Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-08-30

dizziest experiences Of my life regret
also to say that some of those who sang
that night will no longer with their
SONG brighten up the cherries night of
solitude; never more will their quaint
note bring explosive swear words to
unaccustomed lips. But |, happily,
though landed no less than two score
times upon the faces and hands of 10
and Bert, always avoided their MUIR
derous designs, and it was who fol-
lowed them as they pranced angrily up
4 and down the deck trying to elude the
never ending song of my race. Truly it
was delicious moment for me, when
they went ashore in the yawl boat to
bring the rest of the party on board, for
| then / expected another batch of VIC
Tins, as the police court reporter OBJ
serves.
The victims arrived, but they had
brought some ill-smelling chokeful
concoction with them that they pro-
| ceeded to burn in the hatch and cabin,
and was glad to HE myself to the
bowsprit and hide among the fresh air
Of the jib.
WheE l awoke next morning, | was
astonished at the Transformation that
had come over the deck of the Mary
Chaplin. Men and women, pretty girls
and gallant cavaliers were grouped
here and there and members of the
Earty with cameras were taking pic
lures of them. The schooner was in
motion, too, and | gathered from the
conversation that the course the captain
was steering that they were out for a
sail to Tangier Island. This surmise
OF mine proved correct. must say
that the card playing and the domino
playing, the tete-a-tete-ing and the
| promenading was almost dazzling to
me. Before arriving off Taneier the
| crowd had dinner and this was pro-
rided by the ladies of the party. If
ever l wished ! was a man with a
large mouth and an appetite il, pro-
portion, that was the time, for those
people certainly did enjoy that dinner,
and could do nothing but sit aloft
and envy them.
Well, Tangier was reached, and the
| vessel anchored about mile from
shore while the party was ferried to
| land in three small boats. l should
like to have accompanied them, but
didn't care to stray far from the vessel
| and had to content myself by remain
ing on board. When those who had
been ashore returned | heard them talk
| of curious things about the island with
its l,500 inhabitants all dependent
upon the fishing industry; its hand
some church building, its curious store
where they had ''snow balls'' and milk
shakes, but no soda water. There they
| have no horses, but orce, according to
tradition, did have two street car
horses, and they were such novelty
that they were ridden to death in
| carrying people from one end of the
town to the other at 10 cents per. The
main street, by the way, is about seven
feet wide and is of earth. They have
| no public burial ground, and each
family buries its dead on its OWE
property. l remember hearing Uncle
lament that the one pretty thing on
the island, a sweet girl, had not been
kidnapped and brought on board, and
saw him pointing her out as she
stood on shore and waved US a farewell.
On the sail back to Cristeld, we
passed several vessels that we're taking
on the menhaden fish. These fish are
caught in great purse nets which are
| thrown round the schools, and from
them the fish are bailed into sailboats.
Fertilizer and oil are made from them.
As We were preparing to drop anchor
in Crisfield harbor, / and others made
visitation to numerous members Of
the party, especially the young women
and it was not long before we had had
sweet revenge for the disturbing nature
of the day, ana made them glad enough
to leave us.
That night, l again sought the airy
folds of the ilb to avoid that terrible
odor of which spoke before.
On the following day, Saturday,
after long delay for some reason |
| could not understand, we weighed
anchor and after getting outside the
light houses took a course direct for
Tangier Island. We passed the island
and then turned its lower end sailed
across the Chesapeake Bay. began
this time for keeps. We arrived in
Diners Creek, Va, at twilight and
some OF the boys went ashore to see tho
operation of a fish factory, but I did
not go along; the odor of fish factories
does not agree with me.
In the ride across the bay, many of
my friends and relatives had lost their
grir upon the vessel and had gone to n
wate.y grave, and although | took
many cautious tours all over the boat,
could not lind single companion.
Realizing as did what must be that
sense of loneliness that comes over a
traveller in desert when he has buried
his last trend, | yet felt that life still
had some good in store for me, ard /
determined that | would take no risk
by exposing myself to the anger OF the
members of the sailing party. In this
way, | hope to be able to go through
the whole voyage in safety and set
down my observations for those who
come after me to profit by.
On Sunday, we lay at anchor all
day. The Commodore, Herbie and
Uncle went ashore to take drive with
a captain somebndy, and 10 and Bert
went fishing. The Captain and Tip
also left the vessel and took swim in
shallow water. Left to myself, | in
speoted the cabin and saw what COM
plete outfit of clothing the various
members of the party had brought, and
/ read awhile, until my head swan, in
Kipling book and another volume
about Mr.. Dooley, who seemed to
know something about everything.
My afternoon nap was broken by the
arrival of the various members of the
crowd, and with little ado, the Mary
Chaplin got under way and sailed away
in the brilliant moonlight Those who
had gone ON shore evidently had a
charming time from the way they dis
cussed Virginia hospitality, and they
spoke glowingiy of cute little girl
they had met at lrvinglon, whose
picture Uncle had taken. They heard
a temperance speech, too that seemed