The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-02-15
OUTSIDE OF THE WORLD.
MAINE COAST JEWELLERS WHO ARE
BEHIND THE TIMES.

@A @"A
the Discouraged Citizen of Isle au Haut.
Natives Who Never Saw a Horse, a
Train. AN Engine or a 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 a steamer
passing White Head blew very a long
blast from her peculiar sounding chime
whistle, whereat the villagers marveled
greatly, but at night they were posi-
lively frightened. A steam yacht in the
harbor displayed an electric rejecting
light, Illuminating the sea, sky and land,
and not a few of the unsophisticated ma
tives, remembering the unearthly shrieks
Of the strange steamer, coupled the two
events and concluded that the universe
was about to collapse.
The innocence Of these people will not
seem SO very strange when it is remem-
bered that many Of the natives of Mon
hogan and other coast islands have never
seen Il horse, a train of cars or a brick
house, never having set DOT upon the
mainland. There is a man on Monte
gan 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 Ill
engine.
1t is not very long since a few acres Of
rocky soil in outer Casco bay, known IS
| Basket island, was deserted by the only
people who ever had the courage to live
there-an old fisherman, his wife and
daughter. These people lived in an old
tumbledOwn rookery on the little winds
swept isle, and were veritable hermits.
AN UNCULTURED.M A
The man fished, while his wife and
daughter carried on the farming opera
tons, which consisted in HARVESTING
what little coarse hay the island afford
ed and carrying it Oh 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 only relative she knew of outside
the family circle was a 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 to the surprise Of some yachtsmen
who once landed on the island, was able
to play several popular airs upon III old
accordion.
She had picked the music out by ear
after hearing it played by the bands Of
passing excursion steamers. A party of
picnickers who landed there found Bias
ket island deserted. The matted grass
was alive with field mice, and gulls
perched boldly upon the rOtting window
stills of the old house, while in one corner
lay the dilapidated accordion which had
long been the chief consolation of the
lonely fisher maiden.
There is, perhaps, nO more lonely spot
on the whole Atlantic coast of the United
States than Isle au Haut. which lies far
seaward off the entrance to PenObscot
bay. The name given to this island by
the early French voyagers is most appro-
pirate, for it looks like Il mountain half
submerged in the sea. The people are IL
simple, primitive set. and few Of them
ever visit the mainland. The island,
with its fish and sheep AMI blueberries. is
their world, and within its limited circle
they are content.
nICCnN TIrSTED