The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-07-14
hey swallowed them as fast as hens do

A party of six of us started for Cata-
lima Island. We went to Los Angeles,
thence to San Pedro and took boat for
the island, 30 miles distant. There were
something like two hundred on board
and suppose about half of them were
sea sick as the sea was very rough. We
landed at Avalen, a beautiful little city
in a small valley, very level, and sur
rounded by high mountains. We took
lunch and started to climb the highest
mountain. We went up high one, then
saw one higher and so on until we got
within one peak of the highest, but were
so thoroughly tired out we did not sue
coed in reaching the highest point. We
took glass bottomed boat and went
out to view the marine gardens. There
was green, brown and yellow moss, kelp
as tall as trees, seaweed of different
colors, sea fern and flowers. Then the
fish; there were fish foot or more long
and as yellow as any gold fish you ever
saw, and little fellows four or five inches
long as blue as indigo; then great sea
bass, looked like hogs lying between the
rocks; then school Of sardines so thick
we could not see the bottom of the sea.
We could see bottom 40 feet down. We
saw young mountain goat captured
two days before and it had been tanned
in that length of time. We stayed three
days then took the boat for home. The
sea was very quiet. The first thing to
cause excitement was large school of
lporpoise. They seemed to be six or
seven feet long and two or more
] through. They got in front of the boat
and it seemed they did not know how
to get out of the way but darted this
way and that, the people running from
one side of the boat to the other to see
them. The next thing was two whales
which caused another rush. We took
the train at San Pedro for Los Angeles
and put up at large hotel. About mid
night burglar knocked the proprietor
down with beer bottle, cutting his
head badly, and tried to rob the safe
but the son, hearing the. racket, rushed
in and the burglar ran down the steps
and into the street, and was promptly
arrested by policeman standing near
We arrived home without further Incl
dent of Importance.
Our next trip was to Long Beach via
Los Angeles. Long Beach is fine city
and a great resort with fine plunge
bath and grand buildings and a big
wharf where large ships anchor. We
saw a whales skeleton here under
cover. 1t was 66 feet long, the head be-
ing over 16 feet long. The whale must
have been over 100 feet long before the
flesh was off.
| Our next trip was to San Juan (pro
nounced San Wan) hot springs via Capis
tiano. We went there by train, anC
having short time to wait went around
and through the old mission, and the1
took hack for the hot springs. 1t tool
fifty years to build the mission and a.
J they were dedicating it in 1872 al
} Earthquake came and, tearing it dow
J killed over 70 people whose graves are
, near by, together with the graves of al
the priests who have died since. TIL.
greater portion is in ruins with just tn,
walls standing. One wing has been re
built and is in use now. We wen
, through as much of it as we had tim,
| for. The walls are adobe and the roof
Z ing thing. 1t covers about six acre
, with an acre in the center as court il
old Spanish style. We saw quite
: number of old missions and wen
; through two. We then went fror
) Capistiano by hack to the hot springs
| Six of us occupied one tent and we ha,
( IA fine time. A man and his wife, wit
, whom we were acquainted, had thei
tent near by. We ate, slept and dram
J. hot sulphur water as it dubbed fort
from the ground, too hot to bear one
7 hand in. We had a lovely campin,
ground filled with live oak and sycamor
Y trees and green grass. A mountai
. stream came rushing by close to GU
8 tents. We one day followed a trail up
: very high mountain and found govern
J. ment flag on top. We thought we woul
3 go down a nearer way SO started ou1
a We got to a jumping off place, .worke
. around, got downa little farther an
/ came to a place sheer straight down an