Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-29
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH 70. 1914

men. The Sunbeam stopped at Boothbay
Harbor and took in tow the schooner Abdon
Keene which was to be used as lighter.
When the tow arrived at Muscongus men,
women, and children turned out. 1t was a
gala occasion. Everything had to be RATED
ashore, as there is no wharf at Muscongus;
but there were willing hands, and every
beast of burden on the island was pressed
into service. There was Nathan Carriers
single OK team, Cal Prior with his lame horse,
Elsie Osier with his steers, and Ed Carter
with Benson's blind mare
With all this building material and with
few hundred dollars since raised through
different channels the church was assured.
The cornerstone was laid with appropriate
exercises, and by another summer Muscon-
gus will probably have a modern house
of worship, with an audience room, lecture
hall, and even small public library. So
the passing of Malaga brought joy to one
community, even though the degenerate
inhabitants were sorrowful at being dispos-
known as home.
SCATTERED here and there along the
coast to the eastward few settlements
of not more than half dozen families are to
be found living under equally deplorable con-
ditions. 1t was one of these latter colonies
that discovered when on yachting cruise.
The distribution of few cigars a box of
cheap candy, and perhaps dollar in small
change, made me welcome enough.
The warmest, suggest shack on the little
island was the cabin top from lumber
coaster wrecked few years ago on nearby
point. By raising it foot there would have
been full head room. But that would have
entailed exertion; so the seven men, women,
and children, to say nothing of three mongrel
dogs, four cats, and hen or two, lived in it
as it was. The adults had become stoop |
shouldered from keeping their heads bowed |
that they might not bump them on the cabin
carlines.
Mandy was not uncomely looking young |
colored woman. She wore mems trousers, |
and her shiftless white husband watched her
unconcernedly as she picked up clam hoe
and basket and started for the flats to dig |
their dinner.
In another shack was woman aged al |
most to the point of senility. She paved |
over string of dirty beads, mumbling in
coherently to herself. She took no notice of
me.
A robust but not over bright looking man
of fifty or thereabout sat in a chair con-
structed from a -four barrel and knitted |
socks.
Il kind o like to do it, we know" he ex-
planned. @Can't go a fishin', cause it's
BLOWN too ALFRED hard Fl my dory; so
thought I'd knit SPELL
Two women clad in filthy wrappers pat
tered about the dirt floor IN their bare feet; |
while sickly looking children amused them
selves by pulling cats tail and chasing a
NANCY dog round the place.
what do you do when it comes winter9"
l inquired. There were holes in the walls
big enough for gulls to fly through.
aWaal, It's durn chilly sometimes. Las
winter we stuffed Of rags in the cracks; but
we see 1 didn't chop 'nough wood to last,
n there was few days when the ole woman
n the kids he'd pow'ful hard time of it.
Think of existence in such howell! No
fire, and a winter Northwestern bowling over
the gray waters and sitting the numbing
SHOWS into every nook and Granny on that
barren little bit of Maine rock and soil!
l gave the man money and asked him if
he would get some shingles and at least make
the place tight before another winter.
@Bless you, Mister, sure I will! I'll get
'em the fust time 1 take my Holsters over
to Round Pond"