Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-13

iHtIe i a culture anu genuine refinement
about the native ISLANDERS that iustifics their
preference for their own island and families
and people. They do not quite like the
manners Of the folks of the continent. Their
own pplitenesS is more genuine. What
would you think of trying to buy little
book, sketch Of the history Of Nantucket,
at bookstore, and being compelled to ac-
cept it As gift? Tic qucenly old lady who
gave NE such a book insisted that it was out
of date, and of little value, therefore, and
that must accept it without payment. She
was too proud to deal even with 4 stranger,
except upon generous terms.
Visiting this Island for ,eyeral years,
have found the same generosity, always,
among the native inhabitants They believe
in themselves most thoroughly. and, if
you honor them truly, they will honor you
and remember you forever.
What shall say of their intelligence? :?
The girl who waits upon cur table at the
hotel reads Virgil in tie original, and her
friend at the next table knows something Of
Greek.
The drcary winters are used here for study
Those who are on the little patches of farm
ing land, rescued here and there from the
sands. come in to the village, to live and make
merry and profitable winter Of it. They have
good schools and public library. They have
societies and sociables and lyceums and home
entertainments OF every description. The
old sea captains have club-room whcro
they meet about every day and almost every
hour in the day, aud discuss all manner of
possible (and some that ought TO be impos-
sible) subjects. Some Of the old sea-togs have
seen great deal of the world.
There is also ncws-rOom where you can
drop in and read the papers. The diary kept
there upon the desk has some interesting
entries. see by consulting it that the
thermometer here rarely falls much below
twenty degrees in winter There were a
few days. last winter down to ten and twelve
degrees; but i'll February spring came back
to the island. ShipwrcckS, which often
happen upon the South shore of the island,
are noted in the diary.
The days when the little steamer running
to the main land or continent is blocked with
ice so that all communication with the out
side world is cutoff, | observed to be fire.
quent in winter. At such g time, notice,
when the boat had been frozen in for a week,
some citizen manufactured little poetry
upon the nature OF the situation, and enter
ed it in the diary, calling it - Winter Poe
tree am sorry that it i very poor
work, quite too poor ta print. The diary
contains here and there hints about shutting
the door of the room in cold weather, and
inquiries as to who has taken away the pen
ell. The. .sadiest entries are Of the death Of
Nantuekctcrs, at home it may lie. or in dis
tant parts Of the world
In regard to Nantucketc.s. notice that
there is peculiar kind Of mln produced
upon this island, now and then, that have
not seen elsewhere in the same degree of
perfection have met about d. zen Of his
kind, in the summers that have been here.
lie is quaint. slow.spC ken. solemn and sin
cere and innocent beyond the power Of dts-
cription. lie seems to live IN a idr-sif dream.
lie is 50 unacquainted with man. that his
tamenes,' is shocking to ne lie Is 4 native
and inow that in some cases he has never
been of the island. Such 4 man met me
when landed at Nantucket, five years ago.
My travelling cumradc at the time was
New York wi:c -pIlltr, and unt likely 10 be
sentimental; but he had sentiment enough |
to notice the strangerc-S Of this man. and he |
often alluded Ia ii aftcrwari. AS the nan |
spoke To Us his presence reminded me OF lee I
bcrgs and endless snow-iielIs, and the Polar
midnightS described by Franklin and llearne |
in their Arctic voyages. Do nOt laugh. Some |
one has sand recently in print, that he always |
felt the SHOWS ahoCt the soul Of the poet !
Bryant when he cunyer>ed with him. In
such persons there seems t. be Il mixture OF
the elements not iuunl in ordinary
humanity. They live some sort OF hid
den life iar-rcmovcd from common cx-
pcricncc. One of these pcr>ors here
Is simply a labOrer. lie iSa lishl-hairtd, thin,
lons-icatured Young fellow, and common
enough to look At. But when he c1nycr-e@ his
is appalling HIS tonc-. without
being heavy or strong. remind You OF the
L.
chance 10 know little Of hi, history.
Some years ago he discovered that his
Younger brother hal .alcnt for public
speaking. lie devoted his own time ami
means and work to pushing forward this
brother and giving him an eduction. And
nnw this solemn Young man i chiefly proud
Di the fact that his Younger ruthcr is a
Methodist minister, abroad IN the great
world, and happy uud il'usi-hing. In the
meantime, the solemn yonng nan continues
lpIu the island, working about The hotels in
-ummer, cttchiu. customers and fish, utterly
unconscious that there has been any thing
grand or noble in bis ~elt-Sicrliicing career.
nave seen the younger brother IN the pull
pit. lie i, Il bright. active and very "talky"
,oung man, hut there j. far more material in
he older brother, ~ it seems IL me.
Turning away from the consideration OF
he people of Nantucket, will notice some
II the business questions that are suggested
lcre. The first question Of this sort i in regard
o agriculture. \ sharp Massachusetts,
aan with whom was talking Yesterday in
listed that great deal more might he made
f the farming un the Island. y gentleman
rom Philadelphia with whom | was out
Walking this morning is of the same opinion.
The Massachusetts man pointed To Il farm
Iod>c near the village where liicni oi his d
vas making moncy hy farming lie had 7
oil place upon the continent Tor fifteen
housand dollars and bought upon the island
lr fifteen hundred. There was plenty cf ! I
ca weed to be had with which 10 icrtilizc
he sand, and this, with d'g-fsh (uscd Tor
like purpoSc) would make good farm.
these views and facts | am
lclincd to think that farming Is not likely 1
} be IL business in Nantucket. sand hanks i
re drcary and di>couraging to the farmer. +
Another business whi,h i not likely to be !,
success here Is the running of newspapers.
here has long becna weekly paper publish !
4, and | believe 1t has h,cn n very good b
ne But when the effort is made To run
iyal semi weekly, the rival editor feel, the i,
u =
amer bnt publ>hc, some item, that are
,ry light reading. Tie fact thata man I
as driving COW with II ropc to Fl
rr hurns. from otc oi the farms n
.to town. and that the COW insisted upon T
ling 81 tast that the man got tired and lame. u
duly recorded also the tact that woman IL
ippod down ON a door step, and the tact that "
hoy wa~ pushed over by Il horse and came !,
r0 mar To hring inlGrcj. The editor has
be careful nnr to give ct,ucr, as every "
,dy j. known Ia everybody, and the people Il
g sensitive. Last winter, ia the quiet mo ie
,tunouS time when they were frozen in. II
eat wirdiall come to the editor one dly.
II lriehman' wife, tired ot things here, IL
idcrtuok To- cut her throat. She only got l
tie way with it, ior finding it was going
hurt, she stopped. But To- the editor it -,
ls great occasion and II magnificent op- =