of Los An geles are certainly not inferior to those of any locality in the New World, and, according to the reports of travel lers, will compare favorably with any of the old. The mean annual temper ature is about 64° Fahrenheit, with a mean range, above and below this, of 10° or 12° for Winter or Summer. The mean temperature for the half year of Fall and Winter is about 52° ors4° and for the half year of Spring and Sum mer about 74° or 76°. The freezing point, or frost, is rarely reached; al though in the latter part of the Sum mer the thermometer may sometimes reach up into the nineties, yet the sun stroke heat of our Atlantic States is unknown here. During the Summer, regular and gentlo sea breezes prevail from the* Northwest, especially during the middle of the day and afternoon, but after the first rains of the wet sea son,or Winter, these breezes generally cease until the return of the warm -on. December is generally the coldest month of the year, having oc casionally a temperature as low as 84° or 35°, and in this month and March the most of the rainfall takes place, the average of which is generally about 11 Inches each year. In Decem b it the rainy season generally sets in and is not considered over until April. From the middle of January to the middle of March is generally the most delightful weather of the Winter sea son. Upon the whole, there is no country, probably, in the world where people can spend more days out of doors than in this locality. Fuel—Water—Gas As tho saying goes ''Wood is wood" in Los Angeles and it almost amounts to the fact that wood is gold and silver. It is brought from the El Monte district and from the many mountain canons lying north of the city, necessitating its hauling by team a distance of from twelve to twenty miles. The price ranges from ten to sixteen dollars per cord for cut stove wood, according to qual ity from willow—the poorest—to mountain oak—the best. There is an abundant supply at the prices named. Coal of a good quality which is brought here from the northern parts of the State brings, at retail, ?20 per ton. A large coal bed has been dis covered in the county and opened to a sufficient depth to demonstrate its good quality and quantity, but owing to the fact that it is very difficult of access the mine has never been worked. The Southern Taciflc Railroad own the vein and, at some time in the near future they hope to make rail connec tions with it which will make the mine of practical benefit to the coun ty. Fortunately, nature has been considerate enough since she did not provide us with cheap fuel, to give us a climate which requires very little artificial heat for the comfort of man. In many families a fire is never kindled except for cooking purposes, the year round. Still a blaze in the grate or parlor stove is very acceptable in the cool evenings and rainy days of "Win ter, though it does not amount to a ne cessity as in the Northern aud Eastern States. WATER. Los Angeles is better supplied with water for domestic purposes than most other places of her size and popula tion in the country, enjoying all the advantages secured by large cities in their expensive systems of water works. The Los Angeles Water Com pany have a large reservoir a short distance north of the city, which is supplied by a ditch tapping the Los Angeles river some ten miles farther up. From this reservoir, water is dis tributed in pipes with sufficient head to supply the highest buildings in all the main portions of the city. The hill lots on the north are supplied by another system of works which we shall note hereafter. The water at its source is from a pure mountain stream and far superior to that obtained for most cities. The connecting ditch and reservoir are somewhat primitive in their construction, however, with de ficient appliances for filtering, and consequently the water as it comes from the hydrant lacks much of its pristine purity. Still, it will com pare favorably with tbe supply served generally to drinkers throughout the country, and when taken with a mod icum of whisky does excellently. Ma terial improvements are contemplated by the company, however, and withiu a year we expect to have a system of reservoirs and aqueducts unsur passed. The hill lots to which we pre viously referred, lie on the mesa or table lands extending along the northwestern part of the city. The whole tract originally belonged to Mr. Prudent Beaudry, a wealthy citizen, and now Mayor of the city. A great portion of the property is still retained by him. By his individual enterprise, he constructed a reservoir with a capacity of a million gallons, much higher than that of the Water Company and capable of supplying the most elevated portion of his lands. The quality of water furnished is much better than that of the Water Com pany, being raised to the reservoir from an exhaustless spring by means of a force-pump. The system of dis tributing pipes is complete and every purchaser of a hill lot from Mr. Beau dry is entitled to a supply at the usual rates without additional expense. The prices charged for water are regulated by the City Council, and a schedule has been adopted which