The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
FOLKSDOWN CAPE COD WAY
FEATURES or ~ ISTERkbTING
pARr or NV ENGLAND.
T%echin~ss Of Cape Dweiiers -Intsrmarriages
-shrcwdness In Trade Genuine De-
mocracy Queer Houses A Sea Flavor
hut No Yarns - Pleasures OF the kegion'

but No Yarns Pleasures of the Kesion'
~IlyANNis, Mass. April There are signs
Of spring here. In the swampy places, sliel'rred
from the strong winds, the voice of the frog Ia
heard. II Is even rumored that n robin has been
seen in Brewster The grass. however, IN the
same old dun color of mid winter And the wind'
How 1t blows. early and late DOES II blow AZ
hard and necessarily any else ON earth'
Did Tboreau say anything regarding the broeies
ON Cape Cod There is much In his book about
the dora, likewise the natural features of the
Cape, hut he said very little az 10 the people. And
the people are Interesting and will well repay
observation and study, for nowhere In New Eng
land does more pronounced indiyidu ality exist
Some years ago a guileless girl, after Il period
Of s., hool teaching ON his peninsula, wrote "
book, Cape cod Folks" which a firm Of Boston
publishers gave TO The world, and eventually,
~ It il said, they paid high for the experience
to divers and sundry CAPE Cod people who con
sidered themselves satirized and held mp 10 ndi'
cule by the author After a suit or two for dam
ages had been decided against the publishers
the word was passed that a good thing was going
and only needed pushing along. The receipts
Of the railroad between Cape Cod and Boston
we're greatly increased by reason Of the visitors
" VIC Y ulF I" tV tiu''' w HAi' W
said publishers. II is said that when n couple,
Of somewha provincial appearance, were seen
entering the place, they were Immediately es-
corted into the private office Of tho firm and with
out any preliminnries the question, How much
was propounded and a settlement made at once
1t was tho easiest way. The price ran from a
lunch, new bonnie, or het, railroad fares and Thea
tire ,icketsv,o 500 and upward. Cape Cod Folks
- ~ =. H. IH.a. 49,, a. htr nFAE
berry year.
The Cape dseller is extremely sensitive In some
directions, extremely "techy." 80 10 speak. lie
resents any reference 10 his peculiariiies and
even denies that he has any. lie cannot under
stand that q comment upon some localism does
not necessarily mean censure or ridicule. His
sense ~ hunlOr Is rudimentary, Jokes are lost
upon him. The alleged dulness Of the average
Englishman In this regard is readily matched
on Cape Cod. Perhaps this may be owing TO the
unmiSed English descent VI nearly all the resi-
dents, for the local records show that a large per
certage Of them come straight from the Pilgrim
Fathers and their Immediate followers This,
Of course, means In the long run much inter
marriage Of blood relations, near and remote.
and consequently a large number Of people In
various districts bearing the same family names
This is the occasion of a queer custom in desig
mating individuals. People are not known as
"Mr. Smith" or MI. Jones" but by their first
and middle names, such rs George Henry"
BILLY *" Charlie r." Their good ladies are
seldom called Mrs Smith" or Mrs. Jones" but
are known as Miss Jane" Miss Thankful
Miss Lizzie" never Mrs" The confusion other
wise would be awful and no one would know
which Smith OF Jones was referred 10. To keep
track Of the extraordinary relationships con
sequent upon these in,ernarriages would tax
10 the utmost tho powers Of the greatest memory
sharp on record.
