Acme
Acme (#106960) (1884-1901), 45-foot long wood-hulled Chinese junk built in Roseville (San Diego), California in 1884 for Wo Sing, a Chinese medical practitioner. After the passage of the Geary Act of 1892, California-built Chinese junks were not allowed to travel to Baja California and return. The law stated that any Chinese person re-entering the country must have a return certificate, however Chinese fishermen were not allowed to obtain a return certificate. Therefore many junks sold out of Chinese hands. On August 8, 1892 Sing sold Acme to Mrs. Mary Augusta Chase for $250. She had two tons of guano aboard at the time. On February 5, 1901 Acme was wrecked at Baja California's Geronimo Island. On attempting to leave the island, her rudder broke and she was driven on the rocks. At the time of her accident, Acme was owned by Jerry O'Connell of National City, and captained by William Anderson of San Diego. She had an estimated two tons of guano aboard, valued at $40.
In the News
September 9, 1896 [LAT/SD]: “The junk Acme has returned from San Clemente Island with Chinamen and abalone shells.”
October 17, 1896 [LAT/SD]: “The junk Acme has returned from Guadalupe Island with 3000 goat skins.”
October 27, 1896 [LAT/SD]: “Junk Acme has sailed for Lower California for guano.”
May 10, 1897 [LAT/SD]: “The junk Acme has arrived with guano, and the schooner McPherson is due with more of this fertilizer.”
July 17, 1897 [LAT/SD]: “The junk Acme is the latest arrival from the south with a cargo of guano. It reports the total absence of hostilities in the guano district.”
November 5, 1897 [LAT/SD]: “The junk Acme arrived today from the Lower California coast, and brought with her Captain William Hall…”
February 13, 1898 [LAT]: “Use of the abalone… Quite a considerable business is carried on by Chinese in abalone shells and meat on the Islands of the Santa Barbara channel. In the abalones pearls are sometimes found…”
September 23, 1898 [LAT/SP]: “The Chinese junk Acme, Captain Stevenson, arrived on Wednesday from San Diego, and on her way to the islands. She is manned by Americans.”
November 13, 1898 [LAT]: “Goat-killers of Guadalupe Island… The junk Acme, Captain Chase, returned the other day from Guadalupe Island, 250 miles southwest of port, with a harrowing tale…”
February 24, 1899 [LAT/SB]: “The Acme of San Diego arrived in port Wednesday evening, five days out. The Acme is in command of Captain Steven, and will be employed carrying sheep between San Miguel Island and this port. It is a large three-masted vessel, and a great number of sheep can be stored away in her hold.”
March 8, 1899 [LAT/SB]: “The schooner Acme of San Miguel Island brought over 250 sheep Monday afternoon.”
March 14, 1899 [LAT/SB]: “The schooner Acme, Captain Libbey in charge, arrived Sunday night from the islands with 150 sheep.”
March 30, 1899 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme arrived from San Miguel Island yesterday morning with 160 sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
March 31, 1899 [LAT/SB]: “The junk Acme has arrived from the islands with a cargo of sheep consigned to Sherman & Ealand.”
April 4, 1899 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme departed for San Miguel Island and will return with another big cargo of sheep in a few days.”
April 7, 1899 [SBMP]: “Junk Acme arrived from San Miguel Island night before last loaded with 147 sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
April 15, 1899 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme sailed yesterday for San Miguel Island and will return in a few days loaded with sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
April 18, 1899 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme arrived yesterday from San Miguel Island with 76 sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
June 3, 1899 [LAT/SD]: “The schooner Acme also sails today with all the freight and passengers she can carry, all; bound for the placers.”
June 8, 1899 [LAT/SD]: “Word was received from Ensenada yesterday that the schooner Acme, which sailed from this port two or three days ago, together with three small vessels loaded with freight and passengers from San Pedro, had arrived at that port…”
December 5, 1899 [LAT/SD]: “A deck on the schooner Acme was destroyed and Joseph Nelson, an employee on the boat, sustained painful injuries Saturday, the result of an explosion caused by a defective gasoline stove, upon which Nelson attempted to prepare his dinner. The deck of the vessel was blown off into the bay, and Nelson hurled from the cabin. He was taken into the hospital.”
