Nuestro Pueblo

Aug. 29, 1938: Joe Seewerker and Charles Owens visit the home of the late Times columnist Harry Carr, showing his view of Griffith Park. Note: The original run of Nuestro Pueblo concluded in 1939. I’m going back and picking up the entries that I missed the first time

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Nov. 18, 1959

As Senators Write to Indignant Taxpayers     While we're all gathered here together, in this smoke-filled room, I'd like to say a few words in behalf of politicians.     They are our friends.  Behind that stodgy facade that they put up, they've all got hearts as big as Daddy Warbucks'.     And what they do, they do in our best interests.     I am prepared, I might add, to give you an example.     You remember, a couple of months ago, when Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois drafted a resolution calling for a government expenditure of $200,000 to permit himself and his 99 colleagues to fly to Waikiki to welcome Hawaii into our union of states?     The resolution was drawn up shortly after Alaska, which is cold, slipped quietly into the union.  And it was met, I'm told, with some resounding cheers in the upper house before it was drowned out by a chorus of taxpayer screams.     Well, now, at last, I can tell you the story behind the proposal.  I have it from an indignant taxpayer who was among those who wrote their protests  to Washington.     He wrote to Sen. Dirksen, Clair Engle and Thomas Kuchel.     Dirksen replied, in part:     "Nothing delighted me so much as to observe in every section of the country that a proposal to have the entire Senate attend the Hawaiian inaugural ceremonies at public expense struck so deeply into the hearts of people and offended their basic feeling with respect to governmental extravagance and the need for economy.     "I should point out that when the question was asked of me by the press, I said that I presumed every senator 'wanted' to go to Hawaii, but as you well know, 'wanting' to go and 'getting' to go is quite another matter . . .     "I reaffirm, however, my delight that there is an aroused feeling in the country with respect to spending.      "As for the record, I take some real pride in the record which the Republican minority made in the Senate in resisting huge authorizations for the expenditure of money and heavy appropriations.     "This aggressive effort on the part of the minority plus the determination of the president to hold the budget line plus the clear evidence of public interest all joined to give us a good record in this field."     I would have suspected that the junket was a Democratic plot if I hadn't seen Sen. Engle's answer, too:     "Thank you for your letter regarding the proposal of Sen. Dirksen . . .     "I agree that this suggestion is ridiculous; and if it had come to a vote, you may be sure that I would have voted against it.  It is not improper to send a small delegation . . . on this great occasion;  but to send the entire delegation is, of course, preposterous."     California's Republican senator, Tom Kuchel, had still another explanation:     "I fully agree with you that it would be an abuse of the public trust and a flagrant waste of public funds for either branch of the Congress to arrange a so-called junket for its entire membership . . .     "It is unfortunate that a jocular remark about a possible trip to Hawaii was misunderstood and subsequently treated seriously by a certain segment of the press . . .     "You may rest assured that I would never be a party to such an extravagance." Statesmanlike Stuff     So now we know.  Either:     1 -- Sen. Dirksen -- who's been battling those spendthrift Democrats for years --  was just testing us taxpayers to see if we were alert;     2 -- If those spendthrift Republicans had gotten it to the floor, the Democrats would have voted it down; or:         3 -- It was just a big joke.    I get the feeling that if the indignant taxpayer taxpayer had written 97 more letters to our elected representatives, all would have expressed violent opposition to such a prodigal scheme, no matter what they might have said before.     It's like I told you at the start.  Politicians are our friends.  Especially if we're watching them.

Artist's Notebook -- Huntington Gardens

The Huntington Gardens by Marion Eisenmann The Huntington Gardens by Marion Eisenmann The Huntington Gardens by Marion Eisenmann

Marion Eisenmann and I were going over some of her recent work and this caught my eye: A page of value studies she did earlier this month at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens to prepare for classes she is giving. These are three of the six studies that were on one page. I always enjoy the time I spend roaming the grounds at the Huntington. My favorite place to watch people is on one of the benches beneath the wisteria on the hill overlooking the Japanese gardens. There are several koi ponds there and I think I have heard people say "Look at those huge fish!" in every language known to mankind. Marion says: I did these value studies instead of preliminary pencil sketches to capture the light of the multiple layers of plants before working in color. I used a brush versus a pencil in order to not get so much into the detail of the scenario in front of me, but focus more on the light situation, contrast and composition. I like the silhouetted and layered feel of these studies, they remind me of little miniature theater stages. Note: In case you just tuned in, Marion and I are visiting local landmarks in a project inspired by what Charles Owens and Joe Seewerker did in Nuestro Pueblo. Check back next week for another page from Marion's notebook. By the way, Daily Mirror readers have asked about buying copies of Marion's artwork. Naturally, this is gratifying because I think Marion's work is terrific, and one of my great pleasures is sharing it with readers every week. We have decided that the project is a journey about discovering Los Angeles rather than creating things to sell. Marion is busy with other projects and says she isn't set up to mass-produce prints but would entertain inquiries about specific pieces. For further information, contact Marion directly.

U.S. Tightens Border; DiMaggio and the Angels?

Sept. 22, 1969: The U.S. tightens inspections at the border as part of Operation Intercept. And hippies gather at Griffith Park.

