The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-24


to annex a portion Of Southern California
created some surprise in this city.
The dispatch was specific in its details,
and contained the following:
1t is claimed hat the REIMBURSEMENT of the
California archi pelago off the coast of Southern
California has never peen made either by Spain
or Mexico 10 the United States. and that the
islands composing it are very properly Mexican
soil.
particular are those Of Santa Catalina, Santa
Rosa and Santa Cruz. A committee has been
appointed at the instigation of the Geographic
o. cal ana statistical ASSOCIATION of Mexico 10
push the claims of the republic to the posses
sion of these Islands. The members of the COM
mtt;ee are Senores Angel NJ. DomiDguez, Trim
ldad Sanchez Santos and Isaduro EpSln.
The claim is made thar on the transfer of
California to the United States these Islands
were not included.
The settlers hold their possessions by ruIe of
.SQuatterS' rights and have come from The ad-
1acent coast They pay no tribute to either the
united states OF Mexico. so far as is known
mere. ana have other advantages and disadVan-
tageS OF residence in no mans land"
Mexico Will now step IN and ask If there be
any reason why the fiag of the south should not
noat over the Islands aud their inhabitants be
under the rule of and pay tribute 10 this repub-
lie. The committee Is already al work making
its PREPARATIONS for laying claim 10 the archi-
relasO tor the purpose OF auneXlng the islands
10 Mexico.
The three islands particularly referred to
are Santa Rosa, Santa Catalina and Santa
Cruz and little inquiry as to the titles
under which they are held completely dis
posed of any claim which might be set up
by Mexico or any other power.
JustiniaR Cairo. the well.known hard
ware merchant. said. The three islands
are held by private persons under a
United States patent. Santa Rosa belongs
to the a. 7. More estate, Santa Catalina
to General Banning and others of San
Pedro, while | own Santa Cruz myself
They are the only islands in the group held
under a patent. the others-the Clemente,
Anacopa, San Miguel and San Nicolas
being also owned by the United States
but occupied under SQuatters' title. They
are not of much value, but the three held
under a patent return a fair interest on
capital invested in the grazing business.
Catalina has become something OF sum-
mer resort
Edouard j. lie Breton, President OF the
French Savings and Loan Society, stated
that he formerly owned one-tenth of the
island of Santa Cruz. The United States
title 10 ii was perfect, and the dispatch was Ell
rone0uS 10 saying that the holders were not
tributary TO any republic. a matter of fact
land there was assessed on the same basis as
Santa Barbara County, and taxes had always
been collected there.
surveyor General Pratt manifested much in
IeleSI In The question, Dut declared lrdJ no
claim TO The islands on The part Of Mexico
could be sustained
They were ceded to the United States By
Mexico under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
which was raiIhed on February >, 1S4S. Uu-
der that treaty line was run due west from the
Junction OF the ella and Colorado rivers to a
point Oh the coast one league south OF San
Diego, aud everything north of that line was
ceded TO the United States.
The islands were occupied by MeXicahS
who held under Mexican grants, aud under tne
treaty We had TO respect their title. confirm II,
and where necessary continue il. The Mexican
grantees would, as occasion required, come into
our courts, Prove their title, anu under Tie
treaty receive United States patents.
The earliest records OF United States patents
issued 10 holders OF those islands are as fol
lows: Santa cruz, ADdreaS CastllleTas, March
81. 1867 Santa Rosa, NJ. de Jones October 8.
. 1871; Santa Catalina, Jose ~. Cavarrabias,
ADril 10, 1867. You understand, Mexico al
the Time of The treaty had already parted with
her right TO the island 10 individuals. whose
rights we respected and have continued under
the constitution OF the United States"
Tie Islands have been surveyed by the
United States time and time again, and all de-
tails as 10 coast lines. currents, anch0rages
and shoals nave been carefully noted I'D the
charts and accompanying descriptions issued
by the Government 1his was adduced by
Frank EdmOnGS of the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey yesterday as strong presump-
tive evidence that the Government lille was
clear
Altogether, the claim of Mexico when inves.
tigated has no ground TO stand uDon 1t was
suggested that possibly the Los CuronadOs
Islands were referred to. They lie seven
miles of The coast and nearly eight miles south
of the boundary between Mexico ana The
United States. The monument marking the
western initial point of this boundary is on
Point Arena, ten miles northeast by north
from the Coronados and eleven miles southeast
from The Point Iona light.
Tie following Interesting particulars of the
Islands Claimed by Mexico were gwen 10 a
CALL reporter by gentleman we'll acquainted
with The group:
Santa Cruz is thirty miles long and approx
N Ia mil Nurfda
mountain chains running the length of The
island, and breaking through on the north side
AT PRISONERS HaTbor, little stream that flows
uQ"n Tor ABOUT twenty miles from the western
part oil The Island. This stream forms an in
terror valley, perhaps eight miles long and TWO
wide near It's source, which is fertile as Is the
low land lying along The stream clear down TO
The ocean. OF this land there is perhaps some
where between 10000 and 10000 acres. but
II has never been cultivated, being used as a
pasture 1Dete is, however, thriving little
orchard at Prisoners harbOT. Toward the
lower end OF the island, western end the
Two mountain chains unite, and upOn either
side there Is Il high plateau Droade>t on the
lee side, also fertile, and containing 1000
acres. his also Is Il pasture. Between the
higher ranges are rolling hills, covered with
alhleria and bunch grass. There are lve-o4Ks
in he valleys and on The lower hills and an Oc-
casional spruce on the north slopes OF The
higher ranges. The island supports constantly
several hundred thousand sheep and few
cattle and goafs, the latter usually very wild
There are wild turkeys Uu il also.
santa Rosa is a plateau crowned with roll
ing hills, fertile for the most part, and with
live oaks all over it. On the ocean side il Is
high and rocky slODing toward the east ana
north. 1t is as large as santa Cruz, and a bet
ter island, having more level land and fewer
high rocks. lt Is precisely as fertile. all but
The very highest hills, land of tie same
character on The maitland, and Is well watered,
as in Santa Cruz. It's also pasture. and the
income derived from it by tie More FANNY has
been variously estimated at from $4,000 to
$4,000 year.
santa Catalina IS brushy, mountainous
island, very rocky and with little If any arabic
LAND. IL is believed to contain vast silver de-
posts. these having been prOspected, and is a
summer resort for all Southern California, hav-
irg large hotel. and being visited by thou
sands of people annually The island was puf-
chased by the late James Lick from The grantee
aud was by Lick subsequently willed 10 the
California Society OF Pioneers, The claim being
compromised afterward for cash by the Pho
neers. Il was sold by The estate 10 Phineas / .
Banning, and by his estate sold 10 an English
syndicate for $500, 600. two. fiths of the price
In cash. The Bannings took tie island back on
a foreclosure OF mortgage.
san Miguel Is sheep pasture. being very
sandy for the most part, but with several hun
dred acres OF good land on the eastern end.
"San Nicolas, Santa Barbara and Anacapa
are mere rocks the first being the largest.
"San Clemente is a high rolling plateau COW
far