The herald., 1897-08-30
ORGANIZED BY W. 7. HALL
HIS QUEER EXPERIENCES IN
NARROW LINES
Insurance Agent and Representative
of a Benevolent order-Afore-
time Fireman and Explorer

plo1t the gold f1elds In Alaska and the
the Northwest Territory.
These corporations are formed on such
basis as to attract the attention of the
humblest citizen as we'll as the man of
means. Trading, mining, transporta-
tion, merchandising and exploration
each have separate companies, and in
others again all these are combined. The
"boorn" in Alaska has served to re-
awaken interest, too, in mining enter
prises elsewhere; and whether it be the
discovery Of a pocket bonanza in Trim
ity county in this state, the hidden treas
ures of the Incas in Peru and upper Bo-
livia or the fabulously rich Mexican
mines abandoned during the Macmillan
episode, they are all serving as financial
bait to which are rising, apparently, in
shoals the human suckers who desire to
I'LL their gorge with gold.
OF all these companies that have been
recently formed there is one whose
operations will be followed with interest
by Angelenos generally, for the reasons
that the person responsible for its or
California The Santa Rosalia Bay Min
ing company has incorporated at San
Francisco with capital of $100, 600, and
with a subscribed capital of $45, 900. Its
officers include some we'll known busi-
ness men, as follows: Barclay Henley,
president; c. A. Macomber vice presi-
dent; John F. Nolan, treasurer; c. B.
Henderson, secretary, and w. S. Chap
!, IL i Vrr ~
directors. The company has been formed
to exploit the newly discovered gold field
in Lower California twenty miles inland
from Rosalia bay and 200 miles south Of
San Diego. The discovery was made by
w. T. Hall, who is as well known in Los
Angeles almost, as the town clock, and
he claims that in 1890 he conceived the
idea of pearl fishing in the gulf. He
hasn't said so, but probably his idea
fell stillborn from his brain, for the gulf
fisheries are in the nature of a conces-
sion, leased out by the Mexican govern
ment. In his wanderings however, he
visited the vicinity of Rosalia bay, and
while there discovered some rich ore de-
posits-or said he did. In 1894 he fitted
out sloop for the purpose of revisiting
the scene of his find, but was blown
overheard midway on the voyage and
cast away on desert island. passing
vessel picked up the castaway and he
returned home and essayed a third jour-
ney, this time overland most of the way,
and he succeeded in locating the find
1t Is asserted that he brought back speci-
mems of ore which averaged by assay
from $57 to $193 per ton.
The vice president of the new COM
n N xx-1 TO-
Halls story and is satisfied of its truth.
A yacht has been chartered and next
week party Of miners-amateur and
otherwise-wil start for the new Ell
Dorado
That is the present status of this par
ticular company today, but truth to tell
Angelenos are viewing the matter
askance, because of Halls erratic record
whlle living in the southern country.
About twenty years ago he was in the
insurance business with headquarters
on commercial street in this city. From
that time on for some years he sought
to gain admittance to the Grand Army
OF the Republic. He represented that he
mad served through the war in an In
diana regiment under the name of Mich
aei ftannlgan, the cognomen he had
ADOPTED When he ran away from home
Ihe post of the G. A. r. having his appli-
cation under consideration sent east for
Michael Flannigan's record, but matters
did not pan out just as Hall said, and he
was not accorded the privilege of wear
Ing the coveted bronze button.
Hall next attracted some attention
Wnen ne atf1liated with the United Or
oer or American Mechanics, and in a
snort time became one of tn organizers
OF the order and Travelled about the
country IN that capacity. But suddenly
ne left his position, or as some unkind
critics say, his position left him. and for
reasons He then went up into Little
IeJunga canyon and took up 100 acres OF
government ground. His nearest neigh
Dor was German named Keigle, whose
land adJoined his. In order to get out
OF the canyon Hall had to pass over the
land of his neighbor, and as the two soon
became involved in disputes this was
very unpleasant, and gave rise to in
convenience that ripened into a bite,
animosity. Finally Keigle blocked the
road leading from Halls place through
his land, and that brought the neighbor-
ly row to focus. Hall took pot shots at
kelgle and open warfare was proclaim
ed About this time Keigle's wife died
and Hall came into Los Angeles and
swore to a complaint charging his neigh
Dor With having caused the death of his
better half An acrimonious examina-
tion took place in Justice Taney's court
which resulted in Keigle being dis
charged from custody. AS might be
supposed, the climate of Little Tejunga
canyon, was, after that, not conducive
to Halls continued good health. There
were coed water rights in the canyon,
however,and he had gone into business
scheme with Eugene Reagan. the real
estate man, and others, to develop them.
Personality, however, he shook the dust
of the Little Tejunga from his feet.
He next figured prominently during
the railroad strike in 1894 He hired as
scab fireman to the Southern Pacific
and made several runs on the Santa
Barbara branch. He did not hold the
position many weeks, however, being
given the go-by by the company. At
this time he was residing at Pasadena,
and on several occasions claimed to
have been waylaid and maltreated by
the railroad men, who in this way sought
to set even with him for having helped