The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-22

With a Corporation as King,
Is Santa Catalina.
OFF CALIFORNIA; COAST
Wonders of the Adjacent Seas
Prehistoric Remains.

PREHISTORIC Remains.
New York. Aug. n.-Thirty miles Cut
in the Pacific ocean. on the coast o.
Southern CaAfornia,-twenty-seven miles
out on the high sea Of the nations-lie.
Santa Catalina Island. the western van.
guard OF the state. Were it larger OF
more valuable the question of its title
long ago would have been matter Of
yeighty discussion in the highest court:
of the land. At 1t Is, so little moment at
outright to the federal government or 4;
a state possession Of California, that the
island Is left to the rule of a private cor
poration.
That Santa Catalina, with its length OF
twenty-five miles, its width Of seven and
one-half miles, and its area of 5000 acres
Is included In the United States territory
is beyond dispute. Spanish marines. dis
covered tho island. It became a part OF
the Mexican domain and by Mexico was
ceded to the United States along With
Alta California a part OF California, and
all the great southwestern sovereignty.
Mexica styled Santa Catalina q art OF
California and the new possessor nf 10th
did not disturb the unity. 1t Is doubtful
II any one thought enough about the isle
to care where 1t went, and today it APP
pears strange that Mexico did not retain
the bit of water surrounded mountain.
Further to the south, opposite San Diego
and only fifteen miles from land, are the
Coronado islands, which are still held by
Mexico.
Anyway Mexico gave up Catalina-tne
Santa Is coming to be dTopped-and he
federal government never took the
trouble to tell California that a state las
no right to own an island 50 far from its
coast that the outline is visible only on
clear days. California, even. did not
bother about keeping its ocean adjunct.
but allowed 1t to be annexed, in name at
least. to Los Angeles county, which hap
pens to be in a direct east and west line
with the island. This is said to be the
only county in the United States that
acts the role of feudal lord over a seper-
ate and remote territory.
However, the county in turn has proved
as careless as the state and nataion. In
practice Catalina is governed, by its own
ers, the Banning brothers, whose author
ity is more absolute than that Of Kings.
although they have exercised 1t with the
discretion of Americans
Long years ago JaJmes Lick. whose
name is being perpetuated by the Lick
observatory, bought the island, a few
thousand dollars being the price. At that
he did not make a profit on the invest
ment. No animals but sheep or the equ-
ally Industrious wild goats can get liv-
ing from the cannons and mountain sides
of Catalina and sheep faraming was not
then a Caliwfornia industry. Lick hoped
it is generally believed, that there might
be deposits of minerals In the mountains,
but, whatever the amount of prospecting
he caused to be done, certainly there
were no returns.
Many people, however, claim that Lick
never hoped to be compensated for his
expenditure. They maintain that the
vanity-tthe desire of being a despot,
with all the prorogatives Of a ma1respon-
sible to no one. In buying Catalina, they
say, he thought he saw the chance to Ee-
come a rinceling-though, doubtless, he
employed the word "magnate."
He found the island inn hit I'd by slut-
ters, who had been drawn from TIC m5in
land by the charm Of theequaHle climate.
While not living in luxury they were liv-
ing without labor, subsistpg on the
Astounding supply of fish. Lick made
short work of them, though they banded
together and made a show of resisting
the court edicts which he secarcd quickly
enough. Finding that the arg Iment was
one of force, he landed bodyD Of men
fought the offenders to submission, piled
them on board boat, and bundled them
ashore on the main land. Never did a
conqueror more completely rout a foe or
more effectually dispose of him. After
that there was peace and quiet at Cata-
lima.
What ambitious plans Lick intended to
carry out never will be known. 1t is pos
sible that in time he might have built
himself a castle at the foot of some one
OF the many canons. living the life Of a
royal rec,use, his vasSals around him.
Again. he may have foreseen the chances
OF fortune inherent in sandy beach and
an unchanging climate, and have con-
cluded to try to attract people to the is
land. He never spoke of his intentions
and he never developed them.
Al THAT Lick ever did for the island
was to ship several cargoes of goats and
turn them loose to scramble for a living.
Their descendants are furnishing sport
for the hunter today. Enough guards
were brought over to prevent possible in
vasion. When Lick died his executors
found the island an disturbance on their
hands. and they got rid Of it as soon ss
they could 1t passed through several
hands before it came into the possession
OF its present owners.
Prior to the existing regime the poetic
name Of Avalon had been given TO the
chief landing place OF the island. the
name extending also to the bay which