Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-25
POquahog.

A memorable day was yesterday in the his tory of Charles Island, the beautiful island | of twenty acres of the good old town of | Milford, yclept Sleepy Hollow, as after years of undisturbed quiet, with little music there | except the music of it's wave washed shores | and the singing of birds in it's numerous cherry trees, which never yield fruit, and it's few poplars, the peace of the island was invaded, not by Indians, nor by detach- ment of the O. N G. under Colonel B. E. Bradley, nor by church picnic, but by small party of visitors including number of monied men, the object being attendance at the offering of the island at public auction to the highest bidder. The day was one of the most favorable that could have been chaneed upon for the occasion, the sway of the mid summer heat being temporarily broken by the dissertation of the suns fervid beams by hazy clouds, and cool breeze which was waited over the Sounds broad and slightly rufled waters The steamer Ivernia yester day forenoon took a party from this city, the management of the excursion being In the hands of Mr. B. c. Lake. the auctioneer,
 who was acting for the proprietors of the island, one of them, Miss Sarah Prltchard, of Waterbury, an occasional contributor to the Atlantic and St. Nicholas and one of the heirs of the late Mir. Pritchard, prominent manufacturer of Waterbury, who died about 1860, being on board, and quite party of New Haven ladies and gleeful children. The boat arrived at the bend just below Milford at about 1O:30 and was temporarily delayed there owing to the entire width of the chan nel, as it was reported on shore, being tempor arily occupied by the tug boat Matt Rowe, which is engaged under government con- tract to deepen the channel of Milford har- bor The boat with colors flying made it's way up to the town dock at Milford at about 11:3O and took on board 8 number of people who came on the $40 train from this city. With this accession to the party, the boat, Captain James Bishop, jr., steamed over to Charles Island where the visitors were dis embarked about one hundred feet from to land into a large oyster yacht and sculled ashore, two trips being made to. get all on shore On the trip
 few facts and myths concerning the
 island were recalled by a passenger as fol-
 lows: The island early attracted the atten-
 tion of such of the ladies and gentlemen, then
 recent emigrants from the headquarters of
 civilization to this county who settled in Mil
 ford, and the island was granted to Hon. Charles Dill by the Grown of England in
 1862. The Indians used to like to visit the island, one object being the good clamming in that vicinity, and it is related of them that they, with great wisdom and forecast, used to provide in summers for the scarcity of game and cereals in winter by catching in- numerable clans and stringing them and dry l ing them. This 'fodder" was found ex- l tremely agreeable to the average Indian pal | ate, to which dyspepsia cures were almost unknown, and they (the Indian ns) used to get extravagantly happy on those days without the aid of the corn juice of the white man. ! Old Ansantawae, big chief who ruled over l a considerable extent of country, used to ! make the island his headquarters, and his name survives, not only in tradition and his ! torical records. but in Masonic lodge history, ! a lodge being named after him.
 | The island In these later days became by | purchase the property of an English gentle | man of wealth named Harris, who built the | residence which is still the most prominent object on the island. He lived in it as late as 1887. In 1888, owing to reverses, the 1 l came the property of MT. Wm. P. Rennsalear | of New York, from whom the late MT. Prit- | chard bought it.
 l A little later the island became a summer | resort in the hands of Barnes & Preston, the | latter MT Julius Preston of this city, and the | pretty little steamer Alice V. Preston piled | back and forth daily from this city to the 1 island and the steamer Ella made frequent l trips to it from Bridgeport. At that | time bathing in sea water was l furnished the summer boarders and patrons | on the island in large circular enclosure or
 basin and there was similar circular basin | where a live seal disported himself to the awe and delight of the young folks. A large
 number of New Haven people visited the | island by means of the Alice V. Preston 1 steamer trips and the excursions were very | popular and patronized by many of the lead l ing citizens. Later nothing was going on l at the island for some time Later still re- l course was had to the island for a prize 1 fight by gang of New York roughs and | sporting men, many Of whom were captured | by the descent of an armed force ofConnecti- | cut militia, above referred to- This brought 1 the island into notice all over the United | States and the sporting men left a gorgeous ] array of fine gold watches, chains and rings l at the New Haven police office security. | For 10 years or so of late the island was oc l cspied by the Miles Fish Works which are
 now on the point of land directly opposite about mile away. The island has been held l in price as high as $50, GOO.
 | Among the legends of the island is one re- | garding a search for Captain Kidd treasures, | a part of which according to tradition was
 buried by the redoubtable chieftain on Charles Island. The story runs that two
 men assailed by an unsuitable desire for shek els or gold laid their plans and visited the
 island under cover of night and commenced digging. They had 8 hole of some size dug, when suddenly they beheld 8 headless
 man descending from the upper air and bear ing down upon them. In horror and alright
 they decamped suddenly for their boat and l casting glance behind saw a streak of blue flame in the air over where they had been digging. They came back early next morn
 ing to get their implements of labor, but
 could not find them nor any trace of the hole
 they had dug. Another story, true one, is | that 8 prominent Connecticut man obtained l permission to visit the island and dig for
 the supposed Kidd treasures He went
 there taking with him clairvoyant, who had | told him she would point out the spot where
 the treasures were buried. He dug and dug
 and at last gave up the quest in despair. He died few years ago
 The New Haven party at the island yester- | day, one of whom was Massena Clark, Esq
 was joined at the island by the Messrs Ben.
 ham, mason builders of Bridgeport, who | were prominent contractors as far back as
 when the New York railroad was built, and
 who built the old railroad depot in this city | on Union street, now the City market, also | several buildings on the old Basin wharf, and
 many of the railroad stations on the New
 York road. The brothers Benham have l four summer cottages and about seven hun | dred feet of shore front nearly opposite
 Charles Island, and always have felt an in- 1 terest in the island from old associations and l otherwise. Also a Register repre-. sentative came with two other gen.
 tlemen by sailboat from Milford, and | joined the party at the island After pie l mic lunch the rcd flag was erected and Mir.
 Lake in the midst of the assembly unrolIed | the map of the lots on the island About | 50 are laid out on the map exclusive of a
 large central plot. No sale was made, but
 afterward several lots were bargained for conditions on the non-sale of the island as a
 whole. The party returned to the city hay
 ing had a delightful sail, arriving at about | 4:30 p. m.
 Rezfmental Reunion,