The San Francisco call., 1898-03-29
The Search for "an Island of Gold" Will Begin
 To-Day.
A Gay Lo.hario Wanted by Sergeant Mahoney of the
 Harbor Police.
Ran Away With Another's Wife. bu, Was Caught and Now Elopes
 With Young Girl.

The schooner Free Trade will sail for Alaskan waters in search of An Island of Gold" to-day. The Honorables E. Tal- bot Watson and E. Page and Mining Ex- pert Fragley put all their belongings aboard last night, having come up from Burlingame during the day. Everything necessary for stay on the island has been taken and a complete assaying out Tt torms part of the schooner's cargo Messrs. Watson and Page are also taking along guns and fishing tackle as they ex- pect 10 enJoy some sport in Alaskan wa teTs. Both gentlemen have hunted big game In Africa, prospected for diamonds at Kimberley and assayed numerous quartz ledges in Mashonaland. They ex- pect, however, to startIe the world with me fabulous wealth they will unearth in the Aleutian group.
 on, yes; l shall leave San Francisco tomorrow, but really you arc mistaken aoout my going to look for an island of gold"
 This was the way the Hon. H. Talbot watson put 1t as he sat in the reception room Of his elegant suite at the Palace last evening, and permitted himself to be lnterViewed in regard to his trip to one or the islands in the Aleutian group. where gold is said to be as common as rocks are in this section of the country.
 Tn sundays Call was published an ac- count of the schooner Free Trade, which had been purchased by English capital lsts and htted out to go north to look Tor the Island of Gold-the one Captain cred.
 The English capital referred to is rep resented by Hon. II. Talbot Watson and Hon. George Page, his travelling compan- lon. Hon. Mir. Watson is a most affable person to talk to, being possessed of en- gazing manners and much personal mag netism. He laughed at the idea that he was going to look for an island of gold.
 Merely a pleasure trip said he; moth ing else, l assure you, or course, II our party should run across anything worth looking into we will make an examination of it, for l don't mind combining business with pleasure My main object is to look for big game. such as l have hunted all over the world
 The Hon. MT. Watson laughed when he had delivered himself of this speech and there was in the Eaner of his denial a strong confirmation of the fact that he and his companion are going to look for the Island of Gold.
 Sailors are hard to get for deep water ships, and in conseouence the Kenil- worth, bound for Honolulu to load sugar for New York. has been detained nearly d week In the stream. There are now seven men aboard, but they have to be watched closely to keep them from deserting. It will probably be the latter part of this week before the ship will be able to get away. The Benjamin F. Packard was to have gone on the kenilworth's run, but she injured her rudder post in the recent northwester and the repairs to her have only been completed.
 behind time and the agents do not know just when she will sail again for Copper River. It was telegraphed from Seattle that Captain Houdlette of the Australia spoke her and that Captain Reid had been compelled to throw overheard the Nalencia's deckload of cattle. This story Captain Houdlette denies and says he never spoke the Valencia Then it was said that the report came from the steamer Chilcat, but it has not been veri- fed. The agents of the vessel say that the Valencia has been delayed by the ice It has not yet disappeared from Prince William Sound, and consequently the ves- Sel cannot get to OrCa Station to land her passengers. As soon as q landing can be made the steamer will return to San Francisco.
 The Heald Company of Oakland are building a peculiar boat for the Yukon trade. She has a steel frame, twin screws, vertical engines, and will. be so feet long. 20 feet broad and will draw a foot Of water. The peculiarity consists in the working of the twin propellers in aueywaYS. This is made necessary by the diameter of the screws being greater than the draft of the vessel. When the forward movement begins the alleyways fill with water. and that gives the pro- pellers all the fluid necessary to work in.
 The schooner j. B. Leeds will be fitted days. She has been chartered by the Aurora Mining and Commercial Com pdIy, ara VIII take up m sections two stern wheel steamers that are now being constructed at North Beach.
 Captain T. Wallace has recovered from Q severe attack of Ia grippe and has re- sumed command of the steamer Walla Walla. Captain Thomas, who was tempo TaTily in command of the Walla Waila, goes north to assume command of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company's Alaskan fleet.
 The crew of the revenue cutter Corwin had a wreck drill yesterday. The vessel is at anchor off Meiggs wharf, and the command was given to abandon the ship, q $ she was. sinking. The boats were pro- visioned and manned, and everything alive even to the cutters cat got into them. The captain was the last man to abandon the Corwin. and when he got into his boat the men pulled away from away for about 800 yards they returned to the vessel.
 The schooner Rio Key. spoke the sealing schooner Beatrice off the Golden Gate last Sunday with 150 sealskins.
 A first-class whistling buoy has been placed near the wreck of the Helen w: Amy. As soon as the necessary instruc- tions arrive from the East the wreck will be blown up and the buoy removed
 Sergeant Tom" Mahoney of the liar bor police watched the Tiburon ferry all day yesterday in hope of catching a run away couple from Santa Rosa. The man seems to be a regular LothaNo. It is only a few weeks ago that he ran away with a married woman from Petaluma but her husband caught them at the fer ries when they went back after their trunks He then went to Santa Rosa, and named Sadie Williams. As the couple did not come down on the San Francisco and North Pacific train the chances are they travelled by the Southern Pacific route