The Republican journal., 1888-09-06
A Day at Cape Cod.
RAMBLING; THROUGH INDUSTRIOUS PRoN VINCE
TOWN AND LISILESS WELIFIEET.

|
very limited. II is better to proceed at once to
the representative end of the Cape the busy
end, the sandy end, in facttc very tip end
This means take the steamer Longfcliow at
| Boston and after sail of iifty-four miles land
at Provincetown. The distance by rail i, ll9
miles, and one needs dust protectors of every
| description. good stock of patience and col-
considerably more money to so that way.
True, after leaving Minot'9 Ledge Lighthouse
the steamers path leads through the open sea :;
but what of that: The round trip is made
every week day except in very bad weather.
and the four hours interview with Neptune
seems as safe as the ocean brcezcS are inEisor-
ating.
| shortly after - o'clock the steamer wcathers
Wood End Light which is located at ti4 en-
| trene northwcstery point of the sandy prom
ontory. Scudding down the low beach be-
| yond prorincetown soon comes in view from
the vessels decks After wide detour to the
southeast Point Light is passed and the har5or
entered. This long stretch of land forms 4
natural breakwater for all shipping coming to
this harbor. \ sail of one and one-haf miles
village is approached it seems to rise rapidly
from the water, owing to the fact that the more
pretentiouS portion is built upon elevated
ground. Church-spircs, roofs and green foliage
informing led make Il satisfactory picture for
the not too critical eye. No later view will
equal that taken when about one mile from the
WharNeS.
On leaving the long dock the traveller en-
counters sand in plenty. AT the outset it may
as well be candidly stated that il requires great
fortitude to face the sands of the Cape in eN-
tended explorations. Heroic efforts are neceS-
sary for rapid locomotion when once the prin-
cipal sidewalk is left behind Two physical
| conditions are discovered in ProyncetoWn
which impress the stranger as being radically
inconsistent, viz: illimitahe sand and cool
nights Where sand doth much abound the
temperature. under fervent heat of an ,u-
cloudel midsummer sun. is necessarily ur-
comfortably high. But with the de,lning sun
| cool brcezc> watt in from SeaWar,l across the
narrow strip Of land. and the evenings are
delciou>iy enjoyable.
Upon superficial examination the town is
found to be situated half league from the
Carc's terminus and to contain about 800 in
hahiants. 1t spreads along the harbor front
| covering linear space Of three miles hut like
the surrounding territory it is very narrow.
Commercial street is the principal thorouglI-
fare, and tits seems in apparent sympathy with
the village, for it affords only one sidewalk and
is quite contracted in width. But the walk is
L.,
he@V, planks raised Il few inches above the
street level II begins at the post olre aud
extends from that central point one and one
Eaif miles in either direction. The yards in
front OF houses and other buildings are nal-
row: the streets running at right angles from
the shore are narrow and Short. In the com
pact part of the town All occasional attempt
has been made to continue Z second or third
street parallel with Commercial. lsut with so
little success in general that the hamlet CON
NeyH the impression of possessing enc long
street only. Green grass is >paringiy seen in
door yards. such as have been turfrd with
good soil and watercd afford Il reStful covyfin.
of green.
TO the rear of the most thickly populated
clown HILL" At the summit of TIL, hill is Il
signal station observable from either the At
lantir or Cape Cod Bay. A tine promenade i,
laid out along the brow of the elevations and
| an iron fence prevents spectators from rrccir-
itating themselves into back yards below At
this barrier bird, eye view Of murL If the
Cape is obtained. On clear ,iavs die main land
is visible. Behind the hii, is tho lonely GRAVE
yard, tn: silent city Of the dead, Beyond this
ragged sand ranges intervene between the spec
ator and the rolling Atlantic. Sand sand
everywhere. except little hogs that accumulate
in low sections during the rainy season. Some
years ago the government employed large
force of nen in planting beach grass npon The
innumcrabIe sand hills. and thus 10 some ex-
| tent prevented their shifting in severe gales.
Besides this, little herbage is noticed. NO
such thing a> a meadow comes in sight.
But when the eye measures the >patiou,
harbor, and sweeps from heaJlanl TO hca,(Ianl.
until earth becomes indstngtiishnhc from
clouds the visitor feels repaid for the energy
pat forth in gaining advantageous a stand
for observation. Below lies the largest and
a.,
adjoining harbor is the only really adequate
one to be found in this part Of Massachusetts.
The dimensions are some three miles in length
by half that distance in width. The water is
deep and no shoals interfere with navigation.
1t is said that 800 sails have been known to
seek this refuge during a long period Of stormy
| weather. The statement seems rather large,
f,,,. tl,,t,
When Proyincetown was first blessed with
permanent settlers is not easily a~ccrtunc,
Records exist pointing to early late :t~
l,3,. Probably quite number of people pass
ed their lives ut this place in earlier Years and
failed to preserve the fact for postcrity. 1t is
known that the Mayilower anchored within
the harbor before proceeding to Plymouth.
On that timc-honored craft was born the first
Pilgrim child, Pereyrinc White. while moorctt
| in Proyincetown waters. Somewhat below
| the present town our forefathers unearhei.
! according to traditions. the first Indian corn
they had ever seen. TO % this they must have
| landed and, alas no Plymouth rock but rather
bare sand must have frst received the impress
of their feet But it will not do to trile Will,
the more romantic history Of Plymouth.
| OF course most of the citizens at this extreme
| of the cape depend in some way upon the fish
ing industry for livelihood. There is very
little manufacturing carried ON in business not
bearing upon tishermen'S supplies. Some
time ago shoe factory began operations. but
the experiment proved disastrous financially.
The only industry now in active prosecution is
a shirt mandatory. which is reported to be
meeting with excellent success. 1t employs
many young women at satisfactory rates of
wages.
There is little variation in the objects of inter
| est at different wharvcS along the water front
until the establishments of $. s. Swift are
reached. This enterrrisins gentleman keeps a
! large number of worhing-men busy even dur
ing the quiet season. At present his canning
factory is putting up large quantity of mack
erel daily. About month ago it seemed that
the mackerel supply would be scarcely worth
mention. AS Mr.. Swift had prepared 60. 900 tin,
cans to contain one. two or three pounds each
he naturally felt solcitouS at the prospect Of
filling them; but though late the mackerel came
IN by millions, and in three weeks Mr.. Swift
was looking for men to make more cans. II
those who refuse to eat canned goods in thi,
line could watch the various processes from
cleaning the fish to placing them in tins, an,