The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-02

The True Story 81 the OFiginal Of De
rOe,p 4Rohanson Crusoe.~

The true story Oh the Ofh8nooA OA ASe
Foes ssRoAansen Cfusoe."
TN the July Century. in an article en-
titled 'sThe Making os Robinson Cruz
soe,'" J. Cuthbert MADDEN tells the
story Of Alexander Selkirk-a story once
very familiar, but of which all that We re-
member 10 that there was . castaway OF
that name ON the island Of Juan Fernan-
dex. whose experience suggested De Foes
great story. He was a very real peryon. it
seems, and intimate memorials OF him are
not lacking.
Largo. sluggish and sleepy as 1t must
then have been. could hardly be so dull as
Juan Fernandez, yet there Is some reason
for believing that Selkirk found 1t too live
~ for his tastes. He erected sort Of cave
dwelling in his fathers back garden, and
when he was not '.meditating'' there. ne
was in the woods or walking mood.ly by
the shore. People evidently fought shy OF
him. as OF some uncanny creature who
had been in league with Satan's invisible
world. The parish minister OF the town.
writing In 17s6, refers to an old Largo man
who remembered having. when boy. slept
with him for one night after his return.
He could not be persuaded to do 1t a Sec
ond time. being terrified at the uncommon
whiteness of his linen and the hairiness OF
his body Imagination truly does go
long way! To the unmarried females OF
u
side. and one fine day 1t was discovered
that the eccentric exile had eloped with
one Sophia Bruce. who had succumbed 10
the charm Of the white linen and the in
.erest Of the island story. Why there
should have beer an elopement 1t would
have been difficult to make out. had II not
afterward appeared that the union was OF
that sailor type not likely to be sanctioned
by the rigid rules Of Largo kirk. The pair
va N mh waa
presently found alone, Seikirk having gone
back to sea. Before he thus dared the
"perrills" OF the deep, he made will In
her favor-this was in January. ln7-in
which he describes her as his Towing
friend. Sophia Bruce. of the Pail Mall.
London. spinster." and beQueathes her
house at Largo. which had come to him
from his father. But the sailors affections
are VIGOROUSLY unstable. and poor Sophia.
being out Of sight. was soon out of mind.
Before IT'D Selkirk had yielded to the
Establishments Of a certain widow named
Frances Candis. and the old will was re-
voked. At this time the worthy seaman.
AS we learn from the Will. was '.mate of
his majestys ship Weymouth That 10
practically the last we hear Of him. for he
died on board the vessel before December
OF the following year. On the strength OF
her connection with him, the Sophia Of the
elopement afterward applied for charity
to q dissenting minister In Westminster:
and the much-marryine widow-she took
third husband Immediately after Selk!rk's
death-proved her right in the Scotch
courts to the house at Largo.
There is a statue OF him at Largo. and
such Of his many personal effects as were
associated with his island existence have
naturally been guarded az interesting heir
looms by all his collateral descendants.
There is the gun, there Is the chest, and
there Is the drinking cup. The chest.
clumsy-lookiug AFFAIR made OF cedarwood.
bears the exiles initials on the lid, with
certain other rude carvings-the practi-'
cal result no doubt, OF hours of ennui on
the island. The drinking cup was made
by Selkirk himself out OF a cocoanut shell.
At one time 1t had q silver foot and stem,
but these seem to have been disposed
of by some distressed descendant. The
present mountings have to be placed to
the credit OF Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter
heard of the relics at Largo. and one
day he set of to see them, In company
with Constable. the publisher. He took
the cup back TO Edinburgh with him, and
had silver rim and a new rosewood stem
added to IL: while Constable. not to be
outdone in enthusiasm, carried away the
old parish records containing the already
mentioned entries relating to Selkirk, and
had them handsomely bound for preserv-
alton. Such are some OF Selkirk's relics
to be seen In Scotland. And Juan Fer
nandez has its memorial, too. Two thou
sand feet above the sea level. on the
height which Selkirk called his Look
out" q handsome tablet commentaries
him.
Thus while De Foe himself remains un-
distinguished by statue or mark OF public
favor OF any kind. the humble hero whose
fame he created II memorialixed in two
widely separated corners of, the globe.