The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-02-03
R "reminiscences of
Western Travels.
ny HELEN M. TODD.
Il About Los Angeles.

q =, Santa Catalina Island was
y .' 'se most highly anticipated events
,,,n so early in the morning of
V- ,,y-ffth we boarded the electric
~, San Pedro, the so-called Char
1 f15s Angeles, though over twen-
scay There we changed to the
4 &c lime steamer for Avalon, the
santa Catalina Leaving SanPedro
T. no we're Interested in several U.
4 .suqrraes at anchor inside the break
IT,. We had been warned not to try
4 ..r.s Catalina trip unless we were
t. sailors, and we found that the
-,-ri,g was not without reason. AL
to,gh the long rollers of the Pacific
-.ynizI Us not at all, few of our fell
49,, ..-sssngers were so fortunate, and
ra sy 5n4 many of them disappeared
-oo. trs decks. Before long all the
o7,-c--sble places IN the saloons and
,,r.-.aa.s were crowded with pallld vic
w.. NAMED on deck during the whole
. Old. lHrae-nour trip, anxious to get
.. --.r Glimpse Of Santa Catalina as it
o.= u If the blue waters ahead,
fra FAM asucally shaped island, all
....- and cliffs and mountain peaks, like
h. rlts Of a mountain range rising
r.. ME Pacific. Most interesting of
4 ...-= sbs flying fish that we saw as
- -.r-: the island skimming over the
al, IF the water in a flight of per-
4ss -F-rai hundred feet, their rides
e.t .. rlug and wings glittering in the
.r.g1t making them gorgeous and
4s. odd -d behold. AS we came still
.--- Avalon, many boats filled with
..- bathing trunks pulled out from
. -lr- TO meet US, and as we leaned
rail We were besieged with re-
Hest TO throw a dime, ''let me dive
or 5uarter," etc. The diving was
-- .pr-rv done, in the clear water
r- g. ceal readily follow the course of
... Invariably some one of the
. Rga 1--WE and catch it before it
..... .. lotion, and would wave it
-.s--...I -s4 air as he clambered into
.- .s5 s-sn Indulgent tourists had
-r- boys over greedy, however,
Ill., --N 4il not stir out of their boats
&. rf.- .ess than silver, pennies
t-. l handful, were entirely be-
G. Their notice, and when thrown
.er- Created with indignant scorn.
When t5cslly landed at the pictur-
ssa town uf Avalon, our first consider
.t.l was b, which we had at one of
b. numerous cafes on the beach. That
rsr. q tr.a IN one Of the glass bottomed
loa.- vas iu order. and for some minutes
' -nat-d the deslrability of going out
i p .srg EXCURSION steamer with a
.r.r IT passengers, or by ourselves in
small boat propelled by one-man pow
r with an car. The merits of both sides
-er- emphatically stated-I should have
sla shouted" efficient bankers,
ne the more I debated the question the
0re undecided | became. Perhaps |
-o-ld be standing there, wondering yet,
"a rot Will decided the question by re-
ming me that time was short, and
gstiug me into desirable seat on the
fzsr boat
Tie term glass bottom" is a some
ns. misleading one, as they are not,
.rer-y speaking, glass bottomed at all.
Eats are arranged on either side of mar
ms alks with bottoms of glass, which
rgthwlse through the center of the
.' The famous Marine Gardens lie
rag .le shore around a point about a
ALI mle from Avalon. AS our boat
l-.. slowly over the spot, our guide
.s.lJ-t the wonders of the sea life we
ll- See SO plainly beneath US. Strange
.- rmations, and many different spe-
.e 9r sep and seaweed, looking like
'a-s.r-fng trees and plants, with gor-
eou- y roIored fish darting in ana out
mo1g hem, were some of the sights re-
a. A diver who had come out with
5 3pTe presently, and we could plainly
se lm as he swan about beneath us
mo- picked up the beautiful iridescent
IA one shells that he had previously
planted there in order to discover"
1tn ibus OPPORTUNITY for the benefit of
he tourists. Bringing them to the sur
ace he found ready sale for them at
"e'jY five cents apiece.
we sailed about over the Marine Gar
els tor half an hour or more, then re-
ifrel to the wharf to transfer to a
Aa.- swift motor boat for a trip to the
=a. locks. AS we left the wharf the
r''aa time we saw the sleek brown
F5' u Big Ben, the pet sea-lion, as he
Oullu anu dTouHu lne IlOaC. One
l '.- men on the wharf called to him
.s '7'1 up piece of raw fish, whereat
''- lien pulled himself up on the float,
pped laboriously up the steps and
lat length of the wharf to the end,
L-. r. took the piece of fish in his
". aalanced a moment on the edge
dove headfirst into the water. From
ID 1'-prboat Will tried a snapshot of
7 f'e' but sien developed the pic
proved To consist of wharf pilings