Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-04-14
For the Ellsworth American
Avalon, Catalina Island, California.

EN-NANrAskET.
For the Ellsworth American
Avalon, Catalina Island, California.
| The Island.
LETTER 40. )
| Ibis time my subject is the island. In
the letters that have preceded thi, there
| have been but hints Of this island. this
emerald in a setting Of silver at this sea.
1 topaz in setting OF silver. This island
! is about the size Of Graud Menan There
are high perpendicular cliffs Ike the great
ledge butirc,scs OF that island on the
western side Of this, our subject, and high
hills in the interior. For instance. for
Mars Hill on Grand Meuan, We have the
Black Jack on Catalina The northern
head and the southern eud Of Catalina
resemble Grand Menan very much Both
have bold tall bulwarks Of solid rock
against which have beaten the storms of
centuries, and on whose mighty crags the
bald headed eagle builds 1t, nest and rear.
It's young; and great rocks along the coast
literally white with culls a. are the rocks
at Grand Menan.
CA the back or western side OF the is
land the mountains meet the sea as If they
had lntrudcd on the premises Of the Pacific
and been hcwn back ID their boundary
line by that great scientific h.wer, Time.
with his axe, earth> forces. They are ram
parts that no human being can scale
Notwithstanding this Gibraltar rock,
the finest harbor Is on the western side
The eastern side abouuls In very small
harbors or landing places In fact the
whole eastern side Of the island +,
shelter to vessels from the storms Of the
ocean. When northea< storms sweep
over the mainland and San Pedro bay.
then vessels quit the eastern shores OF
the island and hide themselves, a In
pavilion, under the cliffs on the west side
Here 'hey ind pcrfeg, ,'m, ) hil- h,gh
up where the eagle scars and screams a
tornado may be sweeping past. The whole
island is made of hills thrown together,
and as there are hills, there must be, and
are, raylncs and valleys but there /. but
little tliable land on the island but what
there is is very fertile Avalon has about
500 acres of such land. Whites landing
not So much, and then come in their order
tillaDle and fertile patches OF ground in
the little coves along the eastern shore OF
the island
center of the island. there is what is
known as the Middle ranch | do not
think this ranch was ever titled. Itwas
at one time stock ranch or rather ii
was the COW yard for cattle aud the fold
for sheep. Here water is plentiful and the
herds come in from the hills toward night
10 drink and to lie down tor rest chewing
their cuis. Here is the old hut then used
by herders, but there is only fragment
of the drOves OF cattle and that wild, as
the business Of raising cattle has long
since been abandoned No one occupie.
the hut now still the sheep raising bust
ness Is carried on quite extensively here :;
but for some reason, the owner has his
headquarters on the coast. Twice a wear
he sends his shepherd, out and gathers
into rude folds the sheep for the shearers,
and at other times, for cargoes of them
for shipment to mainland for the butchers
knife.
Mr. Frank Whitley, the present owner
OF the sheep, was, | think. born on the
island, and has lived here some forty
years. He doesn't pretend to know any
thing else but sheep raising. He was born
with the bleating lambs all around him
and he has carried on till now the busi-
ness he inherited from his father.
There is a small shallow lake on the is
land. | have never heard whether this
lake was ever navigated with any kind Of
craft, by man, or whether it abounds with
fish. 1t seems to be kind of mystery.
There appears to be no outlet or inlet.
Many have looked upon it, but none know
much about it. 1t is small and hid away
among the hills, and while not inaccessi-
BILE, approach to it is not easy. 1t does
not seem to interest the traveller in its
behalf.
There is no way of getting over the is
land except on foot, or on the backs of
horses and burros by the trails made by
sheep and goats. 1t seems hardly probs-
BILE that wagon roads will ever be built
along these mountain ridges but in these
days the most improbable and seemingly
impossible things are happening between
suns, until we are dazed and no longer
! dare utter the word "impossible." train
| of cars climbs a mountain with as much
| ease as q burro. Power does the work in
both, knowledge is power; and know
| ledge stimulates enterprise and enterprise
incites action; hence quiescent genius is
aroused and the unseen enginery of this
| little world of ours takes on new burdens
and added strength with the passing
years. 7. G. WOOSTER.
| March 10, 1892.