Evening star., 1937-07-25
KING OF ISLAND
LEADSFULL LIFE
Veteran Who Lives on San
Miguel Saved Life of
Companion.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SANTA BARBARA, Calf, July "a
Herbert S. Lester, the King Of San
Miguel Island" has gone back to
his little domain after a fortnight
here, to carry on the lonesome but
muscle and health building life be-
gun at the close of the World War.
Shellshock made it necessary for
Lester % find place of peace and
quiet for the restoration of his health.
The little island Of San Miguel off the
California coast furnished the an
swer
The island has no communication
with the mainland, other than a sup
ply boat which calls every three
months with mail and food. Aside
from these infreQuent interruptions
Lester spends day after day at the
few chores required of the resident
manager of the island, and with only
his wife for companion
Two children were born-Mary
Anne, who is 6, and Betty. who is 3.
Several weeks ago Lester and Rob-
ert L. Brooks, who now leases the
island from the Government for sheep
raising, and employs Lester. were re-
pairing a wharf for loading this year S
shipment Of lambs.
Man Injured in Fall.
Brooks, standing on slippery rock
As he worked. slipped and fell A
rusty bolt extending from one Of the
piles caught his leg, and ripped the
flesh.
Lester had no medical training, but
he knew that to save Brooks he must
close the wound.
He thought of his wifes sewing bas-
ket. No, that would not do. The
fragile needles might break, the
thread might not hold. He had one
thing stronger-fshline.
Placing a common curved sacking
needle and a length of fish line in
boiling water, he cleansed Brooks
wound Then he placed stitch after
stitch. until the edges of the wound
were drawn together
Lester next turned his thoughts to
summonlng aid. There was only one
poSslbility-the international distress
signal. Lester ran the American flag
upside down-to the top Of the mast
OF his dwelling On the twelfth day
he sighted the Vacquero. the supply
boat owned by r. NJ. Vail-four days
ahead of schedule
Arriving at the island, Vail dropped
other business to bring the suffering
man to Santa Barbara for hospital
care. Here the doctors said Lester
had cared with such skill for Brooks
wound that recovery eventually would
be complete.
Thrills Are Rare.
But such thrills as these are rare
In Lester's realm. Two years ago
George Hammond Of Montecito be-
came acquainted with the Testers,
found landing place on the island
for his plane, and made weekly calls,
bringing them mail and periodicals.
Little Betty has not seen street
cars, automobiles, telephones or most
of the myriad things that make up
modern life. She has not returned
to the mainland since she went to the
island with her mother at the age of
months.
When Mary Anne, the elder, reached
ehe age when school became necessary.
Lester built a school. known as the
worlds smallest. although it boasts
bell-taken from locomotive. Here.
hve days a week, Mary Anne has come
to the sounding Of the bell for the last
year to receive instructions from her
mother.
Some time the educational needs of
his children will break up for a time
the little kingdom" Until then. how
ever, Lester intends to stay on, happy
and healthy.
ASo9n ~ -.&