Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-03-14

being modernized. Block island in
winter would be thought of as about
the outermost post of civilization. Yet
it has been included in the network
of the lines of the Bell telephone sys-
TEN. The island has always been
there. ever since. at least the glacial
era left at the extreme end of Long
island a deposit of powders and
gravel seven miles long and three and
one-half miles wide The inhabitants
have practically always been there
the same DOdges. LittIefelds, Balls
and Roses, who have lived on the is
land since 1881 They were pious
Baptists at tine outset; most of them
are Baptists and some are pnus To
this day The little farmsteads scat
tered over the surface OF the treeIess
islet and devoted to poultry and vege-
tables, have been handed down from
father TO son. and a few, at least, OF
the houses on them are venerable
enough to satisfy the most ardent
searcher after antiquity pictur
esque windmill. very dllapidated, gives
a Hollandish touch. TIE fishing fleet
now, as for generations back, goes
forth at every season of the year TAX
ing swordfish. mackerel haddOck and
cod with which the markets of the
whole United States are regularly
supplied The Block island unlocked
onhoora,.g NJ fran, ION 10 6e.anp t1rr
burden, with pointed bows and sterns
are famous for outweathering the
stoutest gales which sweep the Allan
tic coast
Surprise awaits the occasional out
slider who goes to the island ia mid
winter. He starts off as for a desper-
ate adventure He takes out addition
al accident insurance He expects
after leaving Newport to find some
thing even more desolate than tae
long streets filled with the unoccup pied
cottages of tie mGlti-milEoaairas
The fmpr -sslons of the voyage con.
firm the expectation. The sight of the
little steamer which makes triweekly
trips 10 the island weather permitting.
is not reassuring. Still less assuring
is the southeast gale that is pounding
hard swash against the cliffs of the
southern end OF Rhode Island Some
OF Uncle Sans musicians are playing
dolefully at Fort Adams Once outside
Of the harbor. the half-score of passen.
gers, 10 in wilderness of assorted
freight begin to be seasick. OF Point
Judith even the strongest stomach
turns. The winter visitor begins
aboIt this time 10 wish that either
Block island or he were at the bottom
Of the sea with the rest Of the eastern
end OF Long island, a considerable por
ton Of which has crumbled away
Out of the swash of the southeastei
the Danielson which after reachin
Sandy Point at the extreme northern
end OF Block island has been following
along a stretch of nigh cliffs. darts sud
denly behind a sheltering bieakwater
one OF the works of that literary ant
artistic crg,neer F. Hopkinson Smith
1t is a plunge from purgatory into
peaceful haven. a fleet of perhap.
two score of fishing schooners rests
in q miniature harbor. tied up owe
Sunday The steamer is berthed be
tween two groups Of the vessels. Ap
parently half of the inhabitants of tn,
island have assembled to greet III,
boat, for the tri-weekly arrivals ar,
important events.
The further experiences, thougl
they may be delightful enough, ar,
likely to be somewhat disappointing Il
the traveller who goes to Block islam,
expecting to find a winter life differ
ing radically from that of the rest O
the world, He is perhaps on the oui