The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-06-15


tt4sss tA4Ms 88.a 49, ~ fHaHAAs easss A. /.
A&*8sAs "a gas8 \ EN#8
fs~skafAN nssHi saas sasa1s ~ tshass "a
lsak. IsA ssa viii 49, lsnae rani
sstassti. ~ si.r t'anasan essi,. mar essl -.
s~sen Ers ksr~aa etsi lanst l,N.s, tl...
tsffa alAssV an,l ls.lnw III ssiasul II ~
al~ssii srsvnts NV nsl.~ trim isnfiala,
running parallel With iae masn sls.ass II
tsanHsia. IT. we~istn ls,sni terminating
aesa rat Rowan sas. ~i,er IL Insnssl
Whit j. sall.sl The tml, named n. a@
Il II t,st1nri IL slu.sksainlr til. .,uisni
sAl.N anil great was~. with IN. sNr,l
enrpni termed ~ tlrm. cutting through
the nlaln shnsr inia lint Rowan ,,as.
making inf awful. passage that sr.r.'ls
may ~all through. anil forming alsr NJ
,slHii II l.ang ruins, when otherwise il
j. only l~nin1ula, III. entrance living
almnpi ur quite rhukrl up with thu DRIFT.
ing quirkaand. TIN whole island il
na.lc tsrm the upheavinr Nan,ls III The
iak.. n II covered her, anl tlrr. with
dwarf. rImrs. trees anil trailing shrub.
Isfs the ialll n,a,lr mp ~ hrskrn hil.
loehr, with intervening ponds, Mlsr ~.
wild fowl in rral numbers resort in
i'icir Na~on. anil Oh. ninskrni and rsn.
s,nnull, otter ar found. The island ntL
~ Port Rowan hay approaches av now
owned ami kept ~ a private preserve hy
nm American association III gentlemen,
who have stocked the waters with iisl,.
Ana 1T them improve anil breed fer thu
past three years. until last full, WAS
tnll t,svntly hy on. nf tho proprlctnrs
that last fall they took several whitehall
firm their waters weighing ten, twelve
and fifteen pounds. the result III rest and
allowing thu tsHh ~ breed and multiply
without molestation mud lcHtr,tr.
tlon. The approaches on thu inland
slle " Port ltowan hay ar full IL wild
rice, thc fosl nj wild ducks and grcns.
where myria.ln IL them rrort, and tl,,,
lert shooting exists for the privileged
lew who own II.
Al thc time III which | write. ISL.
lsong Point island was owned IN wild
land ~ thu lri,iHl, nr Canadian Govcrn.
msnt. Upon itS eastern end, stretched
ont ~ Il long point III xanl, stands Il
light .hous., built hs the Canadian (;us.
rrnin"nt tng,,iir the mariner l,y III clear,
strong light up and down TIM LAKE. nn,l
Il - point If departure 10 assure son.
men nj their true position. Thu light.
hutn. and point III land nti which ID
stood were III direct line several miles
ftum tlir maln shore III Canada, md its
keepers nn.l families heinp the only H.
hnbitantx pruper mponths island Toward
Iii. upper end, near III. cut, sonlr eight
" nine miles from tl. hight llcls. ,th.
whole island prohabl, IL about twrlv.
miles loir) there we're saunttsl md
hia vii, Abigail AMI unme half.n..loxc,.
children. Johnny WIN trarrr III lrd
noma'lie life, trapping n,lskrs.ta,
HEAVIER. and other sanic. shooting ducks
nid fishing, cking out II l,nor eSistrih,c
from these prccnrinns mu,..e III life. liz
hal bnilt 4 aoft NJ slants HON. from
the Hluhs nllL Drift Wonl tint lH,l l,ectl
accumulated on the beach. Here let III
turn 70 IL.
TN cold. stormy November night In
1891, Johnny Becker wins away III the
main lnnd al Fort Nowan ~ swap his
skins for supplies. ami IL return when H.
could. Housed in this sllnnty WIN Ali.
gail, Inv wifr. tho heroine I'll our story,
Let I'm leave her there with her children.
while VI turn IL another Ms.lir ana fact
IN orr story. The Canadian three.
ninAt.l schooner Conductor, III Amherst.
burg. Canada, owned hy John Mcleod,
Scotch gentleman md member III thu
Canadian Parliament her commander,
Capt Robert liarkrtt. now III Detroit
whose father kept Il lighthouse IN In
holo iHlnnd, opposite .Smlcrathnrv.
many years.. and manned by crew III
seven men Ia nh. This u,.A.,l. ln,.lea
with wheat, bonnl from Detroit IL u
lo~cr port, through the Wsllanl canal,
on the night III question, Wa. IN The
sisinity ~ IsonR Point island, anil near
Abigail Bsker's rn,l. home. II war
blowing terrible gnle III wln,l, thu
weather bitter cold. the tops ~ thu
waves freezing In thc mir ~ they broke,
filling !. Will, frosnno pny, ~ TINT moth
lns could ~ secn twenty feet away irnm
the vessel.
The Conductor VIM rcn.l,ling before
the wind under eloHc recf.M snlls, they
judged they WEIR u Hafe md proper Iis.
tame. from the lnl.l and running parallel
with II, nn toward their port ~ sleAtina.
t,on, III which they were deceived. Tiny
were nearer thc Cnnnlian shore than
they supposed, and. ~ midnight, struck
the nuter l,ar II lonR Point. hent over
II. mud sunk between the two lnrs, lii.
H. aluve the pln. whore Abigail ltrkcr
aud her children wsre sheltered nn TINT
fearful aight. The vessels hull wMA IN.
tirely s,,hmerfe,l; the crew t,ok Ii the
rigging ~ tie three mantn, their only
rcfHEt. II wA. about midnight III 4
fearful. stormy November night, the sky
In murky darkness I'LL around them. tlc
storm 81 watnr sllAl,ing anil roaring with
fury, calling for tlicir apparent victims
~ ingnlf them. no possible 1,icsor near:
clinging 10 their frail supports Ia tho
rigging just above tho certain death that
s",med u Awuit them. Who could in.
Aginc their terrible forchuliugs nj an i'm.
mineut, horrid death; no relief apparent.
no help ~ look ~ 10. hut TN l,fcnt
Father who cares for MI. How thry
prayed ~ him On TINT awful night, 81
ssvc their precious lives. ! hal from their
own lips NJ the time. more than twenty
years ago, and II IL IN fresh 10 me- now
~ then. Here they clnne, waiting for
day light Which would never seem ii
come. Hut come il did ii lint, that NV.
ful November norning, with no nhat..
ment u tho terrible, raging storm. II
brought no comfort with II, NJ greater
hopes III Hnssur; Ill they could He VIVA
the Wild, ICY waves around them. max
ing Il really morr terrible tlnn when |
hidden by the pail u night. Iri II.
urn now 10 our heroine. Abigail ro.e
,ftef daylight and locked out. She tnok
lcr phil, ~ WINS her custom, AMI went
Town ~ point - gct .o,nc water IL MI
he tca-kettlc. AZ her foot, on the beach,
h. nav tho Conductors yawl-b0at.
wrecked and breaking b pieces. Her
,each experience taught her tliat some
lisaster had occurred. She looked .
round toward tho lAtc, pscrng through !
b gloom md storm, and, walking /