The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-02-03

shore high wall of pebbles. Along this
Is a walk of boards, of slabs of drift wood
laid irregularly end to end.
There are enough diversions on this
long walk. Across the bar is Baker
Island and it's light Ahead and far be-
hind you are two small houses. They are
the key posts where each life guard must
wind his watch by key which can be
found only at these posts which mark the
limits of the beach patrol as he passes
along the north and south shores on his
nightly beat.
You leave this walk for one not much
swamp, red with the berry for which the
island is named; then again take to a
| wagon road for time and soon approach
an imitation of ships mast, or the prac-
tice pole. Just beyond it is the station
above whose windows is painted "U. S..
L. S. Station
There are signs of life at the windows
and as | neared the front of the building
a guard courteously informed me that it
was dinner time, "a thing little suspected
for it was 10 clock in the morning), and
that the captain would be at liberty
shortly, and left me to look about
The genial captain soon appeared and
was not long in answering many ques-
tions about the service. The charts of
shown. The quarters or rooms of the
crew were clean and orderly. Each room
had simple furniture and a sailors chest
and each bespoke good housekeeping.
The closets where the signal flags are
kept were interesting as we'll as the
fblue book" which Uncle Sam sends out
for the sailors to study in order to know
how to use the flags for signals, to talk
with the flags as they say. Each flag
was rolled on its small standard and lived
in its own pigeon hole ready for use.
Then there was the box which holds the
''shot line" and taking the llne'' or
putting it onto the pins in the box cover
to be ready for gun practice seemed an
easy process until you tried it.
The captain, whose home is on the is
land, had worked up from surfman, as
! is the manner of promotion at station.
He and six guardsmen make up the crew.
| This is about the usual number assigned
| to one station.
| Of course the winter is the busiest
time, though in summer there have been
wrecks. So in September seventh or
| Sabbath man, so-caled, is taken on.
what kind of men are needed in the
/ service?" was asked.
90 men who knew the colors, men
with keen eye, who know how to ham
! die boat and who are strong and able
bodied
! When the crew appeared, it represent
ed all of the captains standard and
represented Swedes, Observation-Disclosures
and islanders themselves.
''Were the guards called on long dis
! tances?" 80 yes, to Duck Island, Little
Duck, Bass and Schoodic, distances vary
| lIOiIl IlIlC w 1OuII ccll IIillco HC
| Captain had seen three three-masters at
a time stranded on the beach near the
skeleton of an old tree which had pass
ed on the way over.
This first visit was followed by many
others; to get glimpse of the surf; of
the lowest tide of the year and bit of
the bar to Baker; of the life boats and
again for the life line practice. The sand
shots of the practice show the wreck or
dinance taken from the shed and the ex-
ercise through to the return of the
brooches buoy.
AS stood in the station doorway one
morning saw boat heading for shore.
Two rowers pulled with even strokes. 1t
drew near and on the third seat l could
see straight young fellow with two
hands on the rail as he looked intently at
the waves turned up by the oarsmen.
The guards on shore ran to the water
edge. The boat scraped over the pebbles
and the passenger jumped smartly out.
He was given a hearty welcome. He
was lifted to mans shoulder and greet
ed with-"We're glad to see him back. -
"We'd rather see him back than an ex-
ira man."
This welcome was for Tom, the NAL
tese coon cat whose home for ten
months of the year is at the station and
who had been to Big Cranberry for his
two months Of summer vacation. He
seemed to appreciate the reception and
before long was at home and up to his
old tricks of catching pebbles which were
tossed at him---indeed he encouraged and
leased for the fun in spite of the fact
that he had lost two teeth in the game.
A guard told me that often on his beat,
when nearly to the key post, he would
be startled by something clutching at
his trousers leg. This was Tom, who
had come, either fearing the man might
be lonely or that he might not do his
duty.
So every one on the island shared the
same spirit: the natives were happy in
their lot and had no desire to 20 else
where; the surfmen spending any spare
time in study or in reading; and Tom