The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-11-13
FLOATING ISLANDS.
Facts About Their Formation and
"Queer Habits"
A Strange Dispute Between Tax Collectors
Remarkable Formation In the
Mississippi Rivera Means of
Distributing Animals
and Vegetation.

On the line of two of the New Eng
land States there is a small lake or
pond that several years ago, as the
story goes, was brought into public no
tee in somewhat curious way. The
borders of the lake on one side were
formed of thick bog, and in some way
portion several hundred feet in length,
had become separated from the shore,
and being formed of vegetable matter
and extremely light, it had Aoated or
drfted away-ave liable floating island.
The top of this strange bit of New
England was about four feet out of
water and covered with fine crop of
grass and a number of trees, the latter
forming a sail so that when the WIND
was from the west the island slowly
sailed away until it stranded on the
New Hampshire shore, we will say; and
when an easterly gale came up, away
it went again, crossing the State line
and arriving in Vermont. So it be-
longed to cit er State, accord NC to the
direct on of the WI nd, and often COWS,
chickens, horses and stock of various
kinds, tempted upon the treacherous
island by the green grass, were trans
ported across the border, much to their
aston shment and the annoyance OF
their owners.
Finally, an old hermit who lived in
the vicinity bought the island from its
alleged owner, and built small house
upon it, and for some time lived in
peace and happiness. But one day the
taX-cOlleCtor came around, and, as it
happened, the old man was out; but
hearing that he was coming again the
next day, he cast off the moorings of
his island craft, and towed it out into
the pond just over the State line into
Vermont, and when the tax MIN came,
he claimed to be a "Velmonter. "
Some time after, the Vermont tax col
lector appeared, bl the old herralt had
heard of the expected wish, and when
the official appeared, the island was in
the State of New Hampshire. For some
time this went on, until finally the two
tax collectors, it is said, joined forces,
ana advanced on tne lslanu from Doth
sides. They found it anchored on the
State line by long rope, and as the
wind was blowing down the lake, it was
swaying about, now in Vermont, now
in New Hampshire, so that by the time
one collector established his claim, il
was evident that it was not legal, anC
they became involved in such a war o.
words that at last accounts the hermit
had not paid his taxes, though he ex
pressed himself as willing to do Sc
when the collectors could decide where
he lived. As far as he was concerned
he claimed neither State
Almost every country has its floating
islands, though they are not often pu
TO such a curious use as related in thu
story above. They are especially com
mon in warm countries in eauatoria
regions. where rank vegetation charac
terizes the low-land and every thing i
favorable-to its increase. The island
are formed in several ways. They ma,
be deposited in lake bottoms during eX
tremely dry times, when the W ter is onl,
a few inches deep. Here vines and IN
Vulnerable plants grow and become en-