Harry Carr Los Angeles City of Dreams (Illustrated by E.H. Suydam), D. Appleton-Century Co.: NY, 1935, 402 pp., 1900
"It was not until Henry E. Huntington came south from San Francisco that culture began to be spelled with capital letters.
"Los Angeles was put on the map twice-by two railroad [p. 358] men-uncle and nephew-and by the two real estate booms they produced. Collis P. Huntington [1821-1900], the fighting war lord of the Southern Pacific Railroad, was probably the most hated man who ever lived in California. He was a rapacious tyrant who ruled politics in California like a czar. I can remember the Republican convention when the Southern Pacific sub-boss sat in a little room off the stage sending out his orders-making and breaking ambitions like the head clerk of a hotel snapping his fingers to the bell-hops. There is a legend at the State capital that all important laws were passed on the last day of the session. By that time the legislators were too bibulous to hear what was going on so they voted according to the necktie the reading clerk wore. It the clerk with the red tie read the bill, they voted Yes; No for the blue tie. "