defines the quid pro quo, so that every man may know his rights and obtain them. For families the prices range from two to five dollars per month each. Besides these water-works there is a system of zanjas, or water ditches under control of the city, which sup ply water for irrigating purposes. This water also comes from the Los Angeles river, and Is distributed to all parts of the city and suburbs in quan tities adequate to the demand. Each irrigator is entitled to his proportion of the water at rates fixed by the city. OAS. Los Angeles has a complete system of gas works which now supplies a never failing and good quality of gas. The mains are extended through all the principal business and residence streets of the city. Owing to the high price of fuel and transportation the company is compelled to charge what might seem exhorbitant rate-, for tlie gas furnished. Tbe price is fixed at 57 50 per thousand feet. -f— During 1874, M. Keller made £t)O,(K>O gallons of wine. The twenty other wine making establishments in Los Angeles and Anaheim make favora ble reports of the year's work. The Los Angeles Public Library. The Los Angeles Library Associa tion was organized in December, 1872, and having secured and furnished rooms iv Downey Block for library purposes, opened its doors to members and the public on the Ist day of Janu ary, 1873, with about SOO volumes of books on its shelves, principally donated or loaned to the association by the citizens of Los Angeles as a nucleus for a public library. About 400 volumes of new books were pur chased very soon thereafter, and at various periods since additions have been made by purchase, donation and loan, until an accumulation of upward of 1,600 volumes is the result. An order has just been made for about 200 volumes more, chiefly new and important publications, and the books when they are placed on the shelves of the library will fill a much needed want and awaken a renewed interest in the library among all classes of readers. The association is composed of about 350 members. The cost of membership is $2 50 initiation fee and fifty cents per month dues, or $5 per year, if paid annually in advance. Strangers visiting the city are ad mitted to the free use of the rooms, but aro not allowed to draw books, except on tin payment of dues. An average of about 1,000 tourists and sojourners annually are thus accom modated with a quiet, pleasant and attractive reading room. Nearly all the leading magazines, reviews, illus trated papers and many Eastern newspapers and foreign publications are received at the library. The rooms are open every afternoon, including Sunday, and every evening from 7 to 10 o'clock. A chess room, with three sets of chess and one of draughts, is connected with the library, the same room answering the purpose of a smoking aud conversation room. The books and magazines, except books of reference, are allowed to " circulate" among the members,each member being allowed to draw two at a time. The member's family are en titled to all the privileges of the lib rary, gratis, though but two books can be cut at one time on one mem bership. Many ladies have member ships in their own name. At the last session of the Legisla ture of California a law was enacted which authorises the Common Council of the city of Los Angeles to establish afree public library and maintain it by a public tax. So soon as the city shall have taken the necessary steps to that end, the preseut library will be merged therein by a donation of its books and property to the city. BANKS AND COMMERCE. Favorable Bank Exhibit—The Whole sale ttllU Remit Tnt.lr Lnrgely lu creaseU. During the year 1874 our banks did an immense business—fully 25 per cent, increase on tlie business of 1873. Temple & Workman's Bank, under the conduct and management of F. P. F. Temple, organized in 1871, is one of the most substantial private banks on the coast. Every dollar deposited there is secured by real estate of ten times the value. H. S. Ledyard is the executive officer and Thos. W. Tem ple cashier. The deposits for the year have averaged $125,000 daily—s3B, --750,000 for the year. From five to ten new accounts are opened every day — new comers to this section with avail able means ranging from $500 to $500,000 each. The Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, established in 1871, has a paid up cap ital of $500,000. The general business averages $100,000 daily—over $30,000, --000 for the last year. The Los Angeles County Savings Bank has a capital of $300,000. J. S. Slossen is its president, and J. M. Elliot the secretary. Although this bank was only organized in July last, the number of depositors is over 225, and the deposits, in sums of $2,50 and upwards, amount to about $50,000. Our banks have plenty of money and loan tho same at IJfSdJ per mouth. Sufficient security is the only thing needed to raise money In a«y amounts desired. Exchange on San Francisco is at par; to New York and other cities on the other side of tho mountains, one per cent. The bankers unite in tho statement that their business has been doubled dur ing the past year. During the year our wholesale trade has been increased