Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1899-09-22
No. 222.
Little Dots of Land in the Pacific
That Are Hard to Find.
ClippertOn, Whose Ownership Has
been Claimed by Four Coun-
tries, Mt Lnst Definitely
Located.

Much attention has been given of late
to what we may call the strange case
Of Clipperton island. 1t is not more
than three miles in circumference, and
il lies in the western Pacific something
like SEQ miles west of Mexico. In the
wide cXpaEse of the Pacific ocean it
shows like 81 mere speck, so small as
to he of no value, seemingly, save as
arcfCGc FOR n few OF the army of beach
combers "who have burst all bounds
of habit and have wandered far away
in the course of their downward prog
ress. But the ownership of ClippcSton
island has of late been claimed by no
fewer than four countries-MeXico, the
United States, France and Great Brit
ain; and when it is added that the is
land is n favorite haunt of sen birds,
and that many tons of valuable guano
are waiting to be picked up, the reason
for this unwonted solicitude, even in
an era of land-grabbing, will be ap-
parent.
Clipperton island is OF interest in an
other direction. 1t is one of those nu-
merous stretches Of land set in the
midst of the seas, sunny and otherwise,
which. after their first discovery, for
many years elude all endeavors to To-
cate them again. 1t has now been, as
it were, nailed down in one particular
spot in the ocean-that is TO say, it's
exact position has been finally deter
mined by warships sent out for the ex-
press purpose of searching for it and
settling all doubts as to it's existence
and the only thing remaining now is
that the question of ownership should
be settled. 1t happens that there is
another island about 400 miles south
west Of Clipperton. and rich in the
same deposits thnt make that place
worth possessing, for which adventur-
GUS miners are at this moment looking.
As late as July last vessel named
Moonlight left Altata, Mexico, on
voyage in search of this latest mysteri-
"us island, and spent SO days of fruit
less labor toward this end. Her cap
tain failed to find the place, and, fear
ing that his provisions and water would
run short, returned home to report that
either the rough charts Of old Capt.
Martin and his associates were in err
ror or else that some strange seismic
to disappear years ago, perhaps, for all
that mortal soul knows. Spice is add
cd to this romance by the fact that
another Frisco captain located the
place definitely year or two before,
and fonnd n small colony there, which
colnoy is still on the island, shipping
guano in their own schooners, manned
by numbers of their own party, to the
leading ports on the Pacific slope of
North and South America.
Quite a number of expeditions have
of late been made with the object Of
wrestling this valuable secret from the
handful Of men in whose possession it
is, and of participating in the spoils;
and one of these days we will, no doubt,
hear Of sanguinary fight for the su-
pr"macy between the present colonists
md n party of marauders. Although
the stories told about the unknown is
land vary considerably, they all agree
that it exists somewhere about 400 or
go miles southwest Of Clippcrton, in
Il low coral atoll covered with the rich
est phosphatcs. The place also has it's
legends Of pirates treasures, which
iIhY or may not have had any founda-
tirn in fact. One Of the expeditions OF
rcc"ut date, which have been fitted
o"i 10 IooI; for the island, was the Vine
"%prdiIion. That vessels owner claims
(" havc secured his knowledge OF thG
place from lie old sea captain named
Martin, above referred to, who died
some years ago, and who left an old
chart among his belongings, which told
Of small island in the south Pacific,
not down on the regular charts, enor-
mously rich In guano.--New Zealand
Jo,.1l