The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-12
ON A CORAL REEF.
H. Shaw and the Oceanic
Phosphate Company.
Shaw SAYS He Hunted Guano, but
the Company Says 1t Was
Ducks and Whisky.

A Jury in Judge Slack's court is engaged
in trying the suit of Ii. 4. Shaw We. the
Oceanic Phosphate Company.
Professor Shaw's complaint was that he
was employed by the defendant company
in the capacity of an expert on guano, and
that he did six mon ths' service for them
at the rate of $500 month in a voyage to
Clipperton Island. All he ever received
was $3.50, and he brought suit to recover
the balance alleged to be due-S970.
To this claim the defendants set up an
swer, alleging that they took Shaw into
their employ on his representations that
he was learned in the study of guano. and
that there was untold wealth of that use
full article to be found on the rocks of
Clipperton Island. which belonged to the
defeDdan. company, and that this guano
could be eXtr acted and put on board a ship
at cost of 70 cents per ton. Untold mil
lions were promised by these representa-
tions, which the defendants claim were
false,
Defendants say that they were induced
to charter and equip vessel OF 800 tons
capacity, at cost of $4,000, and dispatched
the professor to the island to manage the
business. His salary was 10 be $500 a
April 10, 1898, and stayed there twenty
days, during which time the defendants
say that Shaw devoted his energies to the
acquiring and retaining OF condition OF
intoxication, and so neglected his business
In consequence, the vessel arrived back
with twentv-one tons of guano Oh board
instead of 800 as promised. GuanO being
worth SIS ton in San Francisco, the de-
PENDANTS claimed that by reason of Shaw's
neglect of his duties they received only
$500. instead CT $500. as they otherwise
would have done. A crOss-c0mplaint was
lodged, therefore, asking $1,000 comDensa-
ton from Professor Shaw.
In evidence it came out that the land in
question is a coral reef, extremely danger
Gus to approach except at high tide. In
calm weather only can a landing be eff
fected, and for the transportation of any
product of the island 1t would be neceS-
sary to employ lighters or other small
craft. The island is QuadraDgular in
shape, nine miles wide, and has a large
varies from five to thlrty-hve feet above
the sea level, SO that decently sized tidal
wave would speedily obliterate any living
thing thereupon.
Professor Shaw was subjected to a
rigid and protracted examination, and
evidence was introduced by the counsel
for the defense in their endeavor to
him a large quantity of alcohol for the
purpose of detaching the guano from the
rocks, but that instead of putting the
alcohol to that legitimate use he preferred
To devote 1t to the composition of tod
dies" with which he kept himself primed
during his stay upon the island. 1t was
also asserted that instead of hunting guano
Professor Shaw further occupied his time
by hunting wild ducks for his subsequent
deIectation.
Whatever the truth of these allegations
may be. it is certain that ClippertoD Island
has not a climate suitable to labOrer. 1t
was shown in evidence that the tempera-
ture daily averages from 11S to 100 degrees
Fahrenheit from the hours of till 4.
Clothes were discarded by Professor Shaw
and his merry men during the progress of
their search for the guano that was to
make tn EN- rich.