Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-03-15

the same and the towing was only a side
issue When we reached the wharf at
Eorse Island, Mr.. Beal, the manager of
the Cornelius Pond Ice Company, sang
out TO me- Captain, for Gods sake
take your boat and break the ice to
Malaga and buy their Holsters for they
are starving over there 1 wasn't par
ticular about breaking the ice for the
few Holsters knew they would have
in the winter but thought that if they
were badly OFF for food that / would do
all possible for them. So l headed for
the island and broke through a mile of
thin ice until stopped by the heavier ice
in the shallow water. The natives
brought their Holsters to US and they
were all short ones which did not care
to buy and told them SO. When / re-
fused to take them they actually broke
down and cried. They begged me very
hard saying that they had no food and
We're depending on the sale of these
Holsters to get something to eat. My
engineer, who was making his first
trip, was much moved at their pitiful
story and he asked me to take them
saying that he would stand half the
cost. Well took the Holsters and there
was great rejoicing on Malaga that
day.
'On another occasion when going by
the island not intending to call as we
were in q hurry, one of the natives
rowed off and signaled for us to stop.
When he came alongside he passed
two Holsters on deck, one of legal
length and the other a little fellow.
Ia, MT, fa,. q,
started for Orr's Island three miles
distant to invest that quarter in flour
"One spring when we called there we
brought several of the youngsters to
the boat and gave them our cast off
winter clothing. OF course every thing
we gave them was much too large for
the little fellows but we thought that
their mothers would cut them over to
give a decent fit. When we told the
boys this. one little fellow said, Our
mothers won't make these over.
They'll make us wear them Just as
they are This little chap went up the
beach wearing my big ulster with the
tails of the coat trailing on the ground
behind him. With any amount of spare
time that boys mother never cut that
coat over for the tails of the coat were
still dragging on the ground when we
next called at the island
"One winter on making our way
through the ice to the island we saw
two women on the flats digging CLANS
They were poorly rugged out for such
work and We're shivering. One had no
shoes or stockings on and she evidently
suffered considerably. The other had
| Sh hrrt rIa ,;.rl,t
none for they were full of holes and the
snow and water ran through them. We
brought them aboard the steamer and
let them get warm in the engine room
Then we gave them warm wooden socks
and one pair of rubber boots. They
were awful grateful. We asked them
why their men folks did not dig the
clans and they replied that the men
were not feeling just right Pure lazi-
ness was their only sickness I'll bet q
dollar. That is epidemic there all of
the time.
Last winter several frOze their fin
gers and feet. They were too lazy to
cut wood and there was no wood cut
this winter until the boys from Cundy's
went to the island with their axes. They
are woefully ignorant and childish. Few
if any can read or write and many
never heard of a God. AS an example
of their ignorance on general informa-
tiol I will tell little story. A tramp
drifted to the island several years ago
and stayed with the natives for several
weeks. 1t was during the summer
months and they were getting ready to
do a little fishing for hake. These fish
int. A..
August and can be caught in larger
quantities on those nights when the
moon is full. The tramp decided, when
he was about to leave the island. that
he could collect a few dollars from the
simple minded folks and he told them
that he was particular friend of the
man at Washington who makes the
weather. He drew up a petition pray
ing for a full moon every night of the
month and they signed it by making
their mark. He then collected a few
dollars, all they had. and started os-
tensibly for Washington to present his
petition. Their petition was never
granted but they never thought to
blame their friend the tramp.
The people of Malaga Island are
many of them descendants of a negro
who settled there years ago. They
have married white persons and now
the negro blood is hardly apparent,
many being as white as the people Of
the mainland. The Malaga islanders
are not vicious. They are with the ex
ception of a few families. ignorant and
lazy but they live in peace, there being
no brawls on the island.
Since the publication Of the reports
of the distress of the islanders a num-
Der of kind hearted women have been
disposed to help them but the problem
is a difficult one with which to deal.
Indiscriminate charity would mean
simply life of idleness for the dwellers
on Malaga. OF course their immediate
necessities must be supplied, their chill
dren should be made to attend school
and perhaps it is with the children that
the best can be accomplished The like
lihood that the islands adult population
will be reformed is very remote.