The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-16
James L. Barton, secretary Of the pru-
Dental committee. read a paper en-
titled "Untabulated Resources"
ISLAND OF RICHNESS
CONTAINS MORE WEALTH THAN
ANY OTHER IN THE WORLD
Contains Only Six Hundred Inhabit-
ants, but Is Considered Worth About
$2,ooo,o0o,ooo - Discovered by the
Voyage of Dampier, the Great Sci
entist-credit Belongs to Science.

Far away in the Southern seas, some
200 miles from the coast Of the ancient
land of gold" and almost 1000 miles
from the sunny country Of the Golden
Fleece there may be deserted a little
speck of land. Scientists regard it as
an appraised coral atoll, and take pc
culiar interest in it from the fact that it
is the only known tropical island of any
large extent which up to the last few
years had never been Inhabited by a
savage or a civilized race. 1t is called
Christmas island. Why, no man living
can tell.
AS to the date of it's first discovery
the past is equally Obvious; yet it has
been an object of spasmodic attention
on the part Of voyagers on the high
seas for at least two and a half CEN
turtles In 1866 the wandering Dampier,
of Holland, sighted this small woody
island and since that date it has ap-
peared in Dutch maps, but it was not
until 1886 that a British surveying ves-
sci succeeded in finding an anchorage
and in landing and partially exploring
the island. The following years HI. M.
S. Egeria made further explorations,
and the conclusion of the commander,
in the light of what has since happened.
is interesting:
Man has never lived on Christmas
island, nor would it be pleasant resi-
dence, as, apart from the fact that
there is no water - the rains sinking
into the limestone rock-the extreme
discomfort of locomotion and the alb
sence of any harbors whence the prod
uct could be conveniently shipped, will
deter any settler from seeking a home
there until some more favorable spots
are occupied"
Within ten years or so after this
prophecy the island had a population
living and thriving on it of some 500
souls, and from the phosphate deposits
found on it pactolean stream of gold
is flowing into the pockets of British
shippers, commission agents, agricul-
turfsts, insurance agents and stock
holders of the company working it.
The story of the island-which is
situated in south latitude degrees 25
minutes, east longitude 105 degrees AZ
minutes-is romantic and of more than
passing interest. It's discovery in the
commercial sense dates from the days
of the Challenger expedition. That ex-
petition cost England $1,500,000, and
there have been many who have carped
at the expenditure of SO large a sum
for results which were apparently of SO
little value in an ordinary unitarian
sense. The expedition has, however,
been the indirect means of adding
Christmas island to the British crown,
and in years to come Singapore and the
mother country also are likely to re-
ceive from it alone much more than the
cost of the expedition.
Christmas island was formally an
nexed by the British government in the
following year, lease extending over
100 years was granted to DR.. John
Murray and Clunius Ross Of the Co
cos-Keeling islands, Jointly at a yearly
rental Of ESQ. The prospecting of the
island covered fully decade, and
finally small private company was
formed. What was previously only a
haunt of bats and rats and a resting
place for sea birds has become a basis
for the output of one Of the most val
liable fertilizers known to modern agri-
culturists. Within a single year after
the commencement of operations Eng
land, Germany, Australia and Japan
were absorbing its manurial treasure
and calling for increased supplies.
This appraised top Of a submarine
mountain, round which seas run down
almost perpendicularly from it's shores
to a depth Of three English miles, is
but 10 miles long and broad, with an
area Of 40 to 30 square miles. AS al