The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-07
A CRUSOE AND HE LIKES IT.
DIR. POWERs'S HOME on AN ISLAND
IN THE PACIFIC

HhhA ~ VIII HUI htA ANo NN1A -
swedish Sailor for His Man FridRy-He
Has Been There Four Years and Doesn't
Want to Go Homo-His Philosophy
SAN DIEGO, Cal, Aug lon Cedros Island.
$50 miles south OF San Diego. Oh the coast Of
Lower California, a man IL living the life OF
Robinson Crusoe and he likes Il 80 much tAkN
he " mt come home. He is DR.. F. g. Powers
ofSan Diego. He was sent down to the island
to retain possession of 1t in the name Of q min
ing company claiming n concession upon L.
The life was pleasant to him. and after some
months spent there no consented to remain.
His mother desiring to go down to the island.
the lonely man consented to have her do 50.
and they have been there ever since. apparently
without a desire TO see civilization. They are
heard from occasionally through the visits OF
passing schooners. and the report from the
island invariably Is that DIR. Powers and his
mother are well and happy and don't care to
leave the island"
1t is now almost four years since the couple
chose that lonely spot for a home. The lone
someness. they say. soon passed away. Dr..
Powers. it must be confessed. has a streak OF
laziness in his makeup.
"Itake 1t easy" he told the skipper OF the
schooner Alta. Il have plenty OF time on my
hands, but l am not idle as much as you would
think. There is wood to get for mother. helps
ing her with the homework, the killing Of q
goat occasionally. the catching Of fish. the res
pairs to our house. and so on. 1 ramble over
the island and get specimens OF plants and
flowers and trees, and pick up mineral speoi-
mems. too. The aspects OF the sea are wonder-
full in variety and charm, and l watch and
study them. We have books to read and
nature to contemplate. 1t Is the ideal life"
Judging from this 1t may be conjectured
that DR.. Powers is somewhat Of q philosopher.
as well as a well-educated man. The chances
are that he is a natural philosopher-every lazy
man is said to be. Perhaps he is right. At any
rate, he declines every offer to transport him
back to civilization. and his mother says that
she. too. is perfectly contented.
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 to Cedros. where they were cared for
by DR.. Powers and his mother. The mon were
more dead than alive when they staggered from
the boat upon the beach. They had been with
out water for two days and without food for
four days. One Of the men was i'll for six weeks.
The others. hardy Swedes. 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
known as Suffering Pete. refused, &c, leave
there a spell had been woven around him by
Rr; Powers that was too strong to break.
tSh;h ~ ths sight OF q s sail HI in the 9fipg 6Eought9
Robinson Crusoe's life pleased him still better.
He saw the sail fade away on the horizon gith-
tering Pete, from all that can be learned. Is aq
happy n castaway as was ever seen. He and
long Rri r SSlks over Sse fR@f isIand. ffe Ghn 1i0yy s SnetS
on the precipitous sides of the mounteins and
the messy canons and on the higher hills.
DR.. Powers is more fortunate than Crusoe in
c9astinF steamer calls at the island about every
zines, book, and other readintE mater ifsI also
purser OF this steamer. Dr. F Powers weHsi ro wed out
black beard. and his hair is very long. But
2Rt as nShs d ais the s' RRiid ilsS. That eii is seeS in t Bs
eyes OF men who have been cast away or
@eT99 Of The x &i flaaSs When s@S we a pie Te S tEem IN up sa ss
Black Warrior Lagoon. DR.; Powers Is very
ffPies; e snd %tssiita ana s sseTs time to grew Ts F %o se TIE ne
island land, He replies to questions pleasantly
e"%9fpE was 0 CURIOUS ESlsf to fnoW Wo il fh he Rept a garden
EEs ssseiae s s SSj he sid fbs;I he b diqn osb bot5eT v Nth
as good as fresh. Now the fact Is that pr: Pow
have 9 VERY nice patch Of green things, groWS
l HsEed There Ter i is R!snfjty Of S mater t6s that %, could d, be d.,
be preters to eikimb tie hills i with Suffering 3Hs
sailing away AWAY we e9 saw DR.. Pow Powers Har and Sde PETE start SIS
out for a walk along the beach hunting for
Il have not seen Mrs. Powers for soma
months, The last time l saw her was when
was a little cabin that had been built by the
mining company for the superintendent, but
three people. The house was quite eomfort-
able a inside de- Mrs Hrect PGw Sg vi was ti cheerful Sn5 IS you
bustlinR around apOlORizinR for the Scan1
l SSu5 OF I her home me- Just dd as Mrs e. Le thos or Mrs:
more OF being sEG'1 alone %sve on aG a desert sTf STAND si1nf"S WITH fS
only her son and a Swedish sailor for company
town. Yet she is. year in and year out, almost
entirely alone, and for four years she has NOT
The comfort Of the lonely home. and the
charm OF a do-nothing, life, almost made me. de-
eaters rs i lie. 4 Theirs ere IS is'I mo- worry SoTi a about o. ii28 Il. ne
strainipg OF nerves; no rivalry Of pride or
R s i6int fins Of IN the the Tea aTIand on s'9 tSe mafinl RsSa
Suffering Pete is an outcast sailor. to be cursed
and abs { f " dn by some clustering mate. That ID
ri RF; f SiEts y T re- liz g 6 lstt esat to q t. t5is9d ono'.1
you would tfInE,S he said. In fact. we Y have
q copy OF Robinson Crusoe, here; and HAYES
advantage. Thave enlarged a cave, as CrusoS
did, for the protection Of part Of our supplies.
when suSno pirates or ,goat:killinE nsr%Sde5s
alupe Island they had trouble with a crew OF
p~iratical goat-killers, and Suffering Pete and
! b pLep Ib6Sad to ~ give " the them H a YARN r%Ss zee PHJS9a Y
up a number Of rifles on a place commanding
the landing. 50 thai, each Of us could be pEo5j
each. We could have kept q good-sized crowd
at bay, Fortunately for both sides. they did
not visit us. 4
1.-THE charm OF this life grows upon me. I :
would not be a dweller in brick walls and
all the wealth there is TO be found In New York,
What do we get beyond our food and shelter.f
l am better OF than one living in a city. though
he piles up millions. l do not see opera every
tellectual pleasure in contemplating the sea
and land. Sometimes l find myself wrapt in
thoughts far higher than l have power to ex-
press, which yield me the greatest enjoyment.
II were a poet j would not lack for a theme
that might do much TO change the hearts OF