The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-06-03
NURSE To BECOME
QUEEN OF ISLAND
viii Rule Snail Tribe In the
MidedStern Pacific.
KINGDOM HAS 1876 SOULS.

Pitcairn Island, Belonging to Great
Britain, Has an Area of Two Square
MiIes-First Settled In 1890 by Mem
bers of Ship Crew Who Had Mutinied.
Twenty-six Persons Started Tribe.
Miss Emily Mccoy, a graduate nurse,
who has lived in Bridgeport, Conn.,,
eight years, will start within q few
weeks for Pitcairn island, il the mid
eastern Pacific ocean,, where she ex-
poets in time to be chosen as queen to
succeed her father, who has been ruler
of the little kingdom of 1876 souls for
many years.
She is going back to her people with
twentieth century ideas and manyplans,
one of which is the determination to
practice the art of healing among the
inhabitants, to whom physicians,
nurses and dentists have never been
known since the island was colonized
by mutineers 126 years ago.
Miss Mccoy left Pitcairn island fif-
teen years ago by a missionary boat
following the death of her mother, who
suffered much because of want of med
ical aid. She promised then that she
would not return until she equipped
herself as a physician and nurse in Or
der to be able to minister to the phys
zeal wants of the people of the island
on which she was born. She studied
medicine and dentistry at Samoa, and
since she has been In this country she
has thoroughly equipped herself in the
science of nursing. She believes that
she is qualified to do a mighty work
of mercy among those she loves.
Will Take a Piano.
Miss Mccoy will take with her n
piano. With the exception of an organ
which Queen Victoria gave to the Pit
cairn islanders in 1870 the piano, she
says, will be the only musical instru-
ment on the island.
Inasmuch as the Pitcairn women are
in the majority and women have the
vote as well as men, there doesn't seem
to be any doubt that Miss Mccoy will
in time be called upon to step into her
fathers shoes as the ruler. The ruler
is chosen by direct election.
Ships seldom go to Pitcairn island,
and Miss Mccoy has been figuring for
eight years just how to get home. The
opening of the Panama canal gives YES
sells a direct route to the Samoan is
lands, and she is confident that she
will be able to complete the trip with
out much difficulty.
Pitcairn island belongs to Great Brit
ain. 1t lies south of the Paumotu ar
chipelago and is a hundred miles from
the nearest member of this group. 1t
has an area of two square miles. The
island was settled in 1890 by men,
bers of the crew of the ship Bounty,
who had mutinied. Headed by Fletcher
Christian, who led the m%utineers, eight
white men, six Polynesian men and
twelve POlynesian women took possess
sion Of the beautiful island and burned
the Bounty. Alexander Smith was the
only man alive by 1900. He later took
the name of Alexander John Adams
and trained the youths who were left
in his charge.
He was succeeded after his death in
1926 by George Hum hobbs, who was
appointed pastor. In 1881 Joshua Hill,
an adventurer, appeared at Pitcairn
and, making a bluff that he was a gov
eminent agent. tyrannized over the is
landers until a British man-of-war put
him out of business in 1888.
The islanders are closely intermar-
ried and have, it is said, but five family
names. All speak and write English
and are Seventh Day Adventists. They
have no money, and intoxication is un-
known. Girls over seventeen can vote.
Ships rarely visit Pitcairn except
when the crews are in need of vegeta-
bles and fruits.