Evening star., 1915-03-07
Squatters Off Maine Coast Queer People

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wild as hawks they will seldom allow a
visitor to obtain more than fieetlng
glimpse much less talk to them.
The women, too. are generally re-
firing. although their natural Curl
osity sometimes prompts them to stand
silent In the doorway of their howell
as their man receives the stranger.
These man squatters are rough. dirty.
unkempt looking characters, who. as
rule. will answer your questions in
monosyllables and make 1t SO mani
fest that you are unwelcome that you
will be glad to leave them to their
own ways.
There are several of these squatter
communities along the Maine coast,
and then there are many out-of-the
way spots where perhaps but sin
gle family. two or three at the
most. will live in absolute isolation,
ignorant of and absolutely nncaring
for what the great outside world is
doing.
Reyond the almost futile efforts of
the few coast missionaries. the state
of Maine generally let's these queer
folk alone to their own devices. They
pay no taxes, have no voice in the
government of the states affairs and
All they ask Is. to be let alone. And
the state, despite some criticism, let's
them alone.
The other summer a visitor at Orrs
Island heard of John. a squatter, and
sent him a half-barrel of flour. John
lived high after that. He showed how
he made bread. First he took a tin
pan. old and rusty. Into this he
scooped five or six handfuls of -four
with huge, grimy paws. Brackish
water from the pond-a recent rain
storm had partially filled twas then
stirred his batter. Then he placed 1T
in the oven and piled the driftwood
into the tirebox. The same sort of
batter turned directly onto the dirty
fry 'em on tn covers jest as waal as
en- in a spider averred john
On these isolated islands. or tucked
away in obscure dents of the main
land, men and women live out their
lives with absolutely no knowledge
of the things that are near and dear
to most people. over on the eastern
coast, on Outer Heron Island. lives
Uncle Jerry Madison. Born there sew
enty-two years ago. he recently visited
the mainland for the first time, and
has now come back there to end his
days. Last summer, for the first time,
he was taken by yachtsmen to Rock
land. There he saw electric cars, a
steam engine and railroad train, cleo
trio lights, automobiles and the thou
sand and one common Accomplishments
of city life. The old mans open
mouthed amazement was pathetic, and
certainly that one day "on tn main
has given him enough to think about
for the few remaining years left him.
Uncle Jerry enjoyed the trip. but
Heron Island is more to his liking
Heron Island and his cats. For Uncle
Jerry loves cats. There is a story that
tcl nd
girl Tilted him in favor of a young
lobsterman. At any rate, Uncle Jerry
went to the easternmost tip of the is
land and built his shack. For COM
pany he took along two cats.
Soon he became known as a cham
pion of felines, and it was astonishing
that an island no larger than Outer
Heron should support SO many stray
cats. AT any rate, sooner or later, they
found Uncle Jerry. and Uncle Jerry
took them in and fed them. How they
did multiply! At first he used to go
fishing for himself, and he sold his
fish and Holsters to the smackmen from
the main, who called twice week.
OF late years, however, he has fished
chiefly for his cats.
According TO his latest census, he an
nounces that he now has forty-seven
cats. male and females. big and little.
There Is a regular drowning or execu-
tion of kittens about ever SO often,
but Uncle Jerry is tender hearted. and
if a mother seems particularly solici-
tous over her newly born brood Uncle
Jerry simply let's them live-and then
there are five or six more cats to feed.
Uncle Jerry cut swinging panel in
the front door of his hut years ago,
and through this the cats have free
lngress or eSress Sometimes seems
ez if thar's a string O. cats either a
comm or goin' all tn day and night
Uncle Jerry conf1ded to the writer
When he goes out fishing in his old
Hampton. generally he is accompanied
by fifteen or twenty of his feline
friends. The rest of the flock wait
patiently on the bank until he lands
his catch. There are plenty of fish
around Outer Heron, and on stormy
days Uncle Jerry sits on the rocks and