davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28

thu shore line. and its altitude Of per-
hnps 100 feet in sheer escafpment from
she sea level gives one an excellent view
OF the bay Of San Pedro.
Whoever chose the spot marked it
well and lastingly by erecting four etone
monuments, set deep into the earth and
extending above it couple OF
feet, at the four corners OF
the reservation. Into these stone
monuments was craven q Span
ish inscription intended to convey
to all comsrs that the tract within their
bounds bad been set apart by the Msxi-
can government as a military post.
These four stone monuments still
mark he tract. though the years have
oblite lated their Craven record. The
monu hents are huge oblong pieces OF
limsspne and ars seemingly
imper Iious to decay.
In tle early days the Mexican govern.
ment Fected an adobe house ol the res.
ervatin, and it was in this house that
Richah Henry Dana, the author OF
Two Ybars Before the Mast. found ths
hides hat he and his shipmate, threw,
over TIP bluff and then carried out on
their acks through ths surf to the
small bats Of the good ship Alert.
Only he crumbling ruins OF this his
toric atobe house remain today. but
these ap sufficient to mark we'll the spot
where tie author of the most famous
nautical narrative gained much OF the in
| spirationthat made his book a master
piece "a ID the present inhabitants OF
San Pedp are proud of those ruins and
proud of he eloquent praises bestowed
upon thef coast by the author who frat
landed thre in 1885.
When 10 Pico confirmed the decres
OF his twopredecessors the claimants to-
the propsiy were the following: Juan,
4 - ---v.-s.---,s
Teresa SsElyeds, all children of the
original grntse.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28
The Prsident Of the United
Stats Confirms the
Reservation.

Then thsb was some trouble in ths
Sspuveda fMily, and in 1857 Jose Lo-
retto and JUL Sspulveds appeared be-
fore the SPECIAL land commits sion OF
the United States governments. then
sitting in Ips Angeles, as claim ants OF
the Rancho los Palo, Verdes. This co m.
mission was brought into existencs by
congress to 'ascertain and settle the
private land tlaim, in the state OF Calf.
ifornia." Itconfirmed the title OF Palos
Verdes to JUN and Jose Loretta Sepul-
veda, "the aa d claim being founded on
a Mexican grant to petitioners"
In this decree 800 vsras on each OF
the four cardinal points, $1,000 to the
place of the.bsginning," was again set
aside as military reservation.
The judgment of the com mission was
carried 20 the United States district
,ourt. and the federal court confirmed
he finding of the commission, quoting
his language in its description of the
le metes and bounds OF Palos Verdes
ON the original grant:
they shall leave free on the bay of San Pedro
30 veras of land on each OF the four cardinal
pnts to put up houses by the persons to
w,m permission shall be given, b ut they will
noprevent the use of the waters and pastures
byersons who trade with oxen, cart horses,
etcat the port OF San P edro.
len more troubles and misfortunes
bei,the house OF Sepulvsca- troubles
andlisfortunes that are OF no interest
to tn nsrrative-and at last, in 1881,
as t. climax to the long drawn out
legal battle of lothian Bixby ct al.
I agains H. X. W. Bent ct al, the su-
perior ,urt OF Los Angeles made final
partitica OF the Rancho Los Palos
Verdes.l And in this final partition the
lands Of alos Verdes are very fully and
very csrslly described, and the por-
tion allotd to each one OF the contest.
ants very mpletely defined. but in all
the deacriHon and definition there is
not word ,uching this 500 vara mill
tary reservaon. Claimants were given
lands adjonry it aod all around it. but
no man was gen title of any kind to
the govsrnnen, reservation.
The Ransho os PAlos Verdes, then,
was parti!ionsd ~ the superior court in
1881, and The military reservation was
still the popertyq qf the government.
On ths official nap Of Los Angeles
county ,Arawn By Surveyor v. J. Rowan
and pplished ID 1888, the military res
ervayn is distinctly and prominently
shofh.
vt the tale ia sot ended.
lew, to whom does thl 4O- acre milf
~ reservation belong?
squatter Huntington CLAIMS it-aud to
prove his title elbows dsedto at least .
part OF it from himself to himself. He
'ss fenced it in and Leased il out. He
las - but to whom does it belong?
II you put this question to the u nited
'sates land Office in this city, the clerk
charge will look carefully over bis
scords and tell you that it bslonRs to
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28

