The herald., 1895-12-13
PATTON TELLS Of T|bURON
The Erudite Editor Goes Into
History for Facts
COLONEL BRADBURY'S PLANS
The Enterprise Will Add Millions to thu
Founders Fortune
Futile Efforts to Take the Island for Conces'
sioalres-What tn. Conquest Com
pany Win Do

Harry w. Patton, editor of the Los An
geles Capital. Is probably the best posted
literary man GU the Colorado desert, Lower
California and the adjacent Mexican sta'e
of Solora, now living. The scene OF great
deal of his descriptive writing is laid i'll
those regions, aud the Tiburon island IL an
open book to him.
Mr.. Patton was seen at the elegant quar-
tiers of the Capi al in the Curlier block
yesterday, by a HERALD reporter and asked
to tell something about Tibu on.
"Well," said Mr.. Patton, II gave very
good descr ption of the island in last Sat
urdays Capital, but may be able to add
some hing TO il. The island is about ~
miles long by Is miles wide and Ia sepa-
rated from the mainland of Sonora by
narrow channel called III Inhernillo. ms
channel Is from one to three miles Woe
and the water 10 five to six fathOms deep.
There are several good anchorage places.
particularly Fresh Wafer bay. at the
northwest end of the island. There are
high and rugged mountains ranging from
1000 to 1900 feet on the island. and OF the
2,7S4,OOO acres of land, one-third is good
farming land, oue-third OF tit for graz 'nx,
and the remainder barren and rocky; ihe
cid Spanish Conquistadores found thas
! when Mexico fell in August, 1871, tine
| treasures of Montezuina we're conveyed 20
the coast and from there to an island. 1t
became matter of great monent
! to them 10 discover the isiano'
In 1888 Cortez started an expedition from
Acapulco under a man named be-
zerra. On the Trip the crew
mutinied and Bezerra was Killed.
sumed command, and he il was who trst
saw this now famous island. He landed
! bestowed upon IL the name of Santa CRUZ
and engaged 10 a battle with the Indians.
whom he found very fierce. They, killed
mahy of his crew, add Ximenez and a few
| When he returned to Mexico he represent'
ed hat the island was full Of riches. as ne
SAW countless golden ornaments ana pearls
among the Indiana.
This report fred Cortes with deter
mination to 20 himself in quest OF the hin
den wealth of Montezuma, and in o36 ne
sailed from Guantepeque with feet OF siS
| vessels. Three of these were lost in d
storm, and the crews of the remaining yes
| cells suffered great hardships and cursed
Cortez and wanted to turn back. THIS he
would not permit, but kept on and finally
landed on Tiburon island. He found grea'
quantities Of deer, which the soldiers ate
of so heartily that many of them died
Cortez was repulsed by the savages will
great loss, and on his return gave the same
report of great quantities of gold oTna
ments on the island.
"Nothing further was done towards the
conquest az this island until l74O, wher
Juan Soto de Mendoza. the alfarez Of Mex
leo, fitted an expedition and sailed iron
La Paz with fifty soldiers and a number o
friendly Indians. They tried to sail III
the Channel ell Infiernillo, when their shit
was overtaken by cordenazo de Sal
| Francisco, a hurricane which prevails II
L. er.>,~ tt,raA ,b ~
October, aud was wrecked, All but thre
of The crew we're drowned or killed an
, eaten by the savage.
s.In 1912 the Ceris, having made severa
raids on the mainland and down int
southwest Sonora, the governor went iron
Hermosillo with 5OO troops ano also seI
four ships from Guaymas. These vessel
were also wrecked and the crews lost. h'
troops marched to the mainland opposite
to the island and here the Ceris gave then
battle. Tue troops suffered great loss from
the poisoned arrows of the Ceris and wer'
, completely routed.
"Dlring the reign Of Maximilian he gave
concession OF this island to the Frsnct
count bertrand de Guescln. He outfit e.
at Manzanillo, 10 the state OF Guerro, bu
when he came to the island the hostile'
killed him and fifteen of his men.
"ln 1856 the Mexican. government
grained ,nis island to Luis Huller, and n
and coloiize it, The failure of The Inter
national company of Mexico in'erf"re'
with his plans. but he kept up his effort
until 1892. when he died and The conces
| sion again lapsed.
ave have now traced the history of tn
island down To the present where II ne
comes the property of the Ciburon Cor
que. company, Col. John Bradbury, pres
dent. There are nov about four hundre
, Indians on the island as fierce aud wal
ike "a any VINO ever lived. The prepon
: derauce of women over men cause the So
nora Indians to cali il La Isla de La
Mujeres, 1.-The Island of The Women.
The officers of the U. S 5. Naraganset
report the island fertile, we'll watered an'
.. rich in minerals. Also that rich peal
oyster beds ex st in the channel.
. ''As to the expedition. / am certain
. will ne undertaken. and I for one conside
Col Bradbury's ambition very laudabl
one He will c,vize these Indians and re
claim this island; he will put a stop t
3 cannibalism on the American continent III
3 will provide homes for many people, {,
! he will incidentally add many millions G
dollars to his bank account.
II understand that the concession ha
fleen applied for and granted
The Capital will tomorrow print a lette
from Yuma which will show how the maj
Ter ia taken there.
CAN'T. MnNIcA