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GATHERING THE ABALONE CROP FROM THE FLOOR OF THE OCEAN Agnes Buchanan Crosby LITTLE is known and still less has been written about the abalone industry, which has within the last few years occupied such an im portant place In the commercial eco nomics of the Pacific coast. Indeed, there has been until this time but little to say. since the catching and canning of these shell fish were confined very largely to Chinese companies, who, fail ing to find a market in this country, made a small fortune in exporting them to China, where they had long been regarded as a delicacy. The Mex ican waters were pretty well fished out by these orientals before the gov ernment wakened to the realization that a fortune was being taken away under their very noses. Thereafter a boat that would "aftshing go" for aba lones paid a tax of $60 a year. Of course, this temporarily lessened the yearly export trade as far as the southern coast was concerned, but up on the Mendocino coast, in northern California, as many as 2,500 a day have been caught and canned by a settle ment of eight Chinese. From time to time abalone fisheries have been established in a small way at various points along the coast, but the most important, and certainly the most picturesque, lies tucked away In a little cove on Point Lobos, about 121 miles south of San Francisco. Now, jusl as no tourist should come -to Califor nia and fail to see the old Spanish town of Monterey, so no one should make that journey without at leMt one pilgrimage to Point Lobos. And this pilgrimage, taken primarily, perhaps, in the spirit of the tourist, is made thereafter with the Joyful anticipation of the lover. This remarkable head land projects itself boldly into the ocean, embracing the south side of ("armel bay with a protecting arm, and ending in a great, irregular six fingered hand. In the shelter of the cove formed by the thumb of this rugged hand the largest abalone fishery on the coast was established some 12 years ago. A. M. Allen is the fortunate man who pays the taxes on the 1,800 acres which consti tute Point Lobos. What began then as an uncertain venture has come to be a lucrative certainty and has added very materially to Allen's ability to pay those taxes. He has here 11 Japanese, under a t**QS2mM, who eaten, clean and dry the abalones for canning. Two of these men are fearless divers, and every morning, the weather permitting, they make their perileus downward trip into 150 feet of sea water. As you watch them making ready for these descents you can not but feel that counting on their return is worse than useless, for, like the core of the little boy's apple, "there ain't likely to be any." The big, weighted boots, nine pounds each, give you no sense of . and any lingering doubts as to olhardiness and fatality of the ex >n vanish as you watch the plucky little fellows burden themselves still further with 32 pounds of leaden col lars. A regular diver's helmet goes on next, and the first one is ready. Over the side of the little boat and down the shaky ladder he goes, with not half as much ceremony e*s you would think the occasion called for. He looks for all the world like some pygmy David going forth to met the Goliaths of the deep. Nor are his weapons, apparently, more significant than the sling and stones of the Israelite lad. Over his arm hangs a large net basket on an Iron ring, and in his hand is a sharp wedgelike piece of iron. These are his aggressive arms —defensive he carries none. As a mat ter of fact, he needs none, for the odd looking, ear shaped shell he hunts is harmless enough as it hangs on the rocks, its one purpose In life being to let alone and be left alone. 'Ear shaped" describes the abalone exactly, and all men call It so. The French know It as "crellle de mer," the Italians "orrechlale." The Portuguese have named it "sapa burra," while the Sicilians mean the same thing in their "patella reala." Even the Eolians of the olden times saw the same resem blance, and because they always spoke in poetry called the abalone "Venus' ear/ However, the name of his prey matters little to the small brown man working with sure, swift strokes under the sea. Careful he has to be of the kelp and weeds around him, for some times he becomes entangled, until a short, quick message brings a naked diver to his assistance. But with ordinary good luck after 20 minutes "haul in" comes up In Jerky signals along the rope, and the first catch of the day is hauled Into the boat. The net is lowered again and again, and the work goes on until noon. In the hands of an expert it is the work of a few seconds only to separate the aLVlone from its shell. a care ful search for pearls Is made, and many beautiful specimens are found as a re ward for this part of the labor. They vary in size and purity, some having a commercial value as high as $500. In spite of the "protection" fever which has swept the country like an epidemic in the Irusi few years, there seems little necessity tot such protect ive measures to preserve the abalones. They cover the ocean bed like cobble stones in a paved city, sometimes two or three deep, the ones above living on the seaweed growing on the under shells. Allen says that he himself has taken three tons of abalones from The legislature restricted the catch ing of abalones to those measuring 17 inches in