This is the tale OF Squatter Hunting
ton. 1t is true tale. and like all mar
rations of simple fact, is stranger than
many flctions and more romantic in
parts than some romances.
The tale OF Squatter Huntington be-
gins properly with the treaty OF Gauda.
lupe Hidalgo, and ends-but the end ID
not yet.
1t relates the true story of very rlsn
and powerful old gentleman who dsednd
to himself 22-scre strip in 4O.acre
military reservation that the United
States government had formally SGT
apart for coast deienses at San Pedro
harbor.
II tells how this multi millionaire.
bereft by unkindly nature OF all right
and title to this federal military roser-
vation--so needful to his selfish plans
and ends, go essential to his gaining the
beet of the water front property on the
shore line OF the proposed outer harbor
OF San Pedro-did employ most PEI
culiar methods to secure false title to
the right OF way for his railroad tracks
over this military reservation.
1t gives the history OF blind incor-
poration. known as the San Pedro Har.
Dor and Docks asaociation-''haying it's
chief place OF business in San Fran
CISCO" and having no existence in reals
ity. and being dispossessed OF all pos
c,h 80 ~ 4. tstta IN, ~
that decided over to it's master and
creator "for end in consideration OF the
sum Of ST." certain portion of that
which il never owned.
And then the story tells how this en-
inently respectable old gentleman ran
his railroad tracks over the acres of GOV.
ernment land that he had decided to
himself And how. finally. in his yeara
of selfshness and greed and his poverty
of bonaabx s-.-..s---s--1 = '-g = S's - - r -.
= = = =. 10. .uservntion, squatted
thereon, fenced it in from the outer
world and claimed it all as his own.
And it tells, too-and it lie the very
truth-how this very wealthy and very
powerful old gentleman increased the
surplus OF his many millions by leasing
out this military reservation that be did
not own to honest men of small means
and moderate ambitions, who titled the
soil and planted and reaped upon it,
and then paid to the unlawful ownerth
sum Of one-third Of all the harvest.
Aud it does not tell-this tale OF
Squatter Huntington-that this wealthy
and prominent old gentleman ewr
covered into the public treasury evena
penny OF the $400 he has distraind
from the fruits of another's toll upoa
land which he himself is public trans
gressor-a squatter upon land that ma:
not be squatted upon lawfully and Will
the consent of its rightful owners, theII
whole people.
And the name OF this unlawful squat
ter, this greedy old gentleman who has
fenced in a military reservation, is
Collls P. Huntington. And the name
of the railroad whose tracks he laid
across the government reservation is
the Southern Pacific company Of Ken
tucky.
1t is a strange, strange tale, but it is
true.
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28
The Old Stone Monuments on
the Rancho Los PalOs
Verdes.

Once upon time, in the good old days
OF Mexican rule in California, q valus-
BILE land grant was made. 1t was not an
unusual thing in those days, but the
fact makes good starting point for this
tale OF Squatter Huntington.
Itwss in the year of 1927. The grant.
or was Echandia. then governor OF the
CALIFORNIA;. The beneiciaries were
Dolores Sepulveds and heirs. 1t
was provisional grant and in some
ways a restrictive grant. What the
provisions were is unessential to this
tale. The restriction was that certain
4O-acre tract contained in the grant
should be reserved by the Mexican gov
ernment for q military post.
The land granted to Dolores Sepulv e.
da wes then and ia now known as
Rancho Los Palos Vsrdes. 1t lies on
the shore OF San Pedro bay, between
Point Firmin and the present town OF
San Pedro, and it covers an area OF 81, ,629.
43-100 acres.
In 1S45 the grant was confirmed by
Fgueroa, then governor OF California
and acting as judge arbitsr. In his con-
firmation the 4O-scrs military reserva-
tion was again set aside to the uses of
his government.
Then Pho Pico, In 1876. confirmed the
grant to the children of Dolores Sapu5
veda and again made the restriction
to the 40~acre military reservation m
1t is with this military ress1yton
that the tale Of squatter Hselactsd
has mainly TO deal. Whossry rye exsr-
the site for govsrnmsnta q command
cised good Judgment. IA ooundsrv IL
ing location. Its
The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-28

THE TALE OF SQUATTER HUNTINGTON.

