The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
S'CONSETS DREAMY CHARM.
1RRIYAE or NAN7UCKETss REAL Lo-
COMOTIYE ALONE DIsTURBS m.

about the Nantucket railroad greatly inter-
ested me- said n New Highlander one day last
week. THE Nantucket Central Railroad is
the formal title OF the institution, and the road
is the delight OF waggish summer visitors. who
find material for fun in the two cars and loco
motive which apparently comprise the rolling
stock, the timetable, fare. crew aud everything
connected with the outfit. The locomotive
used to snort along under the proud name Of
Dionis, but the name was painted out when
the machine was 'slicked up and 80 1t man
ages to get along without any specifically
designated coGnomen.
1T is u caution the way this little engine legs
1t on the down grades. and there are several
on the seven or eight mile run. But going up
hill staggers it. BY the line 1t is up to the top
IL is pretty well out Of breath. and the SYM
pathetic passenger feels like getting out and
helping to push. When it reaches the village
of Siasconset, or S'conset. as 1t Is moro famil-
iarly called, 1t let's out most ear-splitting
screeches. Triumphant blasts they are, andthe
little giant puns into the village proud On n
bantam rooster over some recent victory. Its
screech usually means I've come and I've
brought the mail, and the visitors whom they
hear it saunter down to the Post ONCE. where
they linger to gossip while awaiting the dis
tributlon Of the mail.
The road Is run to suit its patrons in every
IHluR pul ldEe. ING EuIe ID on C0uUS OT bOuo-
thing like that for the round trip Of about four
teen miles. But the officials are most accom-
modating. 1t was always a question in my
mind who was the boss Of the outfit. the engf-
neer or the conductor. l remember one night
there was some sort of an entertainment In
Nantucket and 1t was decided to run o special.
As had business in the town. 1 wentup on the
train. The engineer appeared to be running
things. and l asked him at what hour
the train left on the return trip. He
replied: Any time you say I looked at
him in surprise. but said that I would
like to leave at about 11:30. All right he
answered. Wen make it 1882 And 1880
it was. 1 was telling a fellow visitor how I had
fixed the train schedule, but he wasn't a bit
surprised. oh. they'll do anything for you on
this line.' he said. If you ever want to 60
shooting prairis dogs. just tell. the conductor
and he'll let you of at the shooting grounds
and call for you on the way back. A little
thing like changing the time doesn't count
And. speaking of prairie dogs. l was sur
prised to learn that there was a big tract OF
land near S'conset that was literally swarming
with these animals. The explanation OF their
presence is that n native some years ago
wandered back to his home after a time spent
In Texas. He brought two or three Of the dogs
with him and turned them loose a couple OF
miles above S'conset. Instead of starving to
death. the dogs increased and multiplied. and
now there are hundreds Of them there. some
Of the sharpshooters among the visitors try
their hands at shooting them. but only the real
marksmen have any luck. as the little fellows
are quick as lightning and are into their holes
at the crack OF the gun.
thing about S'conset. Nantucket is generally
called sleepy. but it is a place OF wild and con-
slant riot compared with S'conset. While Nam
tucket faces the comparatively tranquil Vine
yard Sound. S'conset looks out upon the broad
the As5a reai th hi isr a aS ih the e'e sWa sRe and S foar Of e ths
eether with the clamor Of the locomotive, are
tie hie''i abnorm the quifeett Of af0'i the faas o s'cono
set folks lust gIoat over the fact that
the, sands Of their beach, and they point
with pride to the fact that the ocean pillows
of Spain. And they also tell with Glee how they
laughed over the reports circulated in the early
s S ! Gt R sns o late tb ya xa that Ct : Na asSs e s fsi 3
a part OF which s'conset occupies. for
the thee pnrE%255S S,, Of tb taking sD5Ps SsSsSSsion Do of the he
thirty miles Of us on account, OF the
rips extend ali around the island. making It inn
possible for all but light;draught vessels TO get
can be seen as far as the vision extends the
white foam OF the breakers as they roll across
The gaze' OF The. idle summer visitor is
often directed toward these rips. for it is out
there among the foaming waves that the Soon
caught during the summer season. and ths
blas6 amateur fisherman, in search Of some
sport should go to S'conset some summer day
and make a ri trip to The fishing grounds with
method Of blueiishlng is to troll from a boat
under sail. No sailboats are used at Soon
81, n hSwevG gIoba There for Is the no v wharf oo6 At
reason that a wharf would have no sort OF a
show with S'conset wind and waves, and, SO the
fiat bottomed double enders with, high sides,
corks. In The hands Of a skifuiii man they The viii
remain lin right side 81 S,n up M IN hblm IIoftf any kind Of a
a s'G man anu Who 'ne' d Hrs n't'b Boast as" u pair Of is sea Ie 11r
The fsherImcp go out as often as the weather
eral miles ont e the rips: The launching Of
itiated. The fishermen do the trick carelessly
enough, but to the green 9 Th the proceed.
slopes abruptly. and there is deer water twenty
feet put. There are no such things as rolling
oceSR eom as s iG IN q wall iInS tbe he fsS w "a %h 9a oi q
regulated by the aforesaid oceans tempera-
ment' and smqshes down on the shore with a
bathing Of a delightfully."- exciting Kind.
trick is not to be overwholmed BY this Wall c" Of
green deep sea water, but instead to arrange !
matters 50 as to float out on the receding waters
Of the wave; 70 manage this the fishermen
get their dories down to the edge OF the water
ready for use. Several bags Of sand are also
put into the boat for ballast. A second
man stands on the edge Of the bank grasping
on the shore the man on the outside
gives q mighty shove and away goes the
boat with the receding water. the second man
haying,in the meantime leaped into the boat
and taken up a pair OF oars. It Is q long pull
the shore to be but a helpless thing as It slides
down into the hollows only to be tossed up on
the top OF the succeeding wave. The blas6
fisherman referred TO above can readily imagine
q day when there is a sea on. And there are
few days when there Is not a sea on at S'conset. |
They do catch some whopplng big bluefsh
off the S'conset rips; though One day while I
ing al the WAY from eleven 70 SEVENTEEN
Instead OF sailing about one man. fishes while
the other rows. AS for casting line. 1t is truly
wonderful the way those S'conset fishermen
send their eixty-ioot lines whirling over their
heads. 1t is a hard life they lead. with but
little remuneration. |