Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-07
CORRESPONDENTS.

Block characterization and Fact
some ssMay-bes,'-Things Not to be
Found on the Island.
BLOCK ISLAND, Aug. 1.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
It may be, as some assert, that Block Island
is but bit of refuse matter chucked into the
ocean on the completion of the North Amer
ican continent proper; surplus age, wastage.
and that the present trseless, barren and
sinzed-cat appearance of the island is normal
and primeval.
Local tradition asserts that the island was
once covered with stately forests, amid whose
lovely shades the most beautiful of Indian
maidens In the most Narragansettesque of
bathing costumes fitted and gifted, beguil-
ing braves to their ruin or exciting them to
heroic exploit.
IT this be true, how great the change, for
there Is not a tree on the island that would
preeume to call itself a tree in the presence
of continental contemporaries. And, as to the
maidens, the most apprehensive OF parents
need not hesitate to expose the most suscep-
tibls of youths to anything female on the
island, indigenous or imported, permanent
ephemeral.
1t may be that there are no foot paths on
the island; and that the few roads go no.
where in particular; terminate abruptly and
without notice, and are entirely composed of
sand and pebbles.
1t may be that the aborigines stoutly re-
4 fuse the requests of modern civilization;
| that they will do nothing to attract the tour
| ist, or to hold him after they have got him.
Itmay be that the bathing beach is abso.
| lutely the finest bathing beach on the ATTAIN
| tic coast from Cape Ann to Florida and that
l the bathing accommodations are abominable
l It may be that there is no foot path leading
l to it; and that the pedestrian must eithel
take one of the afore described
roads, or striking the beach at the
harbor, follow 1t for about q mile to thu
bath houses. If the latter course be hi
choice he at 6rst must pick his way among
fisheries and may exercise his olfactoriss il
discriminating between the odor OF the de
funct cod or that of the uncommercial part
of the deceased mackerel. Later on he vii
find his way corduroyed by the pipes of pri
vate sewers whose openings are not fal
enough away or far enough under water t.
| prevent the New Havener smiling reminis
cences of his charming city: Then trudgin
| wearily through sand to the tnstep he vii
finally reach his destination and be assignee
| to the worst bathing house of his whole At
lantic experience. If the tide be out he wi
| have hard sand to walk on, but at low It'd
} the sewer openings are nearly bare and yer
active.
It may be the Block Island blueishing
not quite as rapturous as represented. IN
: first bluefish is Of course an event. as is th
l first of everything in human history. Yo
pull and pull at the 200 feet OF coarse lin
! with the ten pound animated obstacle pull
ing for life at the other end and with all th
: | friction of the operator on his side of th
, l question. The skipper shouts that If 20
, let your fish run ahead of your pulling 20
are ga goner;" he will get off. You pu
every pore of your body into hydrant, you
: eyes out of their sockets and all the skin o
; sound a bit derisive, the fish
finally Topped on board and you sink e,
) hausted. -Four fish day is sufficient exc
/ else for the ordinary individual who has Z
a ambition to equal, or break, the record. 7
! march up to the hotel carrying ten pound
< is very fine, but If true philosopher, Il
r very next day you will be laughing at Il
J. new neophyte as you were laughed at Il
:. day before. As according to custom Il
skipper has all the fish except the one don
i ton for your triumphal progress, and Il
@ pay for the boat in addition, he has a mon
poly of the economies of the matter.
It may be that the houses on Block Islam
q | are as ugly as houses can be when peop
q, forsake the primitive simplicity to whit
they are accustomed and understand and a.
10 styles and methods of which they have
). notion. It may be that turn the eye in al
" direction it cannot fail Of offence. Su
- awful browns, reds and yellows; such wi
- dows, roofs and oSrnioes such doors al
10 porchesa Where the diseased mind th
t. gave them birtha The widest expanse
" view from my window takes in no shrub
.. hower-bed; no well made path or well ke
. border; not a single sidewalk. There is
OF little sesthetics on the island as in the corr
IN ration of Yale college.
re IT may be that the principal hotels on
-. island face the wrong way, having tn
n' kitchens, stable and outhouses to the "
n and south through which the SUNNI
tx breezes must percolate and become incel