Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-06

not sign of human habitation is to be seen
| On the other is the broad sandy beach, and the
great ocean without ship--or a boat in sight.
do not know where another such view is to be
found. From the SiasconSet cliffs you can al
ways see the lighthouses and the village; from
the bluffs on the north shore with their wonder
full outlook over land and seq, you can see the town
and the harbor light; but on the south shore
you seem cut off from the human race, utterly
alone with wild, powerful, mysterious nature.
Yet here in this grand place, fishermen enjoy
the novelty of catching blue fish from the shore;
the only place where it can be DONE Acres of
the moorland have been sown with the seeds of
the pine, and there is vigorous growth of
young trees; but the growth is slow, and it will
be many years before the moors lose their
prairic-ike character. The climate of theisand
is mild, tempered by the ocean, and tho nearness
of the gulf stream. English ivy lives out of
doors through the winter, and hardy plants
bloom till late in December. The only unpleas-
antness in the climate is the wind, which sweeps
violently across the moors. 1t is hard
to stop writing about the island,
and one could fill pages with descrip-
''ii9 VI NiHAi7'dhNsg HYNNht"HN VI Us lutN
are called there, at Polps of the fishing in
Scsacacha pond; of the wonders of the surf at
the rips, and of the beauties of the neghboIing
island of TuCkernuck, where one of the Boston
physicians is building a house for summer Sc
cusion from his world of patients. But we
cannot leave the island without few notes from
its early history. Thomas Macy was the first
white settler. He was living in Salisbury, Essex
county, in 1859, and gave shelter there to four
Quakers who were overtaken by storm. They
stayed in his house only threc-quarters of an
hour, and he says, spoke not many Words but
his neighborS were so excited against him on
account of this act of mercy, that he could no
longer live in Salisbury, so he chose to take up
his abode amongst savages, and in the fall of
1869, che embarked in an open boat with his
family and such effects as he could conveniently
take with him." He passed round Cape Cod
and landed on Nantucket without accident
The island was then inhabited by 1900 Indians,
with whom he at once entered into friendly rela-
tons. The next year ten families joined him
and the growth of the town went on till 1910
when it had nearly 10000 inhabitants. Another
story of the Macy character is worth telling
Surgery was for long time little understood
on the island, and great suffering was caused by
neglected injuries and broken bones. Zaccheus
Macy, although he never studied surgery, be-
came by accurate observation, natural skill and
long experience, an excellent surgeon. He be-
evcd it to be his duty to the public without
pay; and during fifty years of practice he set
over 2OOO disocated or broken bones, and never
took Il fee.
The name of the town was atlfrst Sherburne,
and was not changed to Nantucket till 1895.
Among the summer residents this year are the
artists, Mr.. Eastman johnson, Mr.. VIM. Tiffany
and Mr.. George G Fish Mr.. Johnson and Mr..
Fish are taking advantage of the quiet place to
paint pictures already ordered; but we cannot
help wishing that Mr. johnson would find time
and inclination to paint the interior of one of
the little shops where half dozen old sailors
meet in the evening to smoke and talk. The
faces, the grouping and the surroundings are
beyond the reach of words but would make
capital picture.