circumference, so that the smaller ones can hang to their rocka with some degree of safety even when the low tide leaves them high and dry. Race suicide Is a distant and improb able thing for the abalone. The spawn ing season is January and February, and at this time the female throws off from one million to two million eggs. This spawn rises to the surface and is scattered by winds and waves over a large area, sometimes miles in extent. Naturally many of these eggs are de stroyed. After fertilization the eggs sink and attach themselves to rocks, where the young abalone sets up his own establishment. His first choice of a home must be a careful one, for the migratory Instinct is altogether lack ing in his makeup. Where he settles, after that first long dive to the sea floor, he stays. The large muscular foot is used less for locomotion than nit-ins or defense In a community whose first law is the survival of the fittest— this ability to hang on desperately, tenaciously to their rocky home. Their long narrow tongue is fur nished with flinty hooks, with which they tear their food from the roots. Almost epicurean, they are in their lim ited diet. If they are lucky and strike a plentiful store of provisions in the form of sea lettuce and weeds, they grow and develop rapidly, until, at the end of the second year, they are ready to assume the responsibilities of a family. If, by any adverse circum stance, Its food is destroyed, the aba lone gives up and dies. It possesses no instinct which might guide It to better feeding grounds. So, three or four years ago, when the seaweed near Cayucos, San Luis Obispo county, was entirely destroyed by a seepage of oil, it meant the destruction by starvation of thousands of abalones. We of California really know only about three of the many divisions of the abalone family, but if we count In the many cousins and sisters and aunts, we shall have about 70 species to hang upon the genealogical tree. Those we have here clothe themselves In various colored dresses, red, green and black, their value depending largely upon their color. The green shells are more valuable than the gaudier red, selling from $60 to $120 a ton. But the meat of the red abalone is considered the best eating, and most of the catch at Point Lobos Is of this variety. They live here in great numbers, and are to be found from the low tide line to a depth of 300 feet and over. It is estimated that in a territory which extends in a straight line along the coast, and from low tide to 300 feet depth (800 to 1,000 feet in width) there are perhaps half a million tons of abalones. Occasionally all three varieties, the red, black and green are found at Point Lobos, but the natural habitat of the black and green fish is farther south toward San Diego, including the chan nel Islands of Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Catallna and San Clemente. It would seem that abalone fishing was a profitable Industry, nothing going to waste. Every portion of the fish Is put to some commercial profit. Rough and unbeautiful as the outer shell may be, one is sure to find a glorious rain bow of color inside, be the shell green, red or black. Smooth, exquisitely Ir idescent and lovely la its interior. In the old day, before the public at large had outgrown the onyx table and wax flower age, a polished abalone shell was pretty sure to occupy the place of high honor in the family's best parlor. Now, however, the majority of these shells serve a more .utilitarian purpose and are shipped abroad In great quantities only to be returned to ua later in the shape of exquisite buttons, belt buckles, combs, and an endless variety of ornamental extravagances for the feminine population. Abalone meat is conaldered a great delicacy and may be had in the res taurants of San Francisco, that city of cafes, in stews or fritters or chow ders. The Juice makes an excellent and appetizing cocktail. Even the viscera or entraHs are used In the making of a very superior kind of glue. Among the people of Jeraey and Guernsey, abalones are known as "ormers," and the status of a citisen In these little Islands is determined to a great extent by the number of abalone shells hanging to his house. They are so placed that the sun will reflect their beautiful colors, thus giv ing a man a chance literally to out shine his neighbor- Wendall Jackson, the Californian Who Outwitted the Money Trust of The World in Making a Loan to China TIT HBN tha npw* flashed around \A# th * wor,<i ,hM th * • ,i ' * f ** t Yf whlla ♦jnlHfeiina- »v««f tha terms of « pfopoiid to ttoe supposedly heiplesft t'Mhi** r»fub lle, had heen fftitWltttl ft* till enter prise and sfcllt ft a Mfiglo Aftt*»f|rmn, New Fork, with vtmmtttetMte «#iiimp tlon, lmni*dlat<»ty tfllflttfl IM* niwiy discovered financial str&tafffst a* her own. But A Wfciirtftll itafjhst**! li not a N«w fotkßr Hid #*w ftfrtt M»l --denea li for ieftftl rturhnow* «fM.t* ( and mo»* of hii Htn* i* I* EdHUMffl nr Peking. A. Wandait ,t»H»iMm--tti« tnan who saved lh«» mine** republic fmrti tha harsh ejuietiftn* finpogad fty twft wily diplomat* and th* grfftdy money kings—ls a San Prsnrist nfi. The fttfttt ties that enabled him la mafca this great financial «oup wpip developed during hi.s early «trU(siJ«fs In th# city of the Golden gate. Ifpn.