Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08
AT OLD SIASCONSET.
How to Reach This Antique New
England Fishermen's Hamlet.
RAILROADING ON NANTUCKET
A Unique Road and How 1t IL Run-seaxaring
Nations and Their Ways-Combination
Trains and interchangeable Empioyes-vis-
itors From Washington.
'ondence Of The Evening Star.

| Correspondents of The Evening Star
SIAsCoNsET, MASS, August 1, 1891.
| EOR SHORT THE NATIVES OF NAN
Il tucket call this funny old fishermen's ham
| let 'Sconset." 1t is over 200 years old. 1t is
| fifty miles from New Bedford 1t is the point
on Uncle Sans domain the furthest out in the
ocean. By swimming due east 1900 and odd
miles could reach Spain. haven't tried it
yet, but fishermen tell me 50. Fishermen
never lie. 1 don't how far it is to the West
Indies on the south. Even the fishermen
don't vouchsafe the information. "The wind
bloweth where it listeth." Whether it bloweth
or listeth at 'Sconset it comes from the ocean.
When badly disciplined thermometers on the
main land indicate the warmth of q Turkish
bath, the easy going, conservative mercury at
'sconset is satisfied to skirmish between 20 and
so.
now TO REACH scoSsET.
You can't get to 'Sconset without going to
Nantucket town. A hundred years ago the GER
tain way to reach the town, and sometimes the
cheapest. was to get on a whale ship in the
south seas Steamboats, and railroads cured all
that. They made their connections from New
Bedford and Boston with Nantucket town. But
they didn't solve the problem of getting to
| 'Sconset Until seven years ago to reach here
FlsitOrs were puiieU through one OF many sandy
| roads with deep ruts There were a dozen OF
| them, more or less. Each was parallel with the
other and all close together. No matter which
was followed the passenger wished the driver
had taken another. To make the change was ex-
ira hazardous Marine insurance companies in
| issuing policies on box carts crossing the
| island declared them void if it was shown that
the loss caused by attempting to go from
one set OF ruts to another. Then the spirit of
improvement invaded the island. She didn't
come a minute toe soon. 'Sconset was waiting
for her. A railroad was built. The project
was conceived in speculation; was born in pow
erty; was dry-nursed on hope: was sustained
by the sale of its stock and the issue OF bonds
The stock was in time surrendered to the bond :
holders, to whom new stock was given. Then
other bonds were issued.
THE RAILROAD.
The road was a broad conception built on
narrow gauge. 1t skirts the south shore Of the
island from Nantucket town to Siosconset. On
the north are wide pasture lands and moors re-
dolent with the perfume of wild flowers. On
the south IL the ocean with the water breaking
on the rips" in sight the whole distance. It
is a railroad the like of which does not exist.
All bow down and worship it. They do not vio-
late the second commandment 1t is like moth
ing in the heavens, or on the earth. or in the
waters beneath the earth.
Siasconset Is sanitarium. It il the delight
of invalids who need rest. Rest is not suited
to all complaints. There are maladies for
which travel on this railroad is a panacea. A
New York doctor was treating a bad case of
torpidity of the liver. He DIDN'T want to have
the patient die on his hands, He put him up
some harmless medicaments and told him to
go to 'Sconset for the season. He expected the
patient to die and he wanted to leave the duty
of giving the certificate of death to q 'Sconset
doctor. The patient didn't die. He rode on
the SiascOnset railroad. That did the business.
He gave the doctors medicines the credit for
the cure, sent on a big check for a fee and be-
gan to shout the doctors fame Any day n trail
of patients with morbid livers can be seen at
the door of that doctors office.
srAFAR1yo NATIVE.
The natives of the island are a .aosor;ro
people. When thew have nothing tn do-wb;cb
generally bsppens-tbev take 90. crr;se ~ Uh.n
the cars began running the change from a box
cart to them was a novelty. They liked it.
Those who had free passes liked it still better.
The sway OF the cars from port to starboard
seemed Ike the motion OF ship. The track
ascent and descent OF the craft was
hke unto running bows On TO coming wave,
going over It's crest and sinking in the
trough OF the sea beyond. They felt at
nome. Az nrst they experienced q sense Of
danger. There were no spar buoys to mark
the channel. There was no sense in putting
bell buoy on top OF the locomotive when it
might be wanted TO mark the location OF q
shoaL Again. the locomotive didn't conform
to maritime rules and regulations. 1t didn't
have starboard and port light. At night a
box cart or wagon steering across their course
with brisk wind abeam might run into the
train and sink it in two fsthoms of
sand. There were no life boats or even
life preservers on the train. 1t looked like
taking big risk. The engineer was an old
sailor himself. He knew the feeling of the
| average Nantucket man. In Difference to the
pubic wish he put a green light on the star
board and red light ON the port side of the
locomotive. Then with the glare OF the head
light from the bow the natives were treasured.
There was no greater danger than existed in
sailing Ill other waters.
A COMBINATION OF TRA1ys
tn. nro;actor. =, Tho rooa roso,,,., g.. .,
r ~? =, VIZ io"' W n,aAe
.,' unA "ne.
i.S lerhihai point ID oiasconseI Inc sconset
visitors have no use for Nantucket town except
as port OF entry. Then they embark their
hopes on the 'sconset cars. There are half
dozen trains day each way. Each makes a
half dozen trips. There is the 'Sconset lin
tied, the lightning express, the United States
freight the construction train, the wrecking
| train and the owl train. The owl train
doesn't run at night 1t was con-
templated when the enterprise was begun One
day the engineer saw in the scrub oaks near the
track young owl with its eyes blinking under
the glare OF the sun. He closed the throttle
valve. He told the fireman to Jump ashore
and bring in that owl. 1t was taken into the