The Detroit times., 1911-03-24
HATTERAS IS ISLE
OF CONFINEMENT
No Laws, No Policemen, No Jails on
Stretch Of Land Which Is
American Soil.

BUXTON. Hatteras Island. N. c.,
March 24.-Two ribbons OF sand
stretch out into the Atlantic from the
mainland; the one starting near Cape
Henry, Va, and running southeast,
the other running northeast from Cape
Lookout. n. c. The ribbons meet at
q blunt angle. and the point is called
Cape Hatteras.
At the blunt cape there Ia a widen
ing OF the strip. as though the hands
on the arms were folded together. To
the north and south the sea has cut
inlets through the beach. SO the wider
part OF the cape 10 an island-Hatter-
as island.
Two days you travel in sputter-
ing launch down the windy sounds
beside the beach. with never even
weed growing on 1t to break its yell
low monotony. Late In the afternoon
of the second day the cap'n OF the
launch puts you of onto a fish shanty
standing on shaky legs mile out
from shore, and there you are ma
rooned.
Your exile is not for long. Pres
emily a boatman poles out, bids you
jump into his boat. and then poles to
shore. You climb over q sand hill and
find yourself In Paradise.
There Is almost tropical luxuri-
ance OF verdure. The palmettos bank
along the winding road. There are
thickets of Spanish bayonets. Grace
full pines and cedars. live oaks. holly
trees big as northern oaks and GRIM
son with berries, wild peach and plum
trees in full bloom-and hooking birds
are singing fulthroated In the boughs.
You wonder at this tropical scene I'M
til the guide tells you that the gulf
stream flows Just Is miles OF the tip
OF the cape.
Presently you catch glimpses OF
white cottages through the greenery.
And this Is Buxton. the home or the
fishermen of the sound.
There are 800 people on the island.
100 miles from the nearest civiliza-
ton, and living without form Of gov
eminent of any kind. There IL no
no policeman, no jail. no
law court, no litigation. no laws. Two
men volunteer as school commit
tee; they are the only officials on the
island. There Is no road committee.
No newspaper. The people are poor,
but there are no paupers. hence no
poorhouse.
Yet It would be hard to find a more
orderly community. No ordinances.
there is. no law-breaking. There Is
no stealing, no quarreling. There
Just isn't any need for government,
that's all. It's the island Of content
ment.
How do the people do itf Because
they are good. That's the answer
These fishermen have to live there
and they prefer to live In q decent
place. Their principal interest, out
side the business of fishing. IL re
ligion. They have two churches. And
these islanders. strange to say, take
the injunctions OF Christianity seri-
ously. Their only rule Of conduct is
the golden one.
Over on the mainland q propagan-
da magazine Is published. II thunders
against race suicide. They don't need
Il on Hatteras island. For OF the 500
population. $50. or over one-Quarter.
are children. And such children!
The boys are brave fellows with fists
and swift feet and tanned faces. The
girls have the best compilations on the
Atlantic coast. red as apples and white
as milk.
The principal business Of the men
is fishing and saving lives. Both pro-
fessions are calculated to impress
with the precariousness OF life. The
Diamond shoals, OF the point OF the
cape, melt ships and drown men.
Every once In q while the surf wash
es up human bones from the quick
sands. A single shad season may
bring fortune or death to the fisher
man. Either is accepted with hui
mility. Misfortune Is certainly shared
with the neighbors, fortune 10 likely
TO be.
The finest thing about the people
of the Isle Of Contentment Is their
hospitality and charity. The hospital
ity is open-handed and splendid. There
IL no such thing as hotel, but the
wayfarer never wants for food and
shelter. The best the people have
he gets. and the islanders are proud
to serve him.
Tomorrow Correspondent Wilson will
tell about the Hatteras light, the
greatest lighthouse on the Atlantic
coast.