The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-19

wood to get for mother. helplns H'' WIN
tho homework. the killing OF goat &C.
oasional;y. the catching OF hsh, the re-
pairs 10 our house. and 50 on. / ramole
over the island and get specimens OK
plants and flowers and trees ana PICK
ND mineral specimens. too. Tho aspects
OF the sea are wonderful IN variety alu
charm. and I wach and study them we
have books 20 read and nature 10 contem-
plate. II is the ideal life"
Judging from this Il may be conjecture"
that Dr. Powers is somewhat or PM
losopher. as woll as a well-educated man
The chances are that he Is naturai PM
losopher-every lazy man is said 20 DC
Perhaps he * right. At any rate. ne ne-
clincs every offer to transport him back
10 civilization. and his mother says l""'
she. too Is perfectly contontcd
Some months ago a schooner WAS
wrecked on the mainland opposite Cedros
Island and three OF the crew, jumping
into a small boat. rOwed and sailed 10 &c
dros. where they were cared for by III
Powers and HIS mother. Tho men We're
more dead than alive when they stag
gered from the boat upon the peae"'
They had been without water tor TWO
days and without food for four days. one
of the men was ill for six weeks mo
others. hardy Swedos. rapidly recovered
A. schooner going up from the guano
islands TO San Diego stopped for water
and one OF the Swedes and the sick man
eagerly took passage for home. Inc
third man. known as Suffering Pete, re-
fused 10 leave the island. Tn the few
weeks he had been there spell had been
woven around him by Dr. Powers that
was too strong 10 break. While the
sight of a sail I'm the ofiing brought a
thrill OF happiness 70 his heart. the
u 10 11r 90
him stil better He saw the sail fade
away on the horizon without much re-
greet. From that day to this Suffering
Pete. from all that can be learned. IS as
happy a castaway as was ever seen. lie
and Dr. Powers arc companions are COM
panions and enjoy their long walks over
the island. They hunt goats on the pre-
cpit0us sides of the mountains and
seek out the strange srowths 10 be found
IN the messy canons and on the higher
hills.
DR.. Powers IS more fortunate than Cru
soc Inc one respect, and that is, he has
communication with the mainland. lnire-
quent though II be. a coasting steamer
calls at the island about every six weeks
and leaves provisions for the islanders.
A store Of illustrated papers ana m1gd-
Zines books ana other reading matter IS
also LETT. Thus the trio live In comfort.
when we were there last week said
the pursor OF this steamer. "Dr Powers
r0wed out 20 see us. He rarely visits our
vessel. preferrlng 20 remain on the island.
He has a fierce black beard. ana
his hair is very long. bur otherwise his
appearance is civilized. Tie has none NJ
the wild light that is seen tn the eyes of
men who have been cast away or maroon
80 TO starve such as WEE saw i'm the crew
of The Minn1 when we picked them mp at
Black Warrior Lagoon. Dr. Powers is
very quiet. however. and seems % grow
more retiring and taciturn every time we
go 90 the island. Tie replies to que lions
pleasantly enough. but volunteers no ln-
formation
81 was curious 20 know n he kept
garden 90 supply himself and his mother
with fresh vegetables. 80. he SAID me-
didn't bother with keeping garden.
They had canned vegetables. ana when
cooked nicely they We're just ms good as
fresh Now the fact is that DR.. Powers
IS too lazy 10 hoe In q garden. lie might
have "a very nice patch M green things
growing. There is plenty Of water thlt
could De diverted for irrieIfiou. and the
warm climate gould make f'- uhl"'
grow Nnazingiy But DE prefers TO climb
the hl1e with Suffering Pete, killing
goats When our steamer was sailing
away we saw Dr Powers and Pete start
ONT for a walk along the beach hunting
~ have not seen Mrs. Powers Tor
some months The last time saw her
was when : went ashore to gee ne nome
of the couple. To was q niue capln lnHt
had been built by The mining complNF
FOR tho luupriufeudeut bur now every
thing was deserted except hy these thr'e
roOule Tho house was quite comfort
able inside Mrs. Powers was cnrtf..N
as YOU please. She greeted ms all kindly
and went bustlng around apOlOEiIng Tor
the scant luxury of her nome. JI't h7
Mrs. Lecks or Alr5. Aleanine would nave
done. Sine Thought no more OF btlHh
alone on desert island Win only hff
son and Swedish sailor Tor company,
aH Ifaa Il
miles from town. Yet she Us. year lu
and year out. almost entirely alone and
for four years she has not seen one OK
her own sex.
The comfort Of the lonely home and
the charm OF "a dO-nOtning HE almost
made me desire 10 stay on the lsiahd'
too. n is a. lOtus-eaters IRE. mere Us
no worry about &c. no Str1inlng OF nerves
no rivalry of pride or pOcketbOOks. on
the island suffering Pete is joint KING
of the realm. ON tho mainland slut
teriug Pete Is AN Outcast sailor. 20 Doe
cursed and cuned by some clustering
mate. That is the difference
Or Powers wrote Il letter 20 n friend
once. giving hints OF his life on Cedros
IL is more Ike Robinson Crusoe's life
than YOU would think" he said. 'ln fact.
we have a copy OF Robinson Crusoe mere
and have done many things mentioned ~
that book 10 advantage. ] have enlarged
a cave. as CrusOe dld. for the prOteclon
of part of our supplies. Whle We 90 not
live in fear OF Wild animals OF wild men.
We keep a good eye out. especially Whrn
guanO pirates or goat-suhns marludeI5
come along the coast. we htdrd that ~
Guadalupe Island they had trouble WIN
a crew OF piratical gOat-killeFs, ana slut
tering Pete and ] prepared 20 give tnen
a warm reception II they showed up on
Ouv kingdom. We rugged up a NUMBER OF
rifles on a place commanding the lanllns,
so that each OF us could Dee protected bee
hind bOulders and shoot TWO riues caCh
We could have kept g0od-sl~el crown
40 bay. Fortunately FOR both sides they
did NOT visit us
THE charm Of this lie grows upon me
1 would not be a dweller in brick walls
and gruntlng under the burden OF modern
NE FOR all the wealth there IS TO be round
I'm New York. What DO we get beyond
our food and shelter? II sleep well
enjoy health and a happy mind. / am
better on that one living IN city,
though he piles up millions. l 10 not see
oDera every night. but I enjoy Keen APP
petite and find intellectual pleasure IN
concentrating the sea and land. some
times i md myself wrapt IN thought fir
higher than ! have power 20 express,
which yield me the greatest enjoyment.
IL [ were a poet ] would not lack Tor
theme that might DO much 20 change mo
hearts OF men from their iaOney-gettlnS
madness. $50, -,
storm on. the sea boiling and bowling all
around US ] see the tremendous forces
tbqt are little known 70 those living in
N-ffo.-a realize moro pfp4rIV