The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-07
QUEER LABORERS.
Lonely Curio Gatherers-Dragons'
 Legs-PIoughers of Salt.

The west is full of men who earn a liv- ing in strange ways. For instance, there are the curio gatherers or the Santa Cata- lima islands off the coast near Los An geles.
 They outfit at Avalon, where there Is a large curiosity business, and are taken to the various islands, often being left sev- eral weeks, spending their time in opening the graves of the ancient people of the Santa Catalina channel The island of that name has many old town sites from which tons of stone implements have been carried away. At San Nicolas island there are shell mounds mile in length and eight or more feet in height which the collectors open carefully, taking the ma terial-skeetons and implements-whieh later are sold to the dealers or to some museum.
 San Nicolas is the most desolate spot to he imagined, buffeted by wind and the sand blowing like rain or snow. But here a single man lives--a herder of few sheep-with two dogs as companions. A writer for the Craftsman says that when he went ashore, after great difficulty and danger In the heavy surf, this one inhab- itapt was seen walking away and did not display any sociability until held up.
 He was Basque, utterly ignorant of the news of the world for the last year, and apparently had but one desire unfill- ed-bea ns-wlich he was given. He had abundance of provisions, red wine and to- bacco, and in his daily ten or fifteen mile walk up the island he shot sea birds to supply his larder. Robinson Crusoe could not have been more alone than this man, who said his only fear was that some day he might be blown into the sea- though he confessed that he also feared that the spirits Of the ancient islanders, so often disturbed, might haunt him.
 In the cities of the Pacific coast strange fields of labor are found. The most re- markable laborers among the Chinese are those who form the legs of the dragon. The latter is an extraordinary object re- sembling dragon, often two or three hundred feet in length and of the most gorgeous makeup.
 Each large city has dragon. There IS one in San Francisco and one in Los An geles Each is estimated to be worth S2O,- GOO or 30,0OO, being made of the most ex- pensive silks and satins, with gold, silver ivory and glass trimmings.
 When times are hard the dragon is brought out to appease tho evil spirits, and 1t Is always exhibited at the first of the year processions and with the tourna- ment of roses of Los Angeles. When 1t appears 1t invariably creates sensation, winding down the streets like huge cat erpIIlar, snapping its jaws from side to side, it's evil eyes glistening, it's antennae quivering.
 The legs of the dragon are Chinanen concealed beneath it, their heads being under the back. Being well trained they give the beast the natural undulatory mo- ton that real dragons are supposed to have. The legs are some two hundred in number, depending upon the size Of the creature, and the men are very proud of their work especially the big man who bears the head and makes the jaws open and shut.
 Another important position is the one filled by g. Chinaman who precedes the dragon, who dances along taunting 1t. just escaping from the vicious snaps the hide ous fangs make at him. The legs are trained for the positions which they hold from year to year.
 The track walker. common in the west, represents an important field of labor His business is to walk over certain number of miles of track every day and see that it is in perfect order. The trav- eller may see the walker of the Royal Gorge sitting on a rock overhanging the mysterious river. eating his dinner prepar- atory to taking up the silent tramp through one of the most remarkable can ons in the Rockies.
 One would scarcely expect to find labor CTS in the California desert, where the temperature is often 130 degrees in the