Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-29
CURIOUS HABITATIoN.
The Old Sea Captains House Which is
Built Out'of Shipwrecks.

Santa barbara teal independent
There is a queer little nook down on the
coast, below Santa Barbara, into which
rambling reporter found his way a few
days ago. 1t is the wreck of a vessel,
perched high among the sand hills
upon the PalOs Nerdes rancho,
upon the shores of San Pedro bay
1t is home Of a vivaciOus eccen-
trio individual, an old salt named Capt.
j. r. James, who boasts of having met
and yanquished, single handed, the repre-
sentatives of the most powerful monopoly
on the Pacific coast. 'sCOme and see my
museum" said james to the reporter, who
was weather bound on san Pedro wharf
with the mercury steadily crawling up
above the Tooth degree. ''It is a queer
place, but ] amt ashamed of it, and it's
cooler down here; besides, want to show
you my lawsuits. | have y of them, all
of them nailed upon the wall, and each
one represents money"
The ''queer place. was found in a dry
arroyo, or sandy gulch, upon the north
side of san Pedro harbOr 1t is a hand
tending all around it and flagstaff sur
mounting the whole. At a distance it
presents the appearance of a tasty little
hotel, and over the top can be seen painted
upon the stern of some wrecked ship the
words "Ocean Villa" 1t is only when
one enters the neat little inclosure about
the house that its true character is
observable. The house and its whole
surroundings are made up of por-
tions Of wrecks. The garden fence,
the plants, the ornaments all around bear
the signs Of the sea. The house is a COM
binatiOn Of bulwarks, bulkheads, lockers
and cabins. The principal room is the
cabin of some first-class ship; the room
above it is the cabin of a bark. The
kitchen is the galley Of "a wrecked mer-
chairman, and each and all of the many
appointments are either cabins, wheel
houses or cooking galleys transferred
from some dismantled craft wrecked upon
the bay. Nc two rooms are alike, and all
are constructed so as to preserve their
original appearance on the ship they
were built upon. Some are finished in
natural woods and some are ceiled with
wood of the most expensive character.
1t Is in fact a house made up of wrecks
gathered together by Captain James as a
waterman on the south coast during ten
years. The principal portions of the house
are made out of the wreck of the Adelaide
Cooper, which was cast ashore during a
sOutheaster about three years ago. The
interior walls are covered with marine
curiosities gathered by sailors in all por-
tiOns Of the world. The collection Of
handiwOrk made by sailors is perhaps The
and quaint carvings are splendid. The
most remarkable curiosity Of all is large
star formed out of legal documents from
the courts and Sheritf's Office and nailed
upon the walls. ''trhOse papers,
said Captain james, in explanation, ''are
my law suits. ] keep them on exhibit
tion like an Indian does his scalps. Those
are suits have had brought against me
by the Southern Pacific and by Gen. Phin-
cas- Banning to drive me away from this
spot. l have de1ied them all and have
whipped 'em. | am here yet and there's
my boats, those three little sloops anchor
ed in front of my house. l own this land
and the water front, and all / have about
me is paid for. When me and my wife
came here we had not Il dollar and we
lived in tent made out of an old sail.
Now l am independent and next month
shall start a newspaper, the San Pedro
| hiDpiRg Gazette. l am no scholar, never
went to school; ] am sailor, but have
| made up my mind to grow rich with San
PpdrOS