from 26 to 30 per cent, and our retail trade at least doubled. One of our best merchants estimates the wholesale trade of Los Angeles at $5,000,000, but another shrewd merchant says the figures are too high by one million. Tho retail merchants have all been prosperous, and many new (inns threw out their signs during the year. The retail trade of the city is estimated by some of our shrewdest merchants at from $5,000, --000 to $7,ooo,ooo—makin g the total for the year, wholesale and retail, not far from $10,000,000. The steady Immi gration to this section, and the valu able mining interests to our east, are certain to keep the business of this city steadily on the increase. OUR CONNECTIONS. Steamer, Rnll nnA Staxe. From Sun Francisco to Los Angeles there are four well conducted lines of transit: the Pacilic Mail Steamship Company's lino of steamers, the Goodull, Nelson <fc Perkins lino, the Southern Pacific Railroad and Coast stage line, and the Southern Pacific Railroad and Telegraph stage line. Stages on the two last named routes leave the railroad connection with San Francisco at Bakersfield daily and make the distance of 100 miles, to San Fernando hy daylight. The through fare is $25, including accommodations on the line. THE PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COM PANY. This company, the largest of all the American Steamship Companies, own and have in service 34 ocean steam ships. The total length of the several routes of this company is 13,300 nauti cal miles. The Panama route was es tablished twenty-five years ago. In 18G7 the China and Japan route was inaugurated, and in September, 1872, the P. M. S. S. Co. bought the North Pacific Transportation Company's route to San Pedro (tho port of Los Angeles), San Diego and way ports. The transfer of this route to the P. M. S. S. Co. has resulted in great benefit to Los Angeles county, by increasing the facilities for business and by cheapening the rates of transportation of both passengers and freight. Dur ing the first year of tlie occupancy of this route by the P. M. S. S. Co., the wine interest of Los Angeles county saved $4,200 in freight on the 170,000 gallons wine shipped direct to New York; and, though but 282 tons of wool were forwarded East under through bills of lading during the same time, $2,500 of freight money was saved on that. Had the Pacific Mail Company not owned the Coast line, this could not have been accom plished. But, although the benefits and improvements in this service in augurated by the company in the past have been great, their plans for the future embrace greatly increased fa cilities for the people of this section. The steamers have a wide reputation as most comfortable passenger ships, are officered by gentlemen and arc kept in the best possible condition. They dispatch a passenger steamer about every live days from their im mense covered doc k, foot of Brannen street, San Francisco, for Santa Bar bara, Los Angeles and San Diego. The steamers ply .ng from San Fran cisco to San Diego, stopping at Wil mington and principal intermediate ports, are the Orizaba and Senator, carrying freight and passengers, and the Gipsey, carrying combustibles and other freight. The fare from San Francisco to the port of Wilmington is $12 for cabin passage, including meals and stateroom; steerage, $8. To reach Los Angeles from tbe steamer, an additional charge of $2 50 is made for transfer to the railroad depot and thence by rail to the city, making the total cost of first-class passage $14 50. Freight by steamer is charged at $5 per ton and $5 is added for lighterage and railroad transfer. THE OOODALL, NELSON & PERKINS LINE. The Goodall, Nelson & Perkins Steamship Company owns a line of steamers plying between Sa* Fran cisco and San Diego, stopping at Wil mington (the port of Los Angeles) and all intermediate ports. The steamers of the line are as follows: The Ventura, Captain Harloe, 700 tons burthen, carries 150 cabin passen gers, and is fitted up iv the best style of sailing craft. The Wm. Taber, Captain Bogart, 1,000 tons burthen, has a correspond ing accommodation for cabin passen gers. She is the' largest and most commodious steamer on the line. The Kalorama, Captain Elliott, is exclusively a freighting steamer, car rying GOO tons. She is also fitted for passenger traffic. Basldes the coastline, this company owns the Victoria (B. C.) route, upon which the steamsnip Los Angeles is at present running; also, the steam ships Santa Cruz, Menterey, Salinas and Constantino, touching at all points ou the coast between San Francisco and Huenonae. The passage by this lino from San Francisco to Wilmington, including meals and stateroom, is $12; steerage, $8; freight per ton, $5. The additional charges for transfer, lighterage and railroad faro are the same as given with the previous line. RAILROADS. The Southern Pacific Railroad has four blanches centering at Los Ange les. The Wilmington branch, running BOUth, 80 miles; the Anaheim branch, running .southeast, 30 miles; the Spa dra branch, running east, 28 miles; and the San Fernando branch, run ning north, 21 miles. Tho roads are under the superintendence of E. E. Hewitt, and