Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-13
SElklRk.
The True story of the Original of De Foe'e
.'ROhiuson (rusoe,'

Ir the July Century, in an article entitled
THE Making OF Robinson Crusoe,'' j.
Cuthhert Hidden tells the story of Alcxan-
der Selkirk-a story once very familiar,
hut Of which all that we remember IS that
there was a cas,away of the name on the
island of Juan Fernandez, whose expert
rnce suggested De Foes great story. He
was a very real person, it seems, and init
mate memorials of him are not hacking.
Largo, sluggish and sleepy as it must
then have been, could hardly he so dull as
Juan Fernandez yet there is some reason
for believing that Selkirk found il too live
" for his tastes. He erected a sort of
rave dwelling in his fathers back garden,
end when he was nos 'meditating' .here,
he was in the woods or walking modify
bv the shore. People evidently fought shy
of him. as OF some uncanny creature VINO
had been in league with Satan's invisible
world. The parish minister of the town.
writing in 1875, refers to an old Largo man
who remembered having, when a boy, slept
with him for one night after his return.
He could not be persuaded to do it a sec
ond time, being terrified at the uncom-
mon whitenesS of his linen and the hair
lncss OF his body" Imagination truly does
go a long way TO the unmarried female
of Largo. Selkirk had, however, a roman
tic side; and one fine day it was discovered
that the eccentric exile had eloped with
one Sophia Bruce, who had succumbed to
the charm of the white linen and the IN
terest of the island story. Why there
should have been an clOpement ii would
have been difficult 10 make out, had it not
afterward appeared that the union WITS
OF that sailor type not likely to be sane
toned by the rigid rules OF Largo kirk
The pair were traced to London, where
Sophia was presently found alone. Sell
kirk having gone back to sea. Before he
thus dared the 'perrills'' of the deep, he
y,nHI, q. urfl I'm lAr ia hIu uTnp Ia an
uary. 17l7,-in which he describes her as
his flowing friend, Sophia Bruce, of the
lall Mall. London, spinster," and be-
Queaths her a house at Largo, which had
come to him from his father. But the sail
or's affections are VIGOROUSLY unstable,
md poor Sophia, being out of sight, was
soon out of mind. Before 1920 Selkirk had
yielded to the Establishments of a certain
widow named Frances Candis, and the
Old will was revoked. At this time the
worthy seaman, AS we learn from the will,
was made Of His Majestys ship Wey-
mouth" That Is practically the last we
hear Of him, for he died on board the YES
rel before December of the following year,
on the strength of her connection with
him, the Sophia of the clopement after
ward applied for charity to a dissenting
minister in Westminster; and the much
marrying widoW-She took a third hus-
band Immediately after Selkirk'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 as interesting heir
looms by all his collateral descendants,
There is the gun, there Is the chest, and
there is the drinking-oup. The chest, a
clumsy-looking affair made of cedarwiod
bears the exile's initials on the lid, with
certain other rude carvings-the practica.
result. no doubt, of hours of ennui on the
island. The drinking-cup was made by
Selkirk himself out of a coooanut-shel
At one time it had a silver foot ana stem
but these seem to have been disposed OF
ty some distressed descendant. The pres
ent mountings have to be placed to tn
credit of Sir Walter Scott. Sir Waite
heard of the relics at Largo, and one daJ
he set off TO see them, in company witt
Constable, the publisher. He took the cuI
back to Edinburgh with him, and had s
silver rim and a new rosewood stem added
to II. while Constable, not to be outdon'
In enthusiasm, carried away the old par
ish records containing the already men
toned entries relating to Selkirk, and hat
them handsomely bound for preservation
Such are some of the Selkirk relics still t
be seen in Scotland. And Juan Fernando
has It's memorial too. Two thousand fee
above the sea-level, on the height whic'
gelkirk called his Lookout" a handsom
tablet commentaries him.
Thus, while De Foe himself remains un
distinguished by statue or mark of publ
favor of any kind. the humble hero who's
fame he created Is memorialized in tw
widely separated corners OF the globe.