New-York tribune., 1890-06-29
HELIGOLAND.
THE QUAINT FOLK OF QUEER LITTLE
ISLAND.


Helig0iand June ls
1t is a great thing to awake in the morning
and find oneself famous; great for an individual,
and greater still for Insignificant little snip oil an
island Yesterday this was as modest and quiet
and humble bit of land the whole earth's
surface holds: with never thought that it might
perchance he a target for diplomatic lightning.
To-day it is just about pert and perky as can
he, realizing that the eyes OF the world are upon
it. And nobly it rises to the height oil the occa-
sion. The world expects Heligoland to do lts
duty and Heligoland proposes not to DE found
wanting. 1t Is three-quarlers OF century slose
the place had any greater sensation thsS - SAr
rzlal catch Of fish, Now the ls.anu realizes tn.t
great international issues depend upon it, inter
continental in fact. The balance of power and
the maintenance of peace in Europe and the partI-
ton and civilization of Africa resting npoR
this wave-worn bit of rock and clay. So why
shouldn't Iieligoand feel big? For of course this
Ango-German-ifri treaty cannot be iatliHd
without ieligoland's consent; at least lleligo-
land believes.
1t is cosmopolitan sort Of place, too, as III
present circumstances is quite fitting IL is an
English colony in name and fact, with an Englisn
Governor. Bat the buildings are Danish, and tho
language is chiefly German. The actual natlonal-
ity of the natives is, / believe. Frslan. The
native human beings. | mean. The native and
visiting beings Of other types are manifold In their
afflnities. Herr Goctkc who for many years
filed tie important Office OF Colonial Secretary,
and devoted most of his time to painting ana
ornitholOgy, told me that he had caught on this
tiny island birds from North and South America,
Greenland Iceland Palestine, China, Siberia,
India, Australia, New-Zeaand, Egypt, South Africa
indeed. from every part of the globe These
oh bioH, birdS Il
lost in the fogs of the North Sea. AS to the other
fauna Of this island not much is to be said; though
a little more than of the snakes Of Iceland There
are rabbits here, and not long ago these we're so
numerous that the island was said TO be suffering
from n plague of them. At the height OF tie
plague there were perhaps hundred and fifty
rabbits on the island.
There is good deal of government here. too.
There is a Colonial Governor and the before
mentioned Secretary, and two Councillors, who
meet in solemn state in the old Danish Governors
House. There is a Treasurer. too, and Pooh
Bah. The latter is warrant officer of the
British Navy. lie is also Commander-in-Chief OF
the land and sea forces Of the colony. Chef OF
Police. Chief Justice, A1torney-General, cher
Constable, County Court Judge. Governor of the
GaOl, Turnkey, Sheriff. Justice Of the Peace and
EXecutioner; and if there are any other little odd
Jobs to be done outside Of those offices. he does
them l. should be added that the total land and
sea forces of the colony consist of five coast
guard men There are some howitzers a sand
hill somewhere. which form the armament of the
island But with all his multitude of offices,
Lieutenant Pooh Bah often finds time hang heavy
on his hands. About in three months there
is a petty civil suit 10 be tried. That is all a
few years ago for the only time in half a century,
there was n criminal case. man was arrested
for stealing a dozen pewter spoons This event
created tremendous excitement, and was talked
Of for wears The criminal convicted and
was sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor III
prison dress for, ! think, two weeks. The dress
consisted of fine new suit of clothes. much bet
ter than he had ever worn in his life. They
had 10 he procured from the tailor's especially
for him. by the way, since there never before had
been need of such a thing. The labor consisted
in shcvelling sand at the pier for eight hours
day. As for the Imprisonment, il meant that the
convict he'd 10 sleep every night in the guest
chamber Of the Governors house lhere was
no other lookup. And he took his meals at the
table d'hote of the very inn from which he had
stolen the spoons.
Indeed. they are particularly easy-going and
simplr-heartcd sci. these Heligolanders Perhaps
they are a bit stold But they are quiet and in
offensive They drink deeply hut never get
drunk CONTAGIOUS and infectious diseases liiocy
and lunacy are absolutely unknown. They are
fresh-compleX Xioned. healthy looking. of good SIZE
and Development. Longevity is the rule. Eighty
and ninety the years at which most deaths
occur. The women are not beautiful according
To English ideas of beauty. They are too
well. substantial But they are admirable house,
keepers and as wives and mothers their character
5 without r5proach In few places in the word,
| suppos Sc are there more interInarrlages, genera
ton alter generation, than here Everybody on
the island is related pretty closely TO everybody
else Yet 10 evil results. either mental or
physical. seem 10 follow
German. of course. is practically the universal
language: favored with strong turn of dialect.
The street, of the village have English names,
but those names are never spoken save by
visitors. NO language hut German is taught aG
tie school Yet there seems to he no great desire
to belong To t,ermany. WDcneyer in past years
some excursion party from Hamburg has Droughr
ont here q budun- statesman IN spectacles VINO
has tried To rouse public sentiment In favor OF
restoring the ISLAND to Germany. hiS EFFORTS nave
hcen greeted with most dlscOuragln4 lhulHeIehce.
t,d even noN. when England proposes 10 hand
the isllnd over To- Germany. IN return Tor thou-
said times - worth IN Africa the island Is ny
no mc1rs sure that Il wants 20 he handed over;
If some ot tie opposition statesmen. IN nope OF
er,ic rro..lug l0ii Salisbury. come out here,
they may be- able u find several flelIg. .l2nders
who positively prc.cr To remain BRUSH SUBJECTS
To belong 10 German would not make the catches
OF fish any larger and il might make the young
men liable 10 CONSUMPTION for military service
Ieligoaud can sea 'ceiy hc recl>onei an irn-
rortant industrial colony; indeed, excepting Tor
the two items of bread and beer. il is not self
sustaining Fish of course is PLENTIFUL but IS
not n favoritc article of food with the ISLANDERS:
All meat must br brought from the mainland, and
"A week Of stormy weather cuts on supplies and
reduces the island to n STATE of siege. All sup
niles that are brought from the mainland have
to he carried up steep stairway from the landlnS-
stare on mems shoulders. The shops neither
numerous nor extensive and their chief object
seems to he 10 derive II small trade during the
summer in such fancy articles as are found in
booths and sideshows of watering places. There
used to he great deal oi gamplhg mere; ana ao
one time the island bndc fair 10 rival IIombur,
and Monaco: but all that was stopped some tim,
tn IN In