are managed for the best accommodation of the public in every way. The fares aro reasonable, and wo have found the employes uniform ly polite and accommodating. A more extended report of tho business of the road appears elsewhere. STAGE LINES. The Coast Stage Line runs from An aheim (the railroad connection with Los Angeles) to San Diego, via Rant* Ana, Tustin City, San Juan Capis trano, Las Flores, San Luis Key and Soledad, making the trip through in 24 hours. The fare is fit). Coaches leave daily. The Los Angeles and San Bernardino stage line runs daily to San Bernardino, connecting with the Southern Pacific Railroad at Spadra. The faro in $4 25. Another line to San Bernardino un der the superintendence of 11. W. Robinson runs its stages via Chino, Itincon and Riverside, carrying the U. S. mails aud express, leaves Spadra every Tuesday, Thursday aud Satur day at Ba. m. The entire trip is made by daylight, thus affording tourists and travelers an opportunity of passing over some of the finest portions of Southern California. The route passes through the beautiful colony of River side and the Chino ranch. Tickets should be purchased and seats secured of the agent in Los Angeles. Two Hues ot stages are also run to Panamint, the new mining district, fare, $25. SEMI-TROPICAL AND OTHER FRUITS. The Capabilities of I.oa Angeles County for Their Production— The Present and Prospective Supply ana J>c urn ml. The cultivation of fruit in Los An geles county is a subject matter diet ing at this time no little consideration by the agriculturists of this county. The books of the County Assessor, for the year now closed, give 114,903 acres of medium and good grain and farm ing land; and 25,738 acres of orchard and vineyard land, witli water for ir rigation. They also give 4,250,000 of bearing grape vines. Of fruit-bearing trees, the books give 35,700 orange trees, 7,800 apple trees, 5,000 pear trees, 13,700 peach trees, 5,3C0 lemon trees, 5,000 walnut trees, 2,500 fig trees, 2,200 apricot trees, 1,100 quince trees, 2,000 olive trees, 900 almond trees, 500 nectarine trees, and about 600 of various other fruit trees. The grape vines occupy about 4,250 acres, and tho fruit trees, a trifle over 80,000 in number, occupy about 8,000 acres, making a total of less than 13,000 acres devoted to fruit culture. Deducting this quantity from the 25,758 acres of irrigable vineyard and orchard land, of Los Angeles county, as reported by the Assessor, and their remains 12,759 acres of orchard land Id tlie county. It is probable that the number of acres of irrigable vine yard and orchard land, as well as the' number of bearing vines and fruit trees in the county, is considerably greater than that which is returned by the Assessor; and it is undoubt edly true that a considerable propor tion of the 114,963 acres, returned as grain land, is as well adapted to the production of the orange, and other fruits, as that which is classed as ir rigable orchard land. An acre of land will contain about 50 orange or lemon trees, or about 125 lime trees. The yearly product of an orange or lemon orchard, after it has been ten years in fruit, may be safely esti mated at 2,500 per tree. While it is a popular opinion that the northern latitudes of the northern temperate zone are better adapted to the pro duction of the best quality of the ap ple, pear aud peach, than the more southern ones, yet experience thus far in Los Angeles county, indicates while the oranges of this county are unsurpassed by those of any other country, in deliciousness and good keeping qualities, the best varieties of the apple, pear and peach, attain to as high a degree of excellence here as in more northern locations. The number of orange, lime and lemon trees now in the nurseries of the county, many of which are of suitable age to be transplanted into the orchards, can not be estimated at less than 5,000,000, and it is not improbable that the quantity may be nearly double that number. The number of orange, lemon and lime trees, which have been planted in orchards during the past few years, and which are not yet bearing, and the increasing annual product of all those now in fruit, will probably more than quadruple the crop before tlie advent of 1880. From the preceding figures and estimates it will be seen that the prospective yearly orange crop of this county will not be an item of insignificant im portance. The question now being considered by some of the most thoughtful and prudent agriculturists of this county is whether it is good policy for them to invest their means and labor in the rearing of orange, lemon and lime orchards. Some be lieve and others fear that within a few years the orange crop of Los Angeles county and the product of other parts of California will exceed the demand and as a consequence oranges in a few years will be valueless In this county. If these premises are true the conclu sion is unassailable. The question to be considered, then, is, can this eoun tj'i together with the other portions of V "1 lII'WIMWMEr.IIJiHIMif MBIH'IH 'FITffH mrm V mmmmm the State where the orange will thrive, glut the available market for oranges, lemons and