[p. 154, Charles E. Towner, 1908b]
In this connection, some extracts from letters written by Crocker and Huntington will show the odds against which the promoters of the L.A. & I. railway struggled. On May 18th, 1875, Charles Crocker wrote: "I notice what you say of Jones, Park, etc. I do not think they will hurt us much, at least, I should rather be in our places than theirs. I will ventilate their "safe harbor."" And on May 25th, Huntington responded: "I shall do my best to cave him (Jones) down the bank."
During 1878 Santa Monica struggled against the hard fate that had befallen her. The Southern Pacific removed the depot from the wharf to its present location and gave, as a concession, a round-trip fare of $1.00 good for three days. Many excursions from interior towns were brought to the coast during the summer and Santa Monica remained the most popular resort, although it could no longer hope for a great commercial imporance. But worse was to come. The S.P. sent one of its engineering force to examine the wharf. After a careful inspection, he reported that the condition of the piles was most alarming, owing to the ravages of the toredo, and that it was unsafe for trains unless at least three-fourths of the piles were replaced. As this would entail a large expense, he advised that the use of the wharf be abandoned. On September 9th, the Senator made its last landing and the name of Santa Monica was taken off the steamer lists.
It was a crushing blow that had been dealt the town which had started out so propitiously. Naturally, business dropped off and many people moved away. Partnerships were dissolved, mortgages foreclosed, a number of business houses sold out to satisfy their creditors. The population of the town melted away and the editor of theOutlook, who had made a brave fight for the town of his adoption, announced on December 19th, 1878, that, the next week being Christmas, the paper would be omitted for a week. It was "omitted" for eight years.
Early in 1879 the S.P. ordered the removal of the wharf. The citizens of Santa Monica protested and offered to purchase the structure as it stood, but the offer was declined and the work proceeded. In 1888, the editor of the Outlook had sufficiently recovered to be able to describe the sad scene:
"A big bumper was planted upon the shore end to keep the trains from running upon it, even by accident. Next came the order to tear down the structure. The work of destruction began one fine morning and the sea was as calm as if it had been a human being holding its breath in very wonder at such an exhibition of unjustifiable vandalism. It was a bright morning but it was a blue day for the people who live here. We heard the first blow of the destructive implement and remarked that it was the death knell of Santa [p. 156] Monica. And yet, in the midst of this industrial tragedy, there was an element of comedy. The workmen had their minds so thoroughly impressed with the dangerous conditions of the wharf that they tiptoed over the structure as if they expected every minute that it would crumble beneath them. They finally reached the outer end, tore up the flooring, stripped off the stringers, removed the braces and then attempted to topple over the piles with long poles. These stumps of redwood wielded no more than if they had been growing trees. Next the stringers were replaced and a temporary flooring laid upon which a donkey engine was placed. A noose was made of a huge chain and dropped over the piles at the bottom. Even this power failed. As a finality, men were sent in boats at low tide with axes and the piles were chopped off at low water mark. The beach was strewn for a considerable distance with the timber that washed ashore. Upon examintation many of these piles were found to be only a little worm eaten, which shows that the wharf at a comparatively little cost, could have been kept intact." -Outlook, February, 20th, 1888 (1878).
As soon as it was definitely known that the S.P. would abandon the shipping business in Santa Monica Bay, new projects were talked of. It had already been proposed that the people of Los Angles build a wharf and a narrow gauge road and thus obtain a competing line. In October, 1878, a company of San Francisco capitalists proposed to construct a harbor at Santa Monica, build a narrow gauge road and put on a line os steamers which should carry freight at $3.50 per ton and passengers at $8.00 between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The right of way was already secured and work was to be begun at once. In November agreements between John Hayes, of San Francisco and citizens of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, were published. These set forth that Hayes was to build a narrow gauge road from Santa Monica to Los Angeles and ultimately to San Bernardino, and to carry passengers between Los Angeles and Santa Monica for 25 cents and freight for $1.00. Another agreement made by John Wright of San Francisco was to the effect that he would put on a line of substantial steamships, provided the citizens of Los Angeles would do all their shippping on them.
Many other projects were discussed. The first one to show any signs of materializing was the building of a wharf by Juan Bernard, an old resident of Los Angeles, who had beome one of the most prominent citizens. He had married a daughter of Augustin Machado and was thus interested in South Santa Monica property. This wharf which was built from the foot of Strand street was intended to be fifteen hundred feet, but was not completed. A large warehouse was built, which was planned to be complete for commercial purposes, bu tthe S.P. forbade the steamers to land here, and the fiat was obeyed. No boat ever unloaded there, and the wharf was finally carried out by a severe storm about 1883 and the timber used for other purposes.
Only a few very stout hearted citizens still had faith that Santa Monica would ever again reach its former prosperity. But there were those who had become attached to the place and who felt confident that the great natural advantages afforded by the climate, the situation and the fertility of the soil, would eventually make up for the loss of shipping facilities. And so long as the people of Los Angeles and the interior would escape to Santa Monica during torrid days of summer and tourists and healthseekers could find here their ideal resting spot and homes, the place would still prosper. These few remained throgh the darkest days and gradually newcomers discovered the advantages here which could not be obtained elsewhere, and began to fill up the vacant houses and to purchase and improve other property.