The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-08
JEROME OF NOVA SCOTIA.
The Story of a Mysterious Wait From
Gao


The Story of a Mysterious Wait From
the Sea.
"Financial Returns, one of the blu
books issued by the Legislature of Now
Scotia, contains a very brief entry tn
story of which is perhaps unique in tn
annals of public documents. 1t II
simply the one line:
Jerome Neutrality-suspicious.. Slu4Vu
But behind it lies one Of the stranges
of mysteries--a sea mystery that atte1
the lapse of more than four decades, Is
still as impenetrable as it was on the
day that gave 1t birth.
Who is "Jerome?" No one knows
whence came he? None can ever guess
Why should his name appear in a GOV
eminent blue book as receiving ar
annual amount from the country tc
which he never rendered cents worth
of service? Few can tell. Scarcely any
of the members of the Legislature know
to what the entry refers; II has figured
In the Financial Returns" for many
years; II was there before the several
provinces of Canada were welded into
the present Dominion; 1t was there
when Nova Scotia was a separate col
| OllY. IN IEleIlSetNbS ltleSt lttANf7 iti'J
not present anything that Is particu-
larly remarkable; but when taken In
conjunction with "Jerome's' strange
| desertion on the shores of the Land OF
Evangeline, and the impenetrahle mys-
/ terry that has ever since surrounded his
identity, as we'll as his extraordinary de-
meanor the matter may we'll take rank
with any of the obscure cases that his
tory records.
Some forty-two years ago the people
| living around Digby Neck-the narrow
strip of land on the eastern side of the
Bay of Funday-one day sighted snip
in the offing, whose movements were
| unusual; she seemed to be lowering
aimessly around the same spot; and
| when darkness fell she was still there.
Her peculiar lacking was the subject
of much comment among the fisherfolk,
the only residents along that rugged
coast Next morning, when they
turned their eyes seward the vessel
had disappeared; but upon the beach
were a small key of water and a bag
of ship biscuit, and by the side of them
was man, or rather, what was left
of one, for his legs had been cut off
above the knees. The amputation had
been recently done and that it was the
work of a s<ilful hand was demonstrate
ed by the careful manner In which the
raw stumps were bandaged.
The stranger was apparently about
nineteen years of age with laxen hair
and blue eyes; and from his clothes and
delicate white skin It was inferred that
he had been we'll brought up He was
nursed and cared for by one of the cot
tagers, and gradually recovered from
the severe operation to which he had
been subjected. But he was morose and
silent; and his speech, # speech 1t
could be called, consisted of only gut
tural sounds that none could under
stand, though efforts We're made by
many seafaring men who had a smat-
tering of foreign tongues to ascertain
his nationality. There was not a scrap
of paper of any kind upon him to give
the faintest clew to his identity, nor
We're there any marks on his clothing,
which was Of the best, to throw any
light either upon his name or whence
he came. Whether, after his strange
arrival on the shores of Nova Scotia,
any attempt was made to teach him
an Ineligible language Is not known,
but certain it Ia that during the long
period he has passed among the humble
residents of Digby Neck he has not ac-
quired their tongue, and be has never
by speech conveyed as much as single
thought to any one
The manner of his arrival was mys-
FERROUS; he has remained a mystery
ever since. For forty-two years he has
been a man without a name, except
Jerome" which was given him by
some of the fisherman who thought
that one of the sounds he muttered re-
sembled that word.
1t was all very well for the poor peo-
pie of the district 70 be hospitable
toward the helpless cripple VI a while,
but it was difficult FOR them to ea,n
livelihood for themselves, ana when
they felt that they could no longer be
burdened with his support they APP
piled to the Poor Commissioners to have
the weight taken off their shoulders.
But the appeal was In vain, the Com
nissoners did not see why they should
take over the responsibility; Jerome"
did not belong to Digby County. The
aid Of the Legislature was then sought
and pending investigation, 1t granted
an allowance of $104. That was Ger
omes" first connection with the blue
books Of the province; and from that
time to the present his name has reg
ularly appeared on the pages of "F7inan-
cial Returns" for investigation unraV-
elled nothing of the mystery, and the
Legislature has continued the grant
frpr ejpoo
Before the advent Of the railway |
Jerome" was an object of much inter.
est to passengers by coach, who would |
observe him basking in the summer |
sun, and would stop to see him and ill., |
quire into his case. But eventually I
they got so accustomed to the sight and |
to the story that they contented thern-
selves with simply acknowledging him |
by a wave of the hand as they passed. |
With the waning of interest and curios-
ity on the part Of the public, together |
with the construction of the railway
which, unlike the old post road does |
not run near the shore of that locality
jerome" and his strange story are
now almost forgotten, except by those
in the Immediate neighborhood of
Saulnieville, on the shores of the bay