July 12, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk, Acme, came in yesterday from Santa Rosa Island with 160 sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
July 21, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk, Acme, arriving from Santa Rosa Island on Thursday evening with sheep for Sherman & Ealand, will leave for the other side of the channel today.”
July 27, 1900 [SBDI]: “A Chinese junk [Acme] that has been anchored in the channel for the past few days, left for Santa Rosa Island this morning, and will return in short time with a cargo of sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
August 1, 1900 [SBDI]: “The junk Acme will arrive from the islands in a few days with 200 sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
August 12, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme, Captain Valdez, arrived from the islands yesterday afternoon with 150 head of sheep for Sherman & Ealand.”
August 15, 1900 [SBMP]: “Hillyer will leave this morning on the sloop Acme for a week's cruise about the islands in the interest of the State Fish Commission.”
August 18, 1900 [SBDI]: “The junk Acme brought in 30 bales of wool from the islands today.”
August 25, 1900 [LAT/SB]: “The robbery of the Chinese abalone fishers on Santa Cruz Island seems to have been partially cleared up by the arrest of Frank Reina and William Gerald, who have been navigating the Channel Waters in an old junk called the Acme. The two men were arrested on a complaint sworn by Ah Poy, who alleges that he lost about thirty sacks of dried abalones at their hands a few weeks ago and that they shipped their booty from the Gaviota wharf to San Francisco. When captured aboard their junk, Reina submitted peacefully, but Gerald showed fight and had to be overpowered. Both men were taken ashore by officers Hopkins and Sansome and being unable to give $1000 bond were sent to jail. When near the jail door Reina broke away from Constable Hopkins and tried to escape. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Hopkins draw his gun and he halted immediately, saying he know the officer’s reputation. The detention of these men may furnish some explanation to the thefts of abalones and provisions from Santa Cruz Island which caused the death by starvation of a Chinese fisherman and brought his fellows near death’s door.”
August 26, 1900 [SBDI]: “The junk Acme reached port last evening from Gaviota with a cargo of hogs for Sherman & Ealand. The Acme was becalmed for a day or two, up the coast, and the launch Peerless was finally sent to tow her in.”
August 26, 1900 LAT/SB]: “That the dingy old junk Acme, whose dirty black hull carrying no bowsprit, but having bow and stern built nearly alike, has been harboring pirates as it plied the placid Channel waters, seems certain. Inspector Putnam, who is well-versed in criminal lore in connection with his business, saw the prisoners Reina and Gerald arrested on the Acme a few days since on a charge of stealing and shipping abalones from the Chinese fisheries on Santa Cruz Island, and is quite sure that they are the same men whom he had arrested at San Diego and who served a six months’ tern in jail there. The man giving his name as Reina was convicted under the name Rios. They are old offenders and are believed to have been carrying on a smuggling trade for some time.”
August 31, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme sailed yesterday with Joe Arabus in command instead of buccaneer Reina.”
September 8, 1900 [SBMP]: “The Chinese junk Acme arrived from Santa Rosa Island yesterday morning with a cargo of 200 sheep.”
September 19, 1900 [LAT/SB]: “The trial of Gerald, who was arrested with Reina on the charge of abalone stealing, is on in the Superior Court. As Reina, who pleaded guilty and is now in San Quentin, was captain of the Acme, in which the abalones were brought over from Santa Cruz Island, Gerald is making the plea that he was simply in the employ of Reina, and was bound to do his bidding aboard ship. The prosecution will endeavor to establish the fact that the two men were in partnership.”
October 3, 1900 [SBDI]: “The junk Acme arrived today from San Miguel Island with a cargo of abalone shells.”
October 4, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme arrived yesterday from San Miguel Island with a cargo of abalone shells from the Chinese fishing camps.”
October 19, 1900 [SBMP]: “The junk Acme brought 30 bales of wool from the islands yesterday.”
February 27, 1901 [LAT/SD]: “Ellen came into port today bringing four sailors, the crew of the Acme, which, it is now learned, was wrecked on Geronimo Island, a barren rock off the coast of Lower California, on the 5th inst. The men remained on the island until about a week ago, when the Ellen saw their signals and took them off. During their stay they obtained what provisions they needed from the Acme, which was driven on the beach but not broken up.”
