New-York tribune., 1873-07-26

make coal cheaper here tnan anywhere else IN NOW
England An overruIing Providence also supplied
the island wilma cargo Of stoves, which much facih-
tated the use of the fuel.
SOLITUDE WITH ALL THE MODERN IMPROVEMENTS
But at present the sole business of life on TINS
island Is fishing as a fine art The number OF mem
bors cf the club actually on the island at any one
tir,e during the season is rarely large two dozen
being an unusual complement Members pay tno
same ANIMAL ducs the very moderate sum OF SlVo'
whether tbov come OF stay away ana hehce 'no
length Of tbcir stay is purely matter ol PERSONA
| convenience dependent upon business OuttS
vele,,nes them as long rs they can possloI9 o''''
Yot whether II is because they are naturaliy 80 III
l.;,,s or because there is such facility Tor COM
;,, and going. or because they get hOmeSlch-'nv'0
cInb men of Cuttyhunk-and want 10 see 'uo
brown-stone fronts Of Manhattan, can't uliuci 'No
IN decide; but the fact is, they 90 noS aNui-
age over a weeks stay. In speaking OIL l'cln
,ios for coming and going let me not be
understood rs limiting that there IS frequent ap-
nroacb of steamboat or railway train to tins lsanu
soma 1s or 20 miles from New-Bedford. But L
occoun+ II GREAT facility Of the sort that all the
in,pIenenfs and equipments of tho memDers-clotn-
inc tocEla personal luxuries-are permanently lelt
ON tho island; each mans traps" under ms
sonorate lock and key. When the pavement OIL
PToad burns the soles Of a member and DehnOmcos
ices fail TO cool his opiPastnum, he SIMPLY taxes
massage in Sound steamer and comes dO"h mere
without q pound of baggage. Ilo has only 10 llme
his coming so as to meet the Helen Aueusta-a
steamboat chartered by the club to make the voy-
oro from and 10 New-Bedford on Wednesdays and
SATURDAYS: missing her, the member might ma
fine hang heavy on his hands IN the VeneraDle
,balirr town. Once on board of the Helen Augusta
he is absolutely Independent Of the whole world for
the space Of so hours. During that interval the
bottom of the stock market may fall out gold may
90 10 $50: Church-st. may burn up but he shall
eat. sleep, and fish, sercnely.
There is a certain uniformity in the movements
of the Helen Augusta. She is inclined to roll lierc
are members to whom this motion is not luxury.
To snch il seems long morning ere she anchors Of
Cuttyhunk and announces by steam whistles the
exact number of members on board. The most
available rowboats and sailboats are soon at hcr
side Almost all the members on the island are
pacing the beach, impahently awaiting her mall
bag of letters and newspapers. This mail is the
great affair Of the day. It's contents determine IN
the majority of cases the question of going or staying
The Helen Augusta waits off the island some hours
long enough 10 enable everybody to take lunch
and make up his mind As result about as many
members usually 60 as come, and the entire
p,rsonnl of the dining table is changed. The party
of the first part of the week may have been jolly
as school boys; the party of tho second part may
be as solemn as organ-grinders. SO large a
proportion of the members do business in Wall and
Broad-st that the prospect of furry in stocks or
gold is sure to strip the island Of visitors. Not more
than two OF three members can bo depended Ol TO
remain during the season.
The newly arrived Immediately begin prepara-
tions for the morrow. visit to the loft where the
lockers are kept is first in order 1t Is thought that
the average value of rods, reels, and fishing tackle
kept here by the members is something like 500
apiece. Many have from 5200t0 $500 worth. There
is quito enough here to set up COnroy Il he should
De burnt out. Whether he could fit out Cuttyhunk
if it were burnt out, I'm not quite certain. There
are poles that money cannot buy; TO the owners
their loss would be irreparabc. The minimum kit
appears to be three bass-poles and two troutpoles
each with appropriate reel and Incl an extensive
assortment OF hooks wires, and smells. a book of
flies, and two trolling lines which viii prOba-
bly, prove superiluous Two suits of very thick
clothing and one of oiled silk OF india-rubbcr, with
abundant boots and hats, help to fiji each members
locker. For fishing goes on here just as well in n
rain-stOm dry weather; II anything it's tribe
lveler when it rains cats and dogs and the bass are
driven in from sea. When member comes in wet
his clothes are Immediately taken off and hung up
in the drying-room and he dons his duplicate suit
Without the rapid process OF the drying-room thick
cloth wet with salt water spray would be days
in drying. il a member puts on a boiled shirt it
signifies that he is not going fishing again. 1t is the
first step toward leaving the island.
THE AFFAIRS OF LUCK.
At the supper table rite peculiar to the place is
performed with fitting solemnity. A votive urn
with marked balls is passed around from which
each member draws. can wei imagine that some
new member seeing the look Of sOlemnity on all
faces during this process might shudder with doubt
as to his standing in the club, and wonder whether
they were going to black-ball him, after all Each
member announces the number he has drawn. The
numbers entitle TO consecutive precedence in the
selection of Islands" That is to say, for instance
the man who draws the ball marked l has the
first choice Of stands, and has exclusive right to the
stand he chooses for the next q hours. No platform
that ever was constructed by politicians has half the
interest that a stand has to Cuttyhunker. In each
case the integrity Of the planks is matter of vital
interest. But the choice Of candidates bears no
comparison in absorbing Importance with choice
of stands. These fixed localities of veal or
wOe-altars cOnsecrated to Luck, the fshermans
god-consist, each, simply Of platform
of the width of single plank, extending from the
shore out to some largo bowlder in the water
usually to distance of at least 20 OF so feet from
shore, and at hight sufficient in a general way to
clear the surf Success in the lastnamed particular
depends altogether upon how high tho surf rises,
however, and heavy seas break over the highest
stands. The spray that comes with lively surf is
about as wet as the sea for all practical purposes
and the newly initiated member never can tell in a
clustering morning whether it is with spray or sea
that his boots are weighted. 1t is better to wear
shoes, as they hold less water The platform is sup
ported by upright iron stanchions driven into holes
in the rocks below, and tightened there by wedges.
These fixtures have to be constantly tinkered during
the season. and are taken up at its close as the iron
doubles up under the violence Of Winter storms A
rope parallel with the plank at tho hight of the