Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-04
AT CAFE HATTERAS.
HOW LIFE IS ENJOYED BY THE HON
EST, EhST-GOlNG NATION.

Homes "f the Fi-hermrn- ''Gardrn Sass
and ''Nnmp"n r"a''- ! E"Iici"- social
Club Th" E>tahIi~hm"mt of IA Pnrpoise
Factory The Seine.
To any one wishing 10 flee from the
worrymrnt Of city life. journey to Cape
Hattcrs may be recommended Trlr
graphic communication Is indie dutely
suspended owing to break in the wire
al Oregon inlet. and the lack Of an apro-
priatiun 10 repair the same The mail
comes once a week by boat II the weather
permits, which il does not always do The
majority of strangers VINO land on Hat
teras reef 4" So unwIllingly through ship
wreck. The beach below the light is
strewn with wrcCkaEu of all descriptions
from nearly pnJIrc hull Of vessel to
barrels, cables AMI coCoauuts From the
mainland the reef can he reached only by
embarking on one Of the little fish boats
running from Elizabeth City or New
Rrrne. II is a twelve hours sail under
the most favorable circumstances, hut the
trip generally takes an entire day and
night. a hOat-man unacquainted with
shoals wOnld make sad work of journey
across the sound, but the native fishermen
wind about through the tortuous channel
without ever once grazing the bottom.
TIE FISHERMEN AT HOME.
Hatteras reef Is far from being bare
sand beach. All about the lighthouse and
south of il stretches a dwarfed forest OF
live oak and holly trees, broken 10y fresh
water ponds fragrant with water lilies,
The woods and marshes are enliveued
by the songs Of inuumerable mockiuS
birds and blaCkbirds, but the enjoymen
of wandering about i some what marr5d
by the presence of ra.:.esnakes AM cop
pprheadS.. In these woods - the village of
Trent, the home of the fishermen. The
houses are scattered along the sandy
roads, which wind hither and thither
through the woods a square Of sand, in
closed by a rough, low fence and fur
niShed with a well and a few rose bushes
which seem to find life very hard, forms
the front yard. The back yard is gener-
ally occupied by garden sass" upon the
growth Of which much pains are bestowed
These kitchen gardens Jared badly this
year \ high tide, which occurred re
Gently flooded great many of them and
ruined them.
The natives" are honest. kindly dis
posed, reticent and leiSurc-lOving When
asked how people managed TO live on so
barren n spot, one OF the fishermen replied
that they throve by fleeing strangers,
and that when there were no strangers
they turned to fleeing one another. There
is no court, no jail, no physician, and no
regular minister Of the gospel on the reef
Crime is unknown and liquor is prohib
tied. Some Of the fishermen, however, ara
wont to make merry when they 90 TO
Elizabeth City, but this aside, the morals
of the Hatteras people are quite unIm-
peachable. Many OF the men belong TO
sort OF religio- social club, and are known
a. Bright Jewels II visit il made out
of the fishing season one may lInd reason
b. complain OF the dishes served up at
dinaer On several consecutive days u
visitors dinner consisted OF hot biscuit,
boiled cabbage ami honey. 1t is not I'M
proved by the addition OF the famous or
infamous yaupOn or black drink Of the
Caroiinas, which Is common beverage
here. Every householder makes his own
yaupon tea. A largo hole is dug in she
sand, into which is thrown a layer Of
twlgs Of the yBupOn bush. Next comes
layer of hot stones. then more yaupOn
twigs and more stones, and so on until the
hole is filed The hait-charred leaves and
stems are finally taken out and placed in
barrels, and the tea is ready for USE
PORPoIsE FACTORY.
The most considerable event which has
taken place at Hatteras for long time
has been the establishment Of a porpoise
factory by some Wilmington capitalists.
As a regularly organized industry, the
business is new to the country. The fish
ermon caught more or less pOrpoise every
winter. but have never done any more
than to try out from their blubber small
quantity Of oil The new company, how
ever, has purchased special machinery
and imported skillel workmen from Eu-
rope, and proposes 10 make leather, oil,
and fertilizers. No leather has been
placed on the market thus far. That
from young individuals has curious
pile" like velvet and is very beautiful. 1t
may perhaps be used in uphOlstering in
place of plush, than which it would be far
more durable. The porpOise appear off
the beach nearly every day, and the fish
cry is prosecuted daily unless the sea is
running too high Only the strongest net
will hold porpoises, and when frightened
they will dart about with iuConceivable .
rapidity and strike against the nets with .
great force They are first impounded in
d very large net, anu luel dIttT"dTu !
brought 10 the beach by sweep seine
made Of strong twine.
1t is a strange and exciting scene when
sixty or eighty OF these powerful crea-
lures, each eight or nine feet long are
being pulled in toward the beach They /
struggle desperately and make a continual .
piping sound like the squealing of rats.
NJ my become entangleL in the net and
are drowned, but the majority have to be .
killed after they are drawn out Of the |
water. Although the fishermen persist in
calling them fish, they are, OF course, true .
milk giving mammalia The milk is not .
unpalatabie, but very rich, and with a
IL vOr like cocoanUt milk. Although the .
winter has been very unfavorable large
number Of porpoises have been taken. |
The season Is low just closed. The fisher .
men stay In their camp on the beach .
every day from dawn until sunset,
whether any fish appear or not They .
are warned Of their approach by spies
stationed haH a mile north and south of .
the camp. The men say that the fishery
is no fun" which means that it is eN-
Ceedingly laborious York Times
40 ,IonuInenG Erected to EcguIus.
We have just learned that there is no
monument to RcZu.us. Why has this been
neglected so long, More than 1000 years
have uaSsed since ne uprfOrmpd one Of the