The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-11
TILE GREAT DEVH-WIIALE.
AND nov PRISON WALKER CHASED
HIN FIVE MILES IN A DOHY.
a Story that they Tell at the Month OF the
kenuebcc HIycr-1he Singular Clen In
Pond Island Ledge Ui-torieniiy Explained
A Problem for Thcoiouimns aud Ge Oioaists

kenuebcc IgIycr-The singular Cien In
Pond Island Ledge uistorieniiy Explained
A Problem for Thcoiouinns aud Geoioaists
PORTLAND, Me- March s.-Pond Island is
little rock in the Atlantic. about milo outside
Of the mouth o. the Kcnnebec river. II is occu-
pied by family. COW. and lighthouse. This
last is an inconsdcrablo affair. playing second
fiddle to the frst-class establishment ON Seguin
Island. three miles further out to sea, whore the
lantern Is 200 feet above tide water. and the big
frcsncl lens from Paris will admit half n dozen
people and give them plenty Of elbow room.
Tho ono thing remarkable about Pond Island
tbarrine its cow. which is said to subsist upon
scawced and to yield milk Of rich saline IA
vorl Is n curious cleft through long ledge that
juts out toward the main shore. This chasm
has sufficient note us a natural curiosity to be
pointed out to strangers from the decks of the
steamboats, which enter and leave the kcnnebcc.
The coast people call 1t the Devils Short Cut.
visited Pond Island one day last fall. when
Appearances and tho Weather Bureau prom
ised southcosterly storm, in order to spend
the night in the lighthouse and see the surf in
the morning. saw no surf worth speaking Of.
for the wind hauled round of shore ut sun
down. and the sea nattcned into duck pond.
My expedition. however, was not entirely in
vain. inasmuch as / heard from the vcracious
lips of Uncle Seth Grumpy the true story OF
Parson bud Walkers extraordinary adventure
with the whale.
Fifty years ago." said Uncle Seth Grumpy.
after he had trimmed the concentric wicks of
the big light and lit his own pipo with u Gov
ernmont match-"il fifty years a.lD there warn't
no cut through thet ledge. no morc'n there's a
cut through the back Of my hand"
You astonsh me. Uncle Seth. " remarked.
There may have boon incrodulty in my tone.
for the old lishtkccper looked at me steadily
for minute or two from under his shaggy rod
eyebrows. and then. as II he had got his bear
ings. quietly continued:
Fifty yenrs ago. say Pond Island war az
tight ~ "a drum Con arsk Daddy Lincoln.
over to the Fort. or John Joseph Oliver or Cap'n
Ebsn Riggs up TO Gcorg town. or any Of the
old an vaeycd citizens aonEst shore between
Small Pint an Newageen. They'll toll you thet
forty years ago there warn't no short Cut. Con
ar-k EN-. durn y. If YOU don't bleevc me-"
hastened to assure Mr.. GRUMPY OF my great
reluctance to douN, his unsupported word. but
at the same time expressed considerable sur
prise at the fat whisn lac had stated, and took
thu liberty to ask for details. These he very
kindly communicated. hut with such minute-
ness and aitcntpn to apparently trivial and
irrelevant cirruia stances that will be excused
for presenting his narrative IN II somewhat con
dcnscd form.
I.-rAGsoN DUD WALKER.
As long nco as 1920 the worthy people Of the
village Of Georgetown were favored with the
spiritual m!nsiiations u the Rev. bud Walker,
a middle aged divine. He was said to have
been great sinner in his youth and early man
hood. having sailed the seas and roved with the
raekl.s.s | Nc4a pvan vrlfisuarad TINT at ..no
time hc had commanded packet making rcgu-
lar voyages bctw IN the West Indies and tho
Guinea coast. trafli king in flesh and blood. In
the estimation Of his locs. this dark career. in
stead Of disqualifyins him for the pulpit. was q
very strong point in his favor. thorough &C.
qnaintancc with the ways Of the devil. they ar
gucd. was an excellent preparation for one who
made 1t his business to fight the devl. At any
rate. TIE devil received mcrciless treatment
from rarson Dul Walker twice every Sunday
aud at Tuesday and Thursday evening prayer
meetings. and his pulpit arraisuments OF Satan
are stAl remembered aud Landed in Georgetown
for thor uucnmpromisng severity.
Parson Dul Walker would frequently pause
In thu midst ~ passages Of implsso invec-
tive. and. tn a solennity that thrilled his con-
gresaton. assure them that he regretted
nothing SO much as tho improbabiliiy Of his
ever meeting the devil face 10 iace as the good
Luther did. Ii was very generally held i'm
Georgetown that If Parson bud Walker could
have the luck to encounter the devil IN person.
Tie laits would BE- sure OF pretty rough han
ding.
eminent divine was not without his PERHAPS il
WIS the only relic OF hia curly depravity Par
son Qua MalA"r was lgnd, VIGOROUSLY fond OF
Ncw England rum. and Was accustomed. at toll
crably regular intervals. t. indulge that fond
hess to an extent that seriously impaired his
pulpit usefulness. During these reuiit.nt at
4
and The devil hro a rr-'.
Tine parish bore patiently with the parsons
nirmty. Hari drinkers We're more lcnlcutly
regarded IN Maine then than now. and hard
drinking WAS more common among pous peo-
Pc clerical a. we'll ms Jay. Besides. the conlsr,-
CATION had tried several total ai'auli ming cler-
gymen and found that none of them could
hammer Bee.1 DuO quite 50 heavily rs the
Whenever the time camc around for their pas
tore pcriodl'frlai-et ne EeQrg town dsacuns
10 avoid scandal. were in IN" habit of providing
him with n small demunhn OF his favorte up-
pie and dcspeirAins INN IN "A dory To- Sesuin
Island, whore the lighthouse was kept 10y an an
a cordial wei .ome for The parson md the drini-
john. and always took care OF both until the
spe!i was over ana IN" rum was gone.
1.-THE MYSTERIOUS WHALE.
In the spring of ,2l many of the vessels which
came INTO hennch-c. the Sleeps ot. or Booth
bay hurbOr reported having en- souutered biz
black whale "A short aisiHn go of the shprr. The
app aran PEP of "a whale M those wat rs was rdth-
- an event. SILL. not 80 unusual rs to cause
general eXetomrnt liul THIS particular whale.
Us 10. prod lglNu- sl1'. the celebrity oi 10, move
nrnts the lrn-th Ol time II tarrlnd IN the nrIeh-
horuood. and It's huhlt of believing most aw-
AMY whenever human pelnSs were within hear
Boats put out from Mls'assot and Bo0thlay
II capture tn" great whale. several rNpodi-
tons hu'cn'dei IN srlt n, wtnin si-ht ami
SOUND of IN" animal Some "i tho boats, It Is
-aii put ha 'k Hgan in "a hurry. their rows
"lns seriously alarmed IS IT,. trnil, hollow
in-s .ui tur munSier ana tue furious manner
b r.