New-York tribune., 1902-07-13
BREEZY BLOCK ISLAND
MANY VISITORS RETURN yE.,
AFTER YEAR.
AN HISTORIAN WITH A CAPTAIN KIM
MYSTERY - INTERESTING FEAT.
URES OF THE RESORT.


Adrian Block, Dutch navigator WIN rs,
covered 1t in 1914 known to thousands OF NJ
Workers as the one spot which has not experis,.,
a breezeless day since the first settlers larS-,
nearly two hundred and fifty years ago. cappo+ -
reached except by a sea voyage. 1t NAV ba =.
of only fifteen miles from Watch HiIl OF 1S0 fro,
New-York, but in either case the last lap Is tar
to be rough 1t very rough one morning IA,
week when the New-YOrk boat a side wheeler a~s
a desperate roller padded into the ocean out !.
Gardeners Bay little group Of 'vacationis..s
mostly women, for it was still too early in IN.
week for many men. gathered on the deck Pow
ward fighting hard against seasickness. with sva
staring straight ahead, longing for the summer sl
and A girl who has already become one OF ~
queens of the beach came from the cabin. asg
face white, but there was nothing the matts,
with her voice.
oh why don't We come to that old isla,a,r
walled another woman. III never leave it till tbsv
build bridge.
Just then some one sighted the masked tortsc,.
tion which the government built a sand hean
which juts from the sea between Fishers Island
and GARDENERS.
There it tsr' cried the pale girl That's it-
Il wonder if it really is.' said a doubtsr uY
hope you not mistaken"
Course it is" she answered. ''It looks lust In.
block. That's why they call il Block Island"
If the poor old Dutch sailor whom this resort
tries to honor knew how many people came "a
Block Island summered there, and went awav
again thinking all the while that the name cana
from the islands shape, he would surely shrink in
his grave
Presently when the women have forgotten thar
disappointment in the fOrtfcatiOn the real island
looms uD a few miles to the eastward 1t Is an
ugly island, as ugly as one ever laid eyes on so
ugly as to be beautiful in its ugness 1t is like no
other place-werd, almost UEcanny, thing apar,
II is squatty. barren of trees. Yet, before You
leave it, matter how short the stay. you are
convinced that is almost ideal
Perhaps the winds bring about the change Of
heart for they always blow bracingly. Perhaps il
is the which is all around it. and nearly cuts
it in two in the middle make it seem twin
Islands Perhaps it is the green farms marked
into squares and triangles by stone fences and on
every farm quaint story and half house, painted
white. and at least one blue pond of fresh water
Indeed, it is a combination OF all these and more
besides-the hotels. in many Of which nearly every
faces the sea; the lighthouses and the natives
themselves.
1t is a place to which people return year after
year. for the scenery, which on Block Island Is
mostly the sea. is never the same. As the steam
the wharf in Salt Pond Harbor, created By
a channel which the government dug through
narrow spit Of sand. one is surprised to hear
OF the islanders hail the boat thus; Hello Charley
so you're come back again. with the last word
drawled out for emphasis.
And Charley. in this case a dignihed New-York
banker. who probably has not been called by his
is nightly pleased. and howIs back. Hello, Abe;
how are you anyway? This Is the fourteenth tine
for me. Yo1 couldn't keep OF the islandr'
He gets ashore quickly possible. and they
shake hands like long lost brothers.
Glad to see you. Abe
Same old island Charley.
But it is not the same old island, in spite Of the
natives statement. Two events OF great lmpcr-
tance. epoch markers. occurred In the winter. The
island, or a greater part Of IL. got religion m
Baptist revival. The Block Island High School
held it's first commencement
The first has more direct effect upon the sum
mer visitors 1t wiped out the places on the isl
and where liquors OF sundry colors and effects
were dispensed bars. One Of these, the "Ye-
low Kittens" was famous through the East Two
Chinese have rented the building and opened a
laundry. Quite appropriately, and with wit that
is truly Oriental. they have retained the name the
yellow Kittens" The Blue Flag" the name Of
the other ''hangou-.' still flies. but nothing
more dangerous than ginger ale 1t might be said,
however. that il is never necessary to go thirsty
in Rhode Island.
The high school commencement was the az
fair of the long. dreary winter and every
mer visitor. least every one who boards at
OF the little white cottages will hear OF it. Never
before has there been graduating class This
year four girls completed the OF study, and
the commencement was ON They held il in the
chapel. and the whole island turned out There
were decorauonS-fOur pillars bound round with
white bunting One graduate sat by each pillar
and more proud young women never Were; IheTe
vas nearly a riot because one girl had white sis sis
dress while the others had 10 be content win
muslin There may be another commencement
next year, but it will lack novelty
The island. already rich in legend and folk lore,
a real live Captain Kidd buried treasure mystery.
The older egends-the fire ship Palatine the dane
to tak9 second place; and il is an due 70 a ma. man
moving White beard and '' 5eadiiRs i eyes
He came only the other day and registered al one
of the big hotels Before he had been assigned 70
whispers; Any buried treasure ever been dus W
Never heard Of any answered the man behind
the desk when he had recovered from his surprise
Tor surprised he was, though summer hotei CUES"
can ask most foolish questions ..,.
nat good. That's goodi declared , tne HfEs HEs
unto Sherlock Holmes when he has cley.- ..s
I'm an historian ne said 10 the man who sn9rse
a table VITA him in the dinins room' ana I've
You don't sayi'' exclaimed the other man.
Captain Kidd once visited this island"
II was delivered with dramatic effect worthy
on Which Kidd forgot to iand?" was
.But ne really landed here. and buried treasure
The last three words slipped cut between his teeth
and he seemed sorry about them. The secret was
out Al last treasure hunter had come 10 6i0eS
IN give. you the facts. he continued In .Sss JSns
1899 Captain Kidd with forty men in oaTS MIA DIs
he had seized on the African coast put INTO Dsa H.
ware Bay. He tired of LIE OF crime on Ia5
all that lie wanted 10 see his VIE ana 4a4 1I.I5
and sent them word to meet him at Block tsIaAS,
weeks the bart sailed into crescent Harbor Ths
captain came ashore greeted his wife as a ioNI4-S
husband should. and sent her on board the slip
This much is established historical fact .s
There is more questioned the one VINO Wa
receiving the confidence.
You are right; there is more, He buried tSeys,
chests hrimful of geld and jewels on the beach hS'
far from this very hotel Then he went 10 tiarOt-
ncr's Island. and left treasure with the ply
urietOr. That the government recovered after hiu0
was 5nticed ashore at Boston and sent 70 LondGnn
To be hanged. The Block Island treasure is sun
buried. and / know the spot.
This afternoon he was on the beach makine
from certain points RE finally sst
tied on SPOT where lies the rotting wreck or