New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-19
JOHN PAUL AT NANTUCKET
LIKE PYTHAGORAs HE DIsCOURSETH OF
NUMBERS.
woMEN's POWER on THE IsLAND-wAYs OF OLD
SEA CAPTAINs-A PROPOSED GAME OF
PAPER WHALE

PAPER WHALE.
Nantucket Mass. Aug I-When IT was not posi-
bic find ten good men in a great city like that OF
the Plain, now happily extinction the mainland. too
It's queer that a little island town Ike Nantucket
should insist upon seven Seectmen which Is numerI-
cally more In proportion TO the population. Even
New-York with its million inhabitants. selects
only twelve TO run it-and II these are Of its best
I'd not give much for the rest OF the lot.
Why Nantucket sets up an even-or uneven-seven,
unless because of being the land Of skies and sevens
before the coming OF visitors II Is written
that seven laid hold Of one NAM. don't
know. True. seven plaques are generally mentioned
when plaques spoken Of and when one OF OLD
was possessed OF devils. seven seems to have been
the orthodox number but don't see what tina,
has to do yith Se.ectmen. So far as precedent IL
concerned. Gotham had seven wise men. but these.
the archives saw she sent 10 In bowl and 80
ridled herself Of them
BE that 1t may. Nantucket has seven Se.ectmen'
and 1t Is too many; II causeth confusion FIRST In
the matter OF selecting Two other men besides
myself possessed Of The requisite qualifications
might, perhaps be found. but increase the number
and you're at sea. or would better go to sea and
take the chances OF picking up Gothams drifting
good AS IT is. when 1t comes to seiectioh' the
httest do not always survive
Three selected might agree. Seven r"ve'
Four OF that mystic number can always be fourd
! to pass anything that should not be passed. or 70
! defeat anything that should be- Whether II be as
regards water or whlskey, a question OF hshing or
/ OF licensing. Of taxing the patience or the purses
of people. It's all the same-we get II r,ght III
the neck That many should get II In the neck
so regularly is queer enough but though Nantucket
/ be empty in the winter, for instance, some
/ of It's folk contrlve TO keep full There seems al
ways 10 be a majority to license anything II there
be any special reason why license should not be
granted. In the matter OF fishing for instance
SEEMING in the harbor is prohibited In several inter-
ests But let a school of bluensh enter. and IL
cense ia granted to some one and at one swoop OF
seine seventeen hundred taken. The local paper
records the catch. and that about ends fishing IN
the harbor for the
Really there but three interests that should be
represented-God. Nantucket and the Nation-neh-
tioning them In the right order OF precedence. Ana
three men can well enough represent those inter-
ests: given four more. and something else gets
represented-the world. the flesh and the devil
! counting for but three.
Give Nantucket but three Se.ectmen and the Ma
ton no Congressman at all. and generally and spe-
cihca ~. think would ali. of the Island ana
on have a better lime of IL
Woman suffrage would help Nantucket whatever
II might 20 elsewhere As It IS. our women are per-
uitted 20 vote on school matters only. Could they
vote for Selectmen l. In my minds eye can see
| seventy times laying their hands on at least
one truly good man. whom modesty forbids me to
mention and compelling him TO take office
able TO take care Of herself well Of her neigh
| bors and husband In the old days when man
! married ono day and went TO sea the next-good
! old days they were. too-and didn't come back I'LL
| ne had to- women necessarily took care or them
| selves and whatever fell to them and still they have
| To- very much now as then. for their husbands are
! or fishing Home comes the good old man, and
| home comes he He finds a blueish smoking where
some FISH ought TO b.. But It's none or his CATCHING
While he's been of all day claiming. to return
with more camor than CLAIMS. his wife has broiled
n bluensh which she has bought with money haply
earned at the washtub. and which he eats with
wonder in his mind what women would do without
men, Earn and eat the fish all by themselves.
fear
There are many Rip Van Wrinkles of the stage.
and a good many men-I for one-would rather sail
and fish the rips than do Homework. Indeed. the
plain simple. quaint. primitive habits manners.
and customs OF Nantucket suit me exactly. But In
the main our fishermen are so honest. so manly ana
So lovahle that can but love them. There Is
virtue even in vices what may seem theirs Sailing
on the ocean and dealing with the ocean broaden
and deepen the vision and love to consort with
men who make Il their business AS for woman,
rapidly coming to be power else and every where.
a.. has always been a power In Nantucket. and a
power she is still on this rising tide She corrects
the mistakes Of men. whether select or unsolicited.
When Hiram Folger Overseer OF Streets. this year
plastered Pearst. with a covering Of yellow clay
Miles | have travelled. ten thousand or more.
But clay upon cobble stones never saw petore
When Hiram Foger. say. did this. and the sun
beat down and baked this yellow clay. and wheels
pulverzed IL. and winds scattered It. and dust
arose which filled eyes and ears and noses and
mouths and houses. and the good man OF the house
contented himself with cursing Hiram Folger and
the Seectmen and things generally woman arose
and went before the Selectmen vigorously protest
ing and making speeches, and the Selectmen were
afraid and Hiram Folger was afraid. and quaked
IN his shoes and said unto his men. Go. two. and
the next morning two men ana cart were AT
work scrapng the yellow clay from or Pearl-st and
carving II away with an energy and industry that
made lis all think contract work. though II was
really done by the day. Il Is a wonder out they
,razed chinese scalps with their shovels In their
DESPERATE endeavors to dig down and scrape the
stree, deep AMI clean Of the last offending atom OF
,bls accursed and foreign yellow clay. And Hiram
Tolger won't 10 1t again without consulting the
women Of Pearl-st. And woman hero, while force
IN, IS quite as consistent rs elsewhere. She VIII
drivo with the greatest energy and vgor until she
comes To n crosswalk and then and there Will slow
down. II she does stop her horse stock still And
Won crossing the street. must either walt TIL she
gives the relns slap. or jump over her ana her
wagon If you object to making detour In the mud
Woman suffrage, I wish / could make up my
mind definitely and squarely about It, Selfishly. I'm
all f., ~ yor OF Il; better men In othce-as
h,or bInted us pretty certain that I'd be there
Golf There'd be less OF lying and cheating ana
drunkenness and wickedness generally fancy
Rut might there not also be less stroiiihs on the
, is string arou I'd in the moonlight and
favor napiacks and cradles? 1t is for womans own
cake that | don't want her to vote-l mean. do not
rsst that she snail SO far as the ofsetting or my
op franchise Is concerned. she can have hat IRAN
! chise and welcome II she wants H. IN the years
since | became twenty-one I've been ehtreated pro-
| ,oralv enourh and had my hat knocked over my
ewes with sufficient frequency to last me what little
remains OF my life. To be hustled at the musings
has nDcharm for Charles Henry in comparison with
having some one else exercise that divine ana IN
alenable right for him. - oo,,,,o %
| Woman undoubtedly has as clear prerosauNe 10
" 80 nan az she has ride like one. co not
Hoe ~ IN ith.r instance nature specially fitted or
Intended her for side track or sue sauuie' Az
~ aa,,e hone that she'll insist on doing all that
-, ,in for the simple reason that she can 40 IL
nmit. as we'll II accounts De accurate tno
Trew me bowstring quite as we-but IN order 70 40
cir hOSOmS.