The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-11
A MODERN cRUsoE.

After spending ten years on Watts
Island in Chesapeake Bay, with only
the sands and his. books for company,
Charles H. Hardenburg of Trenton, N.
j., former law student of Princeton
University, returned to civilization
recently. He is brother of DR.. DAN
iel s. Hardenburg of Jersey City, a
wealthy and prominent physician. He
returns to civilization much improved
in health.
Charles Hardenburg wagered with a
friend that he could spend ten years
on an island without the companion
ship of man or woman He was broken
in health, too, and had been advised
to go away. Solitude is the greatest
medicine man can take" said Mr..
Hardenburg several days ago. "A man
is never without company when he
has things to read and nature and the
wonderful work Of Providence to think
about. I have enjoyed myself I have
learned much and now am going back
to my people"
MI. was IWCAty -lOtI
years of age when he first became the
sole occupant of Watts Island, seven
teen miles from the mainland. The is
land contains four acres and lies be-
tween Tangier Island and Fox Island
There is no means of transportation
except by rowboats and launches.
While at Princeton Mr.. Hardenburg
was a close friend of Joseph Tumulty,
who was then secretary to Woodrow
Wilson, president of that institution.
He was an ardent student, and
through years of constant study his
health became impaired. He was adj
vised by relatives and friends to take
long rest with the hope that his
health might be restored.
It was then that he wagered with
his college chums that he would go
away from the noise. and elamor of
city life for ten years to some quiet
place where he could be left alone
with his books. His friends scoffed
at the idea. g ~
Accompanied by his brother, DR..
Daniel S. Hardenburg, he came to the
soil of the southern shore of Virginia
in quest of a quiet spot where he could
begin his ten years of solitary life,
and after observing the land in this
vicinity finally decided that Watts Is
land was the most suitable.
When young Hardenburg first took
up his abode on the island he was
furnished with a well stocked library,
modern farming implements and sew
eral horses to till the soil, and as an
assurance that he would not be mo-
Tested or removed from the island un-
til the ten years had expired, the is
land was purchased by his brother
During his ten years of hermitlike
existence young Hardenburg ventured
frem the island once a year, when he
would visit either Onancock, Va, or
Crisfeld, Nd, to replenish his stock
Of food and obtain clothing. The
horses which were placed on the is
land soon died, and, Hardenburg soon
tired Of agricultural life and devoted
most of his leisure time to fishing and
Grabbing. .s
During some Of the most severe
winter months, when he found his
food supply exhausted and was pre-
vented from leaving the island by pro-
longed storms, he was compelled to
put up signals Of distress. Once dur
Ing northeast gale which swept the
coast for more than q week, Har-
denburg found his food chest empty,
and was unable to leave the island
owing to the rough seas. He tried
in. many ways I'd signal the light
house Keeper at Watts Light, a few
miles distant, but his signals of dis
tress were obscured by the storm. He]
Was beginning to feel the pangs OF
hunger and was about to give up in
despair when an Unexplained Impulse
directed his attention toward the
shore. When he strolled to the bank
he discoveries small boat was drift
ms ashore, It, was pulled In, and to
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