Being the Narrative of How Very Wealthy and
Powerful Old Gentleman Decided to Himself the
Choicest Portion of the Federal Military Reser
walton Oh San Pedro Bay and Afterward
Seized the Whole Tract Fenced 1t, and Leased
1t Out to a Poor Man for $Ioo Year
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
CRUEI, ECONOMY.

Some years ago, through the influence of number of the good women of Bir- mingham, the city authorities were in- dueed to place stone watering troughs or pools at several convenient places in the business part of Birmingham for the use of the hundreds of horses and mules which do daily service in our streets. The appropriation for this purpose met the approval of every kind and generous citizen of Birmingham. and the good women who brought about this great re lief for the poor dumb brutes received the thanks of the whole enlightened community.
 The Age-Herald is now informed that under the pressure of the demand for re- trenchment the present authorities have made the first draw-in at the expense of the poor heavlly-laden horses and mules by cutting off the water from these pools. This is beginning retrenchment al the wrong end of the line, and reforming" in a direction opposite that true reforma- tion which leads to a final happy reward. It is simply small business. not to say cruel economy, and deserves the censure of this community if allowed to remain in force. The roll call of the Mayor and Aldermen ought to be made again on this matter and the official who first conceived the thought of depriVing the helpless dumb brutes of water should ask for reconsideration pending a re- sponse to the prayers of the people for his reformation
 Tn behalf of our dumb. but useful. friend. the horse, and in full accord with the wish of our entire taX-paying public the Age-Herald appeals to the city coun cil to again turn on the water at the drinking pools A long, hot summer is before us; there is work in Birmingham for the horses to do and Mercy pleads before those in authority to turn on the water at the drinking pools And let Economy sway his scepter in some otheh diract ion
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
THE QUESTION IN A NUTSHELL,

In his Bowling Green speech Secretary Carlisle presented the silver issue in the following five terse sentences, which cover the whole dispute, and cannot be answered:
 1. There is not a free coinage country in the world today that is not on a silver basis.
 2. There is not gold standard country in the world today that does not use sil- yer money along with gold.
 g. There is not a silver standard coun- try in the world today that uses any gold along with silver.
 f. There is not a silver standard coun- try in the world today that has more than one-third of the circulation per capita that the United States has,
 5. There is not silver standard coun- try in the world today where the la boring man receives fair pay for his days work.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
A Pleasant Announcement.

The Mobile Daily News prints the fol- lowing, which will prove of interest to some of Bifmingham's Jewish society people! Mr. and Mrs Henry Piser have annohnced the coming marriage of their Maurice O. Forchheimer. The announce, ment was made ppblic at a social gathA ering at MT. Pisef's residence last even- ing, Miss Piser Is the eldest daughter a young lady much admired for her beauty and amiable ways, and belle in Hebrew society. MT Forchheinier is the this city. and very popular with all who know him. Maurice has the congratus latiofis of his many friends in securing so ideal a companion for life.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
EUFAUIA.
Her Commercial Prosperity Improve
 mentsto the City.

Eufaula, May 2S-(Special Correspond
 ence,)-Eufaula's commercial prosperity is largely due to the business men who have control of it's percantie interests, and they have always shown a peculiar
 degree of energy and ability in the up-
 building of the city. Despite the finan-
 cial stringency and the universal cry of hard times everywhere, Eufaula contin- ueS to grow, and the number of buildings
 now in process of erection and to go up during the summer is even greater than in many previous years when money was
 easy and there was no complaint to
 make. There are now being built here
 at least $15,000 in residences. hand
 some three-story brick store house on
 Broad street is to soon take the place of
 an old single-story one, and one or two
 new and handsome glass fronts will be
 built to adorn others in a very short time
 MT. Jessie Timmons died here Satur- day night and was buried here Sunday evening. Deceased leaves a wife and
 several grown daughters, one of whom is married and resides in Union Springs,
 from where he moved to this city about
 a year ago.
 Owing to the increase in the member ship of the Washington Street Methodist
 church and the rapid growth that the
 Sunday school is making an addition will
 be made to the building commencing
 this week. This church is in a most ac-
 tive, flourishing condition and stands a
 monument to the industry of the Ep- worth league and Rev. w. P. Dickinson,
 now of Montgomery, but formerly pastor of the First Methodist church in this city
 Ransom, a little 9-year-old son of MT. Allen Davis of this city, accidentally stuck piece of wire about inches long | in his foot on May and only succeeded | in having 1t taken out on last Saturday. l He had no idea as to what it was until l he began to grow sick, and an investiga- | tion disclosed the above result. | Rev w. N. Reeves of this city filled | the pulpit of the Baptist church at | Georgetown, Ga., Sunday and was greet ed with a large and intelligent congre- | gation.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29

