The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-04-22

the foot road, found a skiff and put out
to rescue the animal. But the fierce
southeast gale was too much tor them,
the boat began to swamp rapidly, they
could not regain the shore, and were star
ing death in the face when the fearless
Ida went to their relief, carried them and
the skif to land, and then went out and
saved the sheep In the renlaininginstance
it seems that fine looking but reckless
young fellow stole large sail boat from
one of the wharves one winter evening
and put to sea with it, but the gale drove
the craft upon the Little Lime Rock"
about a mile from the light, where it
sunk, leaving the unlucky thief clinging
to the halyardy from midnight till dawn,
when the heroine reached and picked
him up. There he was,'' says Miss
Lewis, in relating the incident, shaking
and God blessing me, and begging to be
set on shore, and the last I saw of him
he was crawling up the wharf on his
hands and knees! c
The horoine of Grace Darling was the
result of single noble impulse the
bravery of Ida Lewis is part of her daily
life. Sixteen years ago the light on the
Lime Rock was established, and Hosea
Lewis, veteran ex-revenue pilot fal'lil-
lar with the coast from Halifax to Norfolk
became its keeper on the Sth of Deem
her, 1853 The southern line of the
harbor makes wide, deep-angled sweep.
with the city on one side, Fort Adams
two miles off on the opposite point, and
Lime Rock midway-between, about 800
yards from the shore. This rock COM
mands the widest view OF the harbor,
and upon it the keeper lived alone three
years and a half. Then substantial,
square. two-story brick house was built,
and in June, 1857, his family joined him.
-Four months later stroke of paralysis
disabled him from all work, and ever
since his daughter Ida has been the main
stay of the family 1t was she who cared
for her father, and lightened her moth
er's toll and watched over her younger
sister Harriet, and rowed her brothers
Rudolph and Hosea to school, and ekcd
out the ight-keeper slender pittance
with her needle and other feminine labors
and flew to the rescue of imperiled life
with an instructive courage that would
not let her worst enemy sink without her
risking her life to save him. a.-
In personal appearance this Newport
heroine scarcely attained the average
hight of women, is remarkable slender,
and would be thought much nearer 20
than 81, Light brown hair, blue eyes keen
but kind and cheeks pink flushed, though
not round enough for beauty, attract one
to woman whose quick smile and frank
and friendly manner more than excuse
the inevitable educational deficiencies
which such life must always entail. No
one can talk with her without believing
hnr ao r1ncolHch cha 1r Zoo o,l = 1o
fame her he-oism has created seems
simply to amuse her, without exciting
the least vanity. So little has she thought
of her own deeds that, when first asked
she had to spend much time IL considera-
ton before she could say exactly how
many lives she had saved!
ant old gentleman, able to walk little,
but spending most of the waking hours
in his chair. Mrs. Lewis is free-spoken
and hospitable matron, devoted to her
family, to her four story-papers, Of which
of the lamp whose fame has glistened
across the harbor from sunset to sunrise
these many years with as sure and unfail-
ing a ray as CLEANS from any light upon
the American coast. Rudolph is young
ScliOl VI ~-Os dOW iUSCut OIl d wy dSC,duu
.sHosey" (Hosea) is 20 and teamster in
Hattie is only II, and posses
ses wealth of personal attractions that
many fair Fifth-ave girl might envy.
Both the sisters indulge in rings and
ear drops and other vanities dear to the
feminine heart, and when they have re-
course to the treasures Of their wardrobe
chiefly by Ida's industry,
they might easily be taken for damsels of
high degree.
The house in which they live is white
washed till it glistens like snow, land every
thing is kept scrupulously clean. The
acre. in extent, divided by ss channel han which
is bare at low tide, and so utterly barren
it. A mischieyous black poodle, two rab-
bits, three plump cats who made an end
to all the rats and mice long ago., cou-
pie of turkeys, and a dozen common
fowls give quite Robinson Crusoe air to
en- feet, and the highest point of rock is
side is long, high pier, capped with Is
massive blocks of stone, and here, swing
ing from the derricks, or rocking on the
tide, may be seen the small, square stern
ed, well-Worn Government, black without
and white and green within, IN which |
Miss Lewis has learned to row SO well
that even the brawny boatmen of the har-
Dor concede her superior skill, and with
which most of her rescues have been
achieved. +s..,,........-e
A portrait of the American Grace Oar
ling, and picture of one of her exploits,
were published two years ago In an illus
trated paper, and many compliments and
requests for photographs ensued. More
than one romantic gentleman tried to per-
suade her to change her name for his, and
found friend indeed, but no wife. Two
brothers, seafaring men, from Black Rock |
Connecticut, have pressed their suits at
Lime Rock with more success, and it is |
quite probable that both the sisters may
be married before another Spring.
It is worth noting, perhaps, that Miss
Lewis is rightfully entitled to the extraor-
binary and unprecedented name of "Ida- |
valley Zordia, which she inherits from |
the quaint fancy of her maternal grand |
father, an estimable but eccentric Block !
Island physician. This name, however, |
she has wisely discarded, and writes her.
self simply ida"
In France or England, such heroine
would have long since received many hon
orable and substantial testimonials, but |
scarcely any gifts were made to Miss Lewis
until the two soldiers, rescued on the goth /
Of March, insisted on her accepting a
gold watch and chain of Swiss manufac
lure, valued at 800. L. Prang, the
Boston chrome publisher, sent her last
week kind letter, and half dozen
choice pictures. John Carter Brown,
ESQ.,, of Providence, and John Auchin-
,loss, Esq, of New Y ork have each sent
her check for S25; and Boston gen.