The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-08-10
The Log of the Fiona.
A Five Days Cruise Down the Bay with
Isle au Haut the Objective Point.

| Isle au Haut has long been noted for its
blueberry crop and in years past many
parties visited the island in the season to
gather these berries for home consumption
times including women and children, would
make the trip in a schooner, the men fishing
or digging CLAIMS while the women and chill
dren picked berries. Raspberries and
| black berries are no less abundant and Mr..
Bridges, who drove us around the island,
said no use was made of them. 1t would
seem that here was material for quite a
little industry. While it might not be profit
| able to establish canning factory these
| berries could be preserved or made into
cordial that, if properly prepared and in
attractive packages, would find a ready
sale.
Outside of the caring for summer visitors
and employment furnished by the Point
Lookout Club there is little doing on Isle
au Haut today. The town of Isle au Haut
includes the following islands: Isle au
Haut, The Two Spoon Islands, York's
Island. Fog Island, Burnt Island, Mer-
chants Island, Kimbalps Island, and all
other islands south of Merchants Row
The census of 1900 gives the population of
these islands as 1S2, a decrease of 50 from
| the census of 1880. The estates in 1880
were $50, ,756, and in 1900 had increased to
| $50, 415, due to the improvements made by
the Point Lookout Club and by other sum-
mer residents. The next census will no
doubt show further increase in estates
and further decrease in population. The
permanent residents of Isle au Haut proper
today must be less than one hundred. At
| one time this was place Of some CONNER
| cial Importance, and tradition says that in
the early days extensive smuggling opera
tions were carried on here. Then along in
| the 70's and SOS lobster canning factory
gave employment to several hundred
people The resident manager was George
F. Lewis, but the proprietors were W. K.
Lewis & Bros. of Broad street, Boston. A
married daughter of Mr.. Lewis is still a
summer resident and has cottage on the
shore south of the old factory, the veranda
extending over the water at high tide.
They were flush times while the factory
was running. Lobsters were abundant
and the fishermen and employees of the
| factory prospered. Dancing was the favor
! ite recreation, and f. NJ. Sanborn of this
city, violinist, recalls an engagement he
had there in 1870 or 1871. He got a passage
to the island in the little schooner Planet,
| Capt. Sprague, the same craft we believe
| that at one time ran as packet between
| Belfast and lSesboro and later was turned
into steamer and disappeared from these
waters. Mr.. Sanborn says that L. A.
| Knowlton of this city was on board and
thinks that the schooner was taking down
goods for him. Before entering the
Thoroughfare the Planet was hove to and
a supply of fish caught. Mr.. Sanborn was
| the only musician engaged, but was assisted
by two of the fishermen, who played second.
and with brief intermission for supper
continued until . O'Clock the next morning,
when Mr.. Lewis, the manager OF the fac
tory, appeared and suggested that it was
time to close the festivities.
| Iobstering appears to be practically the
only fishing industry carried on now at the
Thoroughfare, and not many are engaged
in that. We saw but one of the able
sloops formerly used in this business-a
very fine looking and nearly new craft
owned by the Coombs Brothers. Small
naphtha boats are used generally, and the
| Knox engines are the favorte make.
Joshua Tilden Barter (his name was
wrongly printed last week as john said
that the season had been unfavorabe The
fishermen get Is cents apiece for the Holsters
at the car, and consumers pay % cents a
pound, which leaves large margin for
profit for some one. We did not gather any
statistics as to the lobster catch, but do not
believe the total catch of the islanders for a
| season would have run the old factory one
week. Bottom fishing seems to be a side
| issue. We did not see a craft of any des-
cription on the fishing grounds between
Saddleback and Kimballs Rock, and there
was really no need of going outside as there
was equally good fishing in the Thorough
fare, where large cod had been caught. We
heard some one speak of doghsh, but saw
none and none get on our hooks.
The town of Isle au Haut is in Hancock
county and county business has to be done
in Ellsworth. This the islanders find in
convenient, and last winter they endeav.
ored, but without success, to get bill
through the legislature transferring the
town to Knox county. They can go to
ROckland and return the same day, and
most of their business is with that city
while at least two days is required for a
trip to Ellsworth.
The night of July 18th, as noted last
week, it blew gale, and when we turned
out at a. N. July 18th the fog was dense
and there were no signs Of life ashore or OF
the water. little later the chug chug
of motor boats was heard and we had a cal
from Mr.. Barter, who supplied us with live
, Holsters from his car. He had been ont il
the eastern bay and reported a very heavy
sea running, and that the fisherman for the
Point Lookout Club who started out the
western way had to return 1t was the day
for our departure for home and the out
look was not encouraging. Capt. Staple.
and Capt. Barr took the tender and went tt
fishing in the NarroWs, only a short dis
tance away, but the fog was so dense tina
at times they could not be seen from the