The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01

brick building on the island. Even tho most i'm.
posing among tho fertilizer fac.oIiee Y built Of
wood, and very loosely az that The bricks IN the
Of clapboards, All buildings sottlo in the sandy
soil and this one has settled immense cracks
falling 10 the floor Eventually they will unite
in one grand tumble. This apparent fact, bow
sTs s2 has Sssn
stove placed in tho centre Of the schoolhouses
solitary room, About this are grouped heavy,
time-blackencd desks Of quaint design. On sun
day and Wednesday evenings religious services
are held in The schoolhoute, ihis being Barren
poses poses Once in while there are given entertain.
mcnts Of a primitive character School does not
kSG the % Nous yaT a ThSn pre-
pens that the master is obliged 10 dismiss school
in most places but which on Barren Island are
calamitous in effect; Twice this year he has
been Obliged 10 send his pupils home. owing IL
the breaking OF his eyeglasses
The most conspicuous objects on the island
are the dogs. No one is too poor to own at least
from long, gaunt mongrels who forage greedily
and pay no heed TO friend nor stranger to sleek,
SarI in S ca denoted bS the dogs
one maintains, on Barren Island For instance,
there is the superintendent OF ono OF the factories
He keeps force Of about fifteen pups Of all sorts
and conditions lie excludes his dogs from
the common herd. however. and they are never
permitted to roam az large. The superintendent
To the pigs and chickens Wholesale liberty is
allowed. You fnd them grubbing or strutung
or looking for those dainties which appeal to
their respective palates, wherever such dainties
forage around the waters edge for the sea fire.
quenily casts up edib,es calculated TO strike their
run Of pigs you f,nd usually in rural or suburban
settlements and seem to be a breed wholly In.
digenous TO the soil The chickens are also OF
taken into consideration that there Is great diff
Guilty experienced in bringing meat from Canarsie
descrip,ion becomes apparent. There are p a few
live cows and horses on Barren Island but they
arc as sorry .lookng animals as the pigs and
chickens. Why they are on the island is really
a mystery. The cows give little milk: the horses
do little in the way Of supplying, motive power
for Conveyanccs. Condensed milk takes the
place OF the fresh article almost exclusively
The soil is entirely TOO sandy TO admit OF the
excavation Of cellars. but many OF the families
the soil for their flowers and veg tables by mix
ing the fertilizer with the sand.
people who are compelled TO live from hand TO
mouth depend largely. upon the little shops
their P' pro ROVE from canarsie, whence supplies
OF every description are brought over by the tug
boat. The children are perpetualiy Engaged in
search for pieces OF wood, or anything which Will
serve a. fuel Coal is CLEANED from the garbage,
and it sometimes happens that substances OF great
lucky youngsters have fished out valuable jewels
from the refuse, although, II should be stated, II
would not be easy TO make living Dy picking
gems and Jewels from the materials which are sent
10 Barren island $ fertilizer factories.
Evidences Of poverty are frequently met on
Barren Island, but il is ex pressed only in quaint
surroundings which lend picturesque aspect
TO a scene otherwise dull and dreary. There is
no absolute suffering or want and except at the
saloons there Ia no place TO waste money. When
you are familiar with the smells. Barren Island.
with It's tiny wooden houses, great stretches Of
sand and its complete isolation from the usual
currents life is not the worst place In all creation
TO abide, according 10 the philosophy OF tho in
habitantS.