The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-24
THB ISLE OF 1.-THE GOLD BUG"
POES TALE LAM ~ ~ NGLE
NEAR CHaRLESTON.
They can % the IsIe Sf Palms. a Id Al
the Elements oG Nystery mat poe
saw Are SIN There Dense EOrest
Hedged and BurleC by sand Dunes

Those who are Jhe real people II
Charleston, \ & are peculiarly careless
Of tradition which does not Ia some way
involve such Names a. are carved IN
messy tnnbstonsS IN ~ Philips and NJ
Michael's churchyards Consequently a
stranger who fortunately hears intro
duction into the charmed cirCle of the
~ Cecilia society must hear only by
the mereSt chance of the identity ~ the
Isle of Palms with the scene ~ Edgar
Allan Poe's enthrallinR tale The Gold
Bug
Poe, you SEQ. was not a South Caro-
hnian He did not come IT an old Hugue-
not family whose records were bright
before tho Declaration II Independents"
and whose acions were leaders IN the
notification movement against President
Andrew jackson He only visited Charles
ton many years ago. and though he did
not commit the breach of writing about
Charleston people an example IL re-
straint which has not been followed by
lesser writer's II more recent wears
he was not 81 Charleston IA the least
degree 80 it is with a detached courtesy
that some dweller ~ the -mbattled cita-
dels along the Battery may say Ia n
stranger from the North
you might he Interested in going
b the Isle 81 Palms II you are lover
OF Poe and have read The Gold Bug
BY common opinion the Isle ~ Palms,
q thin stretch 81 wildwood which lies
along sand spit north uf sullivan -
Island. has been designated az the scene
of that midnight journey ~ William
Legrand which resulted in Jupe's drop
-. "a a. L. a
through the eye socket of hleachad
skull plump onto n buried fortune In
deed a Close reading IT Pne's tale cannot
locate the hiding place 81 Capt kidd's
buried treasure in any other spot than
the Isle 81 Palms, although the author
took the same liberties with the tppog-
raphy Of Charleston harbors enviruns
a. he did with the Weehawksn woods
when he converted them "a his uses ia
his tale The Mystery of Marie Roget
bent on seeing the weird tanglc Il semi
tropical jungle which once inspired the
savage dreamer to write his story 81 the
mystic beetle. one slII,s his handy edition
OF Poe's les into "A convenient puCS-t
and takes the rusty old ferry that plies
from the wharf back ~ the new Custom
HOUSE through Hog island Channel 10
the rickety pier at Mount Pleasant on
the mainland north ~ the harbor There
trolley oar waits tn carry passengers
under the sweeping h-ar,is - the water
oaks across the hatlands where stands
the scattered village ~ Mount Pleasant
over q marsh and strip - water to- Sull- !
vans Island There On the western
extremity ~ thus long. low sand blr. F
crooked like an elbow around "a. con !
tour 81 the mainland, stands For Moultrie. F.
A. the island locke "a Poe m tho 30
when for "A time he Mas stationed al tn. .
fort as private soldier. u looks To- rh,. /
visitor to-day. only ~. vivIdly p1.uf..d
barracks ~ the army reservation relieve .
the monotony - sand and lriStlug pal- .
metto.
In the Introduction To this tale Poe I
says that the whole ISLAND. with ;h, F.,
exception 81 this western point lFurt /
MOultriel and a line uf hard white beach ,
ON the seacoast. - covered With den-.. I
II the sweet myrtle So much .
priced by the horticulturists II Englaun .
The shrub here often attatn- the height /
Of fifteen or twenty feet and forms an
almost imp-netrahl" coppicr. hurfh-nug .
the air with it, fragrance
On sullivan Island proper this almost
copplce- must have he.n
largely swept away VA the years following
POes residence at ia" fort. Tor as the. .
trolley turns To the north and follows +
the length Of me island there - no sign of .
green masses. only The ClumpS 81 palmetto,
wind swept and mali smother,.d IN sand
Az the tip 81 SullIvan'- Island there - a
narrow strip Of water cat through the
low sand bar and beyond - the Isle ~
Palms.
Here the traveller has recourse 10 hf-
handy volume Of Po. In detailing the.
ev snts of legrand'z early morning Jour
ney IN search Of the main branch. So ru'h
limb. east side Of that tree which stood
A. a marker for the buried treasure the
author says that they -crosss-i the creek !
az the head Of the island by means ~ a
skin. and ascending the high grounds ON
the shore Of the mainland proce.,i..d in
a northwesterly direction through tract
u country excessively Wild and deSolats
where no trace Of a human foOtstrp was
to be seen
II the recluse with IN. analytical mind.
Of whom Poe wrote la The Gold Bug
creased the creek az the head 81 Sullivan-
lsland IN "A skin and then proCeed.d ~ a
northwestsrly direction through country
excessively Wild and de-olats- he did not
cross 60 the mainland tut TO the Isle OF
Palms Barring the fact that Their. -
no highland there the description Of it,
location and Of the Jungl. tangle that
,lothes II fits no place other than this
sland
Here On this stretch - lowland thar
points north ward along the coast - a
duplicate OF the Phenomenon which Dr,.
nay see at Cape Henry. Va. ou tu,. edge.
u the Great Dismal SWAMP A. one.
caves the car. which come, - a stpit 10 !
he midst 81 the loose sand a few hundred .
'est from the water = edge. there ~ uDfh.
ng to be seen ahead but the long r,Ian-..
4 sand, rising from the Wat..f : .-iR- a.
N gh hillOCkS. with her" ana fuer. riuinI- ,
i N" In-y itahl" palmetto Il
Leave III" bach l-hind and climb With ,
much toll up 10 the summit - thI- IDug '
ang~ 81 sand mountains aud Their. - J
marvel ~ displayed Dir.cfly below rh,. 3
Explorer feet the sand hills p.'c' -r..fIy
Town. III" sheer sids.- is.ing uuu,'ur,.,l
y III" dying tops ~ trs.-- aud tr.. h.,u,-
Il smothered IAilm'tto- reaching 600.
IboVs th. sand ill.," the hands 81 Do man 90
guagInirs Then heyund ne. iuug'r
GrseE-a vivid grren ~ tins sea Of
savinR tree tops that stretches away
D.low the level - the .HCrpauitug -ana
Mountains. Because tbs. spectator IpuI- .
from his HsstUNg