San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-22
OUTSIDE OF THE WORLD.
MAINE COAST JEWELLERS WHO ARE
BEHIND THE TIMES.
The Fisher Maid of Basket Island and
the Discouraged Citizen of Isle au Haut.
Natives Who Never Saw a Horse,
Train, an Engine or a Brick House.

Natives Who Never Saw a Horse, a
Train, an Engine or Brick House.
The residents of South Thomaston
are, in common with other Maine coast
jewellers, rather behind in the march of
progress, and it doesn't require much to
startle them. The other day steamer
passing White Head blew very long
blast from her peculiar sounding chime
whistle, whereat the villagers marveled
greatly, but at night they were posi-
lively frightened. \ steam yacht in the
harbor displayed an electric rejecting
light, illuminating the sea, sky and land,
and not few of the unsophistiCated ma
tives. remembering the unearthly shrieks
of the strange steamer, coupled the two
events and concluded that tue universe
was about to collapse.
The innocence of these people will not
seem so very strange when it is remem.
Eered that many of the natives of Mon
hegan and other coast islands have never
seen horse, train of cars or a brick
mouse. never having set foot upon the
mainland. There is man on MOnhe-
can island who knows the Boston and
Bangor, the New York and Bangor and
all the other steamers that pass the
island by sight, but although nearly
seventy years old, he has never been on
board of any kind of a steam craft, and
has not the slightest conception of an
engine.
1t is not very long since few acres of
rocky soil in outer Casco bay, known as
Basket island. was deserted by the only
people who ever had the courage to live
there--an cid fisherman, his wife and
daughter These people lived i'll an old
tumbledOwn rookery on the little wind
swept isle, and were veritable hermits.
AN UNCULTURED MAID.
The man fished, while his wife and
daughter carried on the farming opera
tions. which consisted in harvesting
what little coarse hay the island afford
ed anG carrying it on poles to the cow
shed. They had no garden, not even a
patch of potatoes, but were merely toll
ers of the sea. The wife had not visited
the mainland for seventeen years, while
the daughter had passed the entire six
teen years Of her life upon the lonely
spot, although the city Of Portland was
almost in sight.
The girl was bright, but untutOred:
pretty, but miserably clad. She wore
no stockings and knew nothing Of hats.
The ouly relative she knew Of outside
the family circle was half sister. who
She had never seen. Her father said
that this other daughter lived "out
west" She lived in KennebunkpOrt,
York county. This daughter of the sea,
much 10 the surprise of some yachtsmen
who once landed on the island, was able
to play several popular airs upon an old
accordion.
She had picked the music out by ear
after hearing it played by the bands of
passing excursion steamers. A party Of
picnic.-nIs Who landed there found BaS
ket Is. I'D deserted. The matted grass
was ave with field mice, and gUlls
percavu boldly upon the rotting window
siils of IT, old house, while in one corner
lay the Gila}Glatpd accordion which had
long been the chief consolation of the
lonely Usher l..a;i-l.
There l., prrh"ns. 10 more lonely spot
on tbawbole At'.!.;r coast Of the United
states than Isle IN Uaut. which lies far
seo,vorl off fine entrance tn Perobsrot
bov The name giveo TO this island by
+bo oorIv French vo,a,rars il most ammo.
nriota for if looks like a mou.taiD baly
submerged in the sea. The people are
simple, primitive set, and few of them