[p. 151, First Church in Santa Monica, First M.E. Church, 1908b]
A great deal of anxiety was manifested as to the completion of the L.A. & I. road which had come to a stop when it reached Los Angeles. It was still believed that it would be continued to Independence and possibly further. This belief was strengthened by the actual work of a grading force in the Cajon Pass. But no final decision as to route between Los Angeles and the pass was made. San Bernardino talked of raising a subsidy to secure the line and Santa Ana and Riverside had hopes. Los Angeles citizens held meetings to discuss the desirability of aiding the Independence road. Already it was seen that the influence and competition of the Southern Pacfic was bearing heavily on the new road; but the papers and the people held out strongly against any suggestion that their independent line might be absorbed by the monopoly.
During 1877 Santa Monica continued to hold its own in growth. A new bath house was erected by the L.A. & I. road on the beach front and fully equipped with hot steam baths, plunge and facilities for salt-water bathing in all its forms. A billiard room, bowling alley, skating rink and refreshment rooms were added to the pavilion. Altogether the finest accomodations on the coast were offered here. The Ocean House under the management of C.A. Summer was opened this season, and the number of visitors and campers increased over any previous season.
In May, William Spencer burned 4000 feet of clay pipe which was purchased by B.D. Wilson for use in the extensive irrigation system which he and Shorb were then constructing near San Gabriel. The Santa Monica pipe proved so satisfactory that large orders were placed for it and in the fall work [p. 152] was begun on a clay pipe manufactory, a two-story building, 40 by 60, with a large furnace. This was the first utilization of the Santa Monica clay beds.
The plaza between California and Nevada streets had been planted with Montgomery cypress, blue gum, live oak, pepper, weeping willow, and iron-bark trees. Jones and Baker had set out 4200 blue gum and pepper trees along the streets, and these had already begun to make a showing. The extraordinary fertility of the soil in Santa Monica and vicinity was a constant source of wonder. Blue gums planted in August, 1875, measured 12 to 15 feet high in November, 1877. The Outlook frequently referred to a tomato vine which became one of the sights of the town. It was trained by J.W. Scott against his house and reached a height of twenty-five feet, while it bore profusely. Corn 14 feet tall is reported and the beautiful flower gardens which were the result of a little care and attention were the admiration of all visitors.
The question of the ownership of the beach front had already come up. Some parties claimed that the beach was government property and the question led to more or less friction. A very sad outcome of this dispute occurred in October, 1877. A carpenter, John V. Fonck, was working on a small bath house which was being put up on land in dispute. C.M. Waller, who was in charge of the bath house and beach property of the land company, ordered him to quit work. Upon his refusal to do so, Waller fired and wounded him fatally. He claimed he thought the gun was loaded with bird shot and that he was acting under the orders of E.S. Parker, the representative of Jones and Baker. On trial, he was sentenced for one year. Parker was also tried, and although it did not appear that he had been given direct orders, he was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. He was then released to await a new trial; but as a result of the affair his young wife died and a week later Parker also died-of a broken heart, so his friends believed. This unfortunate affair gave rise to much feeling, as it had been believed by many that purchasers of lots were entitled to put up a bath house for private use on the beach. The question of beach ownership continued troublesome and there were constant difficulties over it until the courts decided in 1888, that the boundary of the San Vicente ranch extended to the water and therefore Jones and Baker had the ownership to that point.
The railroad question continued to be the most vital one to Santa Monica and, indeed, to Southern California. The influence and competition of the Southern Pacific was proving too strong to be overcome by the Los Angeles and Independence road, single-handed. Under the conditions it could not be made a paying proposition. The Panamint mines had not panned out as was expected, and the idea of continuing the road to Independence had been abandoned. Senator Jones had already sunk a million dollars in the enterprise; but he could not expect to go on indefinitely losing money. He offered to sell the road at cost to the people of Los Angeles county. Many were strongly favorable to the idea. The Outlook and its editor, L.T. Fisher, made a strong [p. 153] fight against the "monopoly." In one of his editorials, he sets forth the following reasons why the L.A. & I road is a "good thing," and should be owned by the county:
"1. The railway from Los Angeles to Santa Monica has given the people another outlet to the ocean.
"2. It has brought the cars and the largest deep-sea vessels together.
"3. It has shortened the ocean passage from San Francisco to 34 miles and the time to Los Angeles from six to ten hours.
"4. It enables parties who wish to make the most of their time to remain several hours longer in Los Angeles and then catch the same steamer as passengers by way of the Southern Pacific and San Pedro.
"5. It has reduced freight from $5.00 per ton to $1.00 and the passenger rate from $2,50 to 50 cents.
"6. It has reduced the price of lumber in Los Angeles and along the line of the S.P. not less than $5.00 per thousand.
"7. It has raised the price of land along its route not less than 100 per cent.
"8. It has greatly increased the inducements for settlement in a portion of Los Angeles county which has hitherto been neglected.
"9. It has established a cheap means by which the people of the interior and of Los Angeles can enjoy the benefits of the sea shore.
"10. It consitutes in itself property that adds greatly to the aggregate wealth of the county.
"11. It can be held as a check, not only upon existing roads in this locality, but upon all roads that may be built, because it furnishes a connection with ocean vessels that can reach all quarters of the world."
Meetings were held to discuss plans for saving the road from the S.P. and other meetings were held which suggested all sorts of possible and impossible projects for saving the country from the complete domination of the Central Pacific. But all the talk and the many schemes proposed came to nothing. In March, 1877, Leland Stanford, president of the C.P., and General Colton, president of the S.P., with a corps of their assistants, visitied Santa Monica to "look around-nothing doing," they assured the reporters. In May, another party of Central Pacific magnates came down and looked over Santa Monica and brought speculation to fever heat. On June 4th, 1877, it was definitely announced that the Los Angeles and Indepenence road had been sold to the Central Pacific. Santa Monica people could only accept the change and make the best of it. At first the Outlook hopefully announced that it wasn't so bad-the great company would undoubtedly improve the service and build up the trade. Its hopes were shortlived. In July the fare on the Pacific Coast steamers were increased from $12 to $15, and freight rates on steamers and by rail were soon increased. Then it was announced that [p. 155] hereafter only two small steamers, the Senator and Aneon, would ply along the coast, owing to the falling off in traffic.