The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-10
IN BAJA CALIFORNIA
A Rancho Containing Over Four
Million Acres.
THE MILLIONS IN A PARASITE.
How Big Firm Became Rich in Singular
Manner-Magdalena Bay-A Once
Famous Resort for Whalemen.

CoiAss
Especial Correspondence of THE HERALD
Il think 1t was some where about tn
year 1871 or 1872, that what was known a
the California Colonization company-o
which General B. F. Butler was one of thu
leading spirits, in conjunction with severa
other prominent men of the east-tool
formal possession of IT'S leagues of thi!
peninsula Immediately adjoining Magda
lena bay. For this princely territory they
paid to the Mexican government S175, 900 il
solid cash, in consideration of which sun
the government aforesaid solemnly agreed
to hold as theirs forever a certain part Of
the land, whether or not they fulfilled al
the conditions of the grant, and also tc
protect the colonists who might settle
thereon.
a good many families came, with then
goods and chattels, and for time all went
well with the California company" But
when the French Intervention distracted
poor Mexico, the government had moro
than it could do to protect its own, and Mr..
Buffers colonists were compelled to flee
Tor their lives, a number CT them being
killed.
For number of years thereafter, moth
ing was heard from this company, and no
farther attempts were made at COLOMBIA
ton. 1t seems, however, that the spirit of
the scheme is not dead, nor sleepeth-only
bldlng its time. There appears now to be
several claimants to portion of this same
territory, whose boundaries were never
very clearly marked. The International
company, of the northern half of the
peninsula, include some of it within their
jurisdiction, and have recently been
warned by Butler ct al. not to SELL settle
or otherwise tamper with foot of it at
their peril; Mexican family assert with
vehement pOsitiveness that they own the
whole thing, and show deeds and titles to
prove 1t; while the great orchilla export
ers, Messrs. Flores, Hale & Co.. are in
actual possession and mean to keep it. As
possession is mine points" in law, and as
the latter claimants have abundant means
with which to support their pretensions
and the ear of the government. through
the Mexican half of the firm, it is safe to
conclude that they VIII hold the fort for
some time to come.
RES, HALE & COMPANY
own Tor claim to OWN, exactly 1000, 900
acres, extending 400 miles along the Pacific
coast of this peninsula, from the twenty
eighth parallel away down to Cape St.
Lucas, with an average breadth of eighteen
miles. The quid nunc5 say that Mr. Flores
10 d Llly I1lCdI Creature, ike UQ6 MIS-. Harris
TO whom Sairy Camp so often alluded to
add weight to her opinions: but he is popu-
larly supposed to spend his time at the
Mexican capitol, looking after the COM
pany's interests with the government. Mr.
j. b. Hale is an Irishman. now million
alre twenty times Over-a mild-eyed, thick
set and very gallant gentleman, Just turned
to the shady side of middle age, and of so
retiring disposition that newspaper items
have To ne fairly WT,11OCr Of him H.
main force. He has an elegant home and
pleasant family in San Francisco, and has
been IN business on this peninsula for more
than a quarter of a century-first in silver
mining at San Antonio, and for the last
fifteen years busily engaged in gathering
orchllla, and his millions, in the vicinity of
Magdalena bay.
The famous dye stuff pronounced
or-chee-ya), was first discovered on this
peninsula by sailor from Nantucket. r.
l., and is found nowhere else in North
America 1t is a parasitic kind of air
plant, second cousin to the orchid family
which here attaches itself to shrubs and
trees up to height of twelve feet, in such
surprising profusion that the more it is
gathered the more seems to grow in its |
place. Doubtless it belongs to the genus of |
llchens known to commerce as the ''archil |
plaut," white Swedish moss ''dyers |
weed, "cud bear lichen." etc, etc, which |
are collected from rocks near the sea in |
various parts of the world That found in !
the Levant, and on the Canary and Cape |
Verd islands-whOse botanical name is
ROceelld fnitOriG or fucifcrmis-is supposed
to be the very best for dyeing purposes;
while somewhat inferior variety (Leca-
nora tartGrGd), is found in Sweden and the
south coast of England, and grows so album
dainty along the Mediterranean and the
coasts OF Africa and Madagascar as to
form thick turf on the rocks near the sea.
The Castilian name for it is orciglia: the
French, orseille. When first picked it pre-
Sents a soft, grayish-brOwn, messy appear
ance. 1t is of a substance almost cartilag-
nous, branching out like tiny sponges.
covered with little black warts that are fat
and powdery. The branches are commonly
ess than two inches long, and the size of
IN ordinary pin: but these of Lower Cali
Ornia, as also some found on the west
cast of South America, near Lima, some
lines grow six or eight inches long, and
IS large as a goose quill. {
Orchilla is said to be {