The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-08-13
SUMMER CORRESPONDENCE.
q RuHAMAH" AT NANTUCKET.
A Queer Ola Place and ODD Arlstoc-
racy -Tnc EOIger rtieneaioRS-AnNuse.
usents OF tbe tstand-NotaBIe Resi-
dnpts,

on and stercotyped ways ot Watering places viii not
veS the Nautucket's tho SPOT As for climate,
the island reloces In that article to perfection the
thermometer mover reaching zero In midwlnter, aud
In summer the perpetual, cool brcczes blow the
miles and leagues OF heaylng brine that surround it
situated three hours out at soa rs one sails from the
nearest point the mainland, Nantucket town is
capitol VI q little principally and complacently al
ludcs to the rest ot this western world the conu
ncnt.n II was discovered long before the Pilgrims |
landed ut plymouth, and In the day Of the great whale
trade Nantucket was n metropolis with n commercial |
fame that went round the globe In these years Of Its
commercial decay Nantucket has not lost q bit OF |
It's pride, aud the descendants Of those families |
that amnssod fortunes In tho whaling trade are |
still the arstocrats of the island society, no mat
tor how impoverished they may be. Besides tho |
cool crisp air and the strong sea brcezcs, there
are dozen things to attract ono to Nan
tucket. TO any one NJ an artistic or antigua |
rian spirit there Is unlimited neld here where
queer old gabed and shlnged houses iurk In every
narrow street with their interiors fun Of all sots OF
last century things and THEFT Inhabitants many OF
iwthornes characters to the ltc gray old weather
beaten house built In 1885 and shingy old veteran
oi wind VIII tempt the artists to sketch them, and
the okers have 1t that seasons the skctchers
q elbow to elbow In great circles around these plctur
sque relies The town Ia full Of queer old characters
t-whicrs aud retired sailors giving n salty SAVIOR
~ all the local gossip OF tho place, and innumciabe
Miss Phmbc pynCheuns keep shops In the two and
seven gabe houses Of their ancestors The old clocks
nndrous warming pans, and cast -o tiumrcry OF one
generation have proven fortune to their descendants
and there are haf dozen places where one buys blue
china Of tho willow pattern, mulberry and Liverpool
ware, at twice the price tho Nantucket grandfathes
gave for IT, All the old traps that the family gartets
can contain are brought ont and ticketod with gen
erous prlcc-mark and each year tho summer boarers
carry of these souvenirs by the truukload. OF all
the old relies the best preserved Is the town crler who
long since cracked hs voice In the public service, and
adds stutter stammer, and n thick. tongued speech
to his other pecullarites. The town announces
himself by tin fsh-horn and hand bell, and with
these properties he parades the streets bawng out the
news of the day and coming events, and preiacing
each announcement with n blast ON the horn aud n
croaklnE Z" Remember Remember ~ Thon the
harbor Is full Of yachts and sail boats manned by
bronzed old sklpper,, who can outspln any other
sailors Oh Nsca when It to yarus, and all the
Nantucketfeorle are slngulnrly clever, intelligent,
and agreeable
The descendants OF the early settlers exist In
Gus large clans or patrlarchal families that approach
the order OF ancient days. The Macys the Cofins,
the Swnims, and the Starbucks make small army
each by Themselves, and tho Foger family rather ont
doesthem all. From ruckernuck to Sropset, which
the respective Dan AMI Bersheba OF the island, one
hears and sees the name every side. The Folgcrs
do everything that civilized life demands, and this
family completely represents all tho arts, trades
professions occupations and caings that they could
carry the island alone II all tho other Inhabitants
were swept away. The FIRST OF them was Peter
Ffouiger, from Norwich, England, who was entued
away from NIarthn's Vineyard by the offer OF a share
OF the island real estate, This Peter tho first taught
the ignorant islanders to road and write and cipher r.
and laid the foundation Of that learning and inte-
geuce which has always distinguished the NantuCk-
otcrs, and his own descendants In particular. His
daughter, Abah Ffoulger, became the mother Of Ben
amin Franklin, and In the direct line of the Fogers
as they afterwards spelled tho namr there were men
distinguished In many ways Andrew Folger was a
great astronomer and his telescope IL preserved by the
proud townspeople In their Atheniuum. Other Fol-
gers sailed the seas In command OF the great ships
and FOlgcr first marked out tho course OF the Gulf
| Stream on map. Judge Folger, the present Secre-
tary of the Treasury was born In Nantucket and lived
there until thirteen years Of age, when his family
removed TO Geneva, ". Y, and the clan Fogcr now
ON the island point to him with great pride, and
| ndently look for n visit from him this summer.
| Lucretia Mott, phmre uanaford, and Maria
| Mitchell are OF the distinguished women who
have gone from Nantucket homes, and in line with
them is Miss Baker, who now breaches In and has
| charge of the congregational Church here. The
Quaker sect, once numerous on the island, now
| dying out, aud nero handful hold worship IN the
| vast barry meeting houses that crowded In the
! olden times.
