davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

was told. though ponies are numerous-to his
cart and drove me up TO kinnakcet. MI.
distinguish 1t from the los artist ocrallc vehi-
Giles owned by the ordinary islanders. We
for RS SU SeHSs
building, S5Ai6 feet large, or" on top Of which
housed in. 4 lite boil in this was
making aS much nosc as the housing would
permit. The walls OF tito church wee of ur-
right pino boards aud the windows each held
Two dozen pnncS oil small glass, There was no
stove nor chtmney. or niace for one. When
tho bell ceased It's clHnG The neoulc who had
boon chatting In front OF tho church separated
into two Rrogrs tho men and boys going TO
going 10 tho other Within were four rows Of
wooden benches facing tho pplnit. besides n
ton entirely filled the house. Tho seats ut tho
81 e e OF the punt were occupied by old men
bpys and girls, who were frOwned ut by the
elders occasionally tor gigGlnS
For n few minutes the prenrher turned the
those OF tho Bible, aud looked about on the
n"onIe who, Wftc coughing, clearing their
Then, in . loicO that dwclt on noariy every
word until 1t cnde IN " all" hc rcRi tho open
Ing hymn. announcing its tito In ADVANCE. and
finished reading II, he began ovgr again and
read the first two limos. alter which tho cJngre-
CATION. led by tho preacher sang:
oyefosn WITT FIT ' DC n G'sS
Two more lines were then read and sung.
AMI 80 the hyiEn was finished A brief prayer
followed: then an old brother in the amen cor
ner began TO sing all alone tho old hymn:
A.aR.m lasoo.ooldier OF thc.c.e crO.u oss
For three lines no was unassistcd. Then
another brother loincd in. Two limos further
two more were moved to assist. and then the
thin GuavcrinE voice of good old sister roso
above tho voices OF the men. and 90 voice after
voice oil man and woman took up the tune until
by mo time the HYMN was half finished nearly
all the congregation were asking:
Is this while wO ord fre. end to gr.a aace,
Too hel lip moe on II to GooOd
After tho hymn psalm was read and the
preacher said: Brother Scarborough will
lead ne in prayer" At this all knelt down rs
they had done during the previous PRAYER.
lrother scarborough was q tall old man. with
thin hands, hollow checks, deep sunk eyes. and
long stvery hair carefully combed back be-
hind his ears. lie had boen sitting on the
front seat at the side Of tho pulpit and. when
invited TO pray he slid of the seat, and. get
ting on bis knees. bent his head over the
touched the board. The noise Of tho shifting
congregation was hushed quickly, and then the
old man began. in II voice so low as to be
searcely audible ten feet away. to say. ITO
Thee, Al mighty God, tho Creator OF tho uni
verse. who art from everlasting to everlasting"
whllo the brethren about him and the preach
er -, In sighs and whispers s9aid. Yes
From words OF praise the brother passed
to expressions OF thanks for the necessities. tho
comforts. and tho Injuries of this life as he
knew them, and for the blessings Of tho life to
come. as he expected them to be. Ho passed
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

Cypll,tyy that Mr. RPlivsn could keen his foot;
stumbling, over something, rolled OIL on, tho
tEio S. pc TO see what had tripprd him, and
ioupI tho body OF man; IN 'onscious, ami
clothed IN garments s., IN with icc.
!lc dragged tho body into tho kitchen, md
stirring ~, tho fire, hastily stripped off tho
Wans clothing and wrapped him IN warm
S %nS Prey S5 sSee a. io NET 2 G
Ha sci sch t j. A Fis So @ 'F Snowman
1850, with phosphate for Port Royal. Losing
her bearings in tho gallo she encountered as
she approarhod llHteras, she, struck hoayiIy
llcrr she rcmaine,i with her crew hanging in
Ia" rigging all that torribIe night and until
%,H tGG no Ut, a aI when sno broke pp
Two hers Coo 4. and y H. Sn snow nsEo th i
first and second mnies oi tho vessel. were in
young mon when Onco in the water were able
20 catcR hold Of piece OF tho cabin and draw
d iltng they knew not where until sunset
whom tho flash OF helamp in the tower showed
That they were approaching the land. But w.
III. snowman could hold out no longer and
coon after tho light was seen n wave washed
hin from tho plank and ho disappeared.
plank, with but little hopo and wholly incapa-
bio - noting either time or distance. until he
found himself very unexpectedly picked up on
had enough strength loft 10 crawl beyond the
reach Of tho waves. and, after II timo. TO walk
across the sand toward the house. He reached
tower and before Mr. Bliyen had come down.
and, there he tainted. Iio eventually recov-
ere and reached his homo In Bath
1t IL supposed that the off-shore current had
IN sumo way ,ormed an oddly that night around
tho sLoal and that this particular bit Of wreck
with ~" two mon on II had had the luck TO get
into tho eddy. and so. between $3.50 and
O'clock, it drIltel ashore,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
A WILD GOOSE BLIND AND DEcoYs.