« It Is Im portant that among the graduates of the old Mission grammar and boye' high schools and of tha University of California he be placed in the list of those who have "done things." Jackson is well known here, and the older generation of mining and geo logical alumni of the University of California fondly recall the days when he occupied the chair of mineralogy. He himself belonged to the famous class of '74, which produced so many notable men. To begin Jackson's story backward: China was in a bad way when the loan of $50,000,000 negotiated by Jack son was signed in London by the Chi nese minister to Britain and a repre sentative of Lloyd's bank. Ever since the helpless government was buHdozed into becoming a market for India's opium, through which this terrible drug vice was fastened upon the people, China had been a prey of the great powers. Finally the Chinese people arose, and, after a successful revolt, declared for a republic. In the case of the late Portuguese revolution, the -powers delayed the just recog nition of the new republic because the dethroned king, Manuel, still asserted his Inherited right. With the osten sible excuse that Manuel was still the ruler, the powers had a nominal reason, at least, for their reticence. But they have no such excuse in the case of China, for the royal Manchus them selves publicly abdicated and publicly recognized the new republic. Yet, so far, not a single power has extended the hand of welcome to the new gov ernment. So China is left to shift for Itself. As, students of American history know, the United States faced its greatest crisis after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. But it found friends and money and soon put Itself on a stable basis. China was left in the same position. The moral support of the rest of the world would have at once established Its credit. But the subtle influence of the great financial group, headed by the Rothchlld fam ily, and of which J. Pierpont Morgan is a member, evidently made Itself felt. At any rate, the ambassadors to Peking made it clear that the powers were waiting for the government to pay up some of its debts before giving it formal recognition. The new republic did need money badly. Ita army was unpaid and filled with discontent. Its navy suffered likewise. There was nothing In the treasury except a lot of old debts, which had to be assumed. No im provements could be carried out. At this crisis the six nation money trust stepped forward. This was ac ceptable to the powers, since each looked with suspicion and Jealousy on the other. If one nation were to as sume the role of lender, that nation would naturally have a mortgage on the republic and thus be able to throw all the great concessions to itself. Rich in untouched mineral and undeveloped agricultural wealth, with a huge popu lation to supply cheap labor and to support whatever railway and other modern transportation lines that might be established, China naturally ex cited the cupidity of the powers. The loan the money trust hoped to make was for $300,000,000. To lend this sum would give stability to the gov ernment Meantime, China seemed helpless. So the trust began to lay on exactions. One condition it aought to impose waa monstrous—all of China's finances should be handled-by an agent appointed by the trust. Another lim itation waa scarcely less unjust, for it was proposed that none of the loan should be spent on China's army or navy. If the money trust's loan went through It was clear that China might ae wall bo partitioned at once between Itnssla, Japan, England, Germany, rratmo and the United States. This wai the predicament of China Whan A- Wendall Jackson of San franeiaco, London, Peking and New fork, stepped in. It was the knowl edge thai hie independent loan scheme was maturing that caused the finan cial minister, Hsung Wang, to develop a fttiddeft streak of Independence and to balk when the trust declared how ifi§ money should be spent The story of Jackson's coup Is as follows: On July 1 of this year Jackson ca bled from New York to Minister Hsung that be represented a powerful syndi cate ready to advance $50,000,000 im mediately, and, as much more as should be needed, on advantageous terms. In this message he also asked the government to empower Liv Yuk Lin, the minister at London, to con duct negotiations with him. A week latea Jackson's proposal'was accepted. Code messagea then flew over the sub- marine wires, and on July 12 Minister Hsung in Peking signed the provis ional contract, Informing Jackson that within two days Liv Yuk Lto would be empowered to close the deal. At this time Jackson faced a small crisis of his own. Fearing to antago nize Morgan and the big interests, the American bankers backed out of the loan. Nor could Jackson get any en couragement from the state department at Washington. Despairing of interesting American financiers, the. Californian took steamer and arrived in London on July 23. The provisional contract, signed by Hsung, was received five days later by Liu. Then came a fortnight of ne gotiations with Liv, who demanded fur ther concessions to his government as to the terms. But the contract was formally closed on August 12, when Jackson was authorized to make a $50,000,000 loan at 5 per cent, maturing in 40 years. This loan was to be se cured by unpledged revenue, princi pally upon the government salt monop oly. In return China would be free to spend this money as it saw fit. This condition waa accepted by Jackson's new backers, whom he interested in London. The first payment has al ready been made. Other loans on the same basis will follow when needed. Meantime the six nation group, ig-. norant of rivals, was haggling over terms with the wily Minister Hsung. One source of delay waa due to Rus sia's attempt to secure special advan tages in China, which was crushed. The trust was still haggling when Hsung suddenly broke off negotiations and said China now knew where to get money on comparatively easy terms. The inside facta of Jackson's nego tiations may never be known. He claims—and evidently with truth—to represent interests as powerful as the Rothschild-Morgan group. The .world may never know how he played one against the other In the preliminary stage.