The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-27
\ Voice From Nantucket.

4 timely Offering al this Christmas
season turns the thoughts from the at =
fractions of the theatres and the entice-
ments Of department store bargains to
that delightful and reasonably self-com-
placent island of Nantucket. twenty six
miles ont at sea, and, il the winter is
hard enough, likely TO be shut of for
weeks from the news and pother Of the
busy world The natives are cuddling
but disturbing coolers. and the church
sociables and literary societies are i'm full
blast. while our esteemed contemporary
the Inquirer and Mirror provides them
week., with all the news they care for.
The pupils in Admiral ISRAEL CoFFIS's
school are imbibing the knowledge that
will enable them to make their way on
the mainland. and the guardians of
MARIA MITCHELL's house and the old
windmill. and the oldest house on the
island. and the museum. and the other
| fifteen cent attractions are resting from
their labors in taking in coofer coin. Even
the Peanut man" finds leisure now TO
, turn to poetry. Only the life savers at
their stations from Maddequit and San
katy to Coatue and Great Point. are kept
busy at their winter work.
This then is the appropriate time for
Mr.. HARRY b. TURNER 10 present to all
true Nantut keters Tho Story of the
Island Steamars.- which the Inquirer
and Mirror publishes and for most of
the information in which it's files are
the source. IL goes back to the happy
DAYS when Nantucket was an important
seaport. with its whaling fleet and it's
shipb'ilding n period TO which every
Nantucket tale hanks back and which
has left its mark in many a comfortable
brick mansion in i,s quiet streets. II is
a respectable and romantic past TO look
back TO. though We doubt whether the
present neat islanders. with their spick
and span houses. their trim gardens
and their conspicuous Keep Our Town
Clean rubbish barrels. and their pride
in keeping tho devil wagons of their
sands. would hav" felt comfortable in
the hustle and confusion and dirt that
formed part of the whaling davs Iik"
the fire of lSts. they ar" something to
boast of and not for modern use
The steamer traffic began with tho
little Eagle in 1878 which made the trip
between New Bedford and the island
In eight hours and some minutes. not 81
much behind tho time Of tho modern
Gay Head. Then there Ia the record of
the old Island Home TINT was the chief
means 81 communication with Nan
tucket for forty wears. when Hvannis-
port was the mainland port. They pre-
serve some fragments ~ the old bont in
the island museum. After that come the
steamers known To modern travellers
More interesting than the steamer
history. however, IL the record Of the
times when Nantucket has been frozen
mp: years when the iCe stretched out al
far that the water could not bc seen from
the island. times when passengers and
mails would only be- landed on the ice
miles OUT Those were DAYS when the
islanders were left Ia their own re-
sources. when for a week or ten days al
"A time they could get no news 81 the out
side world There was an instance two
wears ago
We should envy these idyIlic condi-
tions and feel like seclIding ourselves
in newsles- Nantucket more If the island
did not possess that destroyer Of ocean
rest, the wireless telegraph. Sconset il a
main station for the sea. and lesser lines
are in touch with the Massachusetts
Nantucket in. the hum Of the world
reaches If now