The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-12
WAYNE'S QUEER ISLANDS.
THEY TR1TEL ABOUT AND SOME
TIMES STEAL LIVE SToCK.

Generally They Are Somndio, but when
Once Domcsticated They Serve Ms VRnes-
One Plays at Spinning Top-0ne Effect OF
Building the and Hudson Canal
II read about the floating islands of the
mouth OF the Mississippi the other day" said
a man from Honesdale. Pa. THAT re minded
me that my W little old county can boast a
few islands Of the sort. What county, Wayne.
young man. You'll find It on the maps due
north OF Pike county. You city chaps have an
idea that all OF northeastern Pennsylvania IL
Pike county In expansion. but you we're never
so much mistaken about anything In your
lives. Pike county Is all very well In It's way.
but its way runs TO fish liars and rattlesnakes.
Now. Wayne hiss ncne otthe latter, but OF the
former well. talk about Pike county 1shinRi
Young fellow. Pike county isn't n marker to
Wayne when It comes to downright. honest.
clcan-cut piscatorial sport. Pike may lie
about it better, but when you come 10 aift the
facts from the fiction before an Investigating
commission you'll find that Wayne catches
the biggest trout and the 1ghtin'est bass every
time. and don't YOU forget il.
But ] started to tell you about the floating
islands in the old county. Way hack In tho
twenties the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Company gouged a channel in the face Of the
earth from Rondout to Honesdnle and called
it u canal. For reservoirs and feeders TO this
canal the level of ponds and lakes along the route
was raised by means OF dams from twelve to
twenty feet. While the dams were In process OF
building the timber about the ponds was feled
up to the artificial water line. and In many
cases really valuable lumber was left to decay
where it fell. These dead trunks formed.
whom the water rose to its new level. the basis
OF the floating islands which may be found in
so many Of the lakes nfWayne county. Inter-
twinlng branches and twigs Of the trees thein-
selves and large quantities OF underbrush
served to bind the logs together in something
like Il solid mass. thereby forming RATS OF
more or less buoyancy and size. In the course
OF time water weeds OF various kinds attached
themselves to the raft and even tually became
a part Of it. Gradually a light. thin mould ac-
cumulated on the. island. and In this mould
iR niSu.s sroWins and iefd finally lily dying and rottinSs. did
their part in, the making Of the whole. All Of
trees. many OF which have attained a consider:
able growth: so large. In fact. that they could
S'ai Top might suppose that to walk upon or to
fish from one OF these ISLANDS would be a
this cause have ever occurred. SO far as | have
been able to learn. The sensation produced
to that which you and Thave both experienced
when. as boys, We ran on thin Young ice or
how the ice used to bend under your weight as
you ran across It, sometimes sinking neerlye
Ineei 9 gou. ' possib T3't th fos nsx yo s'e and f perRap %
living You a ducking? Well: it's the same way
slImin nas HATTIE has tsl sRe sa R@s T iaseln seSSsansoF
floating islands have become rermanently ans
ss0 nom sS enc and H9' as un Sc tee in IN their mn RaS sts
as the Arab. They lack what We country peo-
!t%r ra sasses. next to a Popplist. that ever
happened. Sometimes. a mere breath OF wine,
will send one of them scootlng from one end
OF The lake to the other, ana again you
couldn't bulge that same island with a hun.
1 p%oR il ipG SHmp 0nce t fierSae do@estlcated.
Tor they invariably seek:the lee shore, $50.
years ago to the island in White OAK Pond.
near Aldenville. some eight or 1ine miles to
way. this particular Island is the largest OF the
lot $50 large in fact that the centre rises fully
ing this island proposed erecting, a summer
house on the ele SSS1t t ,b bHt was as q6Iled to give
that would result in Mailing the island TO the
5 bS5iG ON. d Ven slo as T W,5b E 3 eSsu e ssyi t aeph IS.
its eonsort into the middle Of the lake. There
means Of motien in itself, and, milking tims
approaching. Presently the edge, Of a little
look a little brighter, Unfortunately for the
that tfhnah the fiG pst = gust i IA deia a wine ind q sr equal Ii intsn.
sity came up from the southeast. and its edge
caught the Island on the starboard bow. In
less than a minute these Two contrary winds
had that island stunning around Ike a. top.
You NAV believe this or not. as you like: l can
show you the island any time that you'll come
UP to the old county.
IT'S a ommon thing for one OF these isl
ands to turn sheep or chicken or pig thief: in
fact. it's almost a nightly occurrence on one
or ANOTHER OF the lakes. After an island has
stayed by a farmerfor months. or maybe years.
without showing any signs of a restless spirit
or a desire to be up and going. the honest.
horny-hapded son Of the soil comes to, place
an abiding confidence in the supposedly re-
buys a gold brick. He trustingly allows his
domestic animals. and fowls to camp out at
will upon the island. to his later undoinR.. some
night he'll go to bed conscious of a hard days
work we'll done. only 10 awaken in the morn
ing to lind that his island has sailed whtle he
slept. with a deckload OF his critters. Put not
your trust In floating islands"
And SO saving. the man from Honesdale ate
a cherry that only a few minutes before had
been floating In the glass In front OF him.