The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-03-28
VAST RESORT PLANNED

Los Angeles, Calf, March 10
One of tic biggest real estate deals
ever put over in California is now an
assured fact and details can be fur
nished by the interested parties.
Mr.. William Wriglcy, 1r., manufac-
turer of the famous "Wrigley's Spear
mint" one of the chief stockholders in
the Chicago "Cubs" ball team and
an officer and director in a total of
fifteen enterprises in various parts of
the U. s., is the head and controlling
interest in a company which has tax
en- over Santa Catalina Island. The
purchase price is close to $4,0O0,000
and several millions more will be
spent to make the island the great
show place of the Pacific Coast.
Included in the transfer are prac-
tically all of the $4,000 acres of the
land, the new 100000 Ste. Catherine
Hotel and its appurtenances, ten
thousand lead of sheep, two large
steamers which ply between San Pc
dro and the Island, a fleet of glass
bottom power boats and other prop
orty of the S2nta Catalina Island
Company.
This news is of interest to every
past, present and prospective visitor
to California; in fact, it is of particu-
lar interest to the country at large,
for it presages an era of expansion
and development in our home resorts
in keeping with the tendency to cul-
tivate. domestic tourist travel which
the war has so strongly intensified.
The officers and directors of the
new Santa Catalina Island Company
are some of the most enterprising
business men in Los Angeles county.
TIE general manager is Everett II,
Seaver, who directed the Fulton Ship
yards ct San Pedro during the war
and who last year built successful
wooden ships at astonishing speed
for the government. Mr.. Sewers
record as builder of ships is equallcd
by his fame as an employer of labor,
for in all his period of service at San
Pedro there was no rumor of labor
trouble.
David Blankenhorn, we'll known
Los Angeles business man, is presi-
don't of the new company. He recent
ly received his honorable discharge
from tho U. S. Army where he ranked
as captain.
"We intend to make Santa Catalina
Island the greatest summer and win
ter resort in America" said Mr..
Wriglcy. Development will prog
gress as rapidly as possible and when
business warrants we will put on
more steamers. There is room for a
half million new cottages on the is
land and second new hotel is pro-
jected for early completion. It is my
plan to make this gem of the Pacific
a resort of such attractiveness that
it will be the mecca for visitors from
all parts of the country"
There are many unique features
found at Catalina" as the island is
called locally. In one vast expnnse
are the frames of $50 tent cottages
which in summer are covered with
canvas, furnished completely and
rented by the day or week just as ho-
tel rooms arc rented This is the fam
GUS Island Villa. Another summer set
Element is made up of hundreds of
tents completely furnished for house
keeping.
The -bottomed power boats, al
ready mentioned make daily trips ov-
er the Marine Gardens--through these
boats the visitor gets such sights Of a
great ocean world Of vegetation and
fish as can be lad nowhere else. Here
is a realm peopled with brilliantly col
ored inhabitants swimming through
foreSts of feathcry verdure. Huge
tree-likc ferns wavcr and bend with
the motion of the water. Great stalks
of kelp touch the bottom of the boat
From the strange "sea-cucumbcr"
that clings to the ocean floor and is
said to be one of the lowest forms Of
animal life, to giant tuna fish and sea
bass, which are the delight of sports
men, the range of species, size and
appearance of these creatures of the
deep is utterly astounding.
Above water are scores of seal, some