Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-05-24

verted into pounds, shillings and pence and
sailed down at their homes in old Scotland.
BE 1t to their credit to say that they are
quiet, thrifty, industrious class of nen The
English and Irish come next in numbers; then
we have smatteriDg of Italians, Germans
and others, and of course the Yankee is not
wanting; all of which are peaceably disposed
men, as one would conclude from their call
ing, and men taken as a whole much above
mediocrity.
The pay roll for these men amounts each
month to small fortune, say from $50, 900 to
100000. Our April roll was about S53, 900,
but S1O0, 900 in August of last year was our
highest. Cutters receive from 81 to $3.50
per day, blacksmiths from $3.50 to $500,
quarrymen 50 %, and laborers about 81. 90
The larger part of this force is lodged and
boarded in three large boarding houses
houses built of wood, three and four stories
high, implanted, with numerous windows, and
not unlike shoe or wooden factory.
The largest of these, the Shamrock House,
has capacity for the entertainment of over
four hundred men. The cooking in this house
is done on big scale, no less than two hun
dred and fifty pounds of meat being cooked
daily two barrels of doughnuts fried, two
barrels of -four used, and two hundred pies
baked up, with tea, coffee and sugar in corre-
spending proportions. There is a number of
smaller boarding houses on the island, the
leased tenants of which are obliged to keep
boarders. Only think of it Not "boarders
wanted" but boarders almost thrust upon
you. Why, in crowded season here, men
pile in three or four in a bed, and glad to get
a chance to lie down at that. The price of
board per week is five dollars, irrespective of
strength of pocketbook or digestive apparatus.
Preaching is sustained here by church
fund contributed by all hands each pays his
mite, and goes or stays away, just as he
pleases. The Hall answers the purpose of a
church. Able divines have filled our pulpit
in the past, and we have listened to good
preaching that the same awaits US in the tu
ture, we hav'n't any doubt. Mr.. Fogg as
sumes the delicate task ofcorresponding with
and securing the services of clergymen in all
parts of New England. \ Sunday school has
been organized under the SUPPLEMENTARY Of
Hon. George Goodwin, the Government store
keeper, and formerly a member of both
branches of our State legislature. 1t has an
attendance of one hundred scholars or more,
averaging from six to sixty years Of age, per-
haps, all more or less eager to discuss lessons
of morality, as taught us from the Bible.
small day and primary school is kept
here part Of the year, sustained by a small
fund raised by those having children to send.
We have two men who at one time attract
ed some attention. One was an Englishman
on the Inflated steamship Atlantic, when cast
away; the other was on the train that was
smashed up at Richmond, Conn. The former
was in the rigging thirty-sx hours before be-
ing rescued; the latter, although he saved his
life, lost all his baggage.
One more little incident and | am done
with Dix Island and its affairs at present.
Well out among the bounding pillows, but
within sight of this island, is small lonely
island. Upon this island have lived from in
fancy two brothers, brought up together, and
l presume sole posessors of the island. The
brothers married and had families but anon,
and for reasons unknown, some cause of en-
nifty sprang up, and for years and years Zone
of the brothers having since moved away
neither brother spoke to the other, nor the
members of one family to the members of the
other, neither crossed the others threshold
nor borrowed nor lent, nor carried the eggs
and butter, ETC., of the one to a market, or
brought back little necessaries of life, but
lived on year after year, keeping up studied
aversion and seclusion. "To live, and not to
live" Bah! Who envies the life of man
that cannot speak to his brother? am glad
there are not many such in this broad world,
and that what few there are live on lone isl
ands, isolated from society the seem to
avoid. DIXIE.