The Republican journal., 1881-06-30
Uncle Billy Holland.
HOW HE AND THE ''oID MAN" CATCH L,
AND CISNERS

Uncle Billy Holland is singular Dut
harmless old sailor who lives in boat,
the Hettie, on Long Island Sound, sum
mer and winter The New York Sun has
an account of him, from which the sub
stance of this sketch is taken:
Thirty years ago William Holland was
a prosperous whaler, and he took out his
papers for the South Pacific. In attempt
ing to rescue a shipmate from the fumes
OF a barrel Of turpentne that had taken
fire in the hold, he was overcome himself
When rescued his mind was affected, and
from that time he has led the strange
life that has made him an object Of curl
osity. For many years he has laid in
New London harbOr, living in his queer
old boat summer and winter. but about
five years ago, he took possession of the
Little Dumping, one Of a group of small
islands northwest of Fishers Island.
There he built a house, dug WELL start
ed a large vegetable garden, and had a
comfortable home; but one day, being
taken sick, it occurred to him that some
one had poisoned the house. the water,
and, in fact, the whole place. That was
his fayorite delusion, and in less than two
days he had burned the house down, filled
in the we'll, and even cuthis tish-nets up,
and probably would have destroyed his
boat in his attempts to get rid of the
| poison. had not some one diverted his at
Uention. 1t was shortly afterWard that
the reporter first met him, and was in
vited to spend a day with him fishing
His boat, the Hettie, was rated at
| Lloyds as \ No. |, he said, and was a
low lofoot, cat-rigged nondescrpt, deck
ed over \ cabin, raised over all, gave
her the appearance of having three decks
and no bottom. This cabin was Just large
enough to hold Uncle Billy, a mattress,
and three or four blankets, a small stove
and a barrel of hard tack, and in this
smoke -begrimed place the old man slept
and lived. At the Dumping, standing
on the ruins OF his home, he held a long
conversation with some invisible person.
''lts my father" he said, shading his
eyes with his hands and looking toward
the distant spires of New London. Giles
u hollerin' out to me; they've got him
locked up over there. | go down to ork
every year to see the lawyers, but they
keep putting me off, and it's nigh on to
| forty years now since I've seen the old
man" The father had been dead about
| lutl llllC, Dtlu SOllC dliSt lttllJClliUltOl
makes Uncle Billy believe that his father
is kept prisoner in New London for
his money. Every year he makes a trip
to New York in his boat and cOnsults some
lawyer, pays his fee. and returns to
Fishers Island or thereabouts. Three
years ago his father 'hollered OUT from
Liverpool and, nothing loath, Uncle Billy
set sail, and was picked up three weeks
later oft the Grand Banks having for once
lost his reckoning, which was all made
on an old almanac Of 1867. The amount
of nautical information he got from the
old book was astonishing, and he would
| tell the tide for any day, working up the
difference in years in very few moments.
Several times he has been picked up at
sea by the revenue cutter and tOWed into
port and it is always the same story.
"The fish all know me-" he said, as he
shook out the old sail and headed for the
channel. 81 treat 'em well, and never
have any trouble with 'em. Ii you want
a little truck of all sorts, me and the old
man may as we'll hist the lobster pots :"
and here he stood up in the boat, and
putting his hand to his mouth, hailed ''thc
old man"
He can't hear You twenty miles away"
was suggested.
ooh, yes, he can. Don't We hear i'm
hollerin' out? Your ears must be a little
chOked."
Uncle Billy turned his ear again to the
windward, and caught the faint cry of a
laughing gull and the distant roar of
waves on the beach.
'Its all right" he said shortly. "lou
take the helm and keep for them floats !"
and, taking out his short boat-hook and
lutfing the boat, she drifted upon the first
float. He caught it with the hook and
hauled away on the ropes, finally bring
ing in the pot, a square box made of laths,
with two openings very much like those
OF mousetrap, and Just large enough to
admit the lobster that is attracted by the
| black-tish bait inside. AS he lifted the
pot over, twenty or more of the black
Warlike crustaceans commenced a vigor-
Gus tapping, but were soon Scraped out
into the boat, and Uncle Billy, who, it ap-
pears, is something of a naturalist, point
ed out things which would have delight
ed the eyes of collector. Anemones.
spider crabs, serpulW, a curious gurnard,
several large whelks, and veritable
piece of living coral had in one way or
another become entangled in the pot.
They were soon detached, fresh black
fish tied on for bait and the pot dropped
over again. Half a dozen in all were
visited, all having Il score or more of
Holsters and the usual strangers which
had also been attracted by the bait
Some Of the Holsters were broken up for
bait and after u search for a certain spot,
which was reached by various compari-
sons of the shore and neighhoring islands,
the killck was lowered by the side of Il
huge weed covered rock. The cunners
were so plenty that bait had to be tied on
with string, which was an extra amount
Of work that was we'll repaid, as the black
fish came up fast and furious.
81 told you they all know me- the old
man said, as he unlocked u ten FOUNDER.
"Pve seen people try to find this place
all day. 1e see, when | leave, the rock
sinks, but | never let on; me and the old
man lay off and on and watch them hunt
for it, le wouldn't think to find coral
in Long Island Sound, would ye?' he
continued, suddenly, and holding up the
beautiful piece he had taken from the
pot.
1t is only within few years that liy-
ing coral has been found off Woods Hole
and in some parts OF the Sound. 1t is
called 4stra1egia, and the animals are
pure white, completely covering the coral
so that when they are all extended the
mass looks like a piece of white velvet
tlecked with tangles of delicate lace.
"These ere creatures stand a sight of
cuttin' up" Uncle Billy said, batting his
hook with a rich brown anemone.
Chow 50? ?"
"Why ye can't kill 'em. showed a
minister a trick or two once. He was all
taken up with collectin animals, and was
terribly anxious to get lot Of these ere
but somehow or other we could only find
one. They're Just like fish some seasons
plenty, and again scarce. He kept this
one in a big glass, and was worryin' me