Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-26
A vacation Letter From the vineyard.
EDaARTowN, MATTHIAS VNEYARD,l
Aug. l6. 1881.

away land. Leaving the Fitchburg railroad
at Fitchburg the Old Colony road brought
me by way Of Framingham, Grammar as
the railroad men call it), Mansfield and Taun-
ton, to New Bedford. Thence by steamboat
1 came to Oak Bluffs in Cottage city, and
thence by narrow gauge railroad to Edgar
town, about seven miles from the Bluffs.
The steamboat route is nearly southeast from
New Bedford across Buzzard's bay, through
the narrow strait that separates the Elizabeth
islands from Falmouth town and the landing
place known as Woods Hole or Holl, across
Vineyard sound to the island of Martha's
Vineyard. Our steamer is the River Queen.
Rev. Frederic Denison, in his interesting
sketch-book says of this steamer that "she
was built before the rebellion, and during that
struggle was used as President Lincoln's dis
patch boat on the Potomac. On board Of
her, in Hampton Roads, Feb Sd, 1865, met
that remarkable company known as the Peace
Commissioners. The steamer still preserves
the same furniture, sofas and chairs on which
the political and war dignitaries held their
deliberations"
The Indian name of Martha's Vineyard, we
are told, was Kapawaok. There is an old
story about the naming of this and the ada
cent islands, that some one who owned them
had three daughters to whom he gave them,
Elizabeth, Martha and Nancy that having
given the northern island to Elizabeth, the
central to Martha, (Which because it abound
ed in wild vines was called Martha's Vine
Yard, the eastern island was left and Man"
took it, from which fact ii was called Nan
tucket. But this pretty story is without foun-
dation.
One naturally asks, what is the business of
the people of the island Edgartown, the
oldest settled and largest place ON the island,
was formerly engaged largely in the whale
fishery. But kerosene has spoiled the bust
ness in lamp oil. Five or six vessels howev-
er, of from GO 10 800 tons burthen, owned
here are still engaged in the whale fishery.
The chief profit of the fishery is now from
the whalebone, which is found in the head Of
the right whale The herring fishery has al
ways been an important source of income to
the islanders. Along the shore of the island
are many small ponds of fresh or brackish
water, separated from the ocean by q narrow
strip of beach. These ponds are few feet
higher than the ocean level. The herring
fishermen dig canals through the beach, let
ting the fresh water out and in turn permit
ting the ebb and flow of the tide through the
canals into and out of the ponds. The fresh
water as it flows out attracts the herring and
they go into the pondsto deposit their spawn.
There they are caught in great quantities
but the spawn is deposited and in a few
months the young herring, a few inches long,
are ready to go cut to sea. In about three
years they are full grown and are ready
to take their turn to come in through the
canals to spawn and get caught The ocean
is continually throwing up the sand upon the
shore, so that the canals are very soon filled
up and must be opened by the fishermen with
renewed labor.
The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nam
tucket have been, like many neighbors, rivals
also, and so have called each other names,
The principal business Of Nantucket was
formerly the whale fishery, in which she far
outstripped the Vineyard Now in trying out
the whale oil there is a residuum called scraps,
as from the trying out of lard. These scraps
are made an article Of food. So the Edgar
town people used to call their Nantucket
neighbors Nantucket Scraps" To which
the Scraps" retorted by calling their neigh
bors "Edgartown Herrings, " or more frequent
ly, because the herring, like the Goldfish on
Cape Cod, is the Vineyarder's thanksgiving
dinner, they called them "Edgartown Tur-
keys"
So the islanders anuse their visitors with
tales Of the olden time. The chief attrac-
tions here are sea air and sea bathing, camp
meetings., Clhil-DhktS anu Dlut-ubu ubllnR.
To those who are able to bear it, salt air is
wonderfully invigorating and the plunge into
the cold salt water full of health. But the
beaches on these shores are not smooth, hard
fiat and broad like the grand beaches of the
eastern shores of New England They are
only piles of loose sand thrown up by the
surging tide, and the shore is so bold that the
bathing must be doubtful sport to any but
the strongest swimmers. The way in which
the sea rolls up the sand from the deep and
piles it on the shore is one Of the marvels of
natures power. When visited Edgartown
in 1869 l sailed out of the harbor through
what was called the west opening between
Katama point and Chappaquiddic island, per-
haps half lf-a-mile wide and deep enough for
small fishing craft. In 1872, in great gale,
the ocean closed the channel entirely. The
United States government attempted to open
it, spending some 500, 900 upon it but
when the workmen were just ready to let in
the tide storm arose and in few hours fill
ed the gap again, converting the island into
a promontory. Now the blue-ish smacks
must make a long detour from their fishing
ground on the south shore, round Cape Page
to the northern entrance of the harbor.
The camp meetings have made the Vine
yard famous. The first was held here by the
Methodists in beautifully situated grove OF
scrub oaks, since known as Wesleyan Grove
This was in 1885 The brief record of that
first meeting given by Denson, is as follows :;
"a small rough shed for the preachers stand !;
a few rude plank seats nine tents furnish ed
with straw and blankets. Thomas @. Pierce
presided; few preachers present; held
from Monday to Saturday about l 900 per-
sons present Go conversions reported" Z"
From this beginning has come the famous
Cottage City with more than 1900 cottages,
10 or 1G hotels Of various sizes, five places Of
worship, including two immense tabernacles,
the Methodist and the Baptist with seats
each for nearly if not quite 5000 persons, and
more than CO. 900 annual visitors. The Bsp-
lists began to hold meetingshere in 1875, and
dedicated their great temple in 1878. The
Baptist settlement is on the Highlands, a
pretty little pond, now called Lake Anthony,
separating it from Wesleyan Grove and Oak
Bluffs. Some of the most desirable locations
for cottages are on the Highlands looking out
upon Vineyard sound and the Massachusetts
shore. The Highlands is, as have said, the
place of the Baptist settlement, and the Wis
itors to Cottage City, as they draw up to the
first wharf, read the words BAPTIST LAND
ING" in large letters upon the wall of store
house. But one finds his Baptist and Meth
odist friends, with those of other or no church
connection, located Unfortunately in all
parts of the city. Here, too, he is sure TO
meet friends from all parts of New England.
One naturally finds something to criticise
in the religious services at such place. In
deed, as some children behave worse among
strangers than at home, so many men and
women display the weakness of their religious
notions and customs in a peculiarly offensive
manner when away from home and in crowds,
But, Notwithstanding the displays of religious
ignorance and pretentious shallowness which
one sees in such great gatherings, there can
be no doubt that the attempt TO combine pub
lie worship and religious instruction as daily
exercises with the rest and recreation of a
summer vacation is amply justified by the re-
suit Cottage City combines the freedom of
a holiday with the sobriety of a Sabbath.
Thousands will return from their visit to this
place with larger mind and more earnest
heart for the Christian work of the year be-
fore them. Powerful sermons are preached,
earnest words out of rich experience are spok-