Daily camera., 1899-03-28
ALONE ON ISLANDS.
3oo VIZ Live Kermit Liyes ON the
Pacific Coast
WAAA SweDt san Nichols OesaDAsA
~ . solitary rFsnSAAAA~
Lonely Gallagher Of Saa
ClesnentA

Al every Whim Of The wind, the home OF
the wind gods of the Pacific, San Nico
las island, you'd not be considered at
trsctive as = place of residence, yet as
our yacht rounded to off spit of sand
that reached out into the sea small
shanty could be seen on-the rocky shore
and near by man and two dogs. The
island appeared to be about ten miles
long, perfectly fat on top, rising to q
height of 200 or mere feet in places and
cut and scared by the wind in mar
velous fashion.
After many attempts TO land we sue
ceeded, almost at the risk of our lives
hoping to see the sole inhabitan1 Of the
dreary spot. But he had disappeared
and We made our way TO his shan;y-a
single-roomed affair under the lee OF
the hills near the beach. On the door
was the satirical notice: NO tresps~s-
ers allowed on this island"
The impression the island had con
making a combined effort to destroy il.
Devastation was everywhere. Not a
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 incrasted
and cut by the wind and water iE mar
velous shapes; mimic bus,s and statues,
grand stairways, broken in by the fall
Of rock from above. windows covered
with q delicate lacework, festoons and
. thousand and one strange carvings
caught the eve and fancy as we climbed
upward. When the summit was reached
the eyes rested upon plain without n
spear of grass or particle Of vegeta-
ton. II may have len four miles long
and its surface WAS covered with small
were picked up and blown along by the
terrific winds. On the north end the
-an6 WAS in full possession and seemed
irnbued with a life OF it's own. II was
ever creeping upward, filling the can
yons and sullies, rising in eiouds aaA
whirled aloft in spectral shapes.
Desolaton could not better BE- t.
iustrstnd than by this island. about 60
milss on Los Angeles county. Cal; yet
there lind . man who delighted in his
surroundings. He had avoided US In
the afternoon. but finally came along
tho beach. appearing mys,eriously. He
WAS French man. fall Of stature. with
a mahogany-colored akin. deep-set eyes
and . kindly expression. On his head
WAS a great sombrero-like hat, tied by
a string beneath his chin. On HE ahoul-
der he carried An old-fashioned shot-
gun and = capteen OF water. 4 cane or
stafY completing ri. outfit Two shep-
herd dogs which followed at his heels
were his sole companions. He WAS very
rctcent and refused the papers offered
him. and had no desire to hear OF the
world. We told him OF the ending Of
the war with Spain, but he did not know
there had been a war. He had turned
his back on the world long ago; had two
faithful friends, his dogs. and wAs not
dependent upon anyone.
Sixty or more miles to the south is
the inland Of San Clemente. about ~
miles in length. where lived an Irish-
man up to the present year. His name
WAS Observation-Disclosures. Of San Gle
mcnte-and he. too. was at war with ali
the world. though IL is but fair to say
that once year he left his island home
and repaired to Los Angeles. where
he diligently spent his money, then re-
turned TO live alone for another year.
Gallagher preferred his own society
snd that Of his shecp and dog. He
never was afraid of their overrraching
him he once said. = He lived on San
Clemsnte, 20 miles On the coast, for 20
years, and WIS finally stricken with pa
ralysis, being found by some fisher
men sitting in HIS chair looking out
over the sea and unable 70 move. They
took him to Los Angeles, where he died
At Santa Catalina island. % miles
from land, there are several men who
prefer solitude 70 the world and have
turned their backs upon civilization for
reasons best known TO themselves. One
Of the most isolated places OF this eroup
II San Miguel. q small island opposite
Santa Barbara Herr q man Ewes alone.
Two years ago the island was shaken
by an earthquake. The cliffs fell in.
the harbor changed and q small vessel
was wrecked. Twenty miles south of
this is an island known as Anacapa. the
ever-changinR. II 10 about mile long.
very narrow. with ~,pall slopins mesA
upon which all the pelicaps Of the Pa
cific slope seem TO hASe settled. There
II no water here, so It 10 said, except
what n caught In winter. and the few
sheep upon 1t obtain what they get by
licking the dew from each others wool.
On this desolate sea-bcaten n spot lived .
man for many years, oontsnted 70 b
left alone, rpsening any intru1ien--
1esadena Or. NY. Sun. fF