* But thl« is a matter of small consequence, since he made good in the end. Jackson's ambition, resourcefulness and tenacity, as shown in his Chinese coup, are characteristic of his early life, say his old classmates. He has always been one of the kind who enjoy obstacles. And never from the start has he held as impossible for himself anything that could be done by others in hla line. It waiill years ago that Jackson opened his uncomprehending eyes in the humble south of Market home of his parenta. His best inheritance waa his pioneer American blood. His father made only a humble living as a work man on the docks. But the son was lucky enough to be born in a demo cratic city, which offered every op portunity to native merit. Jackson's early training was in the old Mission grammar school. Here he early distinguished himself as a natu ral leader among his playmates and one of the brighteat boya in hia class. The San Francisco Sunday Call But he had no mind to stop with read ing, 'riting and 'rlthmetic. He entered the boys' high school at Stockton and Pine streets, of which Theodore Brad ley waa principal. Jackson graduated so high In his work that he received a scholarship in the University of Cali fornia just after this institution had received Its first endowment from the state. As it had theretofore been more or less of a private concern, being known as the College of California, the freshmen of 1870 might be termed the pioneer class. Among the advantages of the state endowment was the en largement of the scientific depart ments. Through the saving in fees afforded by the scholarship and by making his living* expenses by the outside jobs commonly followed by self-supporting college students, Jackson carried him self through. He graduated with high honors in a class which in proportion to Its size has turned out more dis tinguished men than any class of the University of California before or since. Among those receiving diplo mas in '74 and distinguished in after life were General Thomas F. Barry, U. S. A.; Prof. Sr B. Christy, who heads the department of metallurgy of the university; Prof. John Stillman, head of the department of chemistry at Stanford, Joseph Rowell, in charge of the library on the Berkeley campus, and others who have made wide repu tations. In this brilliant class it was nip and tuck between Barry and Jack son as to who should lead in scholar ship. After graduation, Jackson managed to get together the funds for advanced study, and he and his classmate, Still man, went to Germany. At the end of two years Jackson returned to Berke ley, and with the prestige of his work in the European universities had no trouble In securing an lnstructorshlp. In due course he was advanced to a full professorship in the department of geology and mineralogy. In these years his marriage to Miss Alice Pierce of San Francisco took place. Miss Pierce was herself a graduate of the Denman grammar school and of the girls' high, where she was known as one of the brightest In the class. In 1891 Jackson decided that he needed a broader field for his activ ities, and resigned his professorship, and 15 years ago he moved to New York and went into business. In his history of the state university Prof. William Carey Jones calls the de parture of Jackson "an uncompensated lose to the university." His three sons are now in college In the east—one at Columbia, another at Harvard and the third at Yale. Jackson's thirst for learning has never been slaked. While In New York he decided that he was handi capped by a lack of French, the lan guage of diplomacy. Thereupon he and his wife moved to Paris, where both proceeded to master the language thoroughly. This has since been of great advantage in his iste-jnatlv?* l business relations. His next change came five years ago, when Jackson went to Japan. Foresee ing vast opportunities in the orient, following the Russian war, he applied himself to the Japanese language, which he now speaks with ease. Nor did he stop until he learned some of the dialect of Peking and was able to read to some extent the Chinese idlo grapbs. During all this long course of prep aration in Paris, Toklo and Peking, Jackson had dreams. With a master ful mind he saw the opportunities of fered in China. Then, working quietly, keeping his own counsel, overriding every obstacle and overcoming every kind of discouragement, he suddenly left diplomats and money kings to gasp at the news that he had delivered China its financial freedom. A. Wendall Jackson may be a New Yorker J>y courtesy, but he Is a San Franciscan by birth, training, educa tion and marriage.