clining years Since his arrival here he has spent the greater part of his time with his graDa-daughter, Mrs. Roger Jones.
 ' The bereaved relatives have the sym pathy of the entire community. ! The remains were brought to the city this afternoon at ! o'clock and tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock will be layed to rest in Live Oak cemetery. The funeral will take place from Dr. Cawthons resi- dence, corner of Dallas and Mabry streets.
 A telegram reached the city this morn ing from President Lamar of the Inter- national Cotton Seed oil company stat ing that he had contracted with the Smith Vaile Oil Mill Machinery com pany of Dayton, O., for the construction of the machinery of the new oil mill. It is now an assured fact that the mill will be ready to crush this years crop.
 Dr. George B. Eager, pastor of tke First Baptist church in Montgomery, is in the city en route to Meridian. where he will deliver the literary address, part of the commencement exercises of the Meridian Female college.
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
GOLD IN ALABAMA.

Considerable interest is felt over the future gold mining in this State. Prof. Henry McCalla is now Investigating the gold discovery in North Alabama, ;s l the gold mines in the eastern part of theI State are in demand. Every indication points to large deposits of gold in the hill country of Alabama. George F. Becker, writing in the Cosmopolitan, says:
 Tt used to be supposed that gold was confined to rocks of certain ages, almost in which almost all the gold was de- posted. The researches of the past fifty years have shown that there is really no such rule, and that the deposit ton of this metal is dependent on a com bination of chemical and physical con ditions which have come about in diff ferent eras at different times. This con area at different epochs with varying in- tensity. Gold deposits are scattered along the Appalachians from Canada to Alabama, and most of this gold seems to have been precipitated With quartz in veins at an extremely early period. But there is little question that a small part of these deposits were formed much later, during or even after the coab period. The quantity of gold near the ex- terior of the earth has increased from age to age, so that there was never as much as now within reachable distance from the surface"
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
OPEN LETTERS.
In the Nature of a Correction.

TO the Age-Herald:
 I wish to call attention to the mis- leading statements of City Engineer Kendrick, inadvertently given to News reporter and published in Mon- days News By his statement over $40- 900 more money has been expended on the SouthSide for public improvements than on the Northside. The real facts in the case are: The Town of High lands" spent the great majority of the money accredited by Engineer Kendricl1 to the Southside before it was ever a part or parcel of the city of Birming- ham, or had ever paid a cent into Bir- minghams treasury. The Southside did not vote the Town of Highlands" with it's encumberances into the city of Bir- mingham, any more than did the North side, and are no more responsible for consequences that followed it was done by the accredited authorities of the whole city of Birmingham, and all are alike responsible for whatever the act carried with 1t. A former city government spent very unwisely on the Southside consid- erable money on sewers, which soon routed out, as of course was expected No one has ever attempted to explain why this foolish expenditure of the peo- pleS money was indulged init is sus- pected that it was a cheap expedient to appease the demands of the Southside for a season. These, it is to be presumed are chiefly the S150,000 worth of sewers referred to by City Engineer Kendrick, which are crumbling into ruin. The city engineer need give himself very little trouble about these sewers now they have done about all the crumbling that they can; they are only ugly, open ditcheS, as they were before they were planked, and if let alone will more than likely remain so for many days to come.
 Now l ask City Engineer Kendrick, since he has entered into the fight, to tote fairi' not to resort to divers meth- ods to give a shadow of justice to a scheme so manifestly unjust. Give cor rect statement of money spent for pub lie improvements on the Southside as it existed before the Town of Highlands was admitted, and the amount will be so insignificant that yoH will not ask why our greatness has perished from us, or why we sleep amidst ruins, or why our palaces and cottages are alike de- serted, or why the serpent coils in the grass of our streets, or the lizard basks in our solitary halls. Signs of neglect are profusly displayed on every hand. We
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
ALABAMA.
ANNISTON.
Bishop O'Sullivan Lectures to Good Au-
 dienco- Personal and General.

