Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-25

of the palisades do not lack picturesque
ness. Physically, they have imbibed the
rugSedness of the cliffs that hug them
about and isolate them; despite their high
standard of education they believe that
their Oldest house, which, tradition says,
was used as headquarters by Lord Corn
wallis during the revolution. and which
was certainly occupied by continental sol
dlers. is haunted; and anonymously they
go to Brooklyn instead of Yonkers, just
across the river, for their wives.
The usual qualities possessed by these
fishermen are also evident in the fact tina t,
while they believe treasure lies buried I'M
der the roof of the house that figures in
revolutionary history, they have never laid
plans to dig it up They are content no y
and then to pick out from the rubbish a
few ancient pieces of money and a rev.
dictionary soldiers button and let 1t
go at that. Their attitude on treasure is
largely that of the head of the colony
Perhaps treasure is there. and perhaps
not, he said. eff We dug and found moth
ing, wouldn't we be exasperated to think
we had lost SO much time when we could
have been making money with our nets?"
A Record for Longevity.
The colony has a firm belief founded on
family records that none of its members
can possibly die before he has passed his
eightieth year, and that from then on the
chances are that death will not overtake
him until the century mark has all but been
reached.
That is why no funeral is looked forward
to in the shad settlement for the next
thirty-five years Then Thomas Mclean
will be ninety-one years old.
Mclean says that he has no intention of
breaking the colony's record of longevity.
Il don't intend to die in my babyhood," he
declared the other day. rive some pride
in our settlements enviable reputation
why do live so long?' he repeated
l,o, a. ~,
cause were not greedy. Look across the
river and Mclean nodded in the direc-
ton of Yonkers, whose noises of business
could be family heard at times across the
mile of water. They're working their
lives away over there. because they're too
greedy for money and comfort. Many of
them get money, but not many comfort,
for just about the time they discover they
can take things easy they find themselves
worn out and then they die.
But over here We catch four or five
thousand shad apiece during the season,
go after eel and bass a little, and work
just enough to be happy and well fed the
year around. The rest of the time we en-
JOY ourselves. And we sleep soundly' at
night instead of lying awake and trying
to scheme how We'll do the other fellow
when the sun comes up. We don't chase
the almighty dollar twenty-four hours In
the day and wish. when the last hour is
gone that the good Lord had made the day
twice as long. No, sir, were content to
live natural lives. and there you nave the
reason why. every baby who has ever been
born in this settlement and lived here all
his days has not been compelled to think
seriously of the other life until he was well
in his nineties."
The last deaths in the colony occurred
last year. In each case the mans age was
over ninety and one had nearly reached
his hurdredth year.
Fishermen With Long Pedigrees.
Although NOT few of the bows born in
the settlement have gone out into the
world. every one of the six families that
formed part of the colony hundred and
fftv years ago has been unbrokenly rep
resented since that time by one more
fishermen Tim and John Campbell. both
strapping men and finely educated, are