Nantucket offers endless attractions to him who In
the love of nature seeks abode and besd es
the queer old aud Its people there Ia all tho res
of the island, that reinans wild untrodden waste,
| without fences FARMS or any roads the of
ruts that creep In every direction the sandy
soil, Sporsmen find small game and Dotansts an
endless variety of wild flowers this beautiful moor
that is verItible bit of Scotland dropped down into
the New World. Besides that there Is the harbor and
tho whole open ocean, on which one may fish aud
HaalF
extend for twenty mi les around the island edge keep
all vessels at good safe distance but these sandy
be,chcs all tho h5h that swim love tU nni their
homes. In June and september, or better In Octo-
Der, the blue fish all but signal with mouths out of
water for the angler to throw his hook, but with u
sagaclty that does them credit they swim away
where else In mid summer, and lead the summer
boirders on fine cruise when they want TO catch
Crabs and the queer little fish called the soup
tempt the anglers to whole days on thu water, and
there is the noble sport OF sharkng which In Its colo8
sal scale and excitement about corresponds TO the hunt
Of the buffalo and the grizzly on dry land. The
shark demands a clothes-linc and meat hook
for tackle and half blue fish or cIght
small perch for a bait, and hauling one
| In requires as much muscle as holding the relns
on runaway horse The sharks measure from Ave
to ten feet In length, and weigh from two TO eight
hundred pounds that two bites sends n boat
home with good load of nsh. Fierce and clumsy ~
: the sharks are, they are good for nothing
when caught except the captors preserve the teeth
and Jaws trophies, though sometimes Tho livers
n taken out aud yield about gallon OF oil Tho sue
cess Of Al, the sharkng parties makes feel litt
uncertain about going into the water, but they hath
ali around the island aud In the still water Of h
A | harbOr Although tho water Is warm, modified b!
, the teri Tide NJ the Gull Stream, bathing win neve
lie ts great attraction Of Nantucket for any tImId
souls. II Is the hshing anI sailing that constitute
" | ut-lO Is.
II limo tho place has no equal, Houses In town al
h being bought up by people from The "conincnt, :
% who know OF the advantages To he enjoyed on hi
blessed isle, and several last century homeseas hay
a been purchased In this way. Mr.. Henry willard
. house, of which mention was made last week. is on
OF the gems Of It's kind and there Is not another stu
y alton In Town that combnes all the advantages tha
10 lie possesses there. The view from his garden an,
u summer-louse Is unsurpassed, and the quaint oil
y mansion has held succession OF guests this
"a The Nantucket people, while possessing all the insua
secuson possible, particularly cordial In the wei
: come they extend to the summer residents, and tn
willard family have stepped at Int
9 | the inner circles of the local society. Prop
N erty that has heretofore sold for son
II is very slowly rising as Nantucket people percey
+ the attractions their town offers to outsiders ana IN
j. | number VI people who own summer houses on III
y Island Is steadily increasing. Mrs Delano daushe
n Of the Astors has queer little cottage on ono OF th
old streots that owned by her father before her
Is and when any of tho Astors come to Nantucket the
u leave their world behind them and settle down TO tn
y enjoyment OF n secluded rest, Mr.. George Aen q
gt. Louis son Of the late Hon. Thomas Allen, tn
millionaire Congressman whodled In Washington las
winter owns large and comfortable residence In III
i town while out the cliffs there the homes
J. Eastman johnson aud Charles o'Conor, both q
" whom appreclaye Nantucket has taken Into the fu
!, bonds OF citizenship. Eastman johnson built hi
M M residence and studio some years since, and IN
Q natives maryeed wlilO ihoy admired as III
" structures rose. Tho house presents n blank nm
oramentel front TO tho street road that passes III
y place but the front It Is brokon by all sorts
odd little projections and porticos aud queor Windows
at Tho stndlo M the natives thought was goug 10 be
Z barn until they It finished of with such unusui
care with big brass knocker ON the front door and on
large window to the north The genial artist Is see
ofenost In Nantucket he drives In and out OF tow
on his various erTands, aud appears then rs stou
'' and aord gentleman In a seersuckeT suit. who MI