Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-06
WESTERN RAMBLlNGs,
CORRESPONDENCE PosT-

CORRESPONDENCE Posr- sr-IxrrLLraExCKl. !
SAN DIEGO. Cal. Feb. Is, 1884.
The raising of olives is more largely
engaged in here than any other place
We have visited. We see orchards con-
tanning ten TO twenty acres set exclu
sively In olives, and attempts are being
made to rear the olive here without irri-
CATION On the uplands, but We hardly
think 1t will be a success without at
least An occasional irrigation. Ii is
Claimed that olive raising is profitable
business. Seventy-five cents TO a dollar
per gallon is the price realized now
Much of the fruit u used as a table
luxury, first having been prepared by
packing in salt brine and then soaked
In pure water. Your oorrespondent's
palate rejected the fruit "a decidedly
obnoxious, not having ~ yet been edu-
Gated up (or down to that taste. The
future outlook is that San Diego will
have An olive oil manlfactory at no dis
tant day.
National City, three miles further up
the bay, is a small town that started
with flourish of trumpets. but she
would not boom to any great extent; it
ia the terminus Of the Southern Cali
fOrnia Railroad and the prospective
point for q railroad from the City Of
Mexico. Looking s0utheast, the noun
tains of Mexico are plainly visible; the
point on which stands the monumental
line post between Mexico and the
United States is bat fifteen miles of j.,
and plainly to be seen. OldtOwn is a
short distance north of San Diego
proper. The buildings are Of the old
Spanish style, built of sun dried brick,
many OF which are in a dilapidated con-
ditien. On tho hill, just back Of the
town, may still he seen evidences of
Commodore StocktoD's old fort, which
was hastily thrown up the night he stole
into the harbOr, passing the guns OF the
Mexican fort at its entrance, a dense
fog favoring his movements. Not until
the old Commodore had given them a
morning salute of shot and shell frem
his fort did the tewn know of his near
presence. Taken 30 BY surprise it was
not long until the Mexloan garrison ran
up the white flag, and before the sun
had set the town and adjoining forts
were all in the hands Of the American
soldiers. An old cannon that had been
fished out of the bay, wherein the Mex
leans had thrown it, is quito an inter
esting relic OF the Mexican war, and
may be seen at the building Of the His
torioal Society. We noted down the
following inscription found on the
cannon: ''Ano, De. 1888. Garolus Ser
tins Hispaniarium Etinda ROmref.
Manila, Ell Jupiter, Viola Tiful MaR
agregis" The cannon is about six feet
III length. One of the old wooden car
risRe wheels is still in u fair state of
preservation. 1t carries ones mind back
to the age of wooden plOws and the like.
A pleasant ride, IN hired skif, across
the smooth surface of tbs bay out some
six miles, Just on the outside of the
gateway to the harbOr, brings rs to
where some Whalors are at anchor.
Whale catching is quite an exciting
sport, but only engaged in by the most
hardy seamen. When whale is seen
to "spout" not far frsm land, the boats
are at once got ready, and away go all
hands in the chase. When close enough
a harpOOn is sent with the rapidlty of
An arrow into the huge carcass. Away
he darts, pulling out the line at a rapid
rate. The seamen in pursuit know just
how many minutes is most likely to
eiapse before he rises to get another
breath OF air. A gun loaded with a
bomb harpOon is got ready, and as he
comes up the gun is discharged, and an
Internal machine, with powder and fuse
to it, is sent into the monster. whare it
explodes. doing fearful work about the
vitals of the terrOr-stricken fish. An
other and another is sent in, until the
huge captive gives up the ghost then
he 10 tOwed out, and when high tide
sets in great efforts are made to get him
a. far out an the beach as possible.
When the tide reoedes he lies high aud
dry on land on one side. Now all ia
hustle and haste to get the blubber
cut out of the side which lies up. II
is first cut into pieces about two
feet square, similar to oattinR ioe, the
uhber or fat part is sometimes over
foot in thickness. After these squares
are got aboard the ship they are then
cut into strips. and each strip cached in
slices 30 that it all holds together: large
forks are used to put them into the ket-
ties and v hen boiled to a "eracklin" or
long enough to dissolve the oil, the
"oracklins" are taken out with forks
and thrown under the kettle for fuel.
BY tho time high tide comes in again,
they are ready to turn the CARCASS,
which can be done readily, and as the
tide goes ont leaves it on the beach with
the other side up ready to be blocked
up for the kettles. From fifty to 15O
barrels Of oil are taken from the car
oass Of whale in these waters. One
may have some idea of the size of a
whale, when We say we have seen jaw
bones twelve to fifteen feet in length
and the back ends of the jaw bones
eight feet apart. From one OF these
recently killed near here We have &C.
cured sample Of the feathery bone
which lines the sides Of the monsters
mouth.
Mackerel. herring and many other
kinds Of fish abound in the bay, and it
is fine sport catching them; one day
while on the wharf angling for the fnny
tribe, We saw young man spear an
angel fish. and land it on the wharf.
This is fi.h quite different from the
flying fish. 1t has winRs the shape Of
an angel, as seen In the pictures, aud is
entirely without fms. They are rare.
and much sought for by nsturalists.
Just north Of the city there comes in
stream Of water. which. v hen high.
washes sand into tho bay, and to avoid
filing up or damaging the harbOr the
government has built long levse in Or
der to divert the waters from the stream
into a false bay.
A Gefman vessel 10 now hero taking
on cargo Of grain and Abalone shells.
Cinnamon do An extensive business
here in getting Abslons meat and
shells, the meat they dry and ship to
San Francisco, the shells they sell here
to merchants, who are extensively en-
gagged in the she'll trade. J. s. +.
"We have struck smoother road.
haven't We p asked a passenger Of q