The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-03
FARMER TERRF,S ISLAND.
xvA.re h. waited Tor the End Of The World
xyb,Ie ~. Daughters were Weed aud Won

1t,nrplRD. Conn, Nov. 1T Is many
..ar. al, ~ Farmer Terry Of Windsor Locks
,omoycd rith his family TO tho wooded island
,rh,ch cory traveller between New York
"a Bos'o On must have seen lying in tho
c,r,oc,icut a short way above the railroad
hr,1go nj Warehouse Point He was peculiar
n,ar md the new homo that he picked out for
bimself and which has since gone 10y his name.
,,a peculiar Ills peculiarly was that he
sgurcd out by complicated methods from the
nr,phccies of Daniel the precise minute OF the
snI of the world: that he sincerely believed in
his calculations; that time and again he
gathered together his family ana others who
,bnred with him his nrithmctical faith. for tho
ourpose Of cnrountcring the dissolution OF the
,piyerse in a decorous and rcveront manner.
md tina, repeated failures on the part of tho
nnt,crsr 10 do that which no expected Of it.
although Disappointing him kcenly. convinced
him Of nothing except that he had made a slight
siundcr i'm adding UP one Of the columns Of
pniis and weakened the eternal fundnments Of
Ma faith not a bit. At suitable hours on week
,,,s. and all dav sundays. with slate and pencil
IN baud he continued TO worship IN the manner
hat he had marked out for himself. and MP
,ointol q now time for the occurrence OF the
rack Of doom rs often "a occasion required.
Tho island that Farmer Terry had chosen for
,habita,ion had and has many peculiar char
,gerisiics when compared with the mainland
Al about H. Frost it is said. is always a month
ats in touching it. Nobody. since aboriginal
lime. ut east had ever lived upon IT, and ii had
,ellom been invaded 10y anybody. even tenn
oornrily. for any purpose whatsoever. The
.,a.on for this avoidance OF the place undoubt-
ally lay in the difficulty @! reaching It. and In
Il. general apparent Inconvenience. for at this
point the river grows very shallow. its bed il
ro,ky. ard u- current fierce AM swift. II any
farmer lad ever looked over from the pleasant
slopes lying between Enfield and Windsor. and
guessed that thore was rich soil underlying tho
dense woods Of the island, he had contcntcd
himself with so much. and had never vcntured
% undertake the labor Of clearing or to incur
he loneliness - n place which was rs much Of
awiilcfno-- as il had been at the period when
Sis,acu- and his brother Wampanoags wan
Tered around and hunted the black bass among
Boo sharp stones OF the Connecticut rapids.
Everybody uarvcllcd ai Farmer Terry when he
sant over To- the island. axe in hand. But the
r't.cr had large fund OF the tradi-
.ltq vigor Of his race. and under
lis persistent methods II was not long before
D., lonely island began TO show n change that
lflmi-ol fair reward to the bold pioneer who
s,1nd lt. IT, the north. trees went down 10y the
hundred and IN their place rose fields OF yell
ow .oru; o. the SOUTH whor' the island comes
ol point uAe the PROV OF a boat on high
inlU won't up a tight and VOL 'apboardcd
i.I,r win one story and half story moro
us' under tA' sharply pitched roof. In front
s., 90" house appeared lit,le hit OF yard not
~. 'l hut with plenty OF LOOSE grain for plenty
), l'.-n oAi-kous. and with n bench or two a
igmm1.k. and q swing. Trees hcrcabouts
Is front door ~iep Farmer Terry could at once
>, -ha lei and enjoy the view. stretching for
many miles up and down the C,nucctirut and
20 iuilus seven nesting Little towns and rs
Iauy white church spires. Back 90 the house
tp.n" grove Wis uur;cd %. IL underurush and
d' iea-iOlo for my number Of Milicrites;
N'i- burns. and a sawmiil rose. and q rOnd
Tl- opened down 90 the west arm ~ the river
mi continued 90 the mainland 10y means Of
nrge ilatn1at. viii IN was run bach and forth
/ ing On wiz -trct 'hei from shore O. shore. II
was eleven years ago wh,u Farmer Terry struck
die first blow amid the Wuges Of lis island
wilderness and now. though wild beyond what
any one would expect e. find within the limits
u this pleasant Suite II is good farm and n
picturesque and comfortable home. Rabbits
and paur lgcs run and whirr among It's COW
Pts. and black bass IN plenty swim IN the waters
A. about Its owner may drive his loads Of
farm stu,r ON his gntboot and tben,e olon, tho
-.uui t.,yuatb sout',,rarI ~ Wfr5-,r ar north.
rnrincross IN. bridge to TngolI 4 ofrn,v.
boats moored updnr inc rocl. nil tia mon,lors
oflis familr have learned skiif,.ll, IN meni,,u.
Int and tb,se with small tro,,i,ls MAJ, 90 sb',.
ping NJ t.,.tiroe. but there ara no boats anv.
where for miles nlonc the mainland 90 that
tromns NAV n.vor invoda tho rror,isos ~
Farmer Torrv. and noho1v OIL, whom, Lo 1oos
not SEQ III to I'd, r,r n,ov rot within tllin,, AZ.
lance OF him. In sucb os,9i enlip, oI,v,vs
p,epty 10 en,,loy him and no,.r f.'Iiu, tho
teIiousnc-s of time. he lives and nrosn,rs and
provides a.air-, the yicis.ituda- II n world
which lac is a-touishod didn't come 10 an end in
1879.
Farmer Terry had two dqurltar- Nellie and
Sadie aged respectively 2G ana % year-. Both
were tall. robust girls. wb,., good looltb vos n
sllreo OF satisfaction 10 their nlr.nt- almost rs
great as their good conduct. Both c.rlI row
tle small bouts over To- the mainland without
tie smallest fear Of accident. and thnti. a good
d,ll in a place whore the water got, INTO sroh
horrible tangles ms il docs whereabouts. When
sho md grown 10 DO a woman Mis-. NollIo won't
AWAY TO Pninyille and became n t.achcr in ona
90 ,l.......