The Portland daily press., 1873-08-29
THE PRESS.
FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20, 1873
Notes from Martha,s yinerard.-No. l.

VINEYARD GROVE, Aug. "a, 1873.
To the Editor Of he Press:
L write from place that is worthy to be
knoyn in Portland better than il now is.
Visiting here 'or the second time, two wears
ago naturally sought for Portland people.
There were none here-a somewhat extend
ed research was, however rewarded by the
discovery that one man from Portland hal
been here during the season. But thought
then, and the impression is now confirmed,
that if the vacation tourists from our ci
were to know something about the rare at
fractions of this locality, few of tHem at
least, would direct their summer journeys
better and be more than satisfied with the
rewards OF their journeying. There is one
fact hat prevents my calling it the most il:-
telesrlns place on the continent; viz. it is Lot
on the continent. Martha's Vineyard is an
Island. Please print that with an emphasis,
tor Policeman No. II, who, Oh the morning
after our arr val, squaited cordially in the
door way of our tent, informed us that in
MISUNDERSTANDING good and wise old com
monwealth there are many persons who
think Marthas Vineyard i, some where
down on Cape Cod! If such things are done
in the dry tree what can be expected in The
green?
Martha's Vineyard is an island, and there
fore they who would come hither must tempt
the terrors o. the deep. From Boston, pas
sengers must go to New Bedford, or to Woods
Hole by rlilroad, ana perform the rest of the
Journey by steamers connecting with the
trains. A steamer runs also from Hyants
during the week Of camp meeting; and there
are frequent arrivals of excursion steamers
from other ports. Seven boats arrive and de-
part daily. The distance from Woods ii Jle
is only seven miles. From Portland the most
direct route is by the P. & N. Y. steamers
which touch here during the summer You
go Oh board at Portland at or before o'clock
p. M, you .njuy pleasant sail along the
coast till dark. you sleep well in a comforta-
Die stateroom, at sun rise you see the
sand belts OF Cape Cod, and are sailing down
by the liSht-ships and among fleets ol vessels
which are entering or departing from Vine
yard sound. At aobut noon you 20 ashore
at Bellevue Heights. unfatigued by your
journey. fyon go in the Franconia you will
find in Capt. Bragg an officer who eau be at
once efficient in his calling and polite to
his passengers.
Two men il quest of recreation and infor-
nation, lett Portiaud in the Franconia, last
Thursday, and after an easy and pleasant jour-
ney, much enlivened by the breezy compan-
ionship of your correspondent ''Y arncuth'', +,
Landed, we two alone, at lonely wharf on a
lonely part of the island a mile and half from
the camp-meeting grounds. There was moth
il g to take us and our traps to Vineyard
Grove, exct pit one job wagon, and that was
engaged in other work. 1t was a tir to
fesl "Iemote, uDfriended, melancholy, slow"
yarmouth" looking down from bis superb
or height on the upp.r dec.,., greatly enjoyed
the situation, and hadeeied us with heartess
comparisons. HAPPILY, however, the speedi-
ly departing steamer reliev ID US OF his bad-
mage and gave us opportunity to look aboGt
us.
To US looking about came tardy jump
seat carriage, feeble horse aud astute boy.
The boys astuteness We learned afterwaru.
He taught US new lesson in political econo-
my. The recognized rule Of supply an de-
mand is that as the supply increases the De-
mand is relatively small, and prices are CORE
spondingl. low. But this ffeckle- faced boy
knew bitter. After taking us over to the camp
ground and locating US on lot S76 he informed
us with admirable gravity that his charge
was $500. He was Immediately paid that
amount without word OF protest; but
we We're abroad to acquire information,
and ventured to ask him why he made a
charge so large for service so small. He
explained to us that there were so many cal
riages after a job that he found little to do.
Ours was mis- onlv fare for the DAY and he mus.
charge days waees. The explain tion was
conclusive. Any one going to watering
place must be prepared to encounter that re-
versal OF the great law of supply and de-
manu." IT you fall into the hands of an as-
tute boy or man, you are good for what you
are worth
The tricks of trade thrive tolerably even on
this sacrec campmeeting soil. An English-
mau condescending to visit the Continent
met, on landing at Calais, man with red
hair. He Immediately jotted down the no e
that Frenchman have red hair. A liber |
generaliz alton. But in this present case a
liberal inference wodld be better sustained by
the facts. That boy was son of the soil, and
an example Of its privilege. We found Oh
arriving that all the land within gunshot OF
the center OF interest was corporation terri
tory SUI 1ject to lease. We iesorted to the .'So-
ciety House" headquarters of the agent, and
applied for lot on which to pitch tent 81
DECLARE" he said 81 bei,eve you've got us
there" / afterwards heard the same express
sion used by waiter at our hotel, and COZ
ciude that it belongs to the Maltha Vineyard
vocabulary. The agent continued, "Our lots
are all taken up" But the man had certain
indescrib'e appearance of ''cuteaess' which
su .gested that he was-we'llsay exaggerated
at any rate the TACT was that there were
several unoccuped lots, and we pitched oui
tent on one of them before night, at a rental
of 200 for three days-the rent for the season
is 100
] have tried, since our arrival, to take es-
peca note of whatever features of this place
sonld most interest and nforuI YOUR readers
l have acquired, by asking questions of every
man met, fac $, lies and figures enough Tor a
volume. But this drudging of categorical
description must postpone for season.
Another letter will give opportuni y for dull
and instructive details. For the present the
novel experiences of newspaper correspou-
dent rush to my pen. have learned why
you newspaper men think so poorly of hu
man nature, and why you can't write para
graph without liability TO correction. | am
sorry to say that even here there are some
persons who. either wantonly or ignorantly
make statements that are not true.
Policeman No. II assured us, with all the
emphas his decrepid power could express,
that the great place of resort on this island is
to be Ketama, new speculation two miles
beyond Edsartowu, or eight miles from here
He expatiaied effusively concerning its won
derlul attractions. Per contra. stranger
who had just returned from visit to that
paradise assured me that there is nothing
there. What should a fiitbfui corre pondent
say about Ketama? Policeman No. IL lives
in Edgartown. l. he swayed by local inter-
ests. The stranger gave his dietum IN the
.offic-, O, a leading hotel. Is he particular
friend of hat house, and consulting its inter-