New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-23
TIE HUNTERS AND TIE HUNTED.
NANTASKET. MASS.

NANTASKET, MASS
THE NORTH AND SOUTH sHOREs-HULL-wHo
GO TO NANTAsKET BEACI-GOY. WINTHROPS
MEMORABLE YOYAGE-MEMORIES OF WEE
STER.
NANTAsKET BEACH, July 20.-BostOn is IA
vorcd in her seward well her inland suburbs In
midsummer the latter bear off the palm The wind from
the hills refreshing than the breeze from the bay
The long stretch Of seacoast what Is called the South
Shore is a rugged granite formation, broken here ana
there by gravel and sandy beaches and cool little rocky
hooks into which the waves dash furiously In rough
weather. The longest of these beaches is Nantasket
which extends nine miles along the coast, unbroken
mass Of sand. On extremity Of the beach Is the
ancient Town of Hull, which settled about 1925 and
now numbers nearly 900 inhabitants. This is queer old
place. waeIy kennel for briny old scadogs, wLo hay
ing retired from life on the deep, do something III
raising small potatoes and cabbages, and de-
light to unravel their yarns TO chance visitors
There are hotels here, too, on small scale, where
one meets people fresh from the country who shake the
haysecd from their hair into the ocean, take asty plate
Of chowcr and home rcfreshcdby the experience
Hull is often called the political barometer OF Massachu
Sets GAS goes Hun, goes the State is familiar
proverb which, like other proverbs Is sometimes facd
by facts when the member from Hull takes his seat in
the Massachusetts, House Of Representatives under the
historic Goldfish there always some jokes cracked
about the importance OF his constituency In that quaint
repository OF graveyard erudition, entitled Dealings
with the Dead" there Is sketch Of the sexton Of the old
school, the late Iucus 4anlius sargent-an old Roman
in something more than name-whOse white head, rub
cund face despite Lis wcllknOwn temperance procliv
ties and pOTty figure he sat on horseback were as IA
miar to old Bostonans as the Iron Duke to LondOners
He mentions that when boy he wildly impressed
with the importance ofegsatye characters by secngthe
member from Hull borne down, byhs weight ofrespons
bity the representative Of one hundred and fifty free
and enlightened fishermen, 60 solemely up the State
House steps
This peninsula Of Nantasket has an historical interest
in connection with the fathers of NewEnglaud -Four
years after the landing OF the Pilgrims at Plymouth in
1920 and six years before Gov Winthrop and the Massa
chusCtts Company safely mOorcd the Arbella in Salem
Harbor an attempt made by Conant, Lyford &
Oldham TO establish colony ut Nanasbet, whChiwas
abandoned in 1925 for fishing settlement at Cape Ann.
The sturdy old Governor himself came on wild goose
chase down here. Ii these determined old Pmitans
could revisit the of their early hardshps they
would open their eyes wider than usual At the other
end of Nantaset beach elevation about forty rods
from the shore, where in their day was unbroken
solitude, they would large hotel alive with hustle
and excitement and able to accommodate 800 people
Here visitors from all parts Of the country 1t is
fayorte resort for St. Louis people, and year after
the familiar faces Of these liberal and cultivated West
perpetual delight TO their Boston friends
As naturally happens, these visits have ended in closer
relations than those Of friendship and Cupid has used
his darts to good purpose on these broad pazzas To our
Louis friends deprived of breezes at home and
nhaing in Summer the rank exhaations from river bot
TOMS the change is extremely refreshing New-York,
also is represented here, and the ROckand" has had
brighter examples Of female wit and beauty than the
ladies from Gramercy Park, who have been such
slant and welcome guests.
Boston, Of course is always well represented. II ia
easy TO get into the steamboat which makes four trips
day. and escape for few hours from the dust and heat of
the city that the Rose standsh always full AS ttakes
less than hour to get here the tired lawyer minister,
merchant can cool off in this way without losing much
time, and great many people down and return by
the same boat Passengers for Nantasket formerly had
to go to ngham and thence by stage to the beach,
three miles oh-which was not pleasant under boiling
sun. Last year, however the Weir River little stream
which, starting near bingham, comes to within few
rods Of the beach, dredged to enable the boats
TO through good many wseacres shook their heads
at the undertaking as Quixoc and sure 10 ruin the
projectors. Events have fasied their predictions and
the affair is decided success. The stream is neither
broad deep and its channel extremely narrow 1t
is curious to see the twists and turns made by the
steamer she wrgges like eel through the water.
At low tide hardly anything is visible near the wharf at
Nantasket but gloomy piles OF mud, through which
narrow stream OF water ereeps suggishy, ana it
tainly looks il nothing but a Western steamboat
capable of running wherever there is heavy dew could
get along But appearances are proverbay deceptive,
and the Rose Standish plOws ahead with true Pilgrim
perseverance.
could not but contrast her progress with the voyage
which John Winthrop and his associates made down here
In the old Puritan days IL takes us back TO 1888 when
Boston was smaller than Hull is now having only $50 in
hahitants. The times were out OF Joint Everything
looked gloomy for our forefathers The French i'm pur-
suance OF the treaty OF St. Geman had lust taken pos
session ~ Acadia and in doing 40 seized some property
OF the Plymouth people nj PenobscOt "way down i'm
Maine" Now Winthrop and his men had two causes of
alarm. They afraid OF the attacks OF French SOL
diers ana they we're still more afraid OF the nroads Of
priests and Jesits whom the Cardinal OF France had
sent over Next 10 the devil the pOus Puritan feared
Jesuit whom he regarded satan's trusty friend and
ally. so winthrop and his associates held counc nj
Boston, and decided To forfy Nantasket Before doing
this they thought II best to take "A look
at the place. In those days there were no
steamboats, To take them there nor railroads
along the shore no stages connecting with all points on
the coast Indians were plenty; not the feeble half
breed Descendants Of the noble savage who make bead
ornaments and drink bad whisky but warriors who used
the t0mahawk aud soalpng knife Not a sail dotted the
beautiful bay as John winthrop, with four assistants,
three ministers and eighteen Others ON the cath
ruary 1885, set on In three boats for Nantasket II seems
strange that ministers should 10 ON "A warlke Grand
but IN those days they were prepared sto
Wen hs spiritual Toes aud able aud trusty couu-
selOrs on all subjects IL cold time 10 start on such
an expedition February Is bleak on the New-Englnnd
coast but they were lo taIxsather SAILORS. and were