and then mailing boards to the poles. clapboard
fashion. The ire is built on the sand in tho
centre of this chimney, and In cold weather the
benches placed against the walls of the chin
Rey, with their hands hold out to the flames
on fire and is burned to death. say once a year
or tive. vide piece OF q board nailed to the
chimney on the weather side serves to lengthen
that, sidn and so promote the draft The
smoke, nevertheless. gets in their eyes. and
Hatteras home are blackened BY this usage.
The windows are few in number and small
doors are Jet open. save in the coolest weather.
day aud mig ut tho year round. When the roof
gives out 1t is commons. patched, with an old
sail as shown In the picture, which Is from a
photograph.
If there is plastered house on the island I
a majority OF the houses are not even ceilod.
The wall ornaments consist OF advertising litho-
pisees there though tic female forms are very I
The islanders sleep on feather beds invari-
rail sort. strung with ropes that pass, around
knobs In the rail. Even where no bedstead Is
used the shaRedown Ia Of feathers.
The Hatteras homestead consists Of from
tsy t6s sss o nd Th nS B.
an exception phe ordinary estate sells for
There are three school houses on Hatteras
month each year. The school house at Kinna-
keet Is q sample Of the three. 1t is 15x22 feet
large: has neither desk nor, chair. stove nor
chimney door nor window in IT, There are
holes where doors and windows should be. and
two in the roof; 2x3 feet large, where holes
should not be. However. the children can sit
on the floor in pleasant weather. aud there is
no school when the weather Is foul
The Hatteras folks have always buried their
dead in cemeteries. Here at kinnakeet they
began hundred years or 30 ago to bury them
in a little hollow in the midst of q grove OF
live OAK cedar. and myrtle. The hallowed
place was near midway between the, sea and
the sound. Shut in on every side by the trees
and bushes. and sheltered above by the dense
masses OF tree linn BIS. grape vines and leayes:
the quiet and darkness Of twilight prevailed
Mt MONDAY. Here shallow trenches were dug
and the loved ones buried from sight with such
lamentations as q kindly. emotional people
may utter.
Until the greed OF tho islanders made them
sacrifice their live oaks and cedars. no moro
quiet. restful place for cemetery could be
found in the land than this. But when tho
giants were cut down the sand wave swept
inland rcmorselessly, and it has now buried
half the graves out of sight One corner.
however has been passed over by tho wave.
and there the wind has not only uncovered
the Did headboards. but it is digging away tho
sand from over the collins. and In places en-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

there; The girls wont into tho 4ininE room
head o. tho table, and the boys sat or zach silo
OF mo. Tho Gi,!s dlSnnloarei say" Miss 'u-s
woman at the Island, She uour"i tho cotroST,
passed. n plato Of biscuit aroun |, ana thon she,
too, disappeared.
| was hungry, but paused a moment to look
NJ tho >pr. al on The tGlir, |, consisted If u
iurgip tops TINT hal boon Sotlej win N" pork,
spots with tho lard boiled from tn mcat; II
plate OF cold biscuit, viii, h hal been baked two
days before withou, tho H-eo, nrkin@ powder
box OF peppor and that was AT.
was thirsty ~ W. rs hungry, and had said
the Gun of colteo and swal owed u thIid Of It,
Then stoppcd 10 consider wheihrr or not
was really hungry and thirsty. Tho coffee. MS
spoonful OF COLE" extract with tphcupiuI f
molasses AMI boiling the m,Ytur' in -ii quarts
delicious to the unhcru-tumed tHS'O. Nor can
one a, h's Iirst attempt ca hearth o! cod
biscuit made without baking powder, nor OF
cold boiled iat rorE. II ! ma been Young
have been horribly embarrassed Even ns It
was. was glad tho Young WON worp not
present, ior could no; cat
Afcrward, when came t. en- elsewhere, |
noticed that no woman ever sat at tho table
anywhere on the ,sland.
no not your wives eat whom on do - said
WINS the reply.
ii was oycu 30. Whom told Of tho grace and
dignity with which the ladies' OF the motropol.s
presided ut the head Of tho dinner tahio tho
islander WAS lOath to believe what no heard.
unless, indeed, II were told UI on" OF tho DENT
mpnde-ho could scarce bcliova any other
cou be so lost to sense Of mpdesty rs 10 eat
with men.
Then ! made inquiry as to. the regular diet
OF the islander aud here is what they have:
Corn bread, fish and oysters, pork, and yopon
tea and rarely, coree. On sunday they have
white Hour made into biscuit and also whom
the preacher Is CNperted AZ meal. Tho pork
IL not served more than three tWcs II week.
and in IL majority Of the families not over unco
u week. iluudroa- 0l them do not tuste any
tlIinG but corn lueai ish. ur~ieIs. ana ynrnn
from QUO ycdrto another Iuu thylty have
gardens nom two % 'hrca rods suuar which
they cal plantations, AMI IIuH these KAT corn,
- tutue-, uhiun~. iurnlDs. and a few other
frcshps, III the -euspn.
Tho corn meat is mixed with water only and
BAKED in a spider over the Goals tor hrend. Tho
oysters are commonly hOilcd with Il piece of
salt pork, ana the soup Is thickontI with corn
meal. Fish are served both boiled and fried
With pork. EoD0n teR is beverage made from
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

