Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-20
NANTUCKET.
A Quaint Old Whaling Town, with
Grass-Grown Streets,
OmIrasted with IA LiVeIier,
brighter Place.

Special Correspondence Public Ledger
CoTTAaE CRY, MASS,
August 16, 1881.
Two places cannot be imagined
more entirely unlike in every charac-
teristic that makes a town, than Nan
tncket and Martha's Vineyard. We
had a fine opportunity for making the
comparison one day last week, when
an excursion to Nantucket was offered
BY the pretty little steamer Mono
hansett, plying regularly as a pleas +.
ure boat between this point and neigh
boring places of interest, as GAY Head.
Newport, etc. A visit to Gay Head is
thing to be remembered always.
The cliffs contain a section which,
according to Professor Hitchcock, is
"tour-ffths Of a mile long, and dis
plays twenty-three bright colored
bands of clay, sand, conglomerate.
Ignite, and iron ore. The sands are
white, yellow and green" Nantucket
has a past history, claim to
which Martha's Vineyard is not
entitled It's oldnesss, quaintness,
and picturesqueness make the sum of
its attractions to the summer tourist.
Fifty years ago Nantucket was
wealthy whaling station; to-day it
would be sleepy or dead, but for the
summer travel that sets that way, and
the disappointed old people who have
chung to their early love, are beginning
to hope that some happy chance, some
favorable opportunity, may yet swing
open to Nantucket the golden door
that Miss Fortune slammed in her
face so unceremoniously at the
close of those good old
times, now gone to seed"
Stories Of the whalers and relics Of
their wonderful exploits are met at
every turn. Fishing has become
sport there to-day, and the old and
the new are in strange proximity.
The quaint old houses bordering the
narrow streets are built with out looks
on the roofs, from which, in the old
days Of prosperity, the wives and
children of the whalers looked anx-
iously for the coming of the loved
ones. The streets are grass-grown
and the lively hustle of traffic
is not heard. 1t is because
of this dead, but not forgotten past,
that the Nantucket Otto day contains
within itself the fair promise of a sum-
mer glory. Your readers may like to
know that it is the birthplace and
early home of MariaMitchell Professor
of Astronomy at Vassar College.
Some time in the future | shall try to
tell you something of her life there,
its privations aud struggles. She is
one of the women, who from the OBJ
security of an humble lite and with
small teachings, but that of sea and
sky, boldly and resolutely made her
way towards position and honor.
The lover Of the old and the ad-
mirer of the new is gratified in both
directions, when after day at Nan
tucket. he returns here in the fading
light Of a summer day. Nothing can
be more unlike, unless it be the dark.
deep foundation of the sea and its
light, feecy foam, So | thought.
steaming towards Ocean Avenue. with
its light, bright beauties, and looking
beyond to the picturesque, pagoda. like
card houses, that Fill up
the spaces with pictures that
satisfy to the full every sense of
beauty. There are no back yards, no
unsightly fences, no suggestions of
sewers, their lack or their need; no
gaping barrels, sending out vile odors:
nothing but sweetness, sunshine and
perpetual beauty. How is all this
done?" you ask. don't know, but
some one else replies, Everybody
puts his shoulder toAhe wheel" Lit
orally | am prepared to contradict
this strong statement, for the
evidence of my own senses tells
me there are mo wheels" and
mo putting" cannot say how it
might be, if this little world were
made up of individuals like one [
know. who said when asked the ques.
ton, what DO you do with your az
pie peelings, waste papers and other
trash2" "0h, wait till night comes
and then | throw it all out the win
dow" She "hails from" town nearer
you than me, dear LEDGER. but
mum the word, it might not be
safe to tell that here, until we're fair
ly on our way to Newport tomorrow.
q C