The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-05
R OF THE PACIFIC,
MEN VINO LTTE ALONE ON ISLANDS
MILES OUT At SEA

The Frenchmnn whose Abode IL on Wilma.
Swept San Nicolas, Whose Only Friends
Arc Two D~ogs-Lonely Gallagher of San
CIemente-Robinson Crusocs by Choice.
PASADENA Cal, Jan. 25.-wind svept =.
mass OF sand shifted at every within Of thu
wind. the home Of the wind gods of the PaclNo.
San Nicolas Island would not be considered
attractive as a place OF residence. yet as our
yacht rounded to of a spit of sand that reached
out into tho sea a small shanty could he seen
on the rocky shore and nearby n man and two
dogs. The island appeared to be about ten
miles long. perfectly fiat on ton. rising to a
height OF two hundred or more feet In places
and cut and scared by the wind in a marvel-
lous fashion.
After many attempts to land we succeeded.
almost at the risk OF our lives. hoping to sea
the sole inhabitant oithe dreary spot. But he
had disappeared and we made our way to his
shanty-a single roomed affair under the lee OF
the hills near the beach. On the door was the
~satirical notice: mo trespassers allowed ON
this island"
The impression the island conveyed was
that the sea and wind were making a COM
bined effort to destroy 1t. Devastation was
everywhere. Not q green thing. no water was
In sight. only the sand dunes shimmering In
the sunlight. The path to the summit was
over a hard sandstone in yellow. blue and
white tints strangely inorusted. and cut by
the wind and water In marvellous shapest
mimic busts and statues. grand stalrways,
broken In by the fall OF rock'from above. win
lows covered with q delicate lacework, fes-
toons and a thousand and one strange carv-
ings caught the eve and fancy as we climbed
upward. When the summit was reached ths
eyes rested upon a plain without a spear OF
grass or a particle OF vegetation. It may have
bean fo,tr pnilaa lonU md ifa onrfaoa ~ ooz
cred with small stones. arranged in wind rows.
which were picked up and blown along by the
terrific winds. On the north end the sand was
In full possession and seemed imbued with q
life OF It's own. 1t was ever creeping upward,
filling the canons and gullies, rising in clouds
and whirled aloft in spectral shapes.
Desolation could MT better be illustrated
than by this island. about sixty miles of Los
Angeles county. southern California yet there
lived a man who delighted In his surroundings.
He had avoided us in the afternoon. but finally
came along the beach. appearing mysteriously,
He was a Frenchman, small Of stature. with q
mahogany colored skin. deep-set eyes and a
kindly expression. On his head was a great
sombrero-like hat. tied by a string beneat his
chin. On his shoulder he carried an old fash
Toned shotgun and a cantoen OF water. a cane
or staff completing his outfit. Two shepherd
dogs which followed ut his heels were his sole
COMPANIONS. NJ was very TGUlC0nn. and r0-
fused the papers offered him and had no desire
to.hear OF the world. We told him OF the end
ing OF the war with Spain. but he did not know
there had been q war. He had turned his back
on the world long ago; had two faithful friends,
his dogs. and was not dependent upon any one,
When asked why he did not collect the Indian
30 common on the island he ex.
pressed q feeling OF disgust and fear. init.
mating that the terrible winds with which the
place was accursed were due to the robbing OF
the graves. as he put IL. He complained OF
nothing but the winds. which sometimes drove
him out OF his.house at night and forced him
to take refuge among the rocks along shore,
That night We had evidence OF this. as the
wind rose and blow a hurricane from the ISL
and. In q clear sky. finally blowing the yacht
away into calmer seas. Any French family
who has missed a relative may possibly find
him by addressing San Nicolas Island.
Sixty or more miles to the south IL the isl.
and OF San Clemente. about twenty-five miles
In length. whore lived an Irishman up to the
present year. His name was Gallagher. Gal.
aRher OF San Clemente. and he, too, was
1t war with oil the world. though It is but
lair to say that once a year he left his island
and repaired to Los Angeles, where he
spent his money, then returned to
i've alonesfor another year. Gallagher pre-
erred his own society and that OF his sheep
mo log. be mover was afraid OF their over
'eaching him. he once said. He lived on San
lemente. fifty miles of the coast. for twenty
ears, and was finally stricken with paraly-
'is. being found By some fishermen sitting in
lis chair looking out over the sea and unable
o move. They took him to Los Angelss.
vhere he died.
At Santa Catalina Island. thirty miles from
and. there are several men who prefer soIi-
ude to the world. and have turned their backs
lpon civilization for reasons best known to
themselves. One OF the most isolated places
this group is San Miguel. a small island Cd.
'osite Santa Barbara. Here a man lives alone.
years ago the island was shaken by an
arthauake. The cliffs fell In. the harboP
hanged. and a small vessel was wrecked.
'wenty miles south Of this is an island known
8 Anacapa. the ever changing. 1t is about q
nile long. very narrow. with a small slopinR
nesa upon which all the pelicans OF the Pa
ifc slope seem to have settled. There is no
Tater here. 30 1t Is said. except what is caught
d winter. and the few sheep upon It obtain
that they get by licking the dew from each
TIERS wool. On this desolate eea-beaten
pot lived a man for many years. contented to
Q LETT alone. resentipg any intrusion.
Ihese strange characters are found all along
he coast. The writer once found a man liv.
10 contentedly on a rock of the Maine coast.
ompletely out OF tho world and on a small
ey In the Gulf OF Mexico. hardly three feet
bove hiRh-water mark. lived two mon soma
ears ago from choice. men who had dropped
NJ OF the world. changed their names, and
ere dead to the pasr. Rarely are suoh man
rlminals. Oftener they are Individuals who
ave had some experience that has turned
from their fellow mon.
MEIICO'S EARTHOUlKE