New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-04
LETTER FROM NANTECKEr.

THE following letter is from New
Orleans lady who is passing the heated
term on the rude and rocky shores" of
New England. 1t has not a word Of politics
in it'll
NANTUCKET Nam uoket Island,
July, 1872. 5
As l wrote you in my last that we were
to come to this place from the noise and
turmoil of the jubilee, and the thermometer
at ninety-fve degrees, to make a visit of a
week or two, we accordingly left Boston
Thursday morning, and arrived here at
seven in the evening. We came part of
the way by rail, passing through NepOnset,
Quincy, Baintree, Bridgewater, two or
three Faimouths, and twenty other places,
to Woods Hole, from whence weiembarked
on a steamer for Martha's Vineyard ard
Nantucket.
The sail was not the most pleasant, as an
east wind prevailed, causing a dense fog,
and making it necessary tie take soundings
and ring bells most of the voyage. Yet the
trip was made without accident. And
though quite delayed, hospitable Miss
W had a good warm supper awaiting
us, Between NepOnset and Quincy you
know was the first railroad of America,
constructed in 1926. 1t was but three
miles long, its wooden rails covered with
irOn.plate, firmly laid upon blocks of stone.
The cars were drawn by horses, and one
horse could draw twenty tons of granite to
the Neponset river. Quincy, you will also
recollect, is distinguished as the birth. place
of two Presidents of the United States
John Adamas and his son John Quincy.
Here fifty years ago the elder of these,
after retiring from the Presidency, like the
Sage of Chappaqua, pursued the business
of farming in his old days. 1t was at
Quincy also, history relates, that Miles
Standish, the Puritan Captain, who, like
Caesar, knew the name of each of his sol
diers, performed some of his valorous feats
by arTesting a leader who had sold arms to
the Indian enemy, and
'Tonder there, on the hill by the sea, lies buried
Rose Standish,"
says LongfellOw, But, PierpOnt asks.
The Pilgrim Fathers-where are theyg
The ayes that brought them DER
Still roll in the bay, and throw their spray
As they break along the shore"
The ancient town of Bridgewater, through
which We passed, was purchased of the In
dams by Captain Miles Standish and others.
Nantucket is a quaint Old town, narrow
streets, with oId-fashiOned houses, and all
as quiet as a churchyard. The island is
about fourteen miles long by three or four
wide, and thickly settled from one end to
the other. 1t is a great summer resort.
Saturday we drove to place on the east
ern end Of the island called Siasconset, and
spent the afternoon on the beach looking
out on the Atlantic and gathering sea weed,
while baby grandson amused himself roll
ing in the sand, watching his papa and
uncle catching blue fish.
welcome, o wind of the east, from the caves of
the misty Atlantic
Blowing DER fields Of dulse and meas1reless
meRdOWs of grass,
Blowing DER rocky wastes, and the grOttos and
gardens Of OCeanW
exclaimed John Adam, and SO do / Thus
far our visit to this old town, celebrated
for its whale-fsherymen of enterprise. has
been a most pleasant one, nice, quiet Miss
W doing everything TO make all de-
lightfully tranquil, cheerful and happy.
Though Nantucket-is largely composed of
elderly maids and widOws-so many men
having persisted in the whaling regions
still they are not unhappy.
We have just returned from q ride to the
south shore, some three miles off, which is
nothing but-a sandy plain-treeless, and
except the sand, only coarse sort
of grass and an occasional pine. During
the slightest storm the waves beat
upon this shore to great distance, and
vessels are often wrecked. Houses are
builtalong the shore, provided with blankets
and other necessary stores for those who
may be wrecked. 49,