The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-04-10

shot on this or an adjoining island,
and each had been stuffed and mount
ed by member OF the family.
The collection was an ornitholoei-
cal history of that part OF the coun-
try. Then, too, there was visible
here quantity mounted specimen of
each species of the marine botany OF
that group OF islands. One daughter
OF the house had devoted herself to
its study, not only here, but a. Yale,
under the private tuition of Prof.
Whitney himself, and she had found in
it considerable pecuniary reward. At
one time she had orders from several
well-known wealthy New York ladies
for albums of alge at $3.50 each.
Few, if any, such albums have been
prepared elsewhere. The books them
selves cost SIS each, though made by
the quantity by New York book
binder noted for his exquisite taste.
Each page was a card OF cabinet pho
tograph size and on it was mounted
dried sea flower, below which was q
water color representing it as it APP
peared when alive in the water. Its
scientific nature and name were writ
ten on the back OF the card, which
could be seen by turning the page, to-
gether with a quaint statement OF its
history, and each side of the card was
surrounded by an original water.colo
border suggestive OF thesea, thus max
ing each card work OF art in itself,
irrespective OF its scientific value.
The workshop OF Capt. Brooks showed
something OF his studies into the laws
Of light, sound, and electricity. So
much has been said by Prof. Heury,
the late secretary OF the Smithsonian
Institution and chairman OF the light
house board, in his formal reports, as
to his Indebtedness to Capt. Brooks
for carefully-conducted experiments
and precise, ecientifcally-stated re-
suits, that no more need TO be written
on that subject here Most OF his ap-
paratus Capt. Brooks had made him.
self, and he had devised it to meet
the wants of that part of the light
house service IN which he was engaged.
Indeed, most of his experiments were
made to determine questions as to
the power of the illuminant he
burned, as to the reflection and re-
fraction Of his own light, and as to
the alteration in the audibility of
his own fog-signal, or to enable him to
communicate by electricity, before the
days of telephones, with different
parts of his little island, when it was
almost impossible to walk, Or even
stand, against the terrible blasts that
swept across it during winter storms.
Here this family led their pleasant,
thrifty life, thrifty because their la
bors and studies tended to useful,
practical ends. Some OF these en-
ployments were beautiful, but not all,
unless fishing and sailing down fish,
taking and potting Holsters, and the
like can so be considered. Thus, the
81 900 a year that was paid to the
captain and his wife for their services
AS principal and assistant keeper was
by no means all their income. Here
most of their children were born;
here, with intervals OF special school
ing elsewh ere, they were educated; from
here several OF them were married hap
PLY end advantageously, and to this
island they came with their mates and
children whenever it was possible, for
they all looked to it as their home.
An adjoining much smaller uninhab-
tied island became a great resort for
birds, and in time attracted sports
men, and finally the pot-hunters came
there IN such numbers as to threaten
the determination OF the birds. Capt.
Brooks prevented this by purchasing
the island and banishing the hunters
This again became 8 source OF profit
to him, as the mere thinning out of
the birds enabled him to pocket a
pretty penny.
There are many other keepers VINO
have made for themselves delightful
homes at isolated stations. But, on
the other hand, there are keepers who,
while they keep their lights sufficiently
well to save themselves from dismis-
sal, fail to do anything more; and
those stations one would never will.
ingly visit a second time. Such keep
ers are seldom long-lived in an official
sense, and it is that class from which
is made up the large per cent. OF year
ly changes.