The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-08-01
WE OWN BRITISH ISLAND
Historic Bit Of Land of Isle Of Man
Under Our Flag.
W. s. Cary, Legal Possessor ami
Ruler of the Tiny Country,
Here on Visit.

New York City will probably sur
prise a great many persons and rem.
der the opponents of the acquisition
of the Philippines speechless with in
dignation to learn that America has a
possession the heart of the British
Isles.
1T is not large possession, and Eng
land would probably object heartily
to its use as a coaling station or signal
station, but it has its own coast line
its free and Independent population,
| and rights over which the British
| crown exercises no jurisdiction what
ever
Its owner arrived on the steamship
Teutonic, Of the White Star line, for
trip to his California home, at Oak
land, and told of this recently acquired
| territory. This independent lord or
| sovereign in miniature is w. l.. D..
| Cary.
His possession is an island. situated
south of the Isle of Man, and from time
| immemorial called the Calf of Man.
So many generations ago, that only
vague tradition survives, the island
came into the possession of the Cary
family. 1t is related that one of the
present owners very remote ancestors,
in a desperate battle, held his own
shield over the head of his king and
was himself severely wounded. In
recognition of this service, the island
was conferred upon him and his heirs
forever
The Calf of Man, like its mexher, the
Isle of Man, is inha bited by the strange
race of the Manxman. 1t has the same
breed of tailless cats that are the
unique product of the Isle of Man: but
it has no representation in the House
of Reyes nor is it governed by the
Manx constitution.
The Calf has a coast line of five
miles. There are about 900 acres in the
island, and $50 of them are under cul-
tivation. There are two lighthouses.
which were erected and maintained
by the British Government until a
year ago, when Mr.. Cary. in order to
make his over-lordship complete, pur-
chased them, and has since maintained
them at his own expense.
There are farmhouses on the island
and castle. The population consists
of some fifty odd souls One of Mr..
Cary's tenants is an American million
aire.
The island has passed down from
father to son for generations. During
the rule Of the present owners father
Great Britain made an attempt to tax
the island. Mr.. Cary had in his pos
session the original deed exempting
the island from taxation, and he went
before Parliament and fought so sue
cessfully that England acknowledged
that this minute State was free and
independent.
In order to be assured of non-inter-
ference on the part of his big neigh
Dor, Mr. Cary became a naturalized
citizen of the United States year ago.
s'We do not and will not pay taxes
to anybody said the sovereign Of the
Calf. "We are free and independent,
and my people are also free and indie
pendent. They do not pay taxes even
to me. Great Britain has no sover-
eighty over my island"
The small principally which can be
called an American possession only
through the naturalizationNof it's owner
is not particularly strong either for
offense or defense. Its navy consists
of a steam launch and half dozen
fishing boats, and it has no army at
all--not even a policeman. Mr.. Cary
settles all disputes that arise, but he
has never had occasion to exercise the
right of life or death over his subjects.
Its revenue came only from the farm
land, the fisheries, and the focks of
sheep and cattle, but these are consid-
erably eked out in the summer by the
visitors who come over, occasionally,
from the mainland of Man, 500 feet
away.
Mr.. Cary is a man of middle age,
with iron-gray hair and mustache.
Mrs. Cary accompanies him on his
present trip here. The island is for
sale, Mr.. Cary says. as he is SO fond
of America that he wants to settle
here for good