Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-27

Going over TINS W Woek-Aeno he8isher
81 seamans Reported to Have Reassured
) the ssttlers--vegetation ON tho ISL
and-Gallagher Has Been Letting Her
Go TAers for Many Years.
There are a lot of supposably lucky
people who have discovered about 1900
acres Of fine land, and are taking their
pick of it.
Fifteen claims have been filed in the
county recorders Office to land on San
Clemente island within the past four
weeks. A HERALD reporter last evening
saw one of the island boomers, and was
told that the soil is mainly rich sandy
loan, similar to that in the famous San
Gabriel valley.
The island is twenty-nine miles long
BY from three to five miles wide. 1t is
not broken and rocky like Catalina, but
is made up of rolling plateaus Of, as
stated, what appears to be the very best
quality of soil.
"Land Register Seamans told me-"
said settler whom the HERALD man
saw last evening, "that we are all right,
and that we have good thing. He is
going over to the island on Friday.
ITO show that the soil is good, I will
ten you that found luxuriant growths
Of wild cherry and wild plum trees, and
mountain mahogany, and rank plants Of
malvia. The wild cherries were longer
than most Of the domestic ones now in
the market here"
How about water?"
Plenty Of it. ii We have one well well
eight feet deep in which there is three
feet and six inches of good water. We
have = we'll contractor over there now,
who is to put d,wn number. Why,
there used to be spring and little
lake ON the island. When those fellows
who have got sheep there took
possession they stopped up the
spring and drained the lake,
80 " as TO keep people from inter-
ferina with them. The spring was on
she middle ranch, as 1t is called, and we
will clear it out.
"Hsve not these sheep men any
title ~
Not particle. No one has. All
people can do is to file possessory claims
il the county recorders Office, and when
the government survey is made those
who have complied with the require
ments Of the homestead law will get the
land they have fled on" r.
How much land is there?"
'''There are about $4,000 acres alto
gether, Of which at least three-fourths
are good land?' y
'sWho have claims there now?"
There are fifteen altogether. can't
remember all the names; among them
are G. w. Sanford and Mr.. Bruins, of
verdugo; Carl Stromsen, Andrew Olsen,
Fred Entwoldsen, of San Pedro; W. S.
Deacon, W. W. Freeman, and D. w.
Freeman, of Los Angeles.
Several hundred men have arranged
to 70 to the island this week, and petit
tion is already being circulated asking
for the establishment Of a postofice.
1t is not probable that Oscar Macy
and his associates in the sheep business
on the island, will give up their bonanza
without q struggle, though if as claimed
they have no lease, it is hard to see how
they can fight. M
The only inhabitant Of the island has
been an old sailor named Gallagher, who
has turned his luck to the world and
let her CO., and for many years has
taken care of his sheep. He swears by
the place. saying it has the finest climate
IN the world, and thst living there hat
Added decades to his life. He has lived
there as long as any one can remember,
and he does not know how old he il
now, and presumably expects to remain
there for an indefinite period.
The marty which returned yesterday
come for more supplies, and will return
on Friday. They are sanguine as to
their prospects, and have caused wide
spread fever among those adventuroualy
inclined TO go to San Clemente and get
quarter section. e
In these affairs the wise man look
well before he leaps.
A CHANGE OF DIET.