Akron had everything for the swinging bachelor pad -- including armor. Al Capp satirized all sorts of people and popular culture in the 1960s. In this panel, he makes fun of Philip Roth's bestseller "Portnoy's Complaint."

An ad for "Paint Your Wagon" by Peter Max, an artist who helped define the look of the 1960s. His artwork used to be everywhere. The Yankee Clipper as Angel manager in 1970? Joe DiMaggio's name surfaced in a story by The Times' John Wiebusch on potential replacements for Angel Manager Lefty Phillips. DiMaggio was in the mix but only because he was telling associates he wanted no part of a managerial job. Smart man. Others rumored to be possibilities included another former Yankee player, Hank Bauer, and Red Schoendienst, who had been a player, coach and manager with the Cardinals. Of course, none of those potential managers actually took over. Phillips stayed for the disaster that became the Angels' 1970 season. --Keith Thursby

Police Crack Down on 'Mashers' in Park

Cartoonist Edmund Waller "Ted" Gale draws W.I. Hollingsworth.

Sept. 21, 1909: Police crack down on mashers in Eastlake Park, which is now Lincoln Park. "These young rowdies attempt to flirt with every girl they see," said John Butler, sergeant of the traffic squad. "They make eyes at them and if the girls will not flirt, they make indecent remarks."

Found on EBay -- Elysian Park

This postcard of Elysian Park, stamped 1904, has been listed on EBay. The writer says: "This is one of the most beautiful of all of Los Angeles' many pretty parks." The road in the center is apparently North Broadway and to the right are the railroad yards. Bidding starts at $5.99.

Bathhouse Planned for Wilshire District

Sept. 14, 1919: An elaborate bathhouse is planned for 4th Street between Vermont and New Hampshire.   View Larger Map

Dr. Elmer E. Stone plans a spa and athletic club. It's unclear from The Times' clips whether this was actually built.  March 30, 1919: Two new homes in Schmidt Heights.

Mexican Independence Day

Sept. 14, 1909: From the recording horn.

Gen. Antonio Aguilar will preside at Chutes Park for the celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

Ignore Khrushchev, VFW Leader Says; Koufax Strikes Out 18!

Sept. 1, 1959: Vice President Nixon addresses the VFW convention being held in Los Angeles ... VFW Commander in Chief John W. Mahan says of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's upcoming visit: "We ask Americans to ignore, with dignity, this man. There should be no demonstration of any sort. Frankly, we're unhappy that he is coming here." Bernard Abrams, national commander of the Jewish War Veterans, says: "Khrushchev comes to these shores with bloody hands."  Notice the plans for the $800-million monorail.

In the 1950s, The Times used to run brief digests of New York film reviews, such as this one of "North by Northwest."   Jack Smith writes: "All roads in the state of California are under construction ... Don't expect to find anyplace where there isn't already somebody else ... No matter how fast you drive, somebody will pass you like a cannonball."

Sandy Koufax struck out 18  to break the National League record and tie the major league record, leading the Dodgers past the Giants in front of nearly 83,000 fans at the Coliseum. And he almost was overshadowed. Wally Moon hit a three-run homer in the ninth to provide the difference in the 5-2 victory. Koufax and Jim Gilliam singled to set up the Moon shot. As for Koufax, he said the Giants "must have been anxious. I never saw so many bad pitches swung at in one game." Even The Times' Frank Finch noted that was "a curious observation." The victory pulled the Dodgers within a game of the first-place Giants. --Keith Thursby

Pilgrimage Play Opens

May 31, 1920: Preparations are underway in El Camino Real Canyon for "The National Pilgrimage Play."   Aug. 26, 1938: Joe Seewerker and Charles Owens visit what was then Pilgrimage Play Theater for Nuestro Pueblo. The play wasn't presented in 1938 because the theater was being used for a production of "Faust." July 31, 1939: Jesus cures a leper in a scene from "The Pilgrimage Play."

Until the early 1960s, when a legal ruling ended its government funding, "The Pilgrimage Play" was one of the more enduring fixtures in The Times' drama pages, along with "The Mission Play" and "The Drunkard." Originally called "The National Pilgrimage Play" in hopes that people from across the U.S. would come to Los Angeles to see the annual production, the play was "transcribed from the Scriptures by Mrs. W. Yorke Stevenson, with assistance from Brander Matthews, Clayton Hamilton, Sheldon Cheney and Prof. Baker of Harvard," The Times said in 1920.  The script consisted of 14 scenes, divided into a prologue, two acts and an epilogue. The original production was directed by Stevenson and H. Ellis Reed. The play was presented every summer until a fire destroyed the original structure in 1929. After a two-year gap for construction what is now known as the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in honor of the former county supervisor, production resumed, with another gap during World War II. In 1943, the property was deeded to Los Angeles County. Construction of the Hollywood Freeway once again interrupted productions, which resumed in 1955 under John Arnold Ford, the son of John Anson Ford.  In 1961, Atty. Gen. Stanley Mosk ruled that the play could not receive city or county funding on the principle of the separation of church and state. A privately funded production was given in 1964 and John Arnold Ford presented some scenes in 1978. Nov. 4, 1978: John Arnold Ford presents scenes from "The Pilgrimage Play." A movie version, partially shot at the amphitheater with some segments filmed on  leftover sets from "Joan of Arc," was released in 1949.