Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-13
PLYMOUTH AS IT Is TO-DAY
DENSE FORESTS AS DARK AND
TANGLED AS IN 1920.
A Region of Cranberry Farms and
Shiny Ponds-Likely TO Remain
SO for the Next Century.

From the Boston Globe.
Plymouth has the largest township in the
state. the oldest civilization. the most dra-
matte history and tho greatest wilderness.
Between Plymouth village on the north
and Buzzard's Bay on the south, Carver
and Wareham On the west. and the shore
on the east. Is an immense tract of barren
woodland. as sparsely settled as 1t was two
centuries and a half ago
There are a few deer there a few rab-
bits, and many foxes partridges and quail.
while the numerous ponds are full of black
bass and pickcrel. but for more than fifty
years the land has been steadily decreas-
ing In value.
The area Of the township Of Plymouth Is
30. 1877 acres, about eighty square miles.
and Of this territory sixty square miles is
practically uninhabited. The population
OF the township is estimated to be 9.oo0 Of
which nineteen -twentieths live in Plymouth
village Mahomet Chiltonville. Ellisviile c.
darville and the other settlements along the
coast.
Live Upon History.
The people Of Plymouth live upon history,
and every carriage driver will talk of vol
umes in the course Of a halliday ride.
The monuments. the consecrated rocks the
museums and ancient homes Of the pill
grims are thoroughly known. but the great
wilderness IL called Plymouth woods with
a sweep of the hand which banishes 1t from
further mention.
They do say" remarks some old resi-
dent. that there Is a pond for every day OF
the year and a mudhole for leap year..
This oft-repeated statement rather stretch
es the facts but the ponds. many of which
are large enough to be called lakes. are
really feature OF the town.
Mr.. William T. Davis says there are 11a
which have names and contain fish. But
the ponds, beautiful as they are. have at
tracted but small handful or summer
visitors who have satisfied their longings
for q lodge in some vast wilderness
In the old days when woodland was sold
the bog land was thrown in without even
being measured. but during the last forty
years cranberry boys have become enor-
mously valuable and the cranberry industry
has been the salvation of the town.
There Is a small income in mayfowers.
pond lilies, swampberries and blackberries.
which abound in the woods but there have
been some great fortunes and many COM
Portable iivings made in cranberries.
Cranberry Boys.
Cranberry boys have recently been worth
as high as 81 900 an acre, and one concern
cleared over 100000 from a years bust
ness, and yet this important industry does
very little to settle the country. as the es-
tablished boys are entirely deserted for
-fourths Of the year.
During the picking season, men. women
and children, Italians and natives. gather
at the bogs. even from SO far away as
New Bedford. Some camp upon the ground
and others walk miles to and from their
work daily.
IT Is a short season Of three or four
weeks, frequently interrupted by strikes at
the large boys, and changes at the small
ones, but the pay Is good for picking, while
the screening employs a limited number OF
people far into the winter,
They say that in 1921. Francis Billing
ton being lost in the woods. climbed a lofty
tree and discovered this body OF water.
which he took for an arm Of the sea
One Of the best authorities. however
thinks that the name sea was used in the
German sense Zuyder Zee. At the
present day the banks are steep and thick
ly wooded and only an occasional. roof
shows among the treetops
Just beyond is Long Pond. set like dia-
mond in white sand. There is picturesque
bridge crossing the connecting stream be-
tween the two ponds, and beside it IS the
smallest post office IN Massachusetts.
At liberal guess, the Long Pond post
office is eighteen inches in height. depth
and breadth. for 1t is simply a letter box.
at which every one acts as his own post
master.
When q man goes to town he takes the
letters left for mailing, and when he leaves
town for the lake he brings the mail for
the community. and leaves 1t in the box
for each to help himself.
Historic Bloody Ground.
Bloody Pond. which lies Just east OF the
group is so named from a historic fight
between the colonists under Capt. Church
and some Of King Philips Indians The
pond is nearly divided by two opposite
points which form an easy fordlng place.
The settlers lay in ambush and when the
Indians were wading across shot 50 many
that the water became red with blood. or
vice versa. 1t is a singular example o. the
loose history of the woods that the story
is told both ways.
Martin Van Buren, Douglass lives on the
bank Of Halfway Pond, In the house where
he was born. He is road overseer. con-
stable and the conservative man Of the
neighborhood, and with George g. Barker
of Boston. and Deal Briggs Of Harvard
College. practically controls the water
front Of the pond. In past times. the home
of Martin Douglass has been favor'te re-
sort Of sportsmen and his brother Warren.
now seventy-three years old, has been Il
noted nimrod.
but Warren Is more typical of the old hum
ter. tall, lean, with a strong nose and an
eagles eyes. He has a notion OF coming
to Boston some day to see the street cars
go under the ground
After repeatedly losing his way, but fin
ally getting through to civilization the
traveller struck across to Bournedale. and
started north by Herring Pond through the
coast country.
The bulldog trolley is quite common in
this neighborhood. Usually a wire is
stretched about six feet high from the
house to the barn. and from 1t Is hung a
short roDe.to which the dog is attached
The result Is that the dogs racing ami
barking Is confined to one beaten track
two buildings like a shuttle the lives of
many innocent chickens are temporarily
saved.