Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-11

Correspondent. - TIE fy.nias sta-
NANTUCKFT. AAss.. January u. 1854
Among The many WasElustouian. Who spend
,heir summers OF Nantucket Island no, one.
Perhaps, would recognize II ss u has been shs.s
last throe weeks
The ruined uharves ard narrow streets O.
,lo 'ia whaling town. the bs~sys o. ht,ss
>oohSei. tie rambling roads across the moor.
and eNsn Tho moars them ae',es. ar. one I'M
broken sheet fsnow. WhicA extends AorO.. III.
sanas ca 10 The ice. and out out mies and
miles until no-hiag can De seen from al. ,ouu
IN any direction but one vast level OF white.
For the first time IN more than a quarter o..
century this little insular world b., .,,o,sa
thrCe successive weeks ~ good .l.irhipg ana
for the first time IN many Nrar- the httl. ,s.oA
- n miniature World b. itself shut on com
pletely by the ice from all the other r.ro,ies a
the earth habiaiion IN sn arctic sea
On the morning ~ January n the steamer
which had beer RUNNING daily. lcft Nsntuckei
for the last time. The weather had been Vers
cold ard for MANY CAVE snow had covered
everything several inches deep. Tho ice which
had been rapidly forming. closed IN later IN u,.
day, and by night the ;uhsbit@uts kasw that
they were frozen Oh from the rest - the
world. No alarm was felt. a. there r~re .tares
ON hand sufficient 60 feed the people Tor several
weeks, but the supply of grain Tor -tncs sss
very small. and u soop became evident hat n
the embargo continued more than vesk al
horses and cattle would have 10 hive mostly. 81
not entirely, on hay. With hts u aa indi florence
10 external events the average Nautuckeirf
setdod down go has regular winter -taH -
semi-hibernation. and With fhe exception % Ir-
terNals ~ sunshine between the fr"qusut
snow storms, one day passed much lac an
other 20 him. The average Nantucketcr
Is largely in she mAjorstS, but tucrO
are r few business men and small colony q
''of ISLANDERS wintering here. ~hf are impa-
teUt under the restraint. i he signal service
cable to the mainland Is working. It 10 true. but
IL brings no iettcrs, and there have been
times well remembered by al wiseu the steamer
after having refused 80 leave the island slth the
mail GA account ot b5d wcsther would sud
denly be induced 10 make the trip by the cfer
Of extra remuneration nom some whose
business demanded his presence IN the main
land. they have suspicion that a. no extra
induceIneRt offered IN this particular tn
stance their letters are detained at Woods lioil
when they could be brought here. They cannot
understand why NO attempts made TO bring the
mall The thickness ~ the ice does not apl car
10 be greaS enough TO preclude the att.mpt.
Some of the sojourners are men who have spent
many wears IN navigating arctic ice. and they
do not believe IL Is nm ,ossblc Tor propeller 60
come through this ice and land a mail some
where on the island. 1his discomfort grew
until the tenth DAY. when a rumor began ~ he
circulated that owners OF tug had been csbsel
60 know what il would cost private parties here
10 have their boat come over with the mail.
The next day, SUNDAY. the regular boat OF the
line came down with II and put one hundred
and two pouches and sacks ashore at "a little
place called Qaidnet. on the outside OF the
island.
On the Esd the weather grew warmer. The
wind, what little there was got around in the
south and southeast. and the ice began 10 rot
ana break up, but no further effort has bcca
made 20 bring any more mail. vet the contract
calls fOr their daily transportation Today
the reason for tins DELAY became known. The
Nantucket boat has been entirely Withdrawn
from its own route, 20 take the place Of The
Martha 8 Vineyard boat which is frozen up IN
the hHsbor Of fdchrtown. and unless she sets
free IN some way Il is probable that no effort
viii be made TO bring send . mail 20 Nan
tucket except on SUNDAYS, the only day in the
seven which the boat does not have 20 go 60 the
vineyard. Those who object ~ this detention
Of the mails believe that when the Post Once
Department contracts for the daily trans
portation Of mails 20 and from . point
isolated as Nantucket is some effort ough. 90
be made on the part OF tie contractor To carry
them oftener than once n week. even II there
are some difficulties in the way. Believing
themselves in the power Of the only transport@-
ton company running between Nantucket and
tire continent, the majority Of the inhabitants
OF the island are so subdued that the fear OF
antagonizing this company. together with their
natural Indifference about everything, has kefs
them from complaining shout such irregularl-
ties In their mail service. and unless some
article OF this kind get. out and IL seen by the
officials Of the Post Odice Department thers
irregularities will, perhaps, never be known a.
headquarters.
Winter has but just begun and n the fr-,
three weeks are a sample of v hat the rest il "a
be the chances are, unless the post once au-
thorities interfere. tina; Nantucket will have no
freight or passenger communication with the
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