islander swinging and In n few years every
available oak was Eono. Then the cedar fol-
lowed, and only scrubby cedars. scrubby live
oaks, aud the yopon remained.
But the east wind continued to blow as be-
fore, and when II blew II picked up the sand
that grow close down to tho surf. The sea
piled up moro sand in the place Of that blown
away, and more was blown back into the brush.
The brush Gied under tho blast. and thus tho
sand bench was wdened 1t grew IN geomet-
ricaI pfSgressl0h on what IL iSd; Tho wider It
deadly sand blast. The man who now walks
through the groves at either Chicnmicumico or
kinnakeot comes to tho sand wavo most be-
fore he Is able TO SEQ through the brush out
over tho beach. itS crest Is from seyrn TO ilr-
hurl the spoon drift from tho wave into tho
traveller $ eyes rs he Apnroacho.. IN twenty.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
CHAPTER II.

Within tho memory OF few OF the Oldest
people Hatteras Island was covered with a
thick forest OF which great live oak and red
cedar were the principal trees. In these for
Osts the inhabitants built their huts and made
thoIr little gardens. SO thick were the forests
and 80 prpdigIous the growth OF wild grape
vines that tho young men and boys, in the
grape gathering saason used TO travel from
tree to trce, often fos hundred wards or more
llke monf"ys. by means OF intorlacing limbs
anI g!apoyInes. But along in tho foriies there
nroso demand for live oak. 1t was small at
FIRST but in 1880 1t had become urgent. The
Yankee clipper was the greatest ship in the
world and tho shipbuders OF New York and
Boston must have live oak for the Yankee clip
OSE Yankee gold sst the axe Of the HatterGS
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

five years 1t has advanced half way across the
island at linnak ee;. If we may Judge by the in
roads made during tho past year inroads easily
measured by tho distance from tho scrubby
trunks OF trees now dead, but living last sum-
mcr. to the present crest OF the wave. no SPOT
on the island viii! be hahitable north Of
Cape Hattrrds fifteen years from now save as
the life savers live. in stations and huts built
Oh tho sand that is absolutely barren.
At Kinnukect tho hall Of tho island not yet
covered l. low. itnt. and for the most part
swampy.. Tho wells uro rom Two to three feet
deep. Tho water is hracksh. and is not gem
orally used for drinking. rain water caught in
barrels being used instead. But no one filters
the water, and bilious fevcrs abound.
From Cape liattoraS half way to Hatteras In
let six niles the island is from two to two and
oue-half miles wide. and is covered with u
dense forest, chietiv Iine and oak. A sweet
water glade like the Florida Gales runs half
way down the centre: The water in the glade
fresh water Extraordinarily fresh water rop-
ms. as thoy are called here. beautiful. bright
coIored a!-shaped fellows of five or six
inches In length-are abundant The woods
are full OF red deer and rabbits. although
houses arc scattered NJ intervals along the
trail that follows tho sound shore line. The
remainder o: westerly half of this arm OF the
island is narrow, save at Durants Point. where
It Is noarly TWO miles wide. No sand wave af-
reason that the timber On 1t Is not worth send
ing to market and ha| been q Flowed 10 stand.
Tho cape itself Is rather u shell than n sandy
point. for il is COMPOSED of fine bits Of broken
rcd shells which give tho wide. level barron a
rod glare in the sunlight that is maddening to
tho eyes. For over half mile back from tho
point the land is dead level about four feet
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

