The Republican journal., 1903-05-07
THE STORY OF DICK.
seagull Who Kept Tryst for T"enty-four
Consecutive Years.

"A SeaguH Who Kept Tryst for A"e"'y-iour
Consecutive Years.
Out in the ocean. about four miles off
the shore of Rhode Island and just
south of Narrangansett Bay, is an
chored Brenton's Reef Lightship.
Some thirty-two years ago the lonely
watchers on the ship had their attention
attracted by seagull that SO far put
ASIDE his wild nature as to SWIM close
to the vessel in search OF food. The
1rlendllness and trustfulness OF the
blrd Immediately won the hearts OF the
Keepers, and soon he was supplled with
all the food he wanted. Not only this,
but every day, without break, the
bird, which by this time the men had
named 'Dick" came back, and just as
regularly was he supplied. This soon
grew into habit; and the preparation
OF DICKS allowance became one OF the
cooks fixed duties.
There would have been nothing very
remarkable in wild sea-foWl following
an instinct that led it to repeat search
for food so regularly and so bountlfully
successful, were it not for its later his
tory. One day near the first OF the first
April following Dicks appearance at
the llght-Ship he was missed, and was
not seen again until about the 1St of
the next October when the same pro-
gramme of daily feeding was resumed
and kept up as during the previous year.
Then, as the first of April drew near,
Dick would again take himself off to
his summer home, wherever that might
be, only faithfully to return the follow
ing October
This repeated going and coming, with
the constant round of daily feeding,
was kept up for twenty-four conSecu-
tive years; and Capt. Edward Fogarty,
in charge of the lightship, writes to us
that the last seen of the old fellow was
in April, 1895, when, according to his
custom, he left for his summer vaca-
ton, but, for the first time in twenty
four years, failed to return the next
October
What became of him no one knows.
His great age may have so enfeebl
him that he was unequal to the long
flight to and from his unknown summer
home. He may have chosen to stay
there, OF he may have died OF old age.
1t was noticed by the ships Keepers
that during his last visit Dick plainly
showed the effects of his increasing
years. and that he was no longer able
to hold his own with the other gulls IN
maintaining his exclusive right to the
bounty thrown out from tine lightshlp.
The Smithsonian Institution knew
the history of Dicks visits and was de-
sirous of obtaining his remains when
he died, but, while it is possible that III
his later life he might have been cap
tured and forced to end his days on
shipboard, there was not one on board
the lightship so false as to make the at
tempt or to permit it in others,
The reports of Dicks arrival and de-
parture were faithfully recorded by the
captain in his ships records as if they
were an important item OF marine
news, and in the neighborhood OF New
port, at least, he was as well known
character as any pet elephant or mon
key within the safe confines of 20
illogical garden is to the girls and boys
in the cities. Dicks cage and play
, ground was the whole Atlantic Ocean,
if he had wished, but he was faithful
to the friends whom he had always
found faithful to him.-May st. Mich
OlaS.