The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
NORTH HAVEN'SGRAYF0XES
1HEY MADE ONE NAV RTcH AND
FOOLED MANY MN TIERS.
Dwe,iers of u Maine Coast Island That Are
supposed TO Have Come Originally
From Nenr tho North Pole. With Some
Assistance From q Circus ElephAut.

81 North Haven has been famous for moe than
fifty years on account of the great number of
silver gray foxes which inhahii its lrdgy hills.
Hunters from distant parts have visited the places
expecting to &c, rch from selling gray COX pelts
At 5000 or $500 each in the big fur markets. :
thirty years ago, when q granite quarry vas
opened among the hills and summer visitors cam
10 build cottages along the hluns, the repu'auon
81 the island wns held up by the number ~ gray
foxes II produced The hunters who came met
with fair success, getting two or three foxes .
week, all Of which were silver gays, because
there was not a red fox on the island The 10.
dustry grew to such proportions that Isaac Car
Yer built a hotel for the housing ~ hunters and
named II the Gray Fox Inn. Although Carver
p~rospered and grew rich, and although new hun.
,ers zane every winter, it was no'cci that ons
tip xas enough 10 satisfy the most jealous
Men who went away With gray FOX p"lts enough
TO bnng 5000 or $4,000 never came back Ia add
to their fortunes. A. last /, WAS learned that the
foxes. though gray in color and seemingly NJ
grea, value, were not ~ the Kind which grow
fur They belonged To an undetermined species.
whose prlts were hardly worth the taking I'd.
As the hunters spent a good deal NJ money among
the people al a time when work was scarce the
resident population never revealed the secret
Of the gray foxes and the visitors. having paid
for their information, were not anxious To en-
tighten the public. Therefore new hunters came
every winter for nearly ffty yenrs, BY this time
the secre, was common property and Carver.
having made money out Of the deception >o'd
the Gray Fox Inn for a summer hotel
,Jus, how mi, fr,udu,.n, breed Of gray fo,.s
-.
came W Norm raven was q mFA'e's "' many
years. The island is far ofshor-, toward tho
- m Ill 4. ..atA. -
sen. .,h' w., ,... .x,n ,hois,,a .u.,
1870 NOBODY haa seen a 'oN on ue'N"nu' NWeI
this date foxes were observed more frequently
e,ch > sson In 1910 IN. inh abi,a nj. shot about
y" ''"' 80. ".-..,,..
'"r"S an" "'n' II p'lN po>"" 'Ap'un,
To get rich without further labor. The special
messenger who wen, 10 sol, III. skins returned
"., 49, . -, .,,.,.. a.. n.;,;rr ,r..
WIN o"n news on" 'n'"'ne' w Na'''s o"S
that the whole lot WASH I worth Slo. As ths
natives could not make money nv selling the fox
pelts they concluded To have som. fun with the
outside World. They caused notices TO he in.
serted in the local payers which told about the
hordps of gray foxes that roapied over North
Maven These accounts we're copied all over
the country. After this the hunters came.
home Ia iearn wisdom
MANY we'll informed men, including two college
professors, have tried 10 account for the foxes Of
North Haven. The animals are nearly related
70 the yallowIsb gray foxes which extend from
Labrador 20 near III. north pole. None had besn
found south Of ST Lawrence River until those on
\nTtn wore nltGlteThl NV n & OH
animal that il a cong@ner Of tho musk OK and
polar bear should be found on an island in Pen.
nh.cn, BAY Was a mystery which could not he eI.
blamed. IL Was suggested TINT a pair Of foxes
1riited south on an iceberg. the way polar hears
have done, bu, no icebergs ever come into Pen.
olrscot Bav or ever could come, because Of the
Gulf Stream currents that set east al all times,
Other more or less plausible theories were al
yanced, but each in turn had u he given up az
untenable. When everybody had told much
mora than nv knew about the foxes old man
carver. who had grown rch from the by.proiuc,s
Of fox hunting, came forward and said:
4 ell you boys, them foN.s come to Maine
on the Royal Pass, which was wrecked on Sad
dicback in mi 1879"
The story Of the wreck a, told by the old man ID
that the Royal Pass was a side wheel steamer.
which carried passengers and freight between
Boston and Halifax. In those DAYS 4 stam
voyage from New York TO Liverpool was too long
and risky All the liners between EuropA md
the United States touched al Halifax going and
coming, while a good number Of packets finished
their trips at Halifax, those who were going fur
Their vast taking other hoats. The Royal Pass
was one Of the crack steamers. Late in the fall
~ 1875 she was At her pier in Halifax waiting
for an incoming ship from Liverpool, when the
manager Of a travelling show come on honrf
AMI asked the captain to take his circus amt
menagerie N Boston. II was n big affair for those
tunes, although II would seem small 70 day.
There were two tents. one for the circus perform.
snces and another for the animal cages. In adj
,ition TO these there were about thirty horses,
n half a dozen covered vans. a 10, Of rigging
and tent fiylngS, u sturdy elephant and n dozen
III lhAl VI WIFI ~ IlN' W. u Na
the show was stowei away as snugly as possible,
and tho Royal Pass cleared for Boston on ~the',ftsr.
noon Of \uy. 10. They made good he1Gpav
for two DAYS ON the third morning a NORTHEASTERN
set i'm yith snow and slCet The lptaln telipv-
ing he was near Mount Desert Island, tried to
feel his wav into Joncss Sound, but went past
in tn, blIza ri, entering the ca stern end Of Penoh-
scot Bay at about lie yligh, BY this time it he'd
ceased showing and "" wind had abate Tbs
captain was about to share his course for Dos
ton whom the ROYAL Pass was ashore on Saddle
back ledge. sliding fnT mp on the shelving root
until the shin : bows wcrr out OF water
The usual scene followed. There were about
twcnty passengers on board The crew was
panir--trCken, and the captain drank So deeply
oi Holland GIN that the circus manager and ihe
first officer had 10 put him IN lrons Two boats
and most If the crew rot away N safety 10 North
Haven. Tn" first officer wanted those who re-
manned To- take the gig and ESCAPE Al once. hut
the manager # the circus objected An the ! Top
eTiy he had IN the wurl' was invested in the show.
II / was lost he waS ruined. lie hAd helped 10
save the passengers Now he wanted those who
were on board to help him save the show. Empty
water casks were brought up from the hold Of
the ship, dashed together with strong ropes and
then bound up in the canvas tents. As soon az
the raft WAS launched and made fast to the side
Of the ship the cages containing the valuable
animals were placed on top and made fast with
ropes Some II the circus fAings were put on
to make close s,owagc, when the men hitchsd the
gig 10 the raft and r0wed away.
All this umr the elephant had been standing
ON dech chained 10 the forrmaSt The manager
intended to come back latr and rescue The greet
animal. bat the elephant didn't know this and
he set upa loud irumletng MS the raft crew avsy,
Iic wouuh h- trunk about the shrui Is until thtv
par ,sl al the dcatpypS Then he pulled AT tIa