Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-11-14
A Queer HabitatIon.

There is a queer little nook down on
the coast below Santa Barbara, Cali
fornia, into which a rambling reporter
found his way a few days ago. 1t is
the wreck of a vessel, perched high
among the sandhills upon the PaIos
Verdes rancho, upon the shore of San
Pedro Boy. 1t is the home of a yivac-
Ious, eccentric Individual, an old salt
named Capt. j. f. James. who boasts
of having met and vanquished single
handed the representatives of the most
powerful monopoly on the Pacific coast.
Come 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. '1t Is a queer place, but l
amt ashambed of it, and it's cooler
down here; besides, l want to show
you my lawsuits. l have 2s of them, all
OF them nailed upon the wall, and each
one represents money"
The queer place" was found in dry
arroyo. or sandy gulch upon the north
side OF San Pedro harbor. 1t is hand
some, square house, with a piazza ex-
tending all around it and flagstaff
surmounting the whole, At diftance
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 enclosure about the house that its
true character Is observable. The house
and its whole surroundings are made up
of portions of wrecks. The garden
fence, the plants, the ornaments ali
around bear the sign of the sea. The
house Is a combination of bulwarks,
buJkheads, lockers and cabins. The
principal room is the cabin of some first
class ship; the room above it Is the cabin
of u bark. The kitchen is the galley
of a wrecked merchautman, and each of
all the many appointments are either
cabins, wheel-houses or cooking galleys
transferred from some dlsmantled craft
wrecked upon the bay. No 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 woou and some
are ceIled with wood OF the most e1-
pen-Ive character.
1t Is l. TACT house made up of wrecks
gathered together by Capt Janes rs II
vatchiuAu on the south coast during 10
years, The principal portions OF the
house are n.aoe out OF the wreck Of
the Adelaide Cooper" which WAS Cast |
ashore during southeaster about three |
years ago. The interior walls are
covered with marine curiosities gathered |
by sailors III all parts OF the world. |
The collection OF handiwork made by |
sailors Is perhaps the best upon the |
coast. The models of ships and quaint |
carvings are splendid. Ihe most re-
markaDle curiosity OF all is large star |
formed out OF legal documents from the |
Courts and Sheriff's Office and nailed |
upon the walls. Those papers," said |
Capt. james, III explanation, 'are my
lawsuits. l keep them on exhibition !,
like an Indian does his scalps. Those
are suits L have had brought against me
by the Southern Pacific and by Gen
fhineas banning to drive me away from
this spot. L have detied them all and
have whipped 'em. 1 am here yet and
there NY boats. those three little
sloops, anchored in front of my house.
L own this land and the water front and
ali have about me is paid for. When
me and my wife came here We had not
a dollar and we IIyed In a tent made out
Of al ola sail. Now 1 am independent
and Ut ri month shall start newspaper,
the San Pedro Shipping Gazette.
am no scholar, never went to school; L
nm sailor, but L have made up my
mind TO grow Itch with San Pedro"