THROUGH THE UNITES STATES

Evening Star, Issue 18334, 23 July 1923, Page 7

THROUGH THE UNITES STATES

! HEW ZEALANDER’S IMPRESSIONS.

[Written by Ernest 0. Neks, for tho ‘ Evening Star. ]

No 2—LOS ANGELES. Leaving San Francisco by the Southorn Pacific express at 11.30 ‘V m v’ arrived at Los Angelos at KUO ?"o same night, the distance being 471 miles. On the way to the hotel von are at once struck by the laige numbers of people in the streets ami the business houses that aio still _opon at such a lato hour On inquiry I found that, practical y speaking, the citv is never shut, only the vciy laigo department stores and Government offices closing at 5.30. This condition of affairs I soon found to bo only too trim, as the hotel I stayed in was situated on the corner of Fifth and Main streets, and I found it almost Impossible to sleep owing to the continual running of cars and the hum of people about the streets. It is quite evident that the populace dine just when the fancy takes them, as the cafes wore doing good business in the early hours of the morning. The population of Los Angelos City is about 800,000, but taking in the suburban area, it is over a million. It is considered the fastesßgrown city m the United States, having enlarged 500 per cent, in twenty years; but xho greatest growth has taken place during the last ten years. t Last year alone the city population increased 105,000. In my previous article I mentioned that San Francisco had good streets, but in Los Angeles they arc even better. No wonder that there arc 200,000 automobiles here, as the city and suburban streets are a delight to travel on. Just fancy, one motor car to every four of the population! And those figures are absolutely authentic. In larger cities, as a rule, it is fairly difficult for a stranger to wander round and not feel perturbed that_ in retracing his steps ho is perhaps_ going in the wrong direction. Not so in Los Angeles. After locking over the city map I did not find it necessary to ask i for directions from anyone, owing to the fact that they have their streets ; named running one way from numbers ! such as First street, and the other way j from ordinary plain names. For in- j stance, if 1 wanted to call at Seventh i and Spring streets I had no difficulty, whatever in finding them, as Seventh street ran one way and Spring street crossed it diagonally. Southern California, of which Los Angeles is the main city, is blessed with a glorious climate for nine months in the year, and more tourists visit there than any other part of the world. One of the sights is the Ostrich Farm. Every detail of the ostrich plume industry may bo seen here, from the hatching of the giant “ggs to the finishing of the brilliant I'strich plumes. CITY OF MILLIONAIRES. Pasadena is one of the adjoining smaller towns of California, and is famous as being a city of millionaires and for the vastness of its Unit production, there being large groves of oranges, lemons, and walnuts. Naturally one wonders where the water comes from to supply Los Angeles and tho surrounding districts (all the fruitgrowing districts are irrigated), as they sometimes go for mouths without having a fall of rain. Bub their water supply is a stupendous piece of eu- 1 gincering. The melted snow is brought ' from the top of the high Sierras, the highest watershed in the United States, a distance of 250 miles, through pipes, canals, tunnels, etc. It cost nearly five millions to carry out; but the istute Yankee generates from this 120,000 horse-power of electric energy, and _thc income from this loaves the municipality with a cheap water supply.

MOVIE STABS—MISS JAMES’S SUCCESS.

Before leaving Dunedin Mr W. F. James furnished me with the address of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr and Mrs Munro, who are now located in Los Angeles. The latter null bo better known to Dunediuites as Miss Vera James, who played tho loading part in the Australian film picture ‘ Tho Girl From tho Bush.’ Mr Munro has a motor car agency business in tho heiutiful residential district of Hollywc ad, and although ho has been hero on y twelve months, there is very little that the astute American can put over him when it comes to business. To Mr Munro I am deeply indebted for kindness in showing mo (per motor) the many beautiful miles of streets in Hollywood on which are built palatial bungalows. It is said there are 125,000 bungalows in Los Angeles, and there are not two of tho same design. Over tho miles of streets, or, as they are termed here, “ boulevards,” I certainly could not say that I saw two of the same design. The avenues are lined with palm and pepper trees. There are no fences in front of tho bungalows, which stand bade from the sidewalk about 20ft, and this part is generally a beautifully graded lawn. Every bungalow is in perfect alignment. They all stand hack the same distance from the sidewalk, and this alignment stretches for miles and miles on either side of the boulevard, with bowers of roses climbing up nearly every lattice. I was shown tho palatial residences _of Jack Dempsey (the world’s champion boxer, Jacky C'oogan (tho famous film actor), and many other notable people, i In fact, one Jbegins to wonder if there I are any people ' in Ixis Angeles who i are not in comfortable circumstances. I had the privilege of witnessing tho taking of one of tho scenes in a picture entitled ‘ M’Gratb of the Hills ’ at tho Universal Film Company’s studios, in which Miss Janies has a fairly good part. It "was a street scene (taken in the open air), and was comprised of about a dozen buildings ou each side of the street, while there were probably 100 people shown in tho scene. It was the second last scene of tho play, and I was informed that if I were to come hack in a couple of days 1 could see tho final scone acted, in which Miss James has to escape through the llames of a burning building. Unfortunately I was hooked to leave Los Angelos on that day. The picture studios are a small town in themselves. They have their own carpenters, _ plasterers, electricians, and the furniture used in the various pro- 1 dnetions runs into thousands of | pounds. Miss James has an excellent I future in -front of her, as her undoubted | ability is now being recognised, and j she should eventually' reach tho front rank in tho movie profession. It is practically impossible in a brief sketch of Los Angelos, such as I have endeavored to portray, to adequately describe the beauties and wonders which confront you on every hand; in fact, this is one of tho times when tho American can bo pardoned for using j expressions such as “ The Wonder City i of the World,”. “ The Mecca of the Tourist,” “ The Town of tho Queen of the Angels,” and many other highflown Expressions. In my next article I shall deal with travelling ou the United States railways and a visit to the Grand Canyons of Arizona.