Anniston, May 27-(Special Core spondence )--Bishop O'Sullivan of Mo bile delivered a lecture at the opera house yesterday afternoon on What Catholics Do Not Believe" to a good au- dience, considering ths- bad weather. It was very interesting and instructive. The bishop went up to Jacksonville this afternoon where he lectures tonight, but will return to Anniston tomorrow and lecture in the opera house again tomor- TOW night on The Church and the Bi- ble."
 Louis Williams and Renfroe Crawford, both colored, were caught last night in the act of stealing tools from the Ala bama Mineral round house and arrested. They will have trial in police court Thursday.
 MT. and Mrs. J. c. Sproull rendered a select party of their young friends q card party Saturday evening and it was a very delightful affair
 The different Sunday schools of OK anna will picnic at Oxford lake tomor- TOW.
 The examinations of the Boys High school begin tomorrow.
 Lucien Keith of this city has been made a notary public by the governor
 The Samuel Noble Literary society of the Noble High school will celebrate it's first anniversary Wednesday with very appropriate exercises. There will be an addres by the president, MT. F. c. Chevey; an essay by Mir. A. s. Ullman, and declamations by Messrs Thomas Matthews, John Chevey, W. B. Edmond son, Neil Sterne, F. c. CheVey and N. Lapsley.
 The Sunday School association of this city had a very profitable meeting at St. Pauls Methodist Episcopal church yesterday afternoon Several important subjects were very Interestingly and beneGcially discussed.
 Cart ". H. McKleroy is at home again after a two weeks stay at St. Simon's
 Miss Hulit Trapp has returned from q visit to Miss Blanca Randall at Gads- den.
 Miss Hall of Birmingham is a guest of the Southern Female university and will remain for commencement.
 H. G. Lamar has returned from a visit to his plantations in southwest Georgia
 Sim Hawley Is in Birmingham.
 M. S Pogue is over from Gadsden to spend a few days with Anniston friends
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29

The Iron Age complies an interesting capacity. In the Lehigh Valley the average rose from 225 tons per week per furnace in 1878 to 919 tons per week in 1885 and 661 tons per week in 1895. A considerable share of this increase is due to the general introduction of coke into the burden of the anthracite furnaces. but a good deal of credit remains for improved practice and more efficient plant. The productive capacity of the active coke furnaces in 1895 is about five times as great as it was in 1878. The Iron Age adds!
 'In the case of districts which are of recent creation, it is not safe to refer to the earlier figures. We cite Alabama as an instance. It will not do to claim that progress there was more rapid than else- where, because two very small stacks were running in 1878. Considering the character of the ores and the fuel in the Birmingham district, the makers of that section may be very proud of the achievement which the figures of 1SS5 and 1895 reveal. When the majority of the plants in Alabama were built they were proudly alluded to as 1OO-ton stacks. Since then number of them have doubled their daily product, simply because they are better managed in eyey way,
Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-29
GADSDEN.
The Elliott Car Works on Boom-Car
 Wheels for Mexico the Latest.

Wheels for Mexico the Latest.
 Gadsden, May 27-(Special Corre- spondence.)-In my last letter I spoke of the Elliott Car company having to increase their force to get out an order for 300 cars. Today I chronicle the fact that the company has added new laurels to their already full wreath. On Satur- day the company received an order from the Southern railroad for POO gondolas making the total to date for that com pany of 700 cars. This is not all. The company has contracted with the MeXi- can Central for 3600 car wheels to be shipped as soon as possible to Tampico, Mex. It is claimed that this is the first order of the kind ever received from Mexico by an American firm.
 President Elliott is a pushing, ener- getic business man and has number of able assistants and Is making a great reputation for his company.
 The second story of the cotton mill is nearly completed and the work is being pushed rapidly to completion with a view to handling this seasons crop of the feecy staple. The artesian we'll has already reached a depth of 200 feet and is being sunk deeper to get a full supply of water
 Rev. J. B. Gregory formerly of Bir- mingham, but now pastor of the First Methodist church here, will preach the commencement sermon before the Ash land college Sunday
 Miss Alberta Fulghum, a charming and accomplished Birmingham young lady, is visiting Miss Sue Moragne of this city.