Evening star., 1897-05-15

gushing the family name by moving them
bag and baggage to the sand bank and
making the place his permanent home,
though the ground was by no means secure
and would tremble, so the story goes. like
a bowlful of jelly. whenever an unusually
large and heavy billow struck II. Many
seasons passed before the women of the
island could sleep quietly in their beds
when a storm was raging along the coast.
"Capen Cobb, he was usually called.
soon found out that he had made a wonder
fully good investment. Day by day, hour
by hour. the little isle Increased in area;
every wave brought a handful of sand.
every breaker contribsted its quota of shell Is
and marine vegetation. TO protect the
place from being overwhelmed by a tidal
wave. nature formed a barrier in the shape
Of half moon bar about mile from the
shore on the northeast side.
Life on the Island.
On this dangerous bar many stately
ships have been wrecked and their crews
lost; all along the beach their bodies have
been found and buried along the shore,
their requiem being the eternal moan q
the surge.
Indeed. so many vessels were driven by
contrary winds upon this bar. that Cap en-
Cobb and his three stalwart sons changed
their vocation from fishermen to wreck
e-s, ard until the government. some years
later, established life-saving station on
the island. they pursued their vocation with
Cuing valuable cargoes from ships that
were hopele5sly stranded.
In the course of score of years Cobb's
Island had grown from sand shallow
about the size of college green to noble
eyat with an area of two hundred and six
ty odd acres When the government es-
tabished a life-saving station upon the
place. the Cobbs. like Othello. found their
Occupation gone" Still they had made a
very respectable fortune, and could have
spent the balance of their lives in ease and
comfort, but they had become ambitious
and determined to sink the humble fisher
man in the pretentious boniface, so they
established a summer resort on the island
Cobbs Island used to be a favorite resort
of the yachts of the Y. a. Y. s., and Is the
rendezvous for many sporting crafts both
steam and sail. that conte mplate trip TO
southern waters, and Cobbs was probably
the most frequented spot on the Atlantic
coast
Where Game AbOunded.
But it was the superb sport that made
Cobbs household word among he lovers
Of the gun, and in its palmy days this
island was probably the finest wild fowl
and bay bird reserve on the American con-
tinent. In their mgrations. the geese and
biant follow the trend of the Atlantic coast
and this island. stationed solitary and alone
in the ocean, II naturally attracted the at
tention of the migrating fowl. who, finding
their fayorite food plentiful, remained on
The spot all the season. 1t was the same
with the bay birds, or snipe Of the wading
family, such as curlew, willett, yellow-legs,
gray back. calico back and robin snipe.
The lovers of fishing found an ideal spot
around Cobbs Island. and the bass, trout.
drum and other varieties of fish abounded.
In the summer time there were always
several yachts anchored near the shore.
and probably every fishing club In the
north has at one time or another visited
this lone isle by the sea: and 1t Is sight
to see a sloop laden with the mainland peo-
pie approach the island on pleasure bent.