Washington sentinel., 1898-01-08
rnir Iale.


the Scotsman been attracted to
Fair Isle for the last two months
on account oil the deplorable loss
oflife which occurred there in Sep
teuber. and contributions have
poured in from all quarters OF the
kingdom to make provisions tor
those whose breadwinners have
been so suddenly taken away. 1t
NAV be interesting now to glance
at the history of this island tor the
last half century. Fifty years ago
Fair Isle was probably the most
primitive spot in the British Isles.
The inhabitants, who are Of Morse
descent, were fishermen and small
crofters-very small croiters, Tor
the population had increased to
double what the land as then cul-
tIvated could support, and the
crofts had been sub-divided that
each family might have a share.
The whole population were more
of less related to one another--ln
fact. were one large family. The
houses were built by the tenants
without assistance from the land
lord--built partly OF surface stones
and partly Of turf, and rooted with
turf and slight covering Of straw.
1t was the practice that when
new house was required the whole
men of the island assembled and
did the work without any Temun-
Grafton but food while at work. 1t
was no uncommon thing, when an
old house was condemned, for the
islanders to ,ssemble in the morn
ing, remove the family and turni-
ture into the barn, pull down the
old house and rebuild 1t, and have
the house ready for the family to
sleep in bY night. Their boats
were built in somewhat the same
way. The owner provided the
materials, and two or three men
who were good boatbuilders met
and did the work, receiving no pay,
but being well fed while employed.
The Fair Isle boat is on the pat
tern of the Shetland or Norway
skih, but longer and shallower,
and so loosely put together that,
with boat on the ground, you can
take hold of the horn at one end
and give it a shake, when the boat
will wriggle like an eel, and the
horn at the other end wag in sym
pathy. They are splendid boats
for the work they have to do, and
their yielding and elasticity are
considered a great advantage in
the tidal seas they have to encoun.
ter. The island at that time formed
part of an Orkney property and
was farmed out to an Orkney fish
curer, who bought the people S
fish and sent them in meal and
other supplies when there was
means to pay for it. but did not al
ways keep the island supplied with
necessaries when a return was not
90 be expected. The Fair Island
ers are active and fearless fisher
men, and, in their own slSiffs, most
splendid boatmen, and boldly
navigate their frail crafts through
seas where it would go hard with
larger and more powerful boats.
In 1866 the island was sold, and
BECAME the property OF a Shetland
landlord. One of the new proprie-
tors FIRST steps was to erect suita-
Bile schoolhouse, increase the stor
age accommodation, and build a
ST. = gssa -Sl Ser that the island might
always be kept fully provisioned,
and that there might be no recur
renee of dearth of salt for curing
the fish. He proposed to employ
only local labor, but he was met
by the statement, on the part OF the
islanders, that there were no stones
in the island, and no place where
they could be quarried, that the
island was all unbTeakable rock,
and that, when they had recently
built for themselves a small Meth
odist chapel, they had gathered
all the stones that were to be
found, and that, seeing a suitable
stone for a Intel halfway down
one OF their cliffs, they had low
\ cred man down with long rope
and hoisted the stone up. Under
these circumstances, it was neces-
sary to send in an experienced
QuarrYmant to teach the natives how
TO convert rocks into stones, and
they were not long in learning.
With their then rude mode of cul-
tivation, which left them little to
do on their farms. and with the
view of increasing their earnings,
it was necessary TO find employ
ment for the people for the rest Of
the year after their short fishing
season is over. Accordingly
road-making, draining, enclosing
and trenching and reclaiming land
were undertaken on large scale,
and, with the view to introduce
better civilizations, a small model
farm was started under a Scottish
grieve. The women began to re-
bel against the drudgery of spade
cultivation when they saw with
what ease the Scotsman turned
over his land, and plows came
quickly into use, with the result OF
a considerable increase IN the area
cultivated. The first cart was a
little thing, suitable for a Shetland
ponY, which the proprietor had
made and presented to the leading
man in the island. AT first It was
looked on as a playthIng, and used
like a wheelbarrow to give the
children a ride. One day, how
ever, the owner was induced to
harness one oA his ponies to IL. and