limes. With the excep tion, possibly, of British Colombia,the market for these products can only be found within the United States, and to supply this" market there is the home product of Florida and the orange producing islands of the Car ribean Sea, but a few day's sail from the ports of the Gulf and Atlantic States, and the South Sea Islands of the Pacific. It has, however, been satisfactorily proven by repeated ex periments that the Los Angeles or anges, and probably those grown in other parts of this State, keep better and suffer less deterioration from car riage by land or water than those grown in more humid climes aad more Southern latitudes. Oranges fully ripened upon the trees have been sent, in different years and at various sea sons of the year, from this place by sea to San Francisco und thence over land to the Atlantic States, where they arrived in a sound and good con dition. In June last a box containing upwards of a hundred oranges, a few lemons and limes, all fully ripe and gathered from the trees on the 16th of that month, was sent by steamer to San Francisco and thence by rail to New England, where upon opening the box only two of the whole number were found to have the least speck of decay. And as a matter of no small importance to the orange growers of this place, it was-the judgment of those who ate of them, comprising individu als who had eaten oranges iv the or chards of Spain and in those of the coast and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, that they were the most delicious they had ever tasted. It is well known that people,liviug in a dry atmosphere and in a climate where the Summer heat is excessivt but where no tropical fruits are grown, suffer from a craving for acidulous fruits and.beverages, not experienced by those living in cooler and moist climates. Leav ing out of tho account the State of Oregon and the Territory of Washington and that of Alaska, as well as British Columbia, there is that immense region of country stretching from the borders of the Mississippi river on tbe east to, and including,the Sierra Nevada on tlie west, antl from British America on the north to the territory of Mexico on the south, the climate of which is such as will make any civilized population which shall inhabit It as great consumers of or anges, lemons and limes during the Summer months as their means of procuring them will permit. And notwithstanding the millions of or ange tress in the nurseries of Los An geles, the population which is now pouring into that vast country will increase the number of its inhabitants more rapidly than can Los Angeles its orange crop. Tho mineral and other wealth of that country ts so great , that the means of purchasing those commodities which the appetites of the inhabitants crave will be abund ant. And it is as certain, that before the majority of the orange, lemon and lime trees now growing in the nurser ies of this county become fruit bearers there will be ample facilities for send ing their products by rail from this place to each and every one of the States and Territories ef this great in terior district, as it is that those trees or any considerable proportion thereof will ever produce fruit. Another fact, and it is one of no .small importance to the orange growers of Los Angeles, is that the season of tlie year in which he can gather the crop in its greatest excellence, is that season, May, June and July, when its demand for con sumption will be the greatest through out all the country before referred to for a market, and when there can be but little if any competion by import ers from abroad. Looking at the fu ture of the orange trade of Los Angeles from every conceivable standpoint, the prospect seems most encouraging, and without any ill-omened clouds in the prospect. J. J. W. In Los Angeles county, during the year 1874, 40,000 gallons of grain spir its were distilled, but of late the whisky stills have not been in opera tion. About 10,000 gallons of lager beer, ale and porter are made each month in the breweries in this city— the "New York," the " Philadelphia" and the "City." At O'Mera's ale and porter manufactory, established in 1874, about 20,000 gallons of Crichton's celebrated ale is brewed annually. This county supplies the surrounding counties and the mining regions of Southern California with beer and ale. Living in Los Augeles is good, and at prices to suit all tastes. Good board, with lodging can be had at from $4 50 to $7 per week. At the hotels prices range from $1 25 to $3 per day. The markets are well supplied and house keeping expenses can be brought down to a very low figure if persons so desire. Good mechanics employed here are paid 50 to $5 50 per day. La borers receive from $1 50 to $2 50 per day. Farm hand from $20 to $85 pet month, witli board. Servants, male and female, $80 per month. Oun manufacturing establishments, woolen mills, planing mills, soap fac tories, wagon shops, harness and sad dle manufactories, etc., have all been busy during the year, owing to in creased demands from the mines. Ike culture has been very profitable iv Los Angeles county. The Leo Keepers have quite a large associa tion.