The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-07-28
ALEXANDER SELKlRK.
The True Story Of the Original of De
Foes "Robinson Crusoe."

Foes "Robinson Crusoe."
| In the Century, in an article entitled
''The Making of Robinson Crusoe,'' }.
Cuthbert Hadden tells the story of Al
cxander Selkirk--a story once familiar,
but Of which all that we remember IS
that there was Il cnstaway of that name
on the island Of Juan Fernandez, whose
~. He was very real person, it seems,
and intimate memorials Of him are not
lacking.
Largo, sluggish and sleepy as it must
then have been, couiu Hardly be so dull
as Juan fernandez yet there is some
reason for believing that selkirk found
it too lively for his tastes. He erected
back garden, and when he was not "med-
itating" there. he was in the woods or
walking modify 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
1913, refers to all old Largo man who
remembered having, when boy, slept
with him for one night after his return.
He could 1lot, be persuaded to do it
second time. being ''terrlfied at the UNI
conitnuh wilderness of his linen and the
hairihess Of his bod 81" Imagination truly
does go long wayl 70 tile unmarried
females of Largo Selkirk had, however,
romantic side; and one fine day it was
discovered, that the eccentric exile had
elOped with bile sgphia Bruce, who had
succumbed to the chatt1i- Of the white
linen and the interest Of the island story.
ment it ,wotild have been difficult to make
out, had it not afterwards appeared that
the union was Of that sailor type not
likely to be sanctioned by the rigid rules
of Largo kirk. The pair were traced
to London, where Sophia was presently
found alone, Selkirk having gone back
to sea. Before he thus dared the per
rills" OF, the deep, he made will in her
fayor-this was IN january. 1717-in
friend, Sop hia Dritce, of the Pail Mali,
London, spinster," and Gtqutatlis her a
house at Largo, which had come to him
from his father. But the sailors affec-
tons are VIGOROUSLY unstable, and poor
Sophia, being out of sight, was soon out
of mind. Before 1920 Selkirk had yield
ed to the Establishments of a certain
widow named Frances Candis, and the
old will was revoked. At this time the
will, was, innate Of his majesty's ship
Weymouth,'' That is practically the last
we hear Sf hih,, for be died on board the
vessel befofe December Of the following
year. Oh the strength Of her connection
with him, the Sophia Of the elopement
afterward APPLIED for charity to dis
senting minister Iii Westminster; and the
much-marrying wiq6w-sht took a third
husband Immediately differ 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 We're
associated with his island existence have
naturally been guarded as interesting
heirlooms by all his collateral descend
ants: There is the gun. there is tbs
chest and there is the drinking cup. The
chest d clutnsy.lok1ng affair made of CO.
dar wood, bears the exile's initials OH the
LID, with certain other rude carvings
the practical result. no doubt, of hours of
ennti OH the islahd. THE drinking CUP
was made by Selkirk himself out of a
c!ocoanut shell At one time it had a
have hay been DISPOSED Of BY sedie distressed ID
Walter Scott. Sir Waltef i ieerd OF Of t 1'c
relics at Lafg6, dhd one day, lie set off to
SEE tRem,, in co1npal,Y with Constable,
the. Rublish her. He. took the cup back t.
Edinburgh with him. and had a silver
til willie Constable, ii6t to be outdone in in
enthusiasm, carried away tie old Parish
records containing the already mentioned
entries relating to Selkirk, and had them
handsomely bound for preservation.
Such are some of the Selkirk relics still
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" handsome tablet commentaries
him.
Thus, while Defoe himself remains I'M
distinguished by statue or mark of pub
lie favor Of any kind, the humble hero
whose flame he created is tt1eri1orialized
globe: