The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-09-04

The Herald COMMISSIONER Roper

BARssrABLE COUNTY, Mass, Aug. 3, 1858.
E,arnstable County, or Cape Cod-F1a Landing Of
a1e Pilgrims Origin of the Nams of the Cape
Search for Gold The Iadians-Settlemeat Nude
Ages of the Principal Io,cns-Pops.iaticn-
Value of Property-Hs Distribution -Agricul.
surat ProdaeticaS-Land, Cattle, 3-c.-Mamu
factures-Hoc'ea Goods Cordage-G Glass Fac
t@ies-Sah and Salt Observation-Disclosures Ar
tisles- pfarair'~ Parsmits-A Amount Of Tonnage
Ship Building The Fisheries-Deaths al Sea
large Numbsr of Wido,cs in Barnsfabe Co~n-
ty-1he Cape Women-G General IVeifare of the
People-Modcy of Propcty-Iae Otis Family
Chief Justice .Shaw--Mr. HaVeH-Tne Cape
\ Merchants. &C., &c.
!. II there is one Of the counties Of Massachusetts,
nat is better known abroad than any or all the
Tiers. it is the County of Barnstable, commonly
bllled by native and foreigner alike, Cape Cod 1t
elongs to the oldest part of Massachusetts, was orr
inally portion Of the Old Colony, and was trod by
ie Pilgrims some weeks before they landed at Ply
tiouth. The frat harbor made by the MayHower
'ter she left Europe was that of Cape Cod, or Pro
Sncetowu. There, on the 18th Of November, 1920,
10. ST. portion of the Pilgrims landed. 1t was
proposed In the Massachusetts, Legislature last year,
n erect monument at Provncetown, in honor Of
event the first in the history of our State after
lac adoption Of an instrument of government y
hich was done on board the Mayaower but the
Project failed of success, because Of the opposition of
Eople from parts Of the State which probably have
4 nall claims to monumental h,nors. MASSACHUSETTS
IN celebrate the events Of her history with good
nners and fine talking, but it il clearly wrong in
SIR to indulge in the expenditure of money con
rning tiem-public money, mean.
1t was in the year 1908, and on the 18th May, that
,ptan Bartholomew Gosnold, whose name is of
pe note in our early history, first this part of
x sssachussetts. He had arrived from England on
re previous day, in small vessel called the Con-
rd and on the 18th, after standing to the SOUTH
chored near . cape, which, from having there
ken great store Of cod fish," he gave the ex-
essive but not very euphonious name of Cape Cod;
name as Drake remarks, =" which it bears to this
y, and which it is ever likely to BEAR 1t was
larles the First who, nine years later, called it
,pe James-but Cod sticks to it like the fish itself
that name. About 1914 there was gold.hunting
petition came here from England; but it did not
oct with quite SO much success as some modern
petitions to California have experienced. The
dams of that day and this region seemed to have
~ fierce race, and sort Of" Wreckers' in their
ky-particularly as our pious historians assure us
\ ere came pestilence among the Aborgines
/ ,ich swept OF the New England Indians. What
I re left were used up through the aid Of those
tent Christian civilizers-guns and rifles.
Though thus early known to the English, Cape
d was not the scene of their early settlements in
/ 3 part of New England. The Pilgrims did not stay
II g on it, and it was not until several years after
|ls foundation of Plymouth that any settle
lint was effected within the limits of what is now
/ county Of Barnstable. Sandwich, think, was
It founded in 1887, by people from the colony Of
.ssachusetts. Barnstable and Yarmouth date from
! &c. and Eastman from 1914. There Ia an interest
relic Of the early times at Eastman, in venera.
pear tree which in point Of age, is not unworthy
rank with the Endicott pear tree in Essex county.
was planted by Governor Prince, for many years
Iee magistrate Of the Old Colony, and is not less
N two centuries in age. Falmouth was incorpo.
| ed in 1886, Truro. in 1903, and Provincetown in
\ 4. These two last named towns are probably the
I specimens Of the Old Cape settlements that are
J in existence. On the Cape are to be found bet
specimens of the old colonial times tia any
ere else in Massachusetts,. Primitive ideas and
mtiye manners have continued to exist there long
,r their Disappearance from the rest of the State
e cause of this is to be found in the fact tina.
foreigners come here to live 80 that the purity
Face has been maintained. There the people have
been exposed 10 the influences OF great cities
adhere to the manners Of their fathers. OF late
rs however, the prodgious changes in modes of
ught have not been without their effect on Barn
Die.
: 1'arnstabls ia one OF our slow growing counties
he matter Of population. In 1920 it had 24,O4e
shitants; in 1910, 81 ,662; in 1850 80 ,997. The
ilOus pursuits in which so many Of its people en-
20, and the barrenness Of the country, are not ia.
able to the increase of numbers Many persons
iove to other parts Of the United States-to the
st. to our large cities, and to manufacturing
ms In the early times Of American manufac-
Is, whole families used to leave ''the Cape to
Tx in factories. Ofthe small increase of popula
NJ between 1910 and 1850, the towns of Barnstable
yincetown, Harwich, Sandwich, and Dennis, had
host the entire amount. Eastman, Yarmouth and
cans actually declined in population during the
,e time.
The property OF Barnstable in 1910 was valued at
s96 ,6SS; in 1850, at $s,s973i9 "A, showing an
rease Of almost four millions. The greatest rate
increase was in Provincetown, which advanced
n S423 $50 to 81 ,O43 135. Barnstable increased
Ia 1886 ,s66 to 81 522 ST.; Sandwich, from $685.
to 81, sl4,39l Is; Falmouth, from 1852, 1903 to
4,AG6 IS; Yarmouth, from si65 ,466 to s746,5s7
Dennis, from $423 ,279 to $79s,934 Ii Harwich,
a $23s. 1882 to 1924 500 IS. All the other towns
dsomely increased in property.
here are no large places on the Cape; Barnstabe
he largest town, and that had 4, s03 at the last
sus. The average population Of the towns is
70. The smallest town is Eastman, which had
inhabitants three years ago. Eastman is famous
its camp meetings, assemblages Of the kind being
there every summer, to the great edilication OF
who attend, and their name is legion, on more
cunts than one. 1t is an old town, dating back
&c than two centuries. The whole number Of
ms il thirteen.
nd as the Cape unquestenably is, and in many
,ects unfayoably, situated for eminence in agri
ure, il nevertheless produces fairly. The leading
auctions Of Barnstable County, in 1860, were -
ian corn. SO s43 bushels; rye, 10 1885, oats, 6,370;
lev, 2A21; wheat, ss2; tons of hay, Is ,l05; pota-
(about) 10000 bushels; fruit, (about $4,000
hcls Onions are very largely produced. In
-. x,,c. II