The decay II the shipping interests, notably
the coasting trade, has been a very serious blow
Ia Cape Cod. \ generation ago the sea offered a
Vocation promising ample reward 10 the young
men, To go 10 sea WAS a matter OF course, the
expected thing. Possessing a little energy the
youths soon became mates and then captains,
very likely Owning the whole or a part 81 the
crafts in which they sailed. They owned their
homes, their children Lad good educational ad-
NantageS aud there Was money enough and 10
spare. But all this is changed, The big freight
steamers and coasting barges towed by tugs
have driven the White sails Of the Cape Coddens
from the sea Al;uuugh Il few Cuasting schoOners
are still owned and sailed by Cape shippers, ireig hts
are low and profits small. In the absence of
any regular vocation the people do all sorts Of
thirCs io make both ends meet Combined in
one individual are frequently many Occur atoms
To day he may dig clans, To morrow lac may
prepare a garden, chop wood, shinglc a house,
cobbie shoes. or do odd jobs Of any sort II Is
difficult, though, 10 find any one, however much
in need Of the wages, who cares 10 aocep, con.
tinuous employment at anything involving
regular hours, There seems 10 BE- something IN
the li'r'd hSerSe 10 continuity of occuIatinn
There Is q vast deal OF small reddling on the
Cane, indeed, most -! the residents are pcdlers
on occasion. \ man secures q few more clans
or split cells than he requires for his own consump-
ton and straightway he goes aiou' the n-Ighbor
hood IFdG!lng them. Ana You mus, not suppose
that because he comes To your back door with a
few clans to sell, he for q momen, thinks tina, he
demeans himself In the least On tie contrary,
lie meets you at tie church sOcIable IN the even.
ing and very likely lalruni1eS you a strong
trading instinct seems inherent IN the Care REQ
pie, which may account for the number who have
met with great success IN commercial life all over
The term wash lady" is in actual, COMMON
uGr here. II Is no, good form 10 say woman"
and man" You must always say lady" and
gentleman" otherwise you are disrespectful.
4 lady will do your family washing in he morn
ing and make u sCcial call IN your WIFE In the
afternoon. And why isn't tlIs as II should lie?
Isn't It genuine democracy ana fully in accord
with the basic principles 81 our Government?
Cane cod Is one Of the few localities where the
original idea Of pure democracy prevails One
man IL as good as another, even when he is more
than susl cC'sd uf undue familiarity with his neigh
hor's hen Tuus, Crime, however, outside Of Ictty
thieying, is almost unknown. Two murders
were ormitt'd in lsa9, but for many years
ia, ~ is no record 81 any others. Chickens are
sometimes stolen and eel iots looted, but al
though generally the Ieri'irators are well enough
known, III" Law Is Seldom invoked. As a rule,
nothing ~ done about II, except an attempt, gen,
orally futile, 70 collect value.
"Nollce1se rrcyatls on the Cape, and rightly,
for why should the citizen ray 10 " IL cents for a
drink over a bar when Boston is not DO far away
that the eNpressman, fer a Consideration. will
not bring him q bottle OF u Jug Also, II harooms
existed, the thirsty inhabitant would DO apt 10
encounter therein some friend or neighbor, and
hospitality would then naturally be- in order on
onr side or the other Aud IN Cape Cod tie lila.
ton Ia BdCchus Is not a matter Of COnyiyali,y,
but u ric performed IN secret, in he dim shadows
OF the barr, or ""oishe.; perhaps the heptouse.
The size Of the drink thR; the average denizen
can stow away when invited Is n tribut. TO
the strength Il tho head and the quality Of the
lining Of his stomach. liut On election day,
VITA very likely the seductive oior Of the iuice
Of the corn upon his breath, he betakas himself
10 the polls and casts his vote for license"
with the serene conviction that he has given the
demon intemperance one in the short ribs
Many Of the older houses are constructed in A
curious fashion. The staIrways are very steep
and narrow, exactly like a ships cornpanion
way. The larger articles Of furniture cannoi be
carried w ~ down them, but arc put in or re-
moved through the upIer windows, which are
taken out for the PURPOSE; but sometimes This
plan does not work, Only the Other day a resi-.
dent bought some new chamber furniture which
II where 1t was wanted His windows were too
small. II ~ nov ~ his loIn awaiting scme
solution of the problem. lie dislikes the idea Of
removing lis roof
like a we'll No one can give a reason for this
II Is simply q Cape Cod custom 10 make them 80,