The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-08-09


4 island, one of the beet known Of
the American islands Of the Pa
cinc, is slowly sinking into tho
seH, aI.o san Clemente, it's twin, twenty
49, turner out to sea- is rising out of
the ocean depths. Likewise san Pedro
MIA on the mainland Is attainine %
greater elevation .
ierra frna bellies it's name aInng tho
tac1ne coast, for 1t has an extreme1v
.a nseanie way of shaking and shifting it.
sell which Is often very unpleasant ia
those who have placed sufficient con-
ndenee In her TO take up their abode in
her bosom. Geologists find plenty of in
dfsputahle evidence of VOLCANOES, ionce ac-
tive but now extinct, at various points
along the coast; and even now =4seyefal-
hundred small cones are vomiting vol 4
canfc matter in the lower desert of Cali
fornia. That the heart Of Mother Earth
Is still troubled is evidenced by frequent
earthquakes, and what surprises she may
have in store for the world May only be
guessed at. There has been no year
since the history of events were made a
matter OF record here, but there have
been one or more earthquake shocks.
During the fifteen years from 1850 to 1865,
no less than 1O5 earthquakes were re-
corded for the State Of California. Some
OF these were slight and others did good
deal Of damage. The shock of March 80,
1898, damaged the United States navy
yard at Mare island to the extent of sew
eral hundred thousand dollars Another
one destroyed the village of Helmet but
q rev months ago and caused the death
or six persons In 1903, tWenty-one
shocks were noted at the Preside be-
tween June 81 and July II, and the quake
of September, 1912, which destroyed the
missions of San Juan Capistrano in Los
Angeles county and that of Purissima1 in
Santa Barbara county, wrecked many
other buildings and caused the death Of
half a hundred persons. Very many of
these earth commissions have been felt at
Santa Catalina and there is every reason
to believe that the changes now taking
place there are the result of the internal
disturbances which are responsible for
the earthquakes so frequent in Southern
California. a.. s.-.4 l~oe --- -. .-
The residents of Santa Catalina and
San Clemente have long been partially
conscious certain changes were taking
place. but the change has been 50 grad
ual that 1t has not impressed them to any
great extent. If the tides roll a little
further up the beach or the waves dash
little higher up the rocks this year than
last, they have Imagined that they
imagined 1T and have let it go at that.
"A recent investigation by scientific men
Of the University of California has dis
closed the fact that the Island of Santa
Catalina lies 270 feet lower than It did
some years ago. That this sinking is
purely local and not general depression
ton of country is proven by the fact
of the elevation Of the mainland, twenty
miles to the east, and of San Clemente
twenty miles westward. ~.
There is interesting history connected
with these twin islands of the Pacific.
= Being mountainous, they are observable
from the mainland, save when the rnists
of old ocean drop temporarily over them
, like an obscuring veil. They seem, as o.
fanciful tourist once said, like fragments
of the Coast Range floating out to sea-
When the Spanish occupancy took place
in California, the peaks of the islands at
tracted their attention and some adven-
turoua sririts took possession of the ISL
ands and began the raising of sheep ard
goats thereon. The wild goats and sheep
80 plentiful to-day on these ISLANDS
the descendants of those flocks. Those
early herders had to fight for possession
OF the lands for they found them occu-S
pied by the Pineugnas Indians a warlike
tribe distinguished for their fine physique
and skill in the building of boats The
adventures of those early settlers would
make, a volume of. interesting reading.
Later, in $780, attracted by these
: Ieunt, with several associates, biilt a
schooner at San Pedro and went. to the
:. islands In search Of sea-otter The game
which they sought was plentiful and they,
did good business. While they were
covered rich out-croppings of gold and
silver bearing ores, but it was otter they
were after and not precious metals, and
they patd little attention to their find.
Later, when the Coloma strike brought
''-"''sa-ds. Of eager gold seekers to the
and returned to the island to search for
the neglected wealth. He was unable to
again locate the vein and gave the thing
up. Still later, when the Southern Cali
fornia strikes were made, prospectors, in
Los Angeles learned Of the lost mine of
the otter hunters and they sought the
island, and found rich ores in several
parts of the mountainous isle. In the
next few months hundreds of claims were
recorded in the clerks Office and ores as
saying as high as $500 to the ton we're
exhibited demonstrating that precious
metals were not lacking on the islands.
Then came + he war OF the Rebellion and
Uncle Sam, to prevent the island fbecom-
ing the rendezvous of Confederate fill
busters and privateers, took possession OF
the island and the miners were forced to
vacate for the time being. After the war
one Lick came forward with papers is
sued by tn Spanish government previous
to the accession of the territory by the
United States, giving him title to the
island, his claim was pronounced valid
and the claims of the miners annulled.
From Nick the title passed to- the Ban
nings, the present owners. The mineral
wealth CT The island has since been tln-
disturbed. The, picturesque ness of its
mountains and canyons the delightful
ness OF It's climate, the beauty tof Its one
lan6-locxet, siarhor, the myriads Of fish,
Il great aa5 s1llans that swarm about its
shores, The PERCUSSION of Il flowers and
the nunabe rs of birds are a mine of
wealth gree ter than the metals hidden i'm
its ve.Ess forf they attract to the. spot
tourists iro4a al 81 arts OF. the world and
the vel:,Wa -ccJaf mined, miiled and
coinea, eaMs, 9 constant stream into the
cofeers ct t-!s owners CT the resort.
The VIII III sstts san C1emente. hasa
very 30 !!,ssosy. This island has:
: IN al itS more stsan forty thousand . cres9
there IS mot S;a living spring OF Waits :.
Not an INVITING lace. seemingly for ms y
or EeGssE and vet for years ttloasa l..s
OF sileen tgrazeG upon its waterlsss hiils..i
4 Charles ~ 0. KHAN, who now lives i
Los Angles, was a resident of the isl-
and thirty-fve years ago.. He lived tEesS3
alone aor3years, with but the comps nion-
ship Of asdog, a mule and some chickens,
and-acted as Waterman over "A, COO sheep
which ran wild over the island a,les
thrived upon its vegetation.
1t never rains during the summer in
San SClemente, but in the winter season
the rain falls at Intervals, and in a natur-
q. basin at the bottom OF q deep canyon
several thousand gallons OF water are
stored. This served as the water sap-
ely for Workman, his mule ana dog.
The sheep did not have access to the
reservoir. and they never got water 9TH
er than-th moisture which the fogs. and
dews deposited upon sne FOLIAGE. This,
however, proved sufficient, for the ami
mails thrived and waxed fat. Those sheep
were as wild as deer, and when ever old
Charlie wanted mutton for food he had
to stalk the flock as he would any other