nbove high water Back of this there is n host
OF dunes that extend for two miles from the
point, and then the forest enclosing the glade.
The point OF the cape is a narrow N-shaped
slopes away SO gradually that the water is
but seven feet deep u mile and Il half from
shore. To the stranger who loves nature
there is an understandable fascination about the
surf on this cape i IS here that the waves
flom n thousand miles 10 the north and thou
sand leagues To the south meet and break. 1t is
here that tho great rollers which fOretel tho
coming hurricane first thunder on the strand.
Even on Il deai calm day, or with an oN-shora
breeze. such breakers MS awake the echoes
gather and dash int each other over the blood
rel point and hurl their shattered crests, spark
ling and foaminG white. twenty five feet above
tho head OF the spectator. II IS scene 70
stir the blood, no matter what ones expert
enceS may have been.
For Il time. on his arrival. the spectator will
have hard work to keep his eyeS Off the surf.
nor can no scarce resist the temptation TO
Hing OH his clothes and rush in to take part in
Join. Bot lot him beware how. h" yields to
this temptation. This. the most dangerous OF
all capcs, has no wrcckage upon 1t. There Is
nothing but the sand and broken shells within
hall a mile. save only solitary post stuck uD
near the point by n fisherman, whose shanty
can be seen hall mile away. The sweep Of
waves on shore, whether tho wind he southerly
or nortnnrly. creates q current that swings
along tho beach. round in tho Light OF the
land. and out past the point Of tho cape and
teraS is the most dangerous along tho
American coast. The fact that an Of
shore current always. prevails mt the cape
Il OF awful significance. for when,
lie beyond tho caro- the hone OF the scamen is
gone. 1t is not enough that whom weakened
Dr work and eNnoSulo thoy must be thrown
into the waves whom the ship breaks W.; tho
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
ChApTER LII.
UNCLE SANS LlGuTHousE4.

~ III N NJ I.TTfTI ITWINt'.
Two miles north OF the ront o. the cape. and
perhaps IL quarter Of "A mil" west OF the surf.
stands Cane liaticras lgh house. IN" light Is
~ let above tho sea ir'el, AMI mo. tower
spiras. The lamp Is known a, Il white nash
lamp OF the first ord. br means u clock
work n bulls lens l. brought Lutwern tho
lamp and the Cyo VI tho su"ctalor AT regular
Intervals. and so powerful il ~" beam If
light thus thrown out that the flare OF II has
on favorable nights. lilman r. smith is the
principal keeper ON q salary OF Sslu year. C.
q. Miller Is lrst assistant at $yUU Mesloy Aus
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

posing tho bones Of the dead. The vain efrorts
OF the living 70 stop this dosecration by dliv-
lug, stakes about the graves and pi!inG logs
aud stOnos and boards over them are pitiful to
contemplate.
When the little mound Of earth had been
rounded up after n burial thoy went away and
CUT The trunk o! cedar into the shape OF a
head stone. For many years Oil Damernn
Mceiins carved in rude letters the INSCRIPTIONS
ON those monuments. The Oldest monument
dripherabIn is that OF Metldin Farrow who
died n!y the Is day, ls0s. aged year, mo and
days"
Zero l. another inscrirtnn rs near letter for
let,eL as nOssible with the use Of TWO:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

native shrub akin to the mate OF South
America The new shoots OF the shrub, with
leaves attached, are gathered in September
and placed in q duR-out trough. and there
chopped up fine with an axe. Meantime a big
lie is built near by. and a lot OF stones heated
red hot. Then the yoDon cuttings are dumped
into,a barrel until the bottom is covered four
or five inches deep, and on this IL placed
layer OF hot stones Alternate layers OF yopon
and stones I'LL the bnrrel, and the barrel Is then
covered az near alright as may b.. and
Ia left thus Tor II day or two. Then the
yonon Is taken out and dried. It Is stepped
into u bevc' age as any tea would he. and it is
the best thing nut on tho liatteras table. They
do occasionally have YEA and mutton and In
tho season some wild fowl, but because tho
wild fowl can GonorHlly be shipned to Eliza
both CITY bv schooner ninety miles, and sold,
and because only n few people own sheep and
cattle it Is fair TO say that tho islander livcs on
fish, oysters, cornmeal aud yopon tea only.
The homes OF lluttoras folks are as unattrac-
tive as the food. Tho Hatteras homo con-
slsts OF n wooden cottage ljX2O feet large. with
wooden chimney GNl0 feet large. attached
This chimney is made by driving four poles
into the ground where the corners are to be,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
CHAPTER ".


