Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-03
rho Cav Head Indians-

correspondence 11Oe0O4b 4 OSts
The Gay Head Indians inhabit the re-
Gently incorporated town of Cav Head on
the westerly end of the county of Dukes,
which embraces the whole of the island
of Martha's Vineyard. This Indian town
has an area of about 2,400 acres, which is
divided into three peninsulas, Nashaqut-
sa, SquipnOcket and Gay Head. This
town is nearly severed from the rest of the
island by Menemsha pond. At the pre-
sent time there are about 200 Indians at
Gay Head, and unlike many other rem
nants of Indian tribes in the common
wealth, they have for few years past
been gradually increasing in numbers.
There are about so families. and the peo-
pie here have been marked through a
series of years for seeking more profitable
sources of income than their isolated sit
uation naturally afforded, and some of
them have achieved some distinction as
efficient masters Of vessels. The morals,
education and marked indications of civ
ilized advancement among them are 50
striking that they attract attention among
those who chance to visit their sequester-
ed island home.
If there is a spot in all New England
where a recluse might wish to find perfect
repOse, free from the troubles and ankle
ties of life, Gay Head is the place, and yet
the Gay Headers are quite jealous of the
hACnNC0 fNAA dBDlOASuGS VI lOlEAS lGlSs
having had good deal of trouble with
those who have married some of their
daughters and settled among them.
There is quite diversity of soil in Gay
Head, some very good land and some very
poor. Many cattle are driven here from
other parts of the Vineyard for pasturage
during the summer. One may stand on
the southerly shore of Gay Head and see
the little island of '"NOman's Landv three
DoilpC Of 10 NH, - ole
utilized for pasturage. There is a unique
kind of clay found at Gay Head, which is
used for making alum and for other pur-
poses. This kind or species of clay is not
found in any other part of New England.
Formerly when vessel came for this clay
the men, women and children would
swarm around and assist in loading, for
which they received pay. The cranberries
of Gay Head were formerly public proper
day, when the picking commenced, when
all 90 to work with all their might and
gather all within their ability. The value
of the cranberry crop varies from 500 to
$500, and they receive annually about $3.50
for pasturage. But the revenue from the
clay has become almost nothing. There
is some of this clay in the adjoining town
Of Chilmark, which can be placed on
board Of vessels at prices which defy Gay
Head to compete.
Formerly any member of this tribe at
Gay Head could take up, fence in and i'm
prove as much Of the land as he pleased.
and when enclosed it became his own. 1t
might very naturally be inferred that such
a state of things would engender many
disputes and quarrels, but such was not
the case. Such state of things was
kind of ''imperiUm IN impert0,0 not con-
Quoted by any code of laws except bone
and muscle of those taking up the land.
The Gay Head Indians are mixture of
the red, white and black races, and there
is, too, some southern blood among them.
and also Portuguese and Dutch; for listen,
here are some of the names among them,
to wit; John Randolph, Madison, COrsa,
Sylvia and VanderhOop. Through the in
termarrying and the coming in of for
eigners it has almost pushed out the
purely Indian names. They are, on the
whole, moral, frugal, industrious and
temperate people, and are quite equal in
these respects to white people, with SINH
lar surroundings.