The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-08-29

quated and cumbersome. On my way
up the river man in reply to question
| pointed out one place as belonging to the
Coe- Mortimers, but don't know how
well informed he was, and did not get a
chance to find out for myself.
In glancing over history of the town
found at the Custom House I was
struck by the fact that the population
| just before the war in 1860 was 40, 522,
and in 1910 had increased to So, 1913 only,
an unusually poor showing, should say,
for an American city in the last half
century of unprecedented progress, even
in the South. In commenting on it to one
Of this officials, got this reply: Eyes
Sir! You are correct, Sir! This city was
founded 24O years ago, just, and it is
Sir"
l noticed many Hebrew names over
the shop doors, and the Jews may be able
to inject the necessary virus to offset
the indigenous Southern lethargy and
save the commerce Of the place, if not
| its ancient importance as a social rural
center. Still, it is delightful place to
visit, for all it's being something of a
picturesque ruin, and l left it loaded
with invitations to return in the fall, and
ito hunt duck, run deer with dogs and
shoot them with buckshot, Sir! and if
you miss one, Sir, you get horse whip
ping before the campfire at night, and
am the man that does the fogging, by
appointment, was shouted after me by
a well. known shipbuilder and steamboat
owner as | finally tumbled aboard the
Myrtle.
The former bark rugged steam yacht
American of S51 tons register-noW the
flag ship of the Haytian Navy and cover
ed with murky coat of battleship grey
paint-was anchored in the harbor as we
sailed out, being held by United States
Marshal until her grocers bill should be
paid. The remnant of her crew was
much interested in US and lowered her
gaudy flag of strange device as photo
graphed them and her, and we passed
under her stern out between the splendid
stoned jetties which hold Charles
toms channel open and make her harbor
now one of the most accessible and the
safest to enter between Norfolk and
Key West. A sailing vessel. however,
must have fair wind, or a tug, to pass
through the narrow walled lane made by
| the long jetties that lead out towards
the lightship, and through which St.
Philips church steeple light acts as
range, by both day and night. 1t is a
curious fact that this steeple should have
been SO placed by accident. 1t is the
only church l have seen in traversing
every inch of our Atlantic coast that
has government lighthouse in it.
BEAUFORT.
Beaufort, now connected with the out
side world by railroad ii. e. for about 5
years. and great shipping place for
oysters, fish and clans, is charming lit
tie village on land-locked harbor, with
white wooden houses with balconies and
| the water front. Among its chief at
cheerful little hotel open all the year
round, for summer and winter visitors,
good shooting in the neighborhood, big
and small game, and no end of deep sea
fishing.
Here, on an island of its own, is situated
| the U. S. Marine Biological Station, with
tan ks and running water for the study
and propagation of all kinds of aquatic
| life, and museum in which are preserv-
ed in alcohol specimens of the fish caught
in the waters of the adjacent rivers,
sounds and ocean.
Hither come scientists from every
where to study, under the direction of a
superintendent from Washington, the
marine life Of our Atlantic coast. Among
many interesting specimens l noticed
particularly one of cutie or devil-fish,
with long tentacles, such as we used to
read about in the days of our boyhood.
incidentally the big yellow structure
of the station building on its bare island
in the harbor is more conspicuous from
! seward than the whole town of Beau
fort, nestled among it's green trees, and
it may be used as an artificial land mark
by the mariner, enabling him to know
when to turn in to cross the bar, which
he might easily pass by on this low sandy
coast.
THE LOSS OF THE TITANIC.
| The first news of the loss of the Ii
tanic came to us four days late as we
tied up at the Standard Oil dock at Beau
fort 10 fill our gasolene tanks. A Ger
man restaurant keeper, doubtless look
| ing for business, came running down the
dock to tell me that 1.-The biggest ship
afloat has gone down with nearly all on
board. That was about the extent of
his knowledge, but from Captain Lewis,
the local marine reporter of the New
| L VI AACl r'i'., w a lWo tdyS Oll SOpy
OF that paper, the only one in town, and
learned the bare facts, as they were
known up to Tuesday, of the terrible
catastrophe. Curiously enough l had
been reading that very morning about
her construction, looking over her plans
and a description of the maiden trip she
was about to make, in Sunday Herald
of week or two before, bought in
Charleston.
Several of the people on board were
known TO me by sight, or personally.
Both Col. and Mrs. Astor saw daily last
summer at the Casino at Newport, R. l.
Major Butts, I'd met upon several occa-
sions, and with Mr.. Frank Millet l had
spent some of the most agreeable even
ings of my life, in animated conversation
on boats and boating, ships and shipping,
and their place in art While he was
looking up the data for his Mural Deco
rations in the Baltimore, Md, Custom
House, depicting so wildly the history
of navigation, from the earliest times to
the latest battleships of the epoch, flour
years ago. | spent several morning s
in the New York Yacht Clubs Library
! looking I'm Vacht TING nictures and data