The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1889-07-25
A Sketch of Swans Island.

ness upon the sleepy, indierent oil skinne,
but withaIl good natured inhabitants of Swan
| Island. No one responded to his first endea'
and discover, if possible, the history, if the1
DE history, of the little, sea-begrt isle whic
is located in the year A. d., 1850, Just on tn
borders of civilization and the PenobScot Ba,
bounded on the north by Bar IIarbor pleasllr
seekers. on the east and south by the dominic
of Goldfish and ha'lIock. and on the west by tn
happy hunting ground of the lobster
Sailing up that beautiful stretch of smoot
island dotted water commonly known a. Mel
chants Row, on the little steamer Mayted
| swans Island, under the glow of the brigh
June sun. appeared to me in my halucnation
| the very picture of some Grove OF Daphne D
| land of Lotus Eaters. There it lay, its youn
| growth of trees and white meeting hou,
steepIe pointing hcayenWarl and its pebbl
fringed garments trailing midst the ceasele>
| Wisll-Wl>h of the waves. Dreamy it looket
| from distance. dreamy it appeared near b.
and dreamy it really was. The ships and boat
in the bay lay idly tapping their sails. th
/ ducks and hens crcpt one Side with an indit1er
| ent. maudin gait, the clouds above rolled Iazil
across the heavens and some old huks alon!
the shore gave evidence Of a sleep that know
| no waking. 50 qljict and slow was it that
actually expected to find hung up in the OLE
| store by the wharf n calender of thr 40, ana
as my stomach said emphaticaly '',iinner,
anXjoU>ly consulted the ancient timepiece i,
ascertain whether it might not be breakfast il
| this conservative township.
I'm printers devil What has happenet
hcre:" >ail TO a rugged. venerable lookin,
oiI man whose hiuh brow ana Iuyuriant brar,
br-noke tle presence Of Iar.re coyitatiye fnril
ties, "Wa'al, said he rtminatjng, I've livec
here Mich outcr forty wears ana never know
ed of alythinr hanu'nju.r NJ =" 1his ,ln,htles,
was near the tr,,th. Nh t som lp.rupI unt I,
assume II in thr presence. of tn. ,-noI Islander.
who are uatrio1it. cnourh 10 consider Bar Uar
Dor a useful home market and {; ;recn's I.ndino
a rather pretty and ettrrpri,iuo ,uburb
1t isa,inriar fact. however. fhaI. durino my
,oio1Irn there. thn llI,inrs, OF this rnn,ark,Ll,
town travelled hy some tnNsttrioiIs mean. h.
tween Oh IIarbor ana MackereI cove. When
| Wa- at otd !Iarhor thcv told me that most IF
their business Ma at Narkrre Coy. ana when
/ was Al MackerrI cove rrcei, ri me- uroyok
iu. information tuai most ut their blI.inr.,
Nns at pIG Harbor. aiI Al icNrr met anv Of
th, business on he way, am ce,lajnly as
founded by the fact thru Il business can posses.
such ,ccutjar bowers Of invisible. l.conotinn.
Not t. he. oIl,fcd from what 9tnearrd TO b. :,
fond ,ieli>iolj thai Iii. town uaI a history
somewhere. e>uoritlIy after had visited the
cemetery Oh tn. Dil and read over tbr names
Of Her ancient ,!,,td continued nv mission Of
iOutiiry fin i WY~ informed Tint me solomon
Rarhoilr. VINO iiNrI np4r ty MIGHT lie tnaua-
ciOll> on the -u,t.t Amin ht4ollil,. me Min Uer-
>0nal ana ht>tnlil.;, "reminiscences,
MIR. Barbour, aforesaid. was in tIlc IIaytirId.
busy with hi, work. On hpin.e Informed thai
] was a hunter of ANTIQUITIES he carefully
rolled mn hi, I'm ,l..> trnked hi, lone hnarJ
with hi, r,pht h1n,I. curre, his month and
said: "WcU il wa. aIotli 100 yearS 400 lryerl-
thine. like th, y,ratlul. ,yas ON = h,>i. nf mn