Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-25
SCUD FROM CATALINA.
A Big Crush of YellOw-Tails
in the Bay.
NOTES FROM AROUND AVALON
The Concert and Ball at the Metro
pole-Pr0minent People on
the Island.


brought in yesterday hardly attracted at
tention, though something else did.
The present time is known as the
yellow.tail season. The barracuda have
Just retired from the scene and taken to
deep water, for purposes known to them
selves, leaving the field to the gamey
amber fish, as the yellow-tail is called
by some. The fish looks something like
q salmon, and when forty-pounder
takes hook, some of Abbey & Imbrey 3
best tackle and lots of muscle are wanted
or something will give.
The big fish have been very plentiful
of late, and this evening they took the
town by storm, q school estimated by an
expert at several thousand dashing In
Just south of the dock, forcing large
school of smelt in 30 that they formed a
solid mass of fish three or four feet deep
along shore. Into this the big yellow
tails-from three to five feet in length
dashed, cutting them down like knives,
deyouring them, running them ashore,
and creatinga furore that lasted for nearly
an hour.
Every inhabitant of Avalon and the
guests of the Hotel Metropole who heard
the noise and confusion, rushed to the
beach, and with lines, sticks, and
even bare hands, went into the sport.
Not breath of wind disturbed the bay,
but the water was covered with white
caps and waves that ran in ever direc-
ton, and everywhere the huge forms
of the fish could be seen scintillating,
hurting the water over boats and men
and dashipg on to the shore, to be killed
with sticks in the hands of campers.
One lady caught several 80 large that
she b ad to throw the line to some one on
the shore to pull them in for her, but
nothing daunted she kept in the fray and
took q large number. The elimination
of the excitement was the capture of
large part of the school by some Italian
fishermen. They put out their nets and
surrounded the school, and, while vast
numbers-in fact, the greater number
escaped, they caught, it is estimated,
three tons, which were hurriedly put on
q vessel and started for the Los Angeles
market; 80 the Los Angelefios will have
the fish, if none of the sport.
Many campers are leaving, and others
coming in to take their place. During
September the town will probably be
very gay, many families coming over for
the month, which is supposed to be the
warmest on the mainland. The writer
of this letter has been at Avalon for two
months, and. after years of experience
at Newport, Long Branch, Old Point,
Coney Island, the Isles Of Shoals, Thou
sand Islands, and all the resorts
from Florida to Maine, is free
to say that the summer here as
: regards comfort is not only far beyond
ali these places, but is almost absolutely
perfect. In these two months the ther-
mometer has stood at about 20 in the
middle of any day. l have seen but one
really uncomfortable day. To the east
ern man, who puts up with the dog days
now coming on, the hot, moist air, this
is paradise indeed. Sixty days
with not a squall, hurricane or
rain storm; eixty days OF perfect
climatic conditions; and yet there
are those who complain; but as heard
a gentleman who has been twice around
the world, say, the man who is not sat.
isfied with the climate at Catalina and
cannot put up with some little incon-
yeniences, would find fault with the fit
of his halo in the next world. The hotel
here was simply an experiment, and will
but notice that many of its patrons and
those who are the best satisfied are the vet
eran travellers who have been everywhere,
and have had everything, and can put up
with few inconveniences for the sake of
the Fl ue climatic conditions found here.
The Metropole is we'll kept and managed I;
sets a better table for the money than
can be found in any eastern hotel, when
it is considered that everything has to
be brought from Los Angeles, forty miles
away. The island has great future,
aud in a few years we shall see every
harbor on the east side with its quota OF
cottages and hotels.
The canon next to Avalon was sold
last week to Mr.. VIM. Lacy, OF Los An
geles, who will put up a dock there,
erect some cottages and make it sum-
mer home for himself and friends. The
caiion next this is being examined by
some gentlemen and will probably be
sold. The price of the Lacy caflon was
$5 600, with quarter of a mile frontage
aud running back two miles or more. L
am not much Of prophet, but l venture
to say that this same canon cannot be
bought from MI. Lacy five years from now
for ten times what he paid for it. Catalina
is the only place in Los Angeles county
where smooth water and fishing can be
had with any degree of comfort. The
bays here are perfect for yachting pur-
poses, and as very large portion OF the
human race are fond of this sort of thing,
these sports are bound to be in demand,
and Los Angeles county will have, in a
few years, Newport and Bar Harbor
ombined-and not one, but many.
What the English syndicate is going
to do for the island, no one definitely
knows, but they will undoubtedly erect
at least two fine hotels here. and large
hotel will go up at Avalon. With judi
cious expenditure of money, the place
could be made very beautiful. Trees
should be planted but all this will come
in time. A large number Of vessels have
been in this week, among them the
yacht White Wings, clipper from
San Die %, and the United States Light
house Department vessel A rumor has
it that lighthouse is to be placed upon
each end of the island and one on Gle
mente. 1t is generally supposed, look
ing out to sea, that this island is envel-
oped in a fog bank, but this summer
there has been literally no fog there to
amount to anything, and | remember
but one night when it concealed the hills
aud ocean.
find the doctors OF Los Angeles are