The Republican journal., 1906-11-08

lon. A few plain clothes men mingle
with the population, and have author
ity to make.arrests, but their office is
sinecure.> The tents are open day and
night, yet never does one hear of
thief taking SO much as the value of a
clothespin. The jail is there as a men
ace and its door, too, is always open.
The dignitied justice of the peace is
merely an ornament. The people are
absolutely free and vice is unknown to
degree that would perpleX New York
and her S,940 policemen, Dr. Park
hurst, and the rest. The crowd of So
900 in Avalon literally handles itself.
Every evening the Catalina Marine
Band gives concerts lasting two hours,
seats provided for 1500 persons, after
which it adjourns to the pavilion where
ball is given free to inhabitants.
There are reading rooms, libraries and
an interesting exhibit at the glass
aquarium, a display in glass tanks of
all the living plants and animals OF
Avalon waters.
On high jutting point is the wire
less telegraph station. y immature IN
clined railway takes us up the side OF
nearby mountain and down the other,
to a moonstone beach, where some OF
I lIl6 UiUSU Ndludult uedCh otoliSo dlO
gathered \ short distance beyond this
is Sea Lion Rookery, where hundreds
of glossy specimens lie on the rocks and
watch our boat as we pass close enough
to almost touch them. Two miles to
the right of Avalon, in another little
cove, is "Descanso," the palatial home
and grounds of the Bannings, the owners
of the island. We are told this island
was bought by them twenty-five years
ago for 100000, and that they were
lately offered and refused S6o,000,000.
1t is but twenty eight miles long and
from two to nine miles wide, contain
ing about $4,000 acres OF mountain
ranges, deep canyons, and level stretch
es of meadows, where the dairy herds
are pastured. Fourteen miles from
Avalon is the lsthmus another settle
ment, but much smaller, and few
miles from this are quarrles where
fine green Serpentine stone is got out
and manufactured into many useful
and ornamental articles, from mantels
to the most delicate vases and cups.
The ancient tribes of Indians used this
stone for household vessels and nipple
ments for hundreds of years, specimens
being occasionally dug up. In canyon
just back of Avalon are the finest golf
| links on the Pacific coast, immense
grounds laid out like park, and here
the Catalina golf club entertains visit
ors at its well equipped club house and
adjoining tennis courts. The waters
of the bay are as blue as Medlterra-
mean sky and astonishlngly clear. In
one Of the many glass bottomed boats
we are rowed out around sugar loaf,
huge cone shaped rock at one point of
the crescent bay to the submarine gar
dens," and here for au hour we are
fascinated by one of the most wonder
full sights of lifetime. We have visit
ed Conservatives and admired the
beautiful plants and flowers growing IN
such profuslOn, but attractive as 1t ali
is, the submarine life here seen is vastly
more interesting. Through these glass
bottomed boats it is possible to look
through the clear water to the depth
of sixty feet and observe the life as
plainly as we look about us on land
We float over beds of bright colored
sea MOSES and kelp in endless variety;
rocks which are alive with the strange
creatures Of the deep; spiney sea-
urchins. star-fsh, floating jelly-tish,
small dewitt fish which the boatman
reaches for with his oar and sends
wriggling over the rocks, discharglng
an inky fluid around him. Great trees
loom up and wave and sway their
broad amber leaves in the bright SUM-
light that strikes through the clear
water, some varieties bearing clusters
of fruit resembling olives. Playing
about through the branches are schools
of thousands of tiny sardines, little
farther on is sheepshead fish; fishes
with headlights; lamp shells abalones;
the bright golden red perch in its glis
| -, fha hnxx
fish. Electric blue fish and sea gold fish
ranging from three inches to over a
foot in length swim leisurely in and
out over pebble and shell, playing hide
and-seek behind rocks and through
flower beds of sea MOSES and the
bright blue lunches of sea anemOnles,
then darting out into the sun rays,
sometimes rising up under our boats
and appearing to eye us with evident
curiosity. Our guide explains to us all
of the life below, names the marine
plants, the fish, and tells the different
depths. He laughingly remarks that
no bait has yet been found good enough
to present any temptation to these
bright hued specimens of the finny
tribe; those in the glass tanks having
been seined for with nets. We are
entranced by the scenes below lis; we
| NOUueI anu tACldlIl ueI6 ale HllIs
and valleys and canyons at the bottom
of the sea, perfect i'll conception. All
is silent save for the gentle tapping of
the waves on the boats sides, and we
are looking into another world with
mingled curiosity and awe. 1t is a
fascinating, never TT OBJ e-forgotten
scene. For the fisherman, that sport
is the great attraction at Catalina, and
such fishing as it is. Here are caught
finny monsters that weigh from one to
five hundred pounds. The black sea-
bass, or giant jew fish as it is popularity
termed, is the largest which is captured
with hook and line. This fish is COM
monty taken ranging from two hum
dred to four hundred pounds. Yellow
tails, barracuda, rock bass and albicore
are caught by the boat load. A SNAP
shot" picture shows five-ton catch by
rod and reel, brought in by a party
after a half days fishing. Another
!, picture l have is the monster sun-fish,
showing several men stringing it up by
, small derrick. This strange creature
weighed 800 pounds, was nine feet in
J length and nine feet girth. These
waters are the home of the leaping
tuna, called the most active and gami-
!, est fish in the world. 1t is caught no.
where else with rod and reel. Hotel