Three entries in the light keepers logbook
are OF interest On tho night Of Aug. 81, 1886.
earthquake was first fclt in the light tower. It
was terrifying. The great tower waved to
saws There was sG sound as S Of cannon nor 'S OK
thunder" Tho machinery was stopped" and
II was necessary to call the principal keeper to
l0:n7. and n third Mt II 30. This was tho worst
Of all, and for the only time In the history OF
keepers 1t soomed that tho tower surely would
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
LlIANTl,N Y.

wi"i TINE uArrEEAa LIFE sAvErs.
lic'wneu l!aitoW lnlot and New Inlet there
ar" eight lile-saylug stations. Tho crews of
Iuon in the service. one saving station on
the south shore OF Long Island. famous for It's
good work, and therefore described by ThE
tuH not long ago. had i've wrecks TO care for
during the, past year 1t was hard season s
work, but Halteras lie savers count that sea-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

current that always runs Off shore will sweep
thom away from the help tho hardy lifG savers
might give them were they with II reach
II Is through this current That the shoals
known Ms tho Diamond and Outer shoals In, e
been, created. 1t IL the existence Of these
shoals that makes HatterGs such terrO- 10
the navigator. Vessels rarely como ashore on
the cape Itself but no one knows ar can know
how many ships strike on tho shOals beyond
the cape, and, breaking IN there, drift away 10
sea leaving no tongue nor trace to tell tho
story OF their fate
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
son light one which does not average a wreck

son n light one which does not average wreck
every three weeks.
Take the experience of Capt. u. NJ. Pugh and
the crew OF the station at Klnnakeet on one
day last year as an example OF what Hattcras
life savers do. His log for Jan. IS, 1889. says
To-day at 10 IS 4. NJ. the keeper at Cape liatteras
teephoned To me The stations connected by ele
hhone-Ed that there was a barkentno wrecked or
the outer point Of tho shnAL started
with my crew and boat down tho beach toward Cape
Haiteras station carried my boat tho south side
OF tho point distance of eight miles from station.
There met with capt; DALEY and his boat an tho
boats crew NJ Creeds Hill station We all launched
our boats and after taking several heavy
through the surf and pulled toward the wrork whom
about eight or ton miles from the land saw tho
wrecked crew In their own boat We pale IN to
them gave them line and tOwed them In on the back
OF the breakers then TOOK the shirwrecked crew in
own boatsRnd carried thom safely to land and mp
the Cnpo Hateras station. Arrived back at my station
ntpP NJ had no watcn that night, as tho men were
worn out
Worn out was their precise condition. They
left their station Mt 1910 A. ". In a bowling
winter norther with tho air along tho boach
full OF snow and freezing spray. After drag
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06

from thanks to petitions. and prayed for each
OF he things for which ho had given thanks
and for n great many other things besides. As
he proceeded H. realized that the mercioS OF
with each sentence he uttered. His hond was
iaised. His whispers grew 10 the tones Of an
ordinary conversation, to earnest appeals. and
then to shouts Tor mercy, until at last with
waving head and cenchcd nstS that pounded
the bench till it jumped from the floor. no
reached n grand climax in tho words and
pour ont thy Holy Spirit in nj, the c4rth Till nlI,
head and bend the knee and crown him Lord
OF ALL"
At this the old brother paused. and then. as q
hush fell over tho room. he once more bent his
head low over the rude bench and in tho
whisper with which h. had begun his PRAYER
said: Grant TO us. kind heavenly Father. tho
answer to these our .ochlo petitions, and save rs
all at last in thai house not made with hands,
we ak for Christ,s sake. amen"
Ia was mighty man Of PRAYER. As his
voice rose II stirred tho emotions of his
brethren, I'LL in their terv,or trey. too beat III.
"Halenrrh." Tfl"ssod .Tcsus >" Go grant
it and like words in iuice- heard n half nile
away. while the church fairly ticmh.cd under
their emphatic d"r onatraiions.
Within five minutes after leaving the church
] received throe Invitations I" 80 to dinner. 1t
Is the custom of the people. for .hcY are taught
t. he not for!c'iu to ontertHin s'rau gnrs. tne
OF the invitations camC from tho son OF mcr-
chant there, and this accented lcrRGSe la |
been told that the tables Of th" poorer people
we're not Hnunian:ly supplied q en- on sun
day and WAS hungry Aftor my driv" over tho
church. AT the home Of tho merchant found
that tho IA her an mother wcro not N home,
but that did not matter